Japanese doramas
So here's where I'll be talking mostly about Japanese dramas. They are listed in alphabetical order. The little asterisks represents stars on a regular 1-5 scale. Comments follow. WARNING: Very long. I even had to separate my entries. Also, there may be some spoilers.
There are separate entries for movies and specials (tanpatsu), as well as stage plays and Super Hero Time.
Here we go!
My Favorite Drama of All Time
Currently enjoying:
My Stack:
Boku no Ita Jikan
Death Note
Previously viewed:
-0 Goshitsu no Kyaku****
Interesting concept. I like the transition between stories. I realized a lot about human nature from this short drama. The setting is beautiful and Yokoyama Yu is charming as usual. I loved the theme song right away! Shameless marketing for Johnny's, just pay attention to the wall of fame. Bloopers at the end of the last episode.
-14 sai no haha****1/2
I was so suspicious watching this drama at the start. Very upsetting family drama. Shida Mirai and Haruma look so young here. Cute Haruma but his character is kind of annoying. I recognize many of the actresses. So many motherly signs and symbols in the background. I cried a lot towards the end. The ending was fair.
-37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~Kenshui Junjo Monogatari~****1/2
Ageism. Nice cast for the medical team. Renn as one of the residents! Emotional and stressful. I got teary eyed practically every episode. Mixed feelings on the ending. I think they sped up too much at the end without explaining what happened in between.
-99.9 Criminal Lawyer****
It's been a while since I've watched MatsuJun's dramas! He plays a peculiar lawyer trying to find that 0.1% of truth.
-99.9 Criminal Lawyer 2****
A different female lead and I was surprised they resolved Miyama's dad's case early on in the 2nd episode.
-Akai Ito*****
A heavy drama. Romantic and compelling with a lot of unexpected moments. Clearly from the title, a lot has to do with believing in fate. I was relieved over the ending after being stressed out watching with my hand clapped over my mouth for most of the later episodes.
-Akihabara@Deep*****
Yes! A Toma drama once again. Dark and weird, even shocking but fun to watch. Pretty funny and silly. Another case drama but more interesting than others I've watched probably because it's about otaku. I like their references; there was even one to Dekaranger!
-Akumu-chan*****
Great cast and concept! I am fascinated by dreams. I love that dream interpretation is so critical to the story and every episode. Gackt <3 The little girl is really cute too.
-Alice in Borderland****
Right after watching Squid Games, I'm watching this. I almost didn't recognize Yamazaki Kento. Hanging ending!
-Alice in Borderland 2****
The face card games are more intense and gruesome. I had to look up what the ending meant!
-Alice in Liar Game****
Shortest drama ever. This little girl Alice is creepy, but her face looks like a piglet when she is not in the organization. Fast paced and dark.
-Alice no Toge*****
Justified revenge! It's awesome to see Ueno Juri play such a role. She has such a wide acting range; this is the total opposite of Nodame. It was nice to see Odagiri Jo as well, haven't watched him in anything for a while. Excellent series. I loved the altered Alice medical cards.
-Asuko March!****1/2
Matsuzaka Tori plays a host! Quite a few of my favorites in this one: Kaku Kento, Furukawa Yuki, Nagayama Kento. Interesting concept of a technical school but I am not a fan of any of the girls. The grandpa is funny. Sly teacher. Good lessons.
-Atashinchi no Danshi*****
I loved this drama from the very beginning. The outlandish set, unpredicability, great cast, and humor are just my taste. Heartwarming moments amongst silliness, sadness, and shock. Love hexagon? Great ending.
-Attention Please*****
Ueto Aya dramas always have closeups of her face. Lots of the same actresses I see in other dramas. Interesting concept of a punk girl training to become a cabin attendant. I didnt realize that the job was that demanding. Funny situations, touching. Aibu Saki's character liked Ryo's character and got rejected again. Ryo was kind of cute here. English usage! Ending sequence with different JAL uniforms throughout the years.
-Avarenbo Mama*****
Modern family drama. So many closeups of Ueto Aya's face. What can I say? I haven't watched an Ueto Aya drama I haven't liked yet. Mukai Osamu makes a cute teacher.
-A Virgin Women of Literature****
Late night drama about an editor and novelist.
-Bambino!*****
A different kind of drama since it was about cooking and achieving your dream. Great theme song though and MatsuJun was cho kawaii here. Quite inspirational.
-Bartender****
Reminds me a bit of Kami no Shizuku except this is more about mixology. Always great to watch an Aiba drama. Nice cast.
-Beginners!****1/2
Police academy drama! Of course they have to pit Taipi and Hiromitsu against each other. I nearly cried every episode. The sporting events were also very intense! I wish these series was longer. Loved the S class!
-Binbo Danshi****
Short drama. Miura Haruma was cute here. It helped me learn more about debt. The opening sequence with the toilets was strange... but the ending was good.
-Bitter Blood*****
Great premise and nice cast. Action packed episodes! Furukawa Yuki looks so good in this but his scenes are too short! I'm looking forward to what happens with the "to be continued" note at the end of the final episode.
-Bloody Monday****
A dark and heavy drama. Biological terrorism is scary... Genius hacker Miura Haruma is so cute in this drama. Extremely intense and suspenseful! Spies, blackmail, many casualties. Deception, big twists, intrigue, good sayings and imagery. No one is trustworthy.
-Bloody Monday 2*****
Intense with lots of surprises. I'm excited to watch this again. Lots of love for HaruTake. The historical quotes are great.
-Bouchou Mania 09***1/2
Many cases and imagination sequences per episode.
-Burn the house down****
Revenge tale! I can't believe that Dr would abandon his own blood related daughters. So many twists!
-Buzzer Beat*****
Great cast. Funny. A sports romantic comedy. Fate? I can't believe Aibu Saki's character here. She sure can act. So many bold characters! I liked it. Great ending, though a bit cheesy.
-Celeb to Binbo Taro****1/2
A funny and compelling story of two people living in different worlds. Possibly a reverse Cinderella story in some aspects? I'm starting to think that whatever drama Ueto Aya is in is good, but I need to watch more to prove this theory. For some unknown reason, the structure of the opening and ending were different for episodes 9 and 10. No idea why. There were quite a few surprises in this drama.
-Cleopatra na Onnatachi****
Different kind of role for Sato Ryuta. The plastic surgery scenes make me queasy and uncomfortable. Nice cast. Provokes the viewer to think about 'what is beauty?' Overall, a sad drama.
-Code Blue****1/2
Young in-flight training doctors. I can relate to their feelings of failure and types of problems. The cast is great! I didn't realize that Yamapi's voice was that deep though.
-Code Blue 2*****
Exciting and pretty intense from the first episode. Heavy and quite emotional. A lot to do with family and problems amongst the doctors.
-Dear Sister****1/2
A heart wrenching drama about two very opposite sisters and how they reunite after several years apart. Overall, great story and drama. Worth watching!
-Death Game Park*****
Kato Keisuke plays crazy characters very well. I was really impressed with the games, actors, special effects, and twists! The stars have special abilities/skills. It was really interesting, but the ending confused me.
-Delicious Gakuin****1/2
Miura Ryosuke is so cute! <3 Channaka!! Silly and overexaggerated drama. Love the cast of 5 ikemen. Great guest stars and multiple languages. The battles at the end were the most exciting. Look out for the 'omuraisu no uta'!
-Don Quixote****
Kinda random with the Spanish music. LOL-worthy. Some stressful situations with the child care cases, especially for the first two episodes. Good drama. I enjoyed it.
-Dxtown: "Bokura ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu"****1/2
Yamada Yuki! High school love story. Kind of rushed since it is only four episodes. I was pleased with the conclusion.
-Dxtown: "Spy Tokuku"***1/2
Seto Koji. Super confusing and weird. Cantonese. Some cool, clever tricks. Suddenly became more interesting at episode 3. I need subs for this one. Too much review from the previous episode in the next one.
-Engimono Series #11 - Kuruugamama****
Serious Aiba, I was pleasantly surprised! Interesting gambles and quite a few twists.
-Fermat's Cuisine****
Drama about a boy who wanted to become a mathematician but becomes a chef instead while utilizing his math skills. FYI: I hate math. Happy ending.
-From 5 to 9****1/2
All star cast. Hilarious premise - a monk wants to marry an ESL teacher. It's been so long since I've seen Mocomochi I clapped at his first scene. Hanging ending.
-Fuma no Kojiro*****
A different sport or art in every episode. Adios? Awesome music. Murai Ryota is so great in this! He doesn't wear a shirt under his blazer, and he's hilarious! Cool special effects. Good cast, no wonder they made a butai version. I'm really getting into the fight scenes with powers. Kind of sad though.
-Futatsu no Spica****1/2
Good cast and quite interesting! Story about friendship, youth, and a common desire to become astronauts. I learned quite a bit from this.
