Prime Video is turning a deceptively simple set of childhood games into a high-stakes psychological battle with Rock Paper Landmine, an upcoming Japanese live-action thriller based on Yugo Aosaki’s acclaimed mystery novel Rock, Paper, Landmines. The series has already attracted attention for its unusual premise, young Japanese stars Nana Mori and Aju Makita, and a creative team with experience in stylish, internationally minded productions.
The Rock Paper Landmine release date is November 13, 2026, when the Prime Original drama will begin streaming exclusively on Prime Video worldwide. The series is being developed and produced by THE SEVEN, with Amazon MGM Studios producing the project.
Unlike a conventional survival thriller, however, Rock Paper Landmine does not revolve around characters fighting to stay alive. Instead, familiar games become elaborate contests of strategy, deception and psychological manipulation. The characters put their friendships, school lives, ambitions and other pieces of their youth on the line.
That unusual setup makes Rock Paper Landmine one of Prime Video’s more distinctive upcoming Japanese series.
When Does Rock Paper Landmine Premiere?
Rock Paper Landmine premieres on November 13, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video worldwide. The live-action series stars Nana Mori as Mato Imoriya and Aju Makita as Kazahi Koda and adapts Yugo Aosaki’s award-winning mystery novel Rock, Paper, Landmines. Kazuaki Seki directs, while THE SEVEN develops and produces the series with Amazon MGM Studios.
The series is scheduled for release in more than 240 countries and territories, giving the Japanese production a considerably wider international reach than a conventional domestic television drama.
What Is Rock Paper Landmine About?
At its core, Rock Paper Landmine takes games that almost everyone recognizes and changes the rules.
The source novel by Yugo Aosaki uses familiar activities such as rock-paper-scissors, Memory and Daruma-san ga Koronda — the Japanese version of Red Light, Green Light — as the foundation for increasingly complicated battles of logic and deception. Once additional rules are introduced, games that seem harmless suddenly become contests requiring calculation, observation, psychological reading and strategic thinking.
The live-action adaptation follows Mato Imoriya, a seemingly carefree high school student who possesses an extraordinary talent for games. When her best friend Kazahi Koda becomes involved in dangerous school game battles, Mato steps into the competition to help her.
The stakes are deliberately different from those in typical death-game stories.
The players are not necessarily fighting for their lives. Instead, they are risking things that matter enormously during adolescence — friendships, school activities, social standing, opportunities and their limited time as students.
That is why the series has been described as a kind of “bloodless survival game.” The tension comes from watching characters attempt to outthink one another rather than simply overpower their opponents.
For viewers who enjoy understanding the rules of a competition and then watching characters exploit loopholes within them, that could become the show’s biggest attraction.
Rock Paper Landmine Release Date: When Does It Come to Prime Video?
The Rock Paper Landmine release date is November 13, 2026.
Prime Video will stream the series exclusively worldwide, with the launch planned across more than 240 countries and territories. The announcement was made by Japanese production company THE SEVEN on August 24, 2026.
This is being positioned as a Prime Original drama series, rather than a theatrical movie. That distinction matters because the episodic format gives the adaptation more room to develop the individual games, explain their unusual rules and establish the relationships between the competitors.
For readers unfamiliar with the terminology, Fandomora’s guide explaining what a web series is and how streaming series work provides useful background on how modern digital series differ from traditional television.
Rock Paper Landmine Trailer: Has Prime Video Released One?
A full public Rock Paper Landmine trailer has not been clearly confirmed in the official announcement currently available.
THE SEVEN’s announcement confirms the series, its cast, creative team, premise and November 13 premiere date, but it does not provide a conventional trailer release date.
That means viewers should be careful with unofficial clips or videos circulating online under the Rock Paper Landmine name. Until Prime Video or the production team releases an official trailer, those materials should not automatically be treated as promotional footage from the series.
The eventual trailer should be particularly interesting because the show’s premise depends heavily on visualizing games and their rules. The production team has already teased the use of CG and imaginative visual techniques to bring the battles to the screen. Nana Mori specifically discussed the spectacular CG work and the inventive ways the games unfold in live action.
