MUST WATCH JAPANESE DRAMAS

One murder. Two broken families, and two broken souls whose love is doomed from the get go. One of those rare dramas that makes you empathize with the predicament both families are stuck in. A masterpiece human drama, written with utmost care by the one and only Sakamoto Yuji, and brilliantly acted by all, especially Mitsushima Hikari, Nagayama Eita and Kazama Shinsuke.

A refreshing and entertaining family drama full of witty and fun banters, and characters you can't help but root for, and fall in love with. Flawlessly written, acted and directed all around.

Picture watching a rainbow at the end of the day . That's what this drama was. One of the warmest and loving slice of life dramas I've seen, with the most beautiful characters, and a refreshing portrayal of platonic love between our trio.

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.

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 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. 

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

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.

With a plot centering around a group of men and huskies travelling to Antarctica for research, you would expect this to be a visceral experience, and boy it was! The camaraderie between the huskies and the men, the nationalism, the resilience, and the grandeur of it all transcended the plot and you can't help but be moved. This was by no means a perfect drama, but it represents why we watch cinema; to be soaked into the experience, and this delivered on that experience, with its crisp story-telling, wonderful performances, breathtaking cinematography and immersive score. This is one of those dramas I will never forget. All those dogs have my heart.

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.

An enriching, and realistic coming-of-age drama with a unique/clever screen-writing style, a cast with great chemistry and banter,, and characters you'll find yourself relating to.

A beautiful 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.

Shot in the city of Okinawa which is home to one of the largest US bases in Asia-Pacific, this is an important mini-drama that should not be slept on as it deals with hard-hitting issues that are not only central to the Okinawan problem but of political and multi-cultural importance, constituting of sexual crimes, racism, identity crisis, discrimination, prejudice, tensions due to military presence and treaty agreements, to name a few.
Nogi Akiko outdid herself with her scrupulous yet provocative writing,, and deserves all the praise for the risk she took with this drama. The acting of both our badass female leads was great. While Mayu never disappoints, Miyamoto Ariana was quite the revelation as this is her first ever role (kudos to them for casting a Black-Japanese actress as a lead). I adored their friendship and the strength both of them displayed despite the traumas they went through.

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 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.

A quirky, delightful and unique black comedy about 2 men who decide to team up to kill for revenge. Their interactions and internal monologues cracked me up so bad.
Bakarhythm has truly mastered the art of making anything that appears meaningless, silly or serious into comedic gold.

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.

"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.

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.

An engaging, unique and surprisingly relevant sci-fi drama, with an iconic theme song, and brilliant acting by Ito Hideaki in his once-in-a-lifetime role as both twins.

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

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.

One-of-a-kind dark comedy depicting the relationship between a teacher and a student. Ever heard of 'never judge a book by it's cover'; this is it! Genius script-writing that was sensitive, and self-aware with well-written leads who are a rare combination of wit and beauty that played off each other perfectly, and actors with both the acting chops and charm. This drama managed to turn something creepy / twisted into something so healing and beautiful.  Another one of those dramas that set Japan so apart from others. One of the most unique rom-coms ever.

+ Season 2  - equally fantastic.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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 warned.

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.

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.

A mature, adult romance of our leads who begin cohabiting, with an A1 score. Great angst, chemistry and development.

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.

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 sequel!

You just can't go wrong with Nagayama Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei who were such a riot together in this quirky and original story of 2 guys who take on all sorts of odd jobs to make a living.

A sensitive, 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.

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!

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

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

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.

This is not a drama for everyone. 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.

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. Give it an episode and see if it is for you.
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.