-Galileo****1/2
Familiar faces again with logical explanations to phenomena. Very interesting. This makes physics cool. I think I like detective dramas. The ending sequence is cool and the warning funny. It got darker and scary towards the end.
-Galileo II****
Passing the torch to another female detective. More murder cases with famous guest stars!
-Ganbatte Ikimasshoi****1/2
I recognize these actresses. Funny. Uchi Hiroki is pretty good looking, that's too bad what happened with him. School, sports, and the friendship of girls. I like the way Etsune talks, like an old lady. She reminds me of Usagi. Cute Junno! Exciting and very emotional sports drama. Some idolatry. Conclusive ending.
-Ghost Friends*****
Ridiculous with funny references. Nissy is pretty cute. Good plot but reminds me of Ghost Whisperer. Out-of-this-world love triangle. Cute and romantic. Kind of about art school as well. Bittersweet ending.
-GIFT****1/2
I wish I could have happiness with Koji for 12 hours. Great concept. All D Boys.
-GiraGira****1/2
I see three guys from Gokusen 3's 3-D class as the hosts. I'm learning about how host clubs work as well as age discrimination for jobs. Hecka drama: infighting, outside competition, manipulation, trying to find a balance, keeping secrets, etc. He taught good lessons to the younger hosts. It kind of reminded me of Gokusen in that respect and ended well!
-Godhand Teru*****
Cool special effects and sometimes funny. Lots of competition at Valhalla. I learned a lot of medical terms from this. Good lesson in these economic times. Only six episodes!
-Gokusen*****
Another all star cast, though MatsuJun's hair was so greasy and his teeth awful. Nakama Yukie did a great job. It has all the elements of what I like to see: action, drama, friendship, teamwork, comedy, high school, life lessons, romance, fantasy. and a powerful female role model.
-Gokusen 2****
Another group of dudes I knew who acted well. I liked the ending song. Glad to see Kuma again. I liked how they kept the plots and characters the same. Loads of girl-crazy guys again except for the leader, Kamenashi Kazuya(a JE dude).
-Gokusen 3*****
Oh how I love to look at Miura Haruma and his awesome hairstyle. I also like how they changed things up a bit in this last installment... the last episode shocked me. I think I cried more for this season than any other. I got used to the ending song. The sillyness and comaderie of this 3-D class was awesome. I also liked Yankumi's little fantasies. Only one non-girl-crazy JE dude, Takaki Yuya. Some stories from before got reworked but still good. Even some of the baddies were handsome, and I liked how they had episodes on host clubs, ikemen cafe, etc.
-Great Teacher Onizuka 2012*****
I love high school dramas with strong, caring teachers (cf. Gokusen). Nice cast and touching stories with dark issues for problem class 2-4 (not 3-D). I cried every episode from episode 5 to the end.
-Hachimitsu to Kuroba****
Art university, serious yet annoying girls, silly boys, multiple love triangles. It really is depressing though, and I already feel sorry for Toma's character from the first episode. Yes, it's a common pattern. Kuma is in here too! Interesting use of metaphors and how one phrase or topic can relate to different people. Very deep life lessons.
-Hakouki SSL ~Sweet School Life~****
First time watching a Shinsengumi drama. I didn't remember Channaka's voice was this deep. Crazy hairstyles.
-Hammer Session!*****
So many ikemen amongst the students and of course I love Moco! All star cast in my eyes. Lots of familiar faces amongst the girls. Cool concept. Such troubled youth. I think my favorite episode was 9. The last episode made me cry a lot!
-Hanayome to Papa*****
I cried a few times watching this, just so dramatic. I totally fell for Taguchi Junnosuke in this drama. He was zettai kareshi. I liked the actress as well; she's pretty.
-Hana Yori Dango*****
Quite dark and the first time I realized that dramas could contain such things.
-Hana Yori Dango Returns*****
Just as good as the first season but more dramatic with an equal amount of tears. I got mad at Umi and the big twist towards the end but it all worked out fine.
-Hanazakari no Kimitachi e*****
Best drama ever. I love this one so much. Great cast, great storyline, and AMAZING soundtrack. This made me fall in love with Ikuta Toma (Nakatsu's monologues and hand gestures are hilarious) AND the words 'ikemen paradaisu'. I could watch this over and over.
-Hanazakari no Kimitachi e 2011***1/2
There are quite a few differences from the 2007 version. Cannot say I am a fan of the female cast but the male cast has some gems. Miura Shohei and many other guys did a good job. The ending had more closure though.
-Happy Boys*****
Hilarious and a nice look in to the butler cafe world. Good cast. I learned a little about the art of tea and desserts.
-Hataraki Man****1/2
Pretty interesting, but I am mostly watching it because my mom's friend recommended it. I learned a lot about hard work from it. And Mokomichi is so handsome!
-Heaven and Hell: Soul Exchange****
A cop and serial killer switch souls!
-He's Expecting****
I had to look up if this is really possible. I love Ueno Juri.
-Hidarime Tantei EYE****1/2
Nakayama Yuma and Morimoto Shintaro are in it too. Pretty interesting concept. Yokoyama Yu's acting is great. Conclusive ending.
-Higashino Keigo Mysteries****
11 different stories with also a main story connecting all the episodes. A lot of familiar faces in every episode. Some tales are truly frightening.
-Hirugao****
Drama about wives having affairs and how they ruin the world around them. Kichise Michiko is always gorgeous. I was unhappy with the ending and sometime the story was slow.
-Honboshi*****
Renn is really hot in this drama. I love how serious and hardboiled he is. The premise of the drama is cool and I'm learning a lot about profiling and human psychology including the terminology. The finale was pretty crazy. I really liked the team.
-Hotelier****
Multilanguage, multiple love triangles, confessions, two familiar faces, and split screen filming. It's quite interesting, and I'm learning how hotels work. Ueto Aya is pretty, and she sang the ending theme. I was pleased with the ending.
-Houkago wa Mystery Totomo ni****
Short after school detective series. Good cast. Ikemen guest stars. Funny main character.
-Hungry*****
Great concept and cast. Seems like they have melded the roles Mukai Osamu is usually cast in - bassist and chef! I didn't know Mukai Osamu could be this hilarious. But I seriously think Miura Shohei steals the show, he is so charming and attractive. Great comedy. Pleased with the ending.
-I Bought My Boyfriend on a Loan****
Interesting concept! But cats are not always behaved.
-Ichi Rittoru no Namida*****
Heartbreaking and depressing. It made me appreciate life, health, friends and family more, though. I believe that my mom and I combined cried a litre of tears. Definitely cannot watch again ever.
-Ikemen desu ne*****
Awesome with outrageous situations! I love the acting, transitions, and fantasy sequences. Great music!! Quite hilarious and intense with tons of surprises. I enjoyed the drama as a whole but I felt the ending was cut short.
-Ikemen Sobaya Tantei***1/2
Silly and funny. Nonsensical and a lot of dialogue. Guest stars.
-Innocent Love*****
Cool opening sequence. Intense and interesting! I was a bit confused at first though. It reminds me a bit of Last Friends and Maou. Twisted and complicated. Stressful to the very end!
-Iryu*****
Plenty of familiar faces. Some adult scenes and pretty dark, shocking and unorthodox. I had to clap my hand over my mouth sometimes. Very emotional and intense.
-Iryu 2*****
Exciting episode right from the start! Chock full of surprises, twists, plus more and more difficult surgeries and its accompanying decisions. The ending was a bit open but I was pleased with the outcome.
-Iryu 3*****
Team Dragon reunited! More drama this time with catheters and betrayal. I forgot about the cool animations they used in this series to explain things. Iryuu is probably the best medical drama series I've ever seen.
-Iryu 4*****
So good! Reuniting Team Dragon. Intense cases in a small-medium old hospital where Asada got his start! Superb acting. Great ending with someone from the team I had been waiting for!
-IS: Otoko demo Onna demo nai sei****1/2
Super serious so I had delayed in watching it, but it turned out to be quite interesting and compelling that I just had to keep going. Definitely a heavy drama. So many secrets.
-Ishitachi no Renai Jijou****
Love affairs amongst doctors in a university hospital with main focus on surgery department. Overall good ending. I enjoyed seeing doctors who really care for their patients and Aibu Saki as an anesthesiologist and single mother!
-Itazurana Kiss ~LOVE IN TOKYO~****1/2
I have been waiting to watch this! Furukawa Yuki vs. Yamada Yuki! Funny situations and a bit fast paced time line even though there were sixteen 50 minute episodes. Yamada Yuki is so cute! I love all of Kotoko's friends.
-Itazurana Kiss 2: Love in Tokyo*****
I've been looking forward this so much! I love the side romantic storylines - for Yuki and Kinnosuke! All these other women after Naoki, back off! And some other love interests for Kotoko as well. Great ending!
-Jodan ja nai!****1/2
Starts in France. Sketchy concept but funny and gets more interesting as it goes along. Cool ending sequence. Ueno Juri's outfits are adorable. Tanaka Kei!