That suggests the trailer may reveal just how far the adaptation intends to push the visual side of its psychological battles.
Rock Paper Landmine Cast: Who Stars in the Prime Video Series?
The two confirmed leads are Nana Mori and Aju Makita.
THE SEVEN has confirmed them as the central stars of the series, with additional rival characters expected to be revealed later.
Nana Mori as Mato Imoriya
Nana Mori plays Mato Imoriya, the central protagonist.
Mato initially appears to be a relaxed and easygoing high school girl. That impression changes once a game begins. She possesses exceptional instincts and a natural ability to understand strategy, allowing her to approach seemingly ordinary games from an entirely different perspective.
That contrast is central to the character.
Mato does not need to look intimidating to dominate a competition. Her strength comes from understanding the rules, reading her opponents and recognizing opportunities that other players overlook.
Mori brings substantial experience to the role. Her recent credits include 5 Centimeters Per Second, Hirayasumi, Enjo and National Treasure. THE SEVEN also notes that she won the Outstanding Supporting Actress Award at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize for National Treasure.
That makes her casting particularly interesting for a series that depends heavily on subtle changes in expression and psychological tension.
Aju Makita as Kazahi Koda
Aju Makita plays Kazahi Koda, Mato’s best friend.
Kazahi occupies a different position from Mato. She is described as caring and protective, watching over her friend as Mato becomes increasingly involved in dangerous challenges.
Makita has built an impressive career from a young age. THE SEVEN notes that acclaimed filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda first recognized her when she appeared in Going My Home at age 10. She later appeared in Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, among other projects. Her recent credits include Reboot, Kingdom: Battle of Souls and Look Back.
The contrast between Mori’s Mato and Makita’s Kazahi could become one of the emotional anchors of the series.
More Rock Paper Landmine Cast Members Are Coming
The complete Rock Paper Landmine cast has not yet been revealed.
THE SEVEN has confirmed that eccentric rivals will challenge Mato and Kazahi, but their actors and characters are expected to be announced at a later date.
That gives the series another potential wave of casting news ahead of its November premiere.
Who Created Rock Paper Landmine?
Rock Paper Landmine is based on Yugo Aosaki’s mystery novel Rock, Paper, Landmines, originally published by KADOKAWA.
The novel became a major success in Japan, winning the 37th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize, the 24th Honkaku Mystery Award and the 77th Japan Mystery Writers Association Prize. THE SEVEN says it also swept the major mystery rankings, giving the work a total of nine major honors.
That track record is important because Rock Paper Landmine is not an original streaming concept created specifically to imitate the current popularity of survival thrillers.
The source material already had a strong reputation within Japanese mystery fiction before Prime Video announced the live-action adaptation.
Why Rock Paper Landmine Is Being Compared to Psychological Thrillers
The premise naturally places Rock Paper Landmine in the same broad conversation as psychological and survival-game entertainment.
But there is a significant difference.
In many survival thrillers, the game itself is simply the mechanism through which characters are threatened. In Rock Paper Landmine, the game is the story. Understanding the rules, discovering loopholes and predicting the opponent’s next move are the primary sources of suspense.
That makes the series closer to a battle of intelligence than a traditional action thriller.
The appeal is also helped by the familiarity of the games. Viewers do not have to learn an entirely fictional sport before understanding what is happening. They already know rock-paper-scissors or Memory. The intrigue comes from seeing those familiar games transformed by unexpected rules.
This is one of the smartest elements of Aosaki’s original concept.
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The “Bloodless Survival Game” Explained
The phrase bloodless survival game captures what makes the series different.
Characters are not necessarily trying to prevent physical death. They are trying to avoid losing important pieces of their everyday lives.
The official synopsis describes competitions involving school festival opportunities and even chips worth 90 million yen.
That creates a different kind of pressure.
A player can technically walk away from a game alive but still lose something that fundamentally changes their future.
