Galileo (ガリレオ, Garireo) is a mystery crime Japanese television drama based on the Detective Galileo (探偵ガリレオ, Tantei Garireo) novels by Keigo Higashino (東野 圭吾, Higashino Keigo). It narrates the events and cases encountered by Kaoru Utsumi, a rookie police detective, and Manabu Yukawa, a genius science professor, as the two pair up to solve mysterious cases. The series premiered on Fuji TV on October 15, 2007, with a second season premiering six years later on April 15, 2013. Season two includes a two-part adaption of the novel Salvation of a Saint.
The series released three special feature-length episodes. "Galileo: Episode Zero", set three years before the first episode of season one, aired on October 4, 2008, on the same day as the release of the film Suspect X. Special episode "Galileo XX: Kaoru Utsumi's Last Case" (ガリレオXX内海薫最後の事件), a prequel of season two, premiered on Fuji TV on June 22, 2013, followed by Midsummer's Equation (真夏の方程式, Manatsu no hōteishiki) on June 29, 2013.
Galileo became available on Netflix in January 2025. Season two on Netflix includes "Galileo XX: Kaoru Utsumi's Last Case" as episode 12.
Contents
Premise
Kaoru Utsumi, a rookie detective who has just been reassigned to the criminal division, finds the investigation of her first murder case stalled by seemingly-supernatural phenomena surrounding the event. She seeks help from Shunpei Kusanagi, a senior detective at the police headquarter famous as a "Mystery Hunter". Kusanagi, however, reveals to Utsumi that he was only able to solve the cases thanks to his college friend, Teito University professor Manabu Yukawa. Yukawa is a tall, handsome, brilliant but eccentric scientist who is interested in nothing but physics, while Utsumi is a hot-blooded detective with a strong sense of justice. Together, the odd pair solves many difficult and seemingly impossible events with their individual talents.
Cast
Season 1
Masaharu Fukuyama as Manabu Yukawa (湯川学, Yukawa Manabu)
Ko Shibasaki as Kaoru Utsumi (内海薫, Utsumi Kaoru)
Kazuki Kitamura as Shunpei Kusanagi (草薙俊平, Kusanagi Shunpei)
Hiroshi Shinagawa as Shiro Yuge (弓削志郎, Yuge Shirō)
Ikkei Watanabe as Hiromi Kuribayashi (栗林宏美, Kuribayashi Hiromi)
Miki Maya as Sakurako Jonouchi (城ノ内桜子, Jōnouchi Sakurako)
Season 2
Masaharu Fukuyama as Manabu Yukawa (湯川学, Yukawa Manabu)
Yuriko Yoshitaka as Misa Kishitani (岸谷美砂, Kishitani Misa)
Yu Sawabe as Minoru Otagawa (太田川稔, Ōtagawa Minoru)
Yuto Marick Yasuhara as Isaac (アイザック, Aizakku)
Ko Shibasaki as Kaoru Utsumi (内海薫, Utsumi Kaoru)
Guests
1st episode: Toshiaki Karasawa as Tatsuo Kanamori (金森龍男, Kanamori Tatsuo)
2nd episode: Mantaro Koichi as Hiroshi Uemura (上村宏, Uemura Hiroshi)
3rd episode: Ryōko Hirosue as Yayoi Kanzaki (神崎弥生, Kanzaki Yayoi)
4th episode: Shingo Katori (SMAP) as Shoichi Tagami (田上昇一, Tagami Shōichi)
Sora Aoi - victim of 4th episode
5th episode: Suzuka Ohgo as Akiho Yajima (矢島秋穂, Yajima Akiho)
Miki Mizuno - wife of victim of 5th episode
6th episode: Maki Horikita as Remi Morisaki (森崎礼美, Morisaki Remi)
Hirofumi Arai - a fortune teller, stalking Remi
7th episode: Kyoko Fukada as Shizuko Sugawara (菅原静子, Sugawara Shizuko)
Shigeyuki Sato as Minemura Kazuhide (峰村英和, Kazuhide Minemura)
8th episode: Yumiko Shaku as Chiaki Maeda (前田千晶, Maeda Chiaki)
9th and final episodes: Hiroshi Kume as Seishiro Kijima (木島征志郎, Kijima Seishirō)
Guests for Episode Φ (Zero)
Masami Nagasawa as Akari Shionoya (塩野谷あかり, Shionoya Akari)
Ayaka Komatsu as Yoko Hirahara (平原瑤子, Hirahara Yōko)
Episodes
Film-length special episodes
The following special episodes are over 60 minutes in length. Two were released theatrically.
Galileo: Episode Zero (2008) – TV movie
Suspect X (2008) (aka "The Devotion of Suspect X")
Galileo XX: Kaoru Utsumi's Last Case (ガリレオXX内海薫最後の事件) (2013) – TV movie
Midsummer's Equation (2013)
Films post-series
Silent Parade (2022)
Forbidden Magic (2022) (Galileo: Kindan no Majutsu; ガリレオ 禁断の魔術) – TV movie
Video game
An adventure game based on the series was developed by Tomcat System and published by D3Publisher for Nintendo DS on October 16, 2008.