-Jotei*****
Super exciting every minute, though I don't approve of the morality of it. Quite a dark drama, and the ending was sad.
-Juui Dolittle*****
A very good drama. Highly recommended. Oguri Shun's hairstyle is not as bad as I had thought. This was a pretty serious medical drama, although I had mistakenly thought that it was more of a romance. Its focus is on the human-animal bond and about a particular family and the relationship between father and son. Quite a bit of politics and blackmail. Huge twist at the end that shocked me. This drama definitely evoked a lot of emotions from me - anger, sadness, and lots of deep thought.
-Jyoou no Kyoushitsu*****
Interesting concept. Lots of facts. Weird ending sequence though, totally opposite feel of the drama. It evokes a lot of emotions from me. Quite extreme. Amami Yuki is impressive, and so are the child actors and actresses. Great drama.
-Kagi no Kakatta Heya****1/2
Interesting drama where Ohno plays a genius locksmith solving closed room cases. Toda Erika looks so plain here.
-Kami no Shizuku****
I'm not really interested in wine but got this drama originally because I thought it would be funny. It's actually pretty serious. I really like "One Drop" by Kat-tun. Pretty good ending.
-Karei Naru Spy****
Great comedy with funny sound effects even though they are fighting against terrorism. Cool weapons, famous actresses, lots of cosplay since they are spies!
-Kaseifu no Mita****1/2
Strange drama about a robot-like housekeeper with no emotions. A father of 4 children pushed his wife to suicide because of his affair. So much crying!
-Kimi wa Petto*****
Odd premise. So many familiar faces, but Eita has regular hair?! Young MatsuJun but very cute, even with uber curly hair, curlier than HanaDan. This role is a tad different from his usual roles. A successful woman and affectionate men. Funny. Lots of kissing. Ended well.
-Kimi wa Petto (2017)****
Not sure the original really needed a remake but so far I'm enjoying it. Shison Jun really does have puppy dog eyes.
-Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo 3*****
A bit funny and scary. Cute MatsuJun! Interesting cases. Awesome ending sequence with "Jidai".
-Kisarazu Cat's Eye*****
Great cast! Funny. Baseball, stealing, and antics. Weird characters and interesting filming method that happens every episode.
-Kissing The Ring Finger****
Contract marriage between a president and poor employee who is the eldest daughter of a family of 5.
-Kochikame****
Funny and outrageous. The theme song gets stuck in my head! Every episode is a different story. Lots of guest stars.
-Koinaka****
A story about childhood friends who were each other's unknown first loves who reunited 7 years later. A love triangle with two Aoi's.
-Koizora*****
Seto Koji as Hiro. Shocking and different from the movie, though I have to say the actors for the movie looked better except for Nozomu. I have to sigh a lot. Heartwrenching but more closure at the end.
-Konkatsu!*****
Great premise, all star cast, and funny. Marriage hunting and neighborhood saving.
-Kurosagi****
Bang! Yamapi did some good acting in this drama. I laughed every time he did that quick smile with his eyes closed. His disguises were crazy. The vocabulary, chases, and love triangle were also cool. Overall though, I wasn't as excited watching this drama compared to all the hype I've heard about it. I love the opening song, though, and the filming of the sequence is cool too. This is like the second time Yamapi and Horikita Maki have worked together in a drama.
-Kurumi no Heya****
At first I thought this drama was a bit boring but it turned out to be interesting although stressful because of all the family drama. Human relationships are so complex.
-LAST CINDERELLA****1/2
What a different role for Haruma! An adult romantic comedy. Bonus: Yamamoto Yusuke for two episodes! I was rooting for Tachibana, as I usually root for the friend.
-Last Friends*****
Real friendship. Dang Ryo! I'm scared of him and his creepiness. Crazy hair Eita once again. Cool, very expressive opening sequence with ribbons. Unlucky girl, bad family. A heavy and intense drama. Good ending.
-liar***1/2
Seems like a late night drama about office romances. Mainly watched this for Furukawa Yuki.
-Liar Game****
Nice opening sequence (color choice, etc) and premise. You really can't trust anyone... or so it seems. I like how the episodes are not long and how the last episode is both the finale and special (although most of it was recap). Matsuda Shota did a great job. It was also interesting to see Toda Erika in a lead role (her character was good). Exciting!
-Liar Game 2*****
New mind games with familiar guest stars. Shocking and interesting. So many twists per episode!
-Love is Phantom****
I love Kiriyama Renn! It's so great seeing him take a lead romantic role.
-Lost Days****1/2
Suspenseful from the start. Love the male cast! Hanging ending!!
-Love Shuffle*****
Classic English pop songs. Nice premise with good metaphors. Pretty shocking since it's more adult with loose morals. Blooper ending sequences!
-Lucky Seven*****
All star cast. I missed watching Jun and Eita, so great to see them together and as detectives. I like that this detective drama is not as scary as others. Cool teamwork. Awesome fight scenes!
-Majo Saiban*****
Toma's first solo leading drama! I loved his color and photos! He's so silly and cute though swayed by women and money. Intense and so many twists. I want a THINK TWICE t-shirt. I also love the little nuances with the colors. Toma's yakisoba hair isn't half bad. His fashion sense and assortment of outfits are wonderful, and he plays a good, smart person as he usually does. This role definitely laid the groundwork for his role in Ningen Shikkaku. The show itself reminded me of Liar Game in content and running time, while the imperfect people of The Quiz Show 2. Needless to say, I was very jealous of Higa Manami. I did not approve of the ending.
-Maou*****
Ikuta Toma sure does a lot of running in this drama but he's definitely the hottest detective I have ever seen. Ohno can be scary at times. It's very interesting with the different tarot cards and victims. I really like broody Toma and his clothes! I love "Truth" and the opening sequence! This series definitely made me tense every episode. Toma should win an award for his amazing dramatic acting. Ohno did a good job too. The ending was hanging but mostly conclusive and good. I nearly cried.
-Mei-chan no Shitsuji*****
Outrageous and hilarious with magic. A mix of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Hana Yori Dango. I want my very own ikemen butler. Heartwarming bond between butler and lady. Very dramatic and shocking towards the end.
-Meitantei Conan****1/2
Another great detective series! Past cases to escape the white room trap. Gets more intense as it goes on.
-Meitantei no Okite****
Funny. Matsuda Shota is incredibly cute here. It's kind of weird though and breaks the rules of cinema in that the characters are aware that they are characters and comment about it a lot. Galileo spoof in last episode. Ending was nonsensical.
-Minami-kun no Koibito 2015****
It does remind me a bit of Itazurana Kiss at first. Interesting concept. I've never seen some of these actors before. A very cute high school romance.
-MONSTERS****1/2
Creepy Katori Shingo. Quite comedic. I love detective dramas. I had forgotten that Yamapi could be funny. Also I love Yanagihara Kanako! She's so cute. Note that the first and last episodes are long.
-Mop Girl****1/2
Nice cast and plot. Funny and surprising because of certain topics. I like Kitagawa Keiko's clumsy, fantasizing, and boy crazy character. The cosplay and connections are cool too. Some stories are sad though. It reminded me of a detective drama.
-Moyashimon****1/2
I had been waiting to see this drama for a long time because of the concept and Channaka. It's very educational with cute microbes! Every episode starts off with a special titles. Crazy turn of events/complicated stories and relationships.
-MR BRAIN*****
Blonde No. 3 host Takuya becomes a neuroscientist? Very interesting show. High tech and Physiology. Tortoise Matsumoto is such an odd name, though. Guest stars! I learned a lot and liked the little CGI explanations.
-My Boss, My Hero*****
Ridiculous and hilarious! I love the themes to every episode and St. Agnes' pudding. Really good drama.
-My Cuteness is about to expire?!****
Romantic comedy between a cute 29 year old and robot like woman.
-My Girl*****
Aiba's outfits are awesome and I love his laugh. Cute girl. Great song and cool graphics. Heartwarming, touching, funny and cute. I cried a lot especially for the final episode. Very good drama.
-Mysterious Summer****1/2
Language is Mandarin. Furukawa Yuki is the narrator! Mostly scary episodes, some with hanging endings or just very strange and confusing, some tear jerkers. Every episode varies in length of time from 17 to 35 minutes.
-Nanase Futatabi****1/2
Amazing telepathic abilities! I was immediately reeled in. It was very exciting and suspenseful. It was amazing to see how they represented those supernatural abilities. Highly recommended, though the ending was upsetting.
-Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku*****
It's so refreshing to watch a MatsuJun drama again! Nice glimpse into the world of actors. There's quite a bit of comedy in this as well. I enjoyed it a lot!
-Nazotoki no Dinner wa Ato de****
Clever butler with half-boiled detectives. Lavish scenes and outfits. Funny with notable guest stars. Dramatic and sometimes scary since mostly about murders.
-Nevertheless***1/2
Short remake of the Korean drama version. 3 episodes only with a hanging ending. I did appreciate the art and actors.
-Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo****1/2
Ridiculous and funny with some serious moments. I'm learning Japanese from it too. I think Naka Riisa looks better like this.
-Ninkyo Helper*****
Black kitty! Quite a few ikemen: Mukai Osamu, Yuki Jutta, and of course Yamamoto Yusuke. He was so hot here, and I like when he's serious. Tomboy Kuroki Meisa. Player Kota Yabu. Familiar celebs. Intense, violent, unpredictable, and depressing because of the elderly. I cried for a few episodes. The plot twists were crazy. I enjoyed this drama very much.
-Nobunaga no Chef****1/2
Ikemen chef with amnesia, fancy meals, nice cast, time slip, and a history lesson on feudal Japan makes for a good drama. Some of the war stuff was a bit boring for me, but overall I enjoyed the relationships in the drama. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the ending.
-Nobuto wo Produce*****
Familiar faces. Funny jokes and Engrish. Great ending song "Seishun Amigo". Unlikely friendship.
-Nodame Cantabile*****
I love it! International. Young Chiaki spoke excellent English. Koide Keisuke! All star cast. Eita with crazy hair again. Hilarious little things and imagination sequences. Music. I like Nodame's clothes. The last episode was very satisfying though Chiaki and Nodame's relationship is quite odd.
-Ohitorisama*****
Teppei and Keitachi! Funny, cute, and interesting, reminding me of Suppli a bit. Akiyama-sensei and the principal do a lot of fun activities outside of school. The karaoke scene in episode 8 is great. Teppei sings! The first song was GReeeeN's "Kiseki". Good songs, manipulative women, and random special effects. Very exciting towards the later episodes.
-Oh! My Girl!!***1/2
Mainly, a family drama. Not as good as I thought it would be considering the main stars. All I can think about when I see Mokomichi is how well he played a robot.
-Oishii Puropozu****1/2
Random English. A nice love story with a focus on Italian cuisine. Not a fan of the hanging ending though. It leaves a lot to the viewer's assumptions.
-Okusama wa, Toriatsukai Chuui****1/2
I love champions of justice! This secret agent turned housewife rescues fellow housewives in her neighorhood! And the plot thickens up until the very end.
-Onnatachi wa Nido Asobu****
All star actresses. Peach! Most of the stories were weird. Warning: full back nudity of the stalker in third episode. I felt like all of the women were users! The fourth story was probably the most normal. The last one was a bit funny.
-One Pound no Fukuin*****
It's wonderful to see Kamenashi Kazuya play such a crazy, silly, and funny character. So overexaggerated! Impossible relationship, funny opening sequence, "Lips". Kame is so energetic and different here. Very good drama. I was pleased with the ending.
-Orange Days*****
All star cast. Human drama with lots of sign language. I'm even learning some. Funny situations. Captivating, heartwarming, and emotional with surprises! Intense, cute and romantic. Some sad moments and very powerful. A wonderful drama which I enjoyed from beginning to end.
-Orthros no Inu*****
Clever and captivating concerning superpowers contrary to their owner's characters. Not as scary as I had thought but shares some similarities with MAOU. Very dramatic with a good opening song and sequence. Contains some animated sequences. Politics, atonement, and the difference between kids and adults. I was very pleased with this drama.
-Otoko no Kosodate****
Though a bit slow at first, it turned out to be a heartwarming and funny story. However, I probably would not have watched this for the story alone had not w-inds. "Beautiful Life" been the theme song. The son's teacher looks like she could be Aiba Masaki's sister. The neighbor boy was really cute.
-Otomen*****
Short summer and normal length fall episodes. Overexaggerated beginning. Silly, scary, and funny. Cool ending sequence and great song. Kimura Ryo always plays a bad boy now. Cute Okada Masaki! Seto Koji kawaii! Funny teacher and class. Good concept. Hilarious imagination sequences/references. I love it! I guess I really like doramas based off of shoujo mangas.
-Otona Joshi****1/2
A story about 3 single 40 year old girlfriends looking for love. Oryo and Chiba Yudai are in here!
-Otto no Kanojo*****
A witch? Great plot and cast. Full of misunderstandings, comedy, and tear jerkers. Makes for a good drama.
-Ouran High School Host Club*****
Outrageously hilarious, especially Yamamoto Yusuke! And I don't have to tell you how hot he is. Great cast! I really do love shoujo manga adaptations. I love the cosplay in every episode as well. Chiba Yudai grew on me for sure as well as Daito Shunsuke.
-Ouroboros*****
So excited to watch this! I love the cast and Arashi sings the ending song. Toma and Oguri Shun reunited after 8 years! The ending reminded me of Maou. I loved the action scenes and bathhouse scene.
-Party ga Owatta****
Manga opening. The concept was great but not what I expected. It was more weird, sketchy, and a bit funny rather than a romantic comedy. Naka Riisa was whiny for a lot of the stories. My favorite was probably the last story with Koide Keisuke, he is hot as his character. I won't spoil it. I loved the undead dance sequence. The ending was a bit hanging.
-Peanut Butter Sandwich****
An agency that reports on girls who want to get married. Short series based off a web drama focusing on 4 girl friends.
-Pretty Proofreader****1/2
Mostly focusing on how fashionable Koetsu is. Interesting to see what proofreaders and editors do. Sudacchi!
-Princess Princess D***
Weird concept. Kind of random. Funny Take. Sometimes boring.
-Proposal Daisakusen****1/2
YamaPi looks good here. Eikura Nana annoys me. Good quotes. Magic and outrageousness! I thought it would just be one trip to the past, but there are multiple. Ending sequence with a live performance by the artist. Korean talk?! Longest wedding ever! Teacher and student love?! Cute drama. I got frustrated with Iwase Ken though. Romance and friendship. Socrates and Ito-sensei were interesting characters.
-Propose Kyodai*****
Great cast especially the four male leads. Only 4 episodes about how each of them get married.
-Puzzle (2007)***
Too much talking. A bit boring, actually. It gets interesting towards the end.
-Puzzle (2008)****
It's interesting to see Ishihara Satomi act as a two-faced teacher. I got sucked in right away... smart handsome students, interesting puzzles, opposite of Yankumi. It's scary; I have to watch it with the light on and sound low. Not as scary by the time I got halfway through it. Funny diagrams and Engrish. Nonconclusive ending, though.
-Quartet****1/2
Matsushita Yuya in action! Lots of violence so be forewarned. I like the outfits and the music. The plot is pretty good. It does have its rare funny moments as well. Mandarin is also spoken.
-Rebound*****
I love this pairing and the unbelievable turn of events every episode! It's hilarious although it makes me think about my own weight. Some things like Mokomichi's character at first was a surprise. Very inspirational.
-Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko no Uso****
Funny and a little bit scary. She's more of a detective than a psychic. Some touching stories. Slight twist at the end.
-Renai Kentei****
Seto Koji plays a vegetarian in the first episode! Four different stories about a love god testing three women and one man.
-Renai Neet****1/2
I wish that Yuki Jutta had more scenes; he was the best looking guy although kind of thin in this role! I have to say that I think anything Nakama Yukie is in is gold. I'm glad she's not really typecast in the same kind of role anymore although this role is akin to Yankumi or Yamada Naoko. I love the cast and the love shapes between them. Also helps that there are cat lovers in this! Pretty satisfied with the ending. I especially liked Tada and Nanako's storyline.
-RESCUE*****
Funny, intense, and emotional. Teamwork and good values as they work towards becoming Super Rangers. Great song and orange colors again! Maru's acting gets better as the show progresses, while Yamamoto Yusuke plays a tough kid, I'm guessing like his role in the ROOKIES movie. Shocking moments and full back nudity.
-RH+***
I like how each episode is only 23 minutes. The vampire lore doesn't make much sense though, and there are no ikemen. It got more exciting towards the end.
-Rich Man, Poor Woman****
Lots of my favorite stars including a cameo by Sudacchi. Intriguing premise/concept. Mean Shun with his disorder. Technology stuff was not that interesting though. An unexpected story of betrayal and forgiveness. I feel that Shun's dramas always has something extra; they are usually not just a love story. I enjoyed the ending.
-Rikokatsu****
Different kind of role for Eita but had to watch for him and Kitagawa Keiko! Marriage and divorce.
-RISKY****
Short 7 episode dark series with an unexpected twist!
-Risou no Musuko****
A mother who can eat a lot and the son who loves her. Lots of over the top scenes.
-ROOKIES*****
Funny, exciting, and very intense to watch. I got teary eyed for every episode and finally cried for the last one. Another awesome teacher, a surprising principal, and a captain that always cries plus some perverted dudes. I think I like sports dramas: trust, friendship, teamwork. Great ending song, "Kiseki" by GReeeeN, made me want to clap along. I like teachers like this.
-Room of King****1/2
I love the premise of this movie and all the different characters in the room share; there's even a vegetarian! Bonus points! Each episode is only about 40 minutes including the ending sequence and next episode preview. It's a comedy, so it's silly and fun! The ending was a bit unclear, though.
-Runaway: Aisuru Kimi no Tame ni****
Finally getting to watching this drama! Excited about the cast. The premise is quite sad and the episodes are very suspenseful and frustrating! A twist I had suspected by the last episoder. Tearjerker ending.
-Ryusei no Kizuna*****
Though it was funny at the beginning with the swindling dramas within the drama itself, it became more serious at the end as I originally thought. The ending was shocking but good. I enjoyed the theme song, the confusion with Nakashima Mika's character (who was she really?), and the camaraderie amongst the siblings.
-Saki****1/2
Women are scary! I am very impressed with Nakama Yukie playing the role of an evil woman. Nice cast and plenty of intrigue. Very suspenseful with quite a few twists. The ending was so hanging though.
-Samurai High School*****
Hilarious and outrageous! Haruma does a great job playing both characters. So silly and cute! I love the opening sequence. Awesome special effects. Cool henshin. Even Shirota Yu is cute here. Action and comedy with good lessons. I also loved the relationship the dad and son had.
-Saru Lock****
A drama about a locksmith who also doubles as a detective. Ritsuko is really cool! I like the ending sequence with the comparison of them as kids with their current selves. The guys are perverts though. Funny and sometimes scary. Some of the cases made me mad. The ROOKIES reference was hilarious! Strange background music choice.
-Scrap Teacher****1/2
Interesting but kind of random. Outrageous, unbelievable, with references to other dramas I have watched and enjoyed. Students punishing teachers. Weird ending.
-Second Love****
Figured this was a late night drama. A contemporary dancer and high school teacher's romance. Finding one's dream and being talented.
-Security Police*****
Short episodes with a cool opening sequence. Interesting and exciting. Quite intense with special abilities as well as crazy and scary terrorists. My first time watching an Okada Junichi drama. Great action sequences with some light moments. Classical, opera, and choral songs in Latin music. Surprising, what's real and what's imagined? Revenge. Hanging ending.
-Seito Shokun!*****
This drama is deep and oftentimes stressful to watch, but I highly recommend it. It reminds me of Gokusen a bit, even though it's about middle schoolers and has a co-ed class. The teacher is really admirable because of her determination and enthusiasm. I cried quite a bit. Lots of young, famous faces in this drama.
-Sexy Voice and Robo***
Kind of interesting since it's about spies though seemingly disconnected from episode to episode, much akin to Yukan Club and Puzzle (2008). The ending was a bit sad, but the odd relationship of the two main characters was cute. It was funny to see Matsuyama Ken'ichi act as an otaku. Does he always play odd roles like this?
-Share House no Koibito****
Interesting premise! I'm fond of the cast as well. Odd love triangle. Weird characters. Slow pace. Some funny and unbelievable moments. Sometimes I think Mizukawa Asami's dramas are hit or miss, but this drama was pretty heartwarming and ends well.
-Shibatora*****
Super exciting! What an amazing detective to go so far to trust and help people, and he has powers! I'm glad that I bought this drama. I'm a bit surprised that neither Koike Teppei nor WaT sang the ending theme song, though. This drama contains plenty of dark social issues, and it ends where it begins. Kyo Nobuo has a cameo towards the end.
-Shima Shima****
I was dying to watch this drama! The concept is wonderful. I wish it really existed since I have trouble sleeping. Some really great scenes. Sometimes the pace seemed a bit slow but overall the drama was a bit rushed. I enjoyed the ending.
-Shinigami-kun****
Mostly sad episodes. Episode 2 reminded me of Death Note. Sudacchi as Akuma! Great ending.
-Shinigami no Ballad*****
Very interesting but quite sad. Great opening song. The stories appear to be connected, but I wasn't happy with some of the hanging endings.
-Shiratori Reiko de gozaimasu****
Some outrageous scenes and it felt really sped up, maybe because I have been watching K dramas. I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions/explanations between the two main characters. Overall, a fun manga turned live action drama.
-Shirayuri Kyodai no Handsome na Shokutaku***1/2
I liked the cooking lessons with directions. I think this drama showed Dori's acting range and it made me fall for Takkun more. It was funny, crazy and weird though. First drama I watched raw. Still waiting on the subs.
-Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou****1/2
Johnny's Juniors! Some are the younger brothers of more famous Johnny's. Not a fan of the girls. Interesting concept of Catholic school girls and yankee school boys. Never knew yankee schools existed. Fighting ikemen, reminds me of Crows Zero or DROP especially the last episode. Loving the cameos. Some deep issues and the usual strong bonds of friendship in high school that I admire.
-Shitsuren Chocolatier****
Fast paced opening episode. How is Ishihara Satomi not fat eating all that chocolate? Her character is quite annoying. Paris! Loved the cast especially Mizukawa Asami and Sato Ryuta! An adult drama - frustrating yet funny. Loved the fantasy/daydream sequences.
-Sign*****
Amuse power! I really want to learn this dance. It's surprising to see TAKA in such a serious role. Gotta love the boys including their quotes and friendship. Plenty of LOL moments but also some shockers.
-SMILE*****
Hisashiburi, MatsuJun! Working in the food industry again but tan, not looking so great in the future. Weird opening sequence. Oguri Shun is very bad here. Suspenseful and maddening. Powerful and heavy, with a focus on racism. I had to sigh a lot towards the later episodes, and I cried multiple times for the finale. Great drama.
-Sotsu Uta****
Four half-hour stories about different kinds of graduating with popular actresses. I thought that the first story was the best one. I mostly watched this for the third story with Yamamoto Yusuke in it, though.
-ST: Scientific Task Force****
Yet again Fujiwara Tatsuya plays an insane genius! Love the casting especially for the ST unit - every person with amazing skills yet each with their own oddities/fears. But what kind of ending was that?
-Stand Up!!*****
Good drama with an all star cast. Yamapi's character was probably the best though I found Narimiya Hiroki to be hilarious! Interesting plot.
-Sumike Sumire****1/2
Interesting tale about a cat demon who grants the wishes of a 65 year old woman to redo her life. True love.
-Sunao ni Narenakute*****
Intense, heavy human drama revolving around Twitter. Funny, cute, very complicated and dark. Good music.
-Suppli*****
Fate is funny. Eita with crazy hair as usual but kind of a bad boy. Cute Kame. Good songs, opening and ending sequences. I love the four mental mirrors. Misunderstandings and romantic relationships in the advertising business. I cried a lot for the last episode. Great drama.
-Sushi Oji****
A short drama with weird moves and crazy special effects for sushi making. Entertaining though a bit slow and repetitive.
-Suugaku Joshi Gakuen****
Dori is the saving grace of this drama. Overly cutesy girls and mostly incomprehensible math. The stories get more interesting as the drama progresses though.
-Swan no Baka***1/2
A salaryman whom all the ladies like. Basically, a family drama. Some funny moments.
-Sweet Room****
Not much story development and a lot of intimate scenes. I enjoyed "Birthday" the most.
-Switched****
Short netflix original series about body swapping and life lessons on body image, friendship, and not comparing yourself to others.
-Switch Girl!!****1/2
My kind of drama - ridiculous and unbelievably hilarious but also endearing with major eye candy. I love Renn so much! Nika's fantasy sequences are so crazy and usually pervy. I was even able to tolerate the kiss scenes.
-Switch Girl!! 2****1/2
Silly fantasies. I think they got bolder and darker with this season. My only complaint with this series is too many kiss scenes between Arata and Nika.
-Tadashii Ouji no Tsukurikata****
What characters the boys are! Short, funny drama. Silly Renn! The opening theme song got stuck in my head like crazy. I enjoyed the cast of boys and the special guest for the last episode!
-Taisetsu na koto no subete kimi ga oshiete kureta****
Quite a heavy, complicated drama that makes me mad and upset. The American music is mostly Pink, but sometimes it is distracting from the subtitles and I don't like some songs. Sudacchi is my saving grace here, he's so silly and adorable. I love that he speaks Kansai-ben in this as well. I was pleased, however, with the ending for the most part.
-Taiyo to Umi no Kyoushitsu****
Sakurai-sensei has a strange way of doing things but teaches his students important lessons and helps them a lot. The individual stories are very compelling, especially the studious girl's. I enjoy Yamamoto Yusuke's character, though they never explained if he ever kissed the assistant teacher or not. Okada Masaki's character is pretty lovable, and how can I forget that Kagimoto Akira is one of the main students? Kitagawa Keiko does a pretty good job as a teacher but seems whiny, compared to Hino Rei in PGSM.
-Takkyu Tanaka 3 Go*****
So dramatic with lots of good train metaphors. Tanaka is a big-mouth. Tetsu friendship, family relations, and 3-on-3 romance drama. This drama exceeded my expectations, and it was Tanaka Koki's first drama.
-Tantei Gakuen Q*****
Captivating from the first episode! Cool opening sequence and nice ending sequence. It reminds me of Akihabara@DEEP but with a younger cast. Lots of familiar minor actors here. Good soundtrack and cast. One of best detective dramas I've seen.
-Team Batista no Eiko****
Mystery and medicine. I learned a lot. The ending was good, but there no way I could have predicted the outcome.
-Team Batista 2: General Rouge no Gaisen****1/2
Focusing on Emergency Medicine department this time around. Very educational and interesting. Good guest stars.
-Team Batista 3: Ariadne no Dangan****
Learning a lot as always from medical dramas. Guchi is adorable as usual. Quite a complex story. Police vs. doctors, forensics vs. autopsy imaging.
-Team Batista 4: Raden no Meikyu*****
So many familiar faces. Sad situation with the end-of-life care hospital. I guessed right about how the hospital director was using the mother-of-pearl room.
-TEIOH*****
Fast pace, short episodes about hosts! It's kind of similar to Jotei, with a good-natured main character but is almost too good to be true.
-The Killer Inside****1/2
Will a son of a serial killer become one himself? Horrible torture.
-The Quiz Show 2*****
I'm pretty surprised at Sho's character, it's very different. Yokoyama Yu seems to play the same type of character in the dramas I've seen of him. Sometimes funny but mostly sad. A twisted love triangle and search for the truth with revenge as the motive. It reminds me a lot of Maou.
-The Secret Message****
T.O.P. and Ueno Juri! Great cameos and cast - CROSSGENE's Shin, Koide Keisuke, etc. Korean and Japanese are spoken. LINE. At first confusing and all over the place maybe since each episode is 10 minutes (web drama).
-This Guy is the Biggest Mistake in My Life****
Interesting to see Moco play a masochist. Really outrageous short drama.
-Time Taxi****
What if you could take a taxi ride back to the turning point of your life and change the outcome?
-Tokujo Kabachi!****
Drama about public notaries and Japanese laws. Lots of reading but not bad. Some touching moments and lots to learn.
-TOKYO Airport****
A drama about air traffic controllers. I really like how the Japanese make dramas of all sorts of professions; they are very educational. It turns out that this is the first drama on air traffic controllers ever. This drama is quite tense as expected of the most difficult job out there but also heartwarming. Lots of English for the commands. I don't understand some of the terminology.
-Tokyo Dogs*****
Silly, hilarious partners with plenty of fight scenes. It starts in America. I love the opening sequence with the name titling and the ending song. It has been a while since I've seen Oguri Shun in a drama, funny yet serious. The Ninkyo Helper and Nodame references were great. Guest star friends.
-Tokyo Ghost Trip****1/2
Different kind of role for Renn. Funny! It's pretty cool with fighting, powers, and twists. BIG twist at the end. A bit scary in episode 2. I love how there's a paw print with every trip number, but we never get to see the cat except in the opening sequence.
-Trick****
So different from Galileo: both characters solve tricks, and Nakama Yukie is another strong female role model. But why does she always star in dramas that run three seasons with a special and movies? Just kidding, it's only been two so far. Really weird ending sequence. Funny laugh. Supernatural powers. Weird and dirty topics in the two main character's discussions. Each case spans 2-3 episodes.
-Trick 2*****
More word games, funny and interesting. Each episode has a different running time though, some are short and some long.
-Trick 3****1/2
Adventurous. Weird ending again. More riddles (word play, puzzles) and jokes. Some episodes were sad though. A lot of them seem to be about revenge as well.
-Troubleman****1/2
Interesting drama, more like a film split into multiple parts. Some funny stories, particularly the landlady's and Tagawa's back stories. Unbelievable turn of events towards the end. Quite outrageous. The ending wasn't bad.
-Tsuki no Koibito*****
Mature, human drama about a furniture company president. Chinese and English spoken as well. Manipulation with a Cinderella element to it. Unexpected ending!!
-Tumbling*****
SO awesome! Ikemen galore. I am surprised by Hiroki, Nissy, and Soma Keisuke's characters though, so unlike them. Loving it. Quite complex with some shocking as well as sad moments. Yamamoto Yusuke is not only hot but funny. I love when he does comedy. Kaku Kento is always a riot. Amazing cast! Very intense.
-Umi no Ue no Shinryojo*****
I love Matsuda Shota's character here! He kind of reminds me of Hidari Shoutarou from Kamen Rider W. Amazing medical and surgical skills but girl crazy. A different female guest star per episode.
-Untouchable****1/2
Interesting and funny. Nakama Yukie plays another great character. Reminds me of a bit of Trick. A bit complex. Something deeper is going on. I was upset by the hanging ending though.
-Unubore Deka*****
First time watching a Nagase drama. Hilarious! I love the random dancing in it. Toma is cute. I'm so glad that he's in a comedy again! Great female guest stars.
-Uta no Onii-san****1/2
I thought it was a comedy but it turned out to be a bit serious. Pretty interesting and funny, and Ohno's character is relatable as well as heartwarming. I enjoyed the children's songs, and though I didn't like Ohno's solo single at first, it worked in the drama.
-Utsukushi Rinjin****
First episode's pace was a bit slow. I actually watched 'Saki' first so now I am finding out the back story. A good human drama but may have been better if I had watched this in order.
-Vampire Heaven****1/2
Interesting, different vampire lore. Silly. I love the gothic outfits for the girls! Catchy ending theme. Good cast and concept. Short series. Unresolved ending.
-Vampire Host*****
Funny but a bit scary, with a focus on the supernatural. I like the visuals and music, like the clothes, special effects, setting, and opening and ending sequences. Matsuda Satoshi is awesome in this, and when he transforms, he looks like Gackt. Very cool. Themed host clubs seem fun. I also learned some history. Not too pleased about the ending, but it made sense.
-VOICE*****
Cool opening sequence. Toma makes a hot doctor. Eita is pretty cute too. I like GReeeeN's ending song. Funny despite being a serious drama. Very interesting cases with deep thoughts, philosophy, and heartwarming moments. Best case drama I've seen. Quite profound.
-Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu****
Story about 3 women who become roommates as they all search for love. A lot of familiar faces. Some interesting jobs like a lighting technician.
-Water Boys*****
Everyone is so young in this! Tamaki Hiroshi is hilarious! Great compelling story and awesome concept! Hilarious too. I love the background music. Amazing performance for the finale.
-Water Boys 2*****
Ichihara Hayato is so cute and clumsy in this! Great cast with a bit of weird and a lot of funny thrown in. More moving as the episodes go on.
-xxxHOLIC****1/2
As this is based of a seinen manga, it was pretty toned down. Anne had elaborate costumes. I liked the actors, especially the one who played Domeki, and the theme song "Aitai". Interesting concept. Very short series.
-Yamada-kun to 7-nin majo****1/2
Nice short funny yet heartwarming drama with a magical focus! Too much kissing, so atypical of a Japanese drama. I was very jealous of one actress who got to touch Yamamoto Yusuke's abs! Great ending, cast, and concept.
-Yamada Taro Monogatari*****
Super funny with the Engrish and fantasy! I liked Sho better than Nino, though.
-Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge****1/2
Interesting plot. Great cast. Kame is looking good. Funny imagination sequences, ridiculousness, complexes, and action. It gets way more serious in the later episodes.
-Yankee-kun to Megane-chan*****
Funny and ridiculous with good themes. I love the fight scenes and the Crows Zero-ish background music.
-Yoiko no Mikata****1/2
Great ending song. Sho as a preschool teacher makes for an interesting concept. Touching and funny. Dang, cameos by Aiba, Ohno, Sawada Shin and Kuma!
-Yukan Club***
See my blog on hairstyles to what I thought of Junno's hair in this one. The stories were interesting but I didn't like it that much, probably because there was no love triangle.
-Yume wo Kanaeru Zo****
Ridiculously funny with a classic love triangle tale. Oguri Shun only had a cameo in the first episode. Some historical figures in a modern day setting. 30 minutes only each episode!
-Zeni Geba****1/2
Dark, violent, multiple deaths. Comparing the past and present throughout the drama. Pretty good premise. Clearly, Matsuyama Ken'ichi always plays weird roles. I especially enjoyed the last episode of 'what could have been'.
-Zettai Kareshi****
Pretty interesting. I think I'm hooked from the first episode. My love triangle theory was sort of disproven with this drama. I was surpised with her choice. I really cried for most of the ending. Quite sad, but I guess that's how it had to be. The ending song got stuck in my head for days.
There are separate entries for movies and specials (tanpatsu), as well as stage plays and Super Hero Time.
Here we go!
My Favorite Drama of All Time
Currently enjoying:
My Stack:
Boku no Ita Jikan
Death Note
Previously viewed:
-0 Goshitsu no Kyaku****
Interesting concept. I like the transition between stories. I realized a lot about human nature from this short drama. The setting is beautiful and Yokoyama Yu is charming as usual. I loved the theme song right away! Shameless marketing for Johnny's, just pay attention to the wall of fame. Bloopers at the end of the last episode.
-14 sai no haha****1/2
I was so suspicious watching this drama at the start. Very upsetting family drama. Shida Mirai and Haruma look so young here. Cute Haruma but his character is kind of annoying. I recognize many of the actresses. So many motherly signs and symbols in the background. I cried a lot towards the end. The ending was fair.
-37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~Kenshui Junjo Monogatari~****1/2
Ageism. Nice cast for the medical team. Renn as one of the residents! Emotional and stressful. I got teary eyed practically every episode. Mixed feelings on the ending. I think they sped up too much at the end without explaining what happened in between.
-99.9 Criminal Lawyer****
It's been a while since I've watched MatsuJun's dramas! He plays a peculiar lawyer trying to find that 0.1% of truth.
-99.9 Criminal Lawyer 2****
A different female lead and I was surprised they resolved Miyama's dad's case early on in the 2nd episode.
-Akai Ito*****
A heavy drama. Romantic and compelling with a lot of unexpected moments. Clearly from the title, a lot has to do with believing in fate. I was relieved over the ending after being stressed out watching with my hand clapped over my mouth for most of the later episodes.
-Akihabara@Deep*****
Yes! A Toma drama once again. Dark and weird, even shocking but fun to watch. Pretty funny and silly. Another case drama but more interesting than others I've watched probably because it's about otaku. I like their references; there was even one to Dekaranger!
-Akumu-chan*****
Great cast and concept! I am fascinated by dreams. I love that dream interpretation is so critical to the story and every episode. Gackt <3 The little girl is really cute too.
-Alice in Borderland****
Right after watching Squid Games, I'm watching this. I almost didn't recognize Yamazaki Kento. Hanging ending!
-Alice in Borderland 2****
The face card games are more intense and gruesome. I had to look up what the ending meant!
-Alice in Liar Game****
Shortest drama ever. This little girl Alice is creepy, but her face looks like a piglet when she is not in the organization. Fast paced and dark.
-Alice no Toge*****
Justified revenge! It's awesome to see Ueno Juri play such a role. She has such a wide acting range; this is the total opposite of Nodame. It was nice to see Odagiri Jo as well, haven't watched him in anything for a while. Excellent series. I loved the altered Alice medical cards.
-Asuko March!****1/2
Matsuzaka Tori plays a host! Quite a few of my favorites in this one: Kaku Kento, Furukawa Yuki, Nagayama Kento. Interesting concept of a technical school but I am not a fan of any of the girls. The grandpa is funny. Sly teacher. Good lessons.
-Atashinchi no Danshi*****
I loved this drama from the very beginning. The outlandish set, unpredicability, great cast, and humor are just my taste. Heartwarming moments amongst silliness, sadness, and shock. Love hexagon? Great ending.
-Attention Please*****
Ueto Aya dramas always have closeups of her face. Lots of the same actresses I see in other dramas. Interesting concept of a punk girl training to become a cabin attendant. I didnt realize that the job was that demanding. Funny situations, touching. Aibu Saki's character liked Ryo's character and got rejected again. Ryo was kind of cute here. English usage! Ending sequence with different JAL uniforms throughout the years.
-Avarenbo Mama*****
Modern family drama. So many closeups of Ueto Aya's face. What can I say? I haven't watched an Ueto Aya drama I haven't liked yet. Mukai Osamu makes a cute teacher.
-A Virgin Women of Literature****
Late night drama about an editor and novelist.
-Bambino!*****
A different kind of drama since it was about cooking and achieving your dream. Great theme song though and MatsuJun was cho kawaii here. Quite inspirational.
-Bartender****
Reminds me a bit of Kami no Shizuku except this is more about mixology. Always great to watch an Aiba drama. Nice cast.
-Beginners!****1/2
Police academy drama! Of course they have to pit Taipi and Hiromitsu against each other. I nearly cried every episode. The sporting events were also very intense! I wish these series was longer. Loved the S class!
-Binbo Danshi****
Short drama. Miura Haruma was cute here. It helped me learn more about debt. The opening sequence with the toilets was strange... but the ending was good.
-Bitter Blood*****
Great premise and nice cast. Action packed episodes! Furukawa Yuki looks so good in this but his scenes are too short! I'm looking forward to what happens with the "to be continued" note at the end of the final episode.
-Bloody Monday****
A dark and heavy drama. Biological terrorism is scary... Genius hacker Miura Haruma is so cute in this drama. Extremely intense and suspenseful! Spies, blackmail, many casualties. Deception, big twists, intrigue, good sayings and imagery. No one is trustworthy.
-Bloody Monday 2*****
Intense with lots of surprises. I'm excited to watch this again. Lots of love for HaruTake. The historical quotes are great.
-Bouchou Mania 09***1/2
Many cases and imagination sequences per episode.
-Burn the house down****
Revenge tale! I can't believe that Dr would abandon his own blood related daughters. So many twists!
-Buzzer Beat*****
Great cast. Funny. A sports romantic comedy. Fate? I can't believe Aibu Saki's character here. She sure can act. So many bold characters! I liked it. Great ending, though a bit cheesy.
-Celeb to Binbo Taro****1/2
A funny and compelling story of two people living in different worlds. Possibly a reverse Cinderella story in some aspects? I'm starting to think that whatever drama Ueto Aya is in is good, but I need to watch more to prove this theory. For some unknown reason, the structure of the opening and ending were different for episodes 9 and 10. No idea why. There were quite a few surprises in this drama.
-Cleopatra na Onnatachi****
Different kind of role for Sato Ryuta. The plastic surgery scenes make me queasy and uncomfortable. Nice cast. Provokes the viewer to think about 'what is beauty?' Overall, a sad drama.
-Code Blue****1/2
Young in-flight training doctors. I can relate to their feelings of failure and types of problems. The cast is great! I didn't realize that Yamapi's voice was that deep though.
-Code Blue 2*****
Exciting and pretty intense from the first episode. Heavy and quite emotional. A lot to do with family and problems amongst the doctors.
-Dear Sister****1/2
A heart wrenching drama about two very opposite sisters and how they reunite after several years apart. Overall, great story and drama. Worth watching!
-Death Game Park*****
Kato Keisuke plays crazy characters very well. I was really impressed with the games, actors, special effects, and twists! The stars have special abilities/skills. It was really interesting, but the ending confused me.
-Delicious Gakuin****1/2
Miura Ryosuke is so cute! <3 Channaka!! Silly and overexaggerated drama. Love the cast of 5 ikemen. Great guest stars and multiple languages. The battles at the end were the most exciting. Look out for the 'omuraisu no uta'!
-Don Quixote****
Kinda random with the Spanish music. LOL-worthy. Some stressful situations with the child care cases, especially for the first two episodes. Good drama. I enjoyed it.
-Dxtown: "Bokura ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu"****1/2
Yamada Yuki! High school love story. Kind of rushed since it is only four episodes. I was pleased with the conclusion.
-Dxtown: "Spy Tokuku"***1/2
Seto Koji. Super confusing and weird. Cantonese. Some cool, clever tricks. Suddenly became more interesting at episode 3. I need subs for this one. Too much review from the previous episode in the next one.
-Engimono Series #11 - Kuruugamama****
Serious Aiba, I was pleasantly surprised! Interesting gambles and quite a few twists.
-Fermat's Cuisine****
Drama about a boy who wanted to become a mathematician but becomes a chef instead while utilizing his math skills. FYI: I hate math. Happy ending.
-From 5 to 9****1/2
All star cast. Hilarious premise - a monk wants to marry an ESL teacher. It's been so long since I've seen Mocomochi I clapped at his first scene. Hanging ending.
-Fuma no Kojiro*****
A different sport or art in every episode. Adios? Awesome music. Murai Ryota is so great in this! He doesn't wear a shirt under his blazer, and he's hilarious! Cool special effects. Good cast, no wonder they made a butai version. I'm really getting into the fight scenes with powers. Kind of sad though.
-Futatsu no Spica****1/2
Good cast and quite interesting! Story about friendship, youth, and a common desire to become astronauts. I learned quite a bit from this.
-Galileo****1/2
Familiar faces again with logical explanations to phenomena. Very interesting. This makes physics cool. I think I like detective dramas. The ending sequence is cool and the warning funny. It got darker and scary towards the end.
-Galileo II****
Passing the torch to another female detective. More murder cases with famous guest stars!
-Ganbatte Ikimasshoi****1/2
I recognize these actresses. Funny. Uchi Hiroki is pretty good looking, that's too bad what happened with him. School, sports, and the friendship of girls. I like the way Etsune talks, like an old lady. She reminds me of Usagi. Cute Junno! Exciting and very emotional sports drama. Some idolatry. Conclusive ending.
-Ghost Friends*****
Ridiculous with funny references. Nissy is pretty cute. Good plot but reminds me of Ghost Whisperer. Out-of-this-world love triangle. Cute and romantic. Kind of about art school as well. Bittersweet ending.
-GIFT****1/2
I wish I could have happiness with Koji for 12 hours. Great concept. All D Boys.
-GiraGira****1/2
I see three guys from Gokusen 3's 3-D class as the hosts. I'm learning about how host clubs work as well as age discrimination for jobs. Hecka drama: infighting, outside competition, manipulation, trying to find a balance, keeping secrets, etc. He taught good lessons to the younger hosts. It kind of reminded me of Gokusen in that respect and ended well!
-Godhand Teru*****
Cool special effects and sometimes funny. Lots of competition at Valhalla. I learned a lot of medical terms from this. Good lesson in these economic times. Only six episodes!
-Gokusen*****
Another all star cast, though MatsuJun's hair was so greasy and his teeth awful. Nakama Yukie did a great job. It has all the elements of what I like to see: action, drama, friendship, teamwork, comedy, high school, life lessons, romance, fantasy. and a powerful female role model.
-Gokusen 2****
Another group of dudes I knew who acted well. I liked the ending song. Glad to see Kuma again. I liked how they kept the plots and characters the same. Loads of girl-crazy guys again except for the leader, Kamenashi Kazuya(a JE dude).
-Gokusen 3*****
Oh how I love to look at Miura Haruma and his awesome hairstyle. I also like how they changed things up a bit in this last installment... the last episode shocked me. I think I cried more for this season than any other. I got used to the ending song. The sillyness and comaderie of this 3-D class was awesome. I also liked Yankumi's little fantasies. Only one non-girl-crazy JE dude, Takaki Yuya. Some stories from before got reworked but still good. Even some of the baddies were handsome, and I liked how they had episodes on host clubs, ikemen cafe, etc.
-Great Teacher Onizuka 2012*****
I love high school dramas with strong, caring teachers (cf. Gokusen). Nice cast and touching stories with dark issues for problem class 2-4 (not 3-D). I cried every episode from episode 5 to the end.
-Hachimitsu to Kuroba****
Art university, serious yet annoying girls, silly boys, multiple love triangles. It really is depressing though, and I already feel sorry for Toma's character from the first episode. Yes, it's a common pattern. Kuma is in here too! Interesting use of metaphors and how one phrase or topic can relate to different people. Very deep life lessons.
-Hakouki SSL ~Sweet School Life~****
First time watching a Shinsengumi drama. I didn't remember Channaka's voice was this deep. Crazy hairstyles.
-Hammer Session!*****
So many ikemen amongst the students and of course I love Moco! All star cast in my eyes. Lots of familiar faces amongst the girls. Cool concept. Such troubled youth. I think my favorite episode was 9. The last episode made me cry a lot!
-Hanayome to Papa*****
I cried a few times watching this, just so dramatic. I totally fell for Taguchi Junnosuke in this drama. He was zettai kareshi. I liked the actress as well; she's pretty.
-Hana Yori Dango*****
Quite dark and the first time I realized that dramas could contain such things.
-Hana Yori Dango Returns*****
Just as good as the first season but more dramatic with an equal amount of tears. I got mad at Umi and the big twist towards the end but it all worked out fine.
-Hanazakari no Kimitachi e*****
Best drama ever. I love this one so much. Great cast, great storyline, and AMAZING soundtrack. This made me fall in love with Ikuta Toma (Nakatsu's monologues and hand gestures are hilarious) AND the words 'ikemen paradaisu'. I could watch this over and over.
-Hanazakari no Kimitachi e 2011***1/2
There are quite a few differences from the 2007 version. Cannot say I am a fan of the female cast but the male cast has some gems. Miura Shohei and many other guys did a good job. The ending had more closure though.
-Happy Boys*****
Hilarious and a nice look in to the butler cafe world. Good cast. I learned a little about the art of tea and desserts.
-Hataraki Man****1/2
Pretty interesting, but I am mostly watching it because my mom's friend recommended it. I learned a lot about hard work from it. And Mokomichi is so handsome!
-Heaven and Hell: Soul Exchange****
A cop and serial killer switch souls!
-He's Expecting****
I had to look up if this is really possible. I love Ueno Juri.
-Hidarime Tantei EYE****1/2
Nakayama Yuma and Morimoto Shintaro are in it too. Pretty interesting concept. Yokoyama Yu's acting is great. Conclusive ending.
-Higashino Keigo Mysteries****
11 different stories with also a main story connecting all the episodes. A lot of familiar faces in every episode. Some tales are truly frightening.
-Hirugao****
Drama about wives having affairs and how they ruin the world around them. Kichise Michiko is always gorgeous. I was unhappy with the ending and sometime the story was slow.
-Honboshi*****
Renn is really hot in this drama. I love how serious and hardboiled he is. The premise of the drama is cool and I'm learning a lot about profiling and human psychology including the terminology. The finale was pretty crazy. I really liked the team.
-Hotelier****
Multilanguage, multiple love triangles, confessions, two familiar faces, and split screen filming. It's quite interesting, and I'm learning how hotels work. Ueto Aya is pretty, and she sang the ending theme. I was pleased with the ending.
-Houkago wa Mystery Totomo ni****
Short after school detective series. Good cast. Ikemen guest stars. Funny main character.
-Hungry*****
Great concept and cast. Seems like they have melded the roles Mukai Osamu is usually cast in - bassist and chef! I didn't know Mukai Osamu could be this hilarious. But I seriously think Miura Shohei steals the show, he is so charming and attractive. Great comedy. Pleased with the ending.
-I Bought My Boyfriend on a Loan****
Interesting concept! But cats are not always behaved.
-Ichi Rittoru no Namida*****
Heartbreaking and depressing. It made me appreciate life, health, friends and family more, though. I believe that my mom and I combined cried a litre of tears. Definitely cannot watch again ever.
-Ikemen desu ne*****
Awesome with outrageous situations! I love the acting, transitions, and fantasy sequences. Great music!! Quite hilarious and intense with tons of surprises. I enjoyed the drama as a whole but I felt the ending was cut short.
-Ikemen Sobaya Tantei***1/2
Silly and funny. Nonsensical and a lot of dialogue. Guest stars.
-Innocent Love*****
Cool opening sequence. Intense and interesting! I was a bit confused at first though. It reminds me a bit of Last Friends and Maou. Twisted and complicated. Stressful to the very end!
-Iryu*****
Plenty of familiar faces. Some adult scenes and pretty dark, shocking and unorthodox. I had to clap my hand over my mouth sometimes. Very emotional and intense.
-Iryu 2*****
Exciting episode right from the start! Chock full of surprises, twists, plus more and more difficult surgeries and its accompanying decisions. The ending was a bit open but I was pleased with the outcome.
-Iryu 3*****
Team Dragon reunited! More drama this time with catheters and betrayal. I forgot about the cool animations they used in this series to explain things. Iryuu is probably the best medical drama series I've ever seen.
-Iryu 4*****
So good! Reuniting Team Dragon. Intense cases in a small-medium old hospital where Asada got his start! Superb acting. Great ending with someone from the team I had been waiting for!
-IS: Otoko demo Onna demo nai sei****1/2
Super serious so I had delayed in watching it, but it turned out to be quite interesting and compelling that I just had to keep going. Definitely a heavy drama. So many secrets.
-Ishitachi no Renai Jijou****
Love affairs amongst doctors in a university hospital with main focus on surgery department. Overall good ending. I enjoyed seeing doctors who really care for their patients and Aibu Saki as an anesthesiologist and single mother!
-Itazurana Kiss ~LOVE IN TOKYO~****1/2
I have been waiting to watch this! Furukawa Yuki vs. Yamada Yuki! Funny situations and a bit fast paced time line even though there were sixteen 50 minute episodes. Yamada Yuki is so cute! I love all of Kotoko's friends.
-Itazurana Kiss 2: Love in Tokyo*****
I've been looking forward this so much! I love the side romantic storylines - for Yuki and Kinnosuke! All these other women after Naoki, back off! And some other love interests for Kotoko as well. Great ending!
-Jodan ja nai!****1/2
Starts in France. Sketchy concept but funny and gets more interesting as it goes along. Cool ending sequence. Ueno Juri's outfits are adorable. Tanaka Kei!
-Jotei*****
Super exciting every minute, though I don't approve of the morality of it. Quite a dark drama, and the ending was sad.
-Juui Dolittle*****
A very good drama. Highly recommended. Oguri Shun's hairstyle is not as bad as I had thought. This was a pretty serious medical drama, although I had mistakenly thought that it was more of a romance. Its focus is on the human-animal bond and about a particular family and the relationship between father and son. Quite a bit of politics and blackmail. Huge twist at the end that shocked me. This drama definitely evoked a lot of emotions from me - anger, sadness, and lots of deep thought.
-Jyoou no Kyoushitsu*****
Interesting concept. Lots of facts. Weird ending sequence though, totally opposite feel of the drama. It evokes a lot of emotions from me. Quite extreme. Amami Yuki is impressive