Favorite Winter 2025 Japanese Dramas

Right from the get go, I could tell that this drama would be right up my alley. This is the definition of a romantic comedy, at least after watching the first episode. Nagase Ren, as Rich-turned-poor boy Tendo Subaru, provides plenty of laughs with his narcissistic, naughty ways. And Yamashita Mizuki, as Hanakura Madoka, adds spark to the inevitable cupid fire with Subaru, this in spite of her serious work/life attitude. Handsome Koseki Yuta and cute Nakamura Riho support this fine drama.

Interesting story of a plain office worker who, in a drunken stupor, suddenly gets married to her boss! It’s an outrageous, unbelievable plot. The two ML’s, Saito Kyoko, who plays Koshiba Mao, and Shirota Yu, who plays Ando Hajime, are not exactly the perfect match, but I want to find out what’ll happen next between them.

This one is definitely for the late night scene! Adachi Rika is Aya Narumi, an office worker looking for s⭕️x! She decides to make up rules to ensure she can safely enjoy her one-night stand! Crazy!

I enjoy the fact that Shinkawa Yua's character, Aizawa Mahiro, and her husband Igarashi Naoto, played by Shiono Akihisa, are unhappily married and yet still show signs of life as a couple. These brief moments of tenderness, either from the past or in the present, serve as a contrast to the otherwise contentious clashes between the two ML's.

It's a whirlwind of a first episode where Kosaka Kento (Ito Kentaro) decides to help out Fukada Yuzu (Yumiki Nao), a manga artist whom he serves as editor. She's lost the will to continue on at her job, and he starts to hang out with her in order to get her back on track. Next thing you know, they're living together as a couple! All in less than 23 minutes of the first episode! And then suddenly, Kento's ex shows up on the scene. Insta-Love-Triangle!

Revenge romance! Well, at least I’m hoping for a little romance for Yukiya when he’s not busy getting back at all the family members who have wronged him. 

Food romance in the countryside is my takeaway for this drama. Baba Fumika’s character and a high-schooler? Intriguing!