'One Taiwanese Drama' Suddenly Hits Netflix! Fans Who Waited 4 Years Cheer 'Finally Here' — Release Date, Plot, Cast, and Streaming Link Compilation

The Taiwanese horror series 'Smart Town,' adapted from the works of Japanese horror manga master Junji Ito, has finally been confirmed for exclusive release on Netflix Taiwan on July 28, 2026, after four years of production and anticipation.

Directed and written by Hsieh Chun-yi, the series stars Gigi Leung and Chen Yan-fei, weaving familiar Taiwanese themes of academic pressure, cram school culture, and family control into Junji Ito’s twisted, eerie horror world. The series consists of 10 episodes.

What is the plot of Netflix's 'Smart Town'? A terrifying secret hidden in a town with a 100% college admission rate

'Smart Town' follows the story of single mother Ho Li-fen and her daughter Chao Chia-chi. To help her daughter, who is retaking entrance exams, get into a top school, Ho Li-fen nearly abandons her former life and moves with her daughter to a remote town where academic advancement is the highest priority.

The town appears to gather the best schools, teachers, and students, but behind it lies a suffocating set of survival rules. When academic performance becomes the sole measure of a person’s worth, competition among students, parental expectations, and an almost obsessive pursuit of success gradually manifest as a series of inexplicable anomalies. The series visualizes the academic pressure familiar in Taiwanese society, showing that what is truly frightening isn’t just monsters, but also phrases like 'I’m saying this because I love you.'

Gigi Leung’s first Taiwanese drama role: filming in Taiwan for two months for 'Smart Town'

'Smart Town' marks Gigi Leung’s first appearance in a Taiwanese drama since her debut. She plays Ho Li-fen, a single mother with extreme control issues, who gradually shifts from caring and protecting to emotional manipulation in her desperate attempt to get her daughter into a prestigious school—even at the cost of their mother-daughter relationship.

To prepare for the role, Leung began studying the script and character psychology three months before filming and stayed in Taiwan for about two months. Missing her own daughter during filming, she asked co-star Chen Yan-fei for childhood photos and set them as her phone wallpaper to deepen her emotional connection to her on-screen daughter.

Chen Yan-fei plays Chao Chia-chi, a retake student burdened by her mother’s high expectations. The mother-daughter duo depend on each other yet hurt one another under academic pressure. Their intense confrontations and psychological battles form the emotional core of the series.

In addition to Gigi Leung and Chen Yan-fei, the cast includes Zhao Wen-xuan, Tien Hsin, Wen Sheng-hao, Tsai Shu-chen, Sung Po-wei, Liu Hsiu-fu, Pan Kang-da, Yu Chieh-en, and Cheng Wei-ling.

Tomie, Souichi, and the Slug Girl appear in 'Smart Town'—Ruby Hsu (daughter of Show Lo) makes her acting debut

Iconic characters from Junji Ito’s works—'Tomie,' 'Souichi,' and the 'Slug Girl'—all appear in 'Smart Town.' Cheng Wei-ling plays the live-action version of Tomie, while Liu Hsiu-fu takes on the role of Souichi, a dark and lonely boy desperate for friendship. Ruby Hsu, the eldest daughter of Show Lo (Xiao S), makes her official acting debut in this series, portraying Wang Hsin-yu, a student whose tongue gradually transforms into a giant slug.

The series also incorporates elements from classic works such as 'Balloon Man,' 'Blood Jade Tree,' and 'Love Until Death,' blending them with Taiwanese school, cram school, and family culture. This allows audiences to witness Junji Ito-style bodily distortions and psychological breakdowns within familiar everyday settings.

How long did 'Smart Town' take to produce? From filming announcement to release—exactly four years

'Smart Town' was officially announced as in production in 2022. At the time, Gigi Leung came specially to Taiwan for filming, but audiences had to wait until 2026 to finally see the series.

Director Hsieh Chun-yi revealed that the entire process—from script development and character rewrites to actual filming—took four years, with numerous challenges throughout production.

Junji Ito himself participated in the project’s supervision and personally viewed the final product, offering his approval—an important encouragement for the production team.

'Smart Town' is not a direct adaptation of a single manga but an original Taiwanese town created under Junji Ito’s authorization, recombining characters, imagery, and horror elements from multiple works.

'Smart Town' crafted by Golden Horse Award-winning crew, delivering a cinematic horror experience

To bring Junji Ito’s exaggerated, distorted, and highly detailed artwork to the screen, 'Smart Town' assembled a team of top-tier film professionals, including art director Wang Chih-cheng ('Detention'), VFX supervisor Yen Chen-chin ('God of Wealth'), costume designer Wang Chia-hui ('Face'), and the special effects makeup team behind 'The Tag-Along.'

From the physical design of the Slug Girl and character makeup to the oppressive yet surreal spatial design of the entire town, everything was crafted to cinematic standards.

This long-awaited Taiwanese horror series will premiere exclusively on Netflix Taiwan on July 28, 2026, with all 10 episodes available.

'Smart Town' Netflix streaming link

'Smart Town' Netflix streaming link: https://www.netflix.com/tw/title/82698956