For teenagers, that can be just as emotionally meaningful as a traditional survival-game threat. The series therefore shifts the question from “Who survives?” to “What are you willing to risk to win?”
Who Is Directing Rock Paper Landmine?
Kazuaki Seki directs the series.
Seki is known for his work in music videos for artists including Perfume and Sakanaction, as well as films such as Kakukakushikajika and Beethoven Forgery. THE SEVEN describes his approach as stylish and rhythmically driven, qualities that could suit a story built around quick strategic reversals.
That background is especially relevant to Rock Paper Landmine.
The series cannot depend solely on dialogue explaining game rules. It needs to make those rules visually understandable while maintaining suspense.
Seki’s visual style could therefore be one of the most important ingredients in determining whether the live-action adaptation successfully captures the energy of the novel.
Who Is Producing Rock Paper Landmine?
The series is being developed and produced by THE SEVEN, with Amazon MGM Studios producing the project.
Akira Morii, THE SEVEN’s Executive Vice President and CCO, serves as producer alongside Shuhei Sekiguchi of THE SEVEN and Naohito Inaba of Kadokawa Daiei Studio. The project also has Tomofumi Akahane as VFX producer and Norimasa Ishida overseeing post-production.
Morii’s involvement is notable because his production credits include internationally successful projects such as Alice in Borderland and Yu Yu Hakusho.
That experience with Japanese genre productions aimed at international streaming audiences makes Rock Paper Landmine an interesting project for THE SEVEN.
Why the Prime Video Format Could Work for Rock Paper Landmine
Turning a strategy-heavy mystery novel into a live-action series presents an obvious challenge: how do you make complicated games exciting to watch?
A movie might have to rush through the rules and character development. A series has more room.
Rock Paper Landmine can potentially spend time establishing why each game matters, introducing its rules, allowing viewers to understand the apparent advantage of each player and then revealing how Mato finds a way around the expected outcome.
That structure could also make the cliffhangers more effective.
A carefully designed episode could end just as a player appears to have discovered the winning strategy, leaving the audience wondering whether Mato has already anticipated it.
The format is therefore well suited to a story where suspense comes from information.
What Makes the Story Different From a Typical Death Game?
The biggest difference is the nature of the stakes.
Death-game stories usually rely on immediate physical danger. Rock Paper Landmine instead makes ordinary teenage life the thing worth protecting.
A school festival spot may sound trivial from an adult perspective, but within the story’s world it represents friendships, memories and the social experiences that define adolescence.
That gives the series a more grounded emotional foundation beneath its elaborate games.
The competition can become absurdly strategic while the characters’ motivations remain surprisingly relatable.
Why Rock Paper Landmine Could Be a Breakout Japanese Thriller
Prime Video has increasingly made international entertainment accessible to audiences outside its country of origin. Rock Paper Landmine arrives with several advantages that could help it stand out.
First, the original novel already has a major reputation in Japan.
Second, the central cast features two acclaimed young actresses.
Third, the project has a director with a strong visual background.
Fourth, THE SEVEN is positioning the production for a worldwide Prime Video release rather than treating it as a purely domestic series.
Most importantly, the premise is easy to explain.
Take familiar games. Change the rules. Add psychological warfare. Raise the stakes.
That is a strong elevator pitch for international viewers.
Fandomora’s coverage of Prime Video’s expanding lineup of original series also shows how Amazon continues to develop projects across different genres and source materials.
What We Know About the Rock Paper Landmine Story So Far
The central story follows Mato Imoriya, a talented high school gamer who becomes involved in underground school competitions while trying to help her best friend, Kazahi Koda.
The games can involve seemingly ordinary activities, but modified rules transform them into elaborate battles of logic and deception.
The official synopsis specifically describes situations involving school festival opportunities and high-value chips, with the characters risking their everyday lives and youth rather than simply their physical survival.
That gives the story plenty of room to move between lighter school-life moments and increasingly tense psychological confrontations.
