All credit to Kurita for introducing me and many others to Japanese dramas on another forum. His original OP is quoted in part below, including some of his original recommendations.
This thread is a work in progress and I will edit in more details about dramas and please submit recommendations of your faves and we'll get them added in here!
Credit also to Ryuukan for creating some of the content in this OP!
Japanese television dramas are live action shows broadcasted (or on video on demand) in Japan that fall under a number of different genres, romance, comedy, mystery, period and more.
Thread considerations:
Quoth Kurita:
Kurita's Drama Recommendations
Resettler Recommendations
Ryuukan's Yuji Sakamoto Corner
This thread is a work in progress and I will edit in more details about dramas and please submit recommendations of your faves and we'll get them added in here!
Credit also to Ryuukan for creating some of the content in this OP!
Japanese television dramas are live action shows broadcasted (or on video on demand) in Japan that fall under a number of different genres, romance, comedy, mystery, period and more.
Thread considerations:
- Please avoid any links or discussion of illicit streaming/file distribution
- This thread is for Japanese dramas. Please make a new thread if you wish to discuss dramas from other countries.
- Please keep Japanese live action film discussion limited to films relevant to the thread. For example, a film that concludes a drama or a film that is based on the same source media as a drama.
Quoth Kurita:
Kurita's Drama Recommendations
Resettler Recommendations
Ryuukan's Yuji Sakamoto Corner
Why does Sakamoto get his own mention?
Yuji Sakamoto is a screenwriter who has created some of the most moving and emotional Japanese dramas out there. His shows deserve the recognition beyond others. Here are what I believe are his best works:
Mother (2010)
About a woman, Nao Suzuhara (played by Yasuko Matsuyuki), who is an elementary school teacher only because she is unable to work in the research field she studied in college and doesn't really care for children. A child (played by Mana Ashida) in her class was being heavily abused to the point of being left outside in a trash bag while the mom and boyfriend went to party. Nao decides to assume the role of the child's mother. This is an unbelievably emotional family drama that focuses exclusively on women.
Soredemo, Ikite Yuku (2011)
Hiroki Fukami's (played by Eita) younger sister was murdered by a friend of his as a child. At the present, Futaba Toyama, (played by Hikari Mitsushima) the younger sister of the killer, has suffered all her life due to her brother's crime. There is no mystery here, this drama is about how these two devastated families have coped with what happened and what they do to keep on living. This is a very unusual plot done extremely well with top-notch acting.
Woman (2013)
Koharu Aoyagi (played by Hikari Mitsushima) is a single mother of two who is struggling to make ends meet after the accidental death of her husband (played by Shun Oguri). She applies for welfare and is denied because of complications with her mother's involvement. They have been estranged from each other since 20 years ago when Koharu's mother left her father for another man. The difficulties Koharu and her children face coupled with the interaction with her mother and her family make for the most gripping drama I have ever watched. This show broke my heart over and over and and I loved every minute of it.
Mondai no Aru Restaurant (2015)
Tamako Tanaka (played by Yoko Maki) decides to start a bistro with a group of acquaintances who all have one thing in common, they've all been put down or screwed over by men. Please don't write this off as a "man-hating" show, its much much deeper than that. Its more about addressing gender inequality in Japan through issues a lot of women there can likely relate to. Even though there are some serious moments of sexual harassment and abuse, this show is largely a comedy and throughly well done.
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