My passion for Asian dramas goes beyond region. I've watched Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and even Thai dramas, and all have unique qualities that make them special whether it's their storyline, characters, or relationship dynamics. Today I would like to share with you 5 Japanese dramas worth watching. Some of them have become my favourites—which I've watched more than once—and others I actually discovered while I was in Japan, so they have a special place in my heart.
Looking back, I think I've watched more Korean dramas than I've watched Japanese ones but, after coming back from Japan, I'm definitely going to remedy to that as I've discovered a couple of new shows that I want to finish watching! Without further ado—and in no particular order—let me introduce you to 5 Japanese dramas worth watching!
Love Lasts Forever (Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko Made mo)
Sakura Nanase is a 22-year-old rookie nurse. She met Doctor Tendo Kairi several years ago and fell in love with him. To meet him again, she studied hard and became a nurse. After 5 years, she finally meets Tendo again, but he has a totally different personality than what she imagined. Tendo, who is 33-years-old, is commonly referred to as the "Devil" at work. He is a level-headed perfectionist and often makes biting remarks to doctors and nurses. Sakura works hard to receive recognition from Tendo and she also expresses her feelings honestly to him. Due to her persistence, Sakura becomes well known at the hospital and she picks up the nickname of the "Warrior-Chick". Meanwhile, Tendo becomes attracted to Sakura.
As a fan of Satoh Takeru—which I became after watching the Rurouni Kenshin live action franchise—I just knew I had to watch this. I also knew the female lead from another drama, so I was curious to see how well these two did on-screen. This leaned more towards the romantic comedy side, with a lot of hilarious moments, and you can't help rooting for Nanase. After all, how many of us wish to have the courage to pursue the man of our dreams? Also, in case you didn't know, this show is an adaptation from the manga series An Incurable Case of Love written and illustrated by Maki Enjōji.
Pending Train (Shuudengo Tooku)
Kayashima Naoya, a charismatic hairdresser who finds himself struggling to survive in extreme conditions when the train he is on winds up in a devastated future world where there is no food, water or communication.
I watched this sci-fi drama last year as the concept of the story intrigued me, and also because I thought the female lead was the same one who starred in Love Lasts Forever—spoiler alert, it's not! I actually found out while in Japan that they're actually sisters... which explains why I mistook one for the other so easily 😅. Although I can't deny that Pending Train might appear a little like the US TV show Lost, it certainly is not confusing. On the contrary, the story was very compelling and it kept me on my toes wondering if the characters would ever be able to get back to their life as they knew it. There's also kind of a love triangle... I indeed was rooting for a specific someone, but I won't spoil you the outcome.
Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? (Kujaku no Dance, Dare ga Mita?)
Yamashita Komugi is a university student who has lived with her father, a former police officer, ever since her mother died. On Christmas Eve, Komugi's father was murdered, and a letter containing the word "false accusation" was left behind. Using the clue, a man was arrested. However, Komugi later discovers that the man arrested for her father's murder is the only son of the man her father arrested 22 years ago for the murder of a family. Together with lawyer Matsukaze Yoshiteru, Komugi investigates two incidents from the present and past that seem to be related.
This drama is one of those I discovered while I was in Japan and, even though I was able to only watch a couple of episodes, I thought the premise of the story was very captivating. Thrillers are not my usual go-to when it comes to shows, but coupled with the fact that I knew the male lead from another show (the next one on this list), I got intrigued pretty quickly. Luckily for me, I found it on Netflix here in Italy, so I can finish watching and see how it ends.
*Edit: I finished watching and it was absolutely brilliant. With every episode, I became more intrigued with how the truth behind Komugi's father's murder would unravel and boy, if that was a twist I never saw coming! The acting was flawless, the soundtrack was on point, and the ending was the perfect conclusion to how the story panned out... So much that I even got teary! I genuinely hope Netflix in your country has it, because it's ultimately a show worth watching.
Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? (Hyakuman Kai Ieba Yokatta)
Reunited as adults, two childhood friends fall madly in love and won't let anything - not even death - tear them apart, in this supernatural love story.
—IMDB
I watched this mainly for Satoh Takeru, as I was curious to see him in a role that seemed different from what I was used to. Plus, I was trying to understand what the story was about from the short clip from Netflix—which was quite funny, and also put another brilliant actor under my radar. The story was absolutely heartbreaking, and the supernatural element—despite feeling a little weird for a Japanese show, in my opinion—didn't ruin what this drama was trying to accomplish. Furthermore, I have to say that Matsuyama Kenichi's performance was remarkable. He manages to portrait quirky and eccentric characters in the most amazing way.
Mikami Sensei (みかみせんせい)
Mikami Takashi joins Japan’s elite bureaucracy in the Ministry of Education hoping to strengthen critical thinking skills among students, but soon learns that his ministry is more interested in the goals of self-preservation. When Mikami gets “exiled” to a private high school on a ministry program, he represents both the bureaucrats who helped create the system and the teachers suffering from it. So Mikami leads a group of high school seniors to battle power and reform the education system.
After watching the promo on tv while in Japan, I couldn't for the life of me understand what the deal with this Mikami guy was, which is what intrigued me the most about this drama. Japanese trailers are amazing, and from what I could gather—not understanding the language—I thought he was some kind of evil psychopath. Needless to say, I wanted to watch this even more because how can a villain get away with being a teacher in high school? I was only able to watch a couple of episodes, so I'm assuming my "theory" is quite incorrect. Unfortunately it is not on Netflix yet, so it may be a while before I can finish and find out what happens.
Fun fact: the theme song for this show is by none other than One Ok Rock, so all the more reasons to watch it!
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