MUST WATCH JAPANESE DRAMAS

"My today connects to my tomorrow."

"The heart always remembers."

It's such an irony that this drama called 'Unmet' turned out to be one of the most fulfilling, uplifting, and inspiring character-driven story that I've had the privilege to see in recent years. It's a testament to the drama's meticulous and poetic writing that was beautifully complemented by powerful visuals of the characters' plight and emotions that it didn't have to tell us much. Every emotion was felt, and the director took his time to let that sink in with the audience. This of course would not have been possible without the most understated, natural and effortless performances by the entire cast, especially our leads Sugisaki Hana and Wakaba Ryura, who have now found a fan in me. Not only was their relationship and love for each other so gentle, tender and beautiful but they were just so lovely as individuals and doctors that one can't help but root for them instantly. This masterpiece was clearly made with love and care by the entire production and it deserves nothing but love.

Picture watching a rainbow at the end of the day . That's what this drama is. One of the warmest and loving slice of life dramas I've seen, with the most beautiful characters.

A really tender portrayal of dealing with grief and overcoming it. An informative drama about our planet and weather, and how the sea, sky and mountains are all linked together. A healing and mature romance between the leads, filled with respect and companionship, who have now become one of my favourite pairings. A beautiful score, with great scenery and cinematography. Thought-provoking and sensitive conversations, with characters you want to root for. A fantastic cast, led by the effortless Kiyohara Kaya as Mone. 

One murder. Two broken families, and two broken souls whose love is doomed from the get go. Keep your tissues ready, as their interactions will make you cry. A masterpiece human drama, with brilliant performances by everybody especially Mitsushima Hikari, Nagayama Eita and Kazama Shinsuke, and sensitive writing by the one and only Sakamato Yuji. 

A refreshing and entertaining family drama, full of witty and fun banters. Ikuta Toma was flawless in this.

I am blown away. This is a drama that everyone needs to watch once.
A gripping, compelling and complex human drama about a successful pianist's destined journey through his trauma to finding closure and redemption. Masterfully written and edited, beautifully picturised and directed, with one of the most immersive and best scores I have heard in an Asian drama, and a brilliant, effortless performance by Nakai Masahiro, this was a poetic masterpiece.

A revenge story that doesn't just consume the protagonist's victims, but throws the protagonist into a dark abyss of no return. A story full of desolation and darkness that is not for the faint hearted. Easily Matsuyama Kenichi's best performance, and one of the best dramas from the revenge genre.

A heartwarming and wholesome journey of a man on a beautiful red Honda tracing his wife's last steps throughout Japan in what turned out to be a liberating experience for him. This was by no means a romantic drama, but it was all about the love and devotion the FL had for her husband. They were companions and her death set him out on this journey where he learnt to grieve, reconcile his past, and come out of his shell a little more.

What a wonderful and feel-good drama featuring the air force, with beautiful character development, inspiring stories, and a wholesome romance. Beautifully written, with sincere performances by Aragaki Yui, Ayano Go and Shibata Kyohei, who you can't help but root for, this hit all the right spots. A pure 10 in every aspect!

A wholesome time-travel drama about doing the best you can for the people you love sprinkled with heartwarming friendships, tons of nostalgia and the quintessential Japanese banter. An A1 drama all around with a cast that had natural, crackling chemistry together.
Thank you Bakarhythm for this gem with my favourite actors.

A unique and unconventional story of a teacher who sets out to expose a family's darkest secrets only for them to discover what's truly important. Easily Sakurai Sho's most memorable performance to date. Just BRILLIANT.

An almost documentary-like drama of a deaf woman's journey from her childhood to adulthood, with one of the most caring and sensitive male lead ever, and lots of growth for all involved. A beautiful lesson in what it means to be 'family' and the importance of looking at the person, not the illness.

A profound drama exploring lessons in ethics and critical thinking; dramas like these set Japanese cinema apart from its Asian counterparts.

A feel-good coming of age story about healing, growth and self-love, and beautiful character development with a very sincere perfomance by Kuroki Haru, and the brilliant Takahashi Issei.

A tragic, tight-scripted tale of a boy who society failed to protect, brilliantly acted by Nakayama Yuma, with some of the most realistic portrayal of a legal proceeding I've seen in a drama. This is not for the faint hearted.

"There are things you don't understand until you're part of them."
A thought-provoking and sensitive script elevated by beautiful performances and a wonderful score, this drama was one-of-a-kind that only Japan could achieve with such care given it's delicate and complex subject matter. Much to my surprise, it was a healing experience that moved me to tears many a times, and taught me to move forward.

A riveting and refreshing story about idol culture, with brilliant writing and believable performances. This drama will speak to everybody on so many levels. 

This drama truly found me at the right time, because there were many points at which it made me feel vulnerable like they were watching me, and bringing my struggle to life in third person. I don't tear up easily but I teared up so many times when watching this drama. In fact, some of the happier moments made me tear up even more (which is very rare). It was such an enriching and uplifting experience about growing up and facing life.

The screenwriting style was very unique and clever with the way sketches framed the various themes each episode. The entire cast had great chemistry and played off each other really well. The acting and writing was freaking A1. I binged it at one go because I was so immersed, and snapped out of it only when it ended. I totally forgot that they were acting.

I will miss these characters :(

"I like to think that the peculiarity of people with mental illness simply lies in their ability to read even the smallest of signs. In other words, we shouldn't try to damage their beauty"  ;

A tender and powerful drama about mental health.

Set against the backdrop of WW2, this was a bittersweet and inspiring story about family bonding, love, community support and overcoming loss and grief, with one of the most beautiful love stories I've seen in a while. Beautifully scored, picturised and acted, this is a pure 10  in every aspect.

Hailed as the darkest love story to be released in the 90s, this is a raw and heartbreaking depiction of a toxic love story that spirals and consumes the leads, with brilliant performances by the trio. I wish we had more real love stories like these which depict three people who were not meant for each other, rather than the usual 'happy endings' neatly tied with a bow.

BE STILL MY HEART.
A wholesome, and cozy drama, depicting the beauty of friendship and the pangs of first love between our leads Nishikata and Takagi, with natural and heartfelt performances by Kurokawa Souya and Tsukishima Rui. Their conversations, their smiles, the teasing, and the flirtation mixed with awkwardness warmed my heart, and took me back to the days when I was an innocent young girl with a simple life dreaming of a love and companionship like theirs. Takagi and Nishikata will Iive in my heart forever.
Can't wait for the movie!

Set in a dystopian world, a heartwrenching tale of clones who were produced for eventual organ harvesting. This will leave you depressed. You have been warmed.

This bear will teach you a thing or two about living, and being content with whatever little we have. The ultimate feel-good mini drama with just 5 mins per episode :)

A first-of-a-kind drama exploring asexuality. A thought-provoking and sensitively written drama with delicate story-telling and beautiful acting by the one and only Takahashi Issei.

A painfully real depiction of how society treats those who are different. A refreshing story in the LGBTQ+ genre.

An exquisite story of love, lust, revenge, loyalty and hatred, carried by fantastic performances, a great story &  an A1 score. A one-of-a-kind drama inspired by Japanese folklore.

You just can't go wrong with Nagayama Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei. A really quirky, unique drama that I don't know how to describe, and can only say 'WATCH IT'.

A sad coming-of-age story focusing on the journey of 3 friends from adolescence to adulthood, filled with deep bonding, love, yearning and heartbreak. The smooth direction, nuanced writing, and powerful performances of the leads made this a great watch.

A drama for the sensitive souls; a lesson on self-love, self-care and healing, with an underrated Takahashi Issei whose smile will melt your heart each time.

What is punishment? What is atonement? Probably one of the best legal dramas I've seen.

A sexy forbidden love story hidden under the garb of revenge, twisted female characters, concise, crisp story-telling; do you need anything more? 

A teacher-student romance you can't help but root for! A smart witty female lead, and an empathetic flirty male lead. Only Japan could put a twist on something that appears creepy into something that was so heartwarming, deep and fun. It was all thanks to the writing which was always self-aware, and the leads who had natural, crackling chemistry. I can see myself rewatching this when I am bored because their banter was just PERFECT.

"In a heart that stood strong alone, waves are created."
"The lionfish looks like an aloof existence but apparently, it's capable of teamwork too. It's beautiful and poisonous but it's not just that. Don't you think that's the best?"

A heartwarming, endearing and sensitive mini-drama, with a nuanced performance by Shison Jun as a transgender lesbian woman, who taught me a little more about acceptance, self-love and being kind. I fell in love with her grace, her strength, and her wit. Machida Keita's character was a lovely addition as well, who won my heart with his spirit and honesty.

Expect the unexpected, all the way to the end.
Eerie, dark and gripping mystery, with a clever plot conveying various themes of greed, deception, loss, infidelity, bullying amongst others, stunning cinematography and a fitting score that heightened the tension and emotions both for the viewer and the characters.
An A1 drama all around. 

Watching this while the world is battling with COVID made this so much more compelling for me because a similar situation is playing out in the world today.
The story, the acting, the writing, the music - everything about this was awesome (and this is coming from someone who's not a huge sci-fi fan)
Special mention to Ito Hideaki who hit it out of the park with his acting, sometimes I forgot that he's playing both the twins.
And Desert Rose by Sting - what a fitting iconic song for this drama!

A powerful drama that forces you to think before you act and teaches you the way our thoughts shape our behaviour, and consequently how that creates a powerful ripple effect on the lives of others.  This should be made mandatory viewing for all. Also, this drama wouldn't have been as impactful if not for Suda Masaki's fantastic performance. 

A quirky, and heartwarming drama about an awkward, eccentric and lonely 40 year old. Hiroshi Abe is Japan's answer to Mr Bean. I cracked up when he listened to classical music each night. You can't dislike this drama.

A riveting and provocative drama centering around an ordinary and kind man whose life is thrown into chaos, confusion and darkness after an unethical brain transplant procedure is performed on him, with a fantastic performance by Kamiki Ryunosuke.
An A1 drama even with its flaws.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy darker psychological and medical dramas.

A hauntingly beautiful love story that will leave you depressed. Those raw emotions, the way they looked at each other, the electricity felt with each touch.. where do I even begin about this drama? Easily one of the best student/teacher themed romance dramas I have seen, though it was more than just romance.

Romance aside, this is an uncomfortable watch that I'd recommend only for an open-minded and mature audience. There are themes of rape, violence, incest, nudity, homosexuality etc so please watch with caution. The resolutions may not be what you're looking for but you got to watch it for what it is, and the time it was set in. This drama definitely didn't sugercoat things and will evoke disgust at some point.

Wacky, unpredictable and clever. Even the actors couldn't stop laughing. 

A mature, adult romance of our leads who begin cohabiting, with an A1 score.

A murder for love and due to love, and a journey of two broken souls who are unable to meet under the sun thereafter; beautifully heartbreaking, depressing yet captivating.

A heartwarming, positive and inspring drama set against the backdrop of a company that makes mangas, with the evergreen Kuroki Haru.

A cleverly written and witty romcom that is refreshing in every way.

A heartbreaking, forbidden love story of two lonely, broken souls.

A simple, feel-good romcom about 2 easy-going, smart, and charming adults who strike a friendship over bowling, and fall in love with each other slowly. A rare drama with zero negativity and leads who communicated constantly, and yet remained imperfect in their own ways. The supporting characters were really likeable and fun too. Time flew by with this one. It just flowed beautifully and ended in the best way it could. As charming as a classic could be, and should be!

And Sakamato Yuji did it again.
A charming, relatable & quirky drama filled with interesting characters, rich interactions & their delightful stories; this was a fulfilling watch in every way. I'm gonna miss the banter between all the characters so so much. In the months of watching this, I grew so attached to all of them. They truly felt like home.

A passionate and realistic love story between a young and immature beautiful woman and an older aged mature deaf man. Hands down, one of the most romantic Japanese dramas to date.

TAIGA TAIGA JIRETTAIGAAAAAAAA! ?
Initially, I wanted to put a disclaimer that only people who understand and love Japanese humour should watch this but I loved it so so much that I'd love everyone to see it and appreciate it.
WHAT A FREAKING CLASSIC. All the characters, their comic timing, the chemistry they had together - it was a freaking riot. I laughed my ass off after a long time. Not only was it funny, but had so much heart. I rooted for and fell in love with each and every character. The writing was stellar, the editing & direction was pitch perfect. No words for the acting because it didn't seem like they were acting at all.

P.S  Make sure you watch the special episode first.

A unique drama that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its run, filled with unique yet real characters. This one's addictive, fun and bingeworthy. Great combination of mystery, romance and slice-of-life. Nojima Shinji is back with a bang after so many years!

A unique and  unpredictable drama in the time travel genre about a man who goes back in time with a kiss. It's worth a watch.

A fun yet sensitive story of a ditzy mother and her mature otaku daughter; friendship, romance, some tears and loads of smiles. A cast with great chemistry together and likeable characters. You'd want to be a part of their world so bad.

A fantastic combination of horror + thriller + psychological + romance. It's not the most perfect drama and I really wish it was longer, but I'm sure you won't regret watching it.

Body swap between a detective and the murder suspect with twists that you will never be able to figure out. Brilliantly acted by Takashi Issei and Ayase Haruka, who also had great chemistry together. Quite a captivating one!

An endearing and fun dorama of a found family of 12 adorable kids, the ever so charming Kimu Taku and lovely Koyuki. What's there not to love about this drama that teaches you to fight for your dreams.

A wacky musical action comedy of a love story between the daughter of a family of thieves and the son of a family of police officers. This one's the full package.

Picture sitting by the veranda on a quiet lonely evening, and sipping a glass of wine. That's what this drama was. You can't tell me the writer wasn't inspired by 'In the Mood for Love'. If you love that movie, I can guarantee that you'll love this one equally, if not more. They have the same vibe.

Just like the imagery of the leads drowning into the ocean, this one has a similar effect of drawing you in deeper and deeper right from the 1st episode. It was so so beautiful and addictive. The direction, the cinematography, the imagery, the score, the conversations, the silences... the entire vibe is definitely an acquired taste. It was so rich. You'll either savour the way this story was told or be bored to death. It was the former for me, and I can say that I loved it and highly recommend it for a mature audience.

A sensitive, eye-opening and educational drama that takes you through a journey of sexual development, especially in youth. This was a simple and effective lesson in sex education that should be made mandatory for all.