Rock Paper Landmine: Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Rock Paper Landmine |
| Original title | Rock, Paper, Landmines / Jirai Glico |
| Platform | Prime Video |
| Release Date | November 13, 2026 |
| Format | Live-action drama series |
| Genre | Mind-game suspense / thriller |
| Lead | Nana Mori |
| Co-Star | Aju Makita |
| Nana Mori’s Character | Mato Imoriya |
| Aju Makita’s Character | Kazahi Koda |
| Original Author | Yugo Aosaki |
| Director | Kazuaki Seki |
| Producers | Akira Morii, Shuhei Sekiguchi, Naohito Inaba |
| Production | THE SEVEN / Kadokawa Daiei Studio |
| Producer | Amazon MGM Studios |
| Global Release | More than 240 countries and territories |
These details are based primarily on THE SEVEN’s official August 24 announcement.
When Will the Rock Paper Landmine Trailer Be Released?
As of the latest official announcement, there is no confirmed trailer release date for Rock Paper Landmine.
That could change as Prime Video moves closer to the November premiere.
The trailer will likely be particularly important because the series has to communicate something that sounds simple on paper but could be difficult to explain in a short promotional video: why ordinary games become so psychologically intense.
For now, the safest approach is to treat November 13 as the confirmed release date while waiting for official trailer footage from Prime Video or the production team.
Is Rock Paper Landmine a Movie or a Series?
Rock Paper Landmine is a live-action drama series, not a feature film.
The project is being produced as a Prime Original drama and will stream exclusively on Prime Video worldwide.
That distinction is useful because searches for “Rock Paper Landmine movie” may lead to confusion. The upcoming adaptation is a series based on Yugo Aosaki’s novel.
Final Verdict: Why Rock Paper Landmine Is Worth Watching
Rock Paper Landmine has a premise that could easily have become gimmicky. Instead, the combination of an acclaimed mystery novel, two strong young leads and a production team experienced with Japanese genre entertainment gives the adaptation a legitimate reason for excitement.
The November 13, 2026 Prime Video release date is confirmed, while the full cast and official trailer remain areas to watch as the premiere approaches.
Nana Mori’s Mato Imoriya is the key to the series. She looks carefree but possesses an unusual gift for strategy, creating the kind of protagonist who can turn a seemingly impossible game around without relying on brute force.
That is ultimately what makes Rock Paper Landmine interesting.
The series is not asking whether someone can survive a monster, a killer or an apocalyptic event. It is asking whether a person can understand another person’s thinking well enough to beat them at their own game.
And sometimes, the simplest games can produce the most complicated battles.
FAQs About Rock Paper Landmine
1. When is Rock Paper Landmine coming to Prime Video?
Rock Paper Landmine premieres on November 13, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video worldwide.
2. Who is in the Rock Paper Landmine cast?
The confirmed lead cast includes Nana Mori as Mato Imoriya and Aju Makita as Kazahi Koda. Additional rival characters are expected to be announced later.
3. Is Rock Paper Landmine a thriller?
Yes. The series is a mind-game suspense drama built around strategy, deception and psychological competition. Its premise transforms familiar games into high-stakes contests.
4. What is Rock Paper Landmine based on?
The series is based on Yugo Aosaki’s mystery novel Rock, Paper, Landmines, also known by its Japanese title Jirai Glico. The novel received major Japanese mystery awards and rankings.
5. Who plays Mato Imoriya in Rock Paper Landmine?
Nana Mori plays Mato Imoriya, a seemingly carefree high school girl with an exceptional talent for games and strategy.
6. Who plays Kazahi Koda?
Aju Makita plays Kazahi Koda, Mato’s best friend and a caring, protective presence throughout the story.
7. Has the Rock Paper Landmine trailer been released?
A full official trailer release has not been confirmed in the latest announcement from THE SEVEN. Fans should wait for official Prime Video or production-team footage rather than relying on unverified clips.
8. Where can I watch Rock Paper Landmine?
Rock Paper Landmine will stream exclusively on Prime Video beginning November 13, 2026, with a worldwide release planned across more than 240 countries and territories.
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