“This sister thing is so strange,” sighs Takiko (Yu Aoi), the bookish third daughter of the Takezawa family, in Netflix drama “Asura.” “The envy and jealousy can be so strong. Yet, when my sisters are unhappy, in the end, it’s unbearable.”

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Asura” takes its name from the demigods of Hindu mythology, whose virtuous appearance conceals a more volatile side. Such duality is a running theme in the series, as it surveys the ripples that spread after Takiko and her three sisters discover their father has been having an affair. This is a story in which public appearances seldom match what’s happening behind closed doors, and even the most high-minded character is capable of scandalous behavior.

“Asura” itself has more than one face. The series has drawn admiring write-ups in The New York Times, The Guardian and Slate since it was released in early January, though none have picked up on something that will be immediately apparent to many Japanese viewers: It’s a meticulous remake of a classic TV drama (known as “Like Asura” in English), broadcast by NHK between 1979 and 1980. The show’s creator, Kuniko Mukoda, was a celebrated screenwriter operating at the peak of her powers; tragically, she would die in a plane crash a year later, at the age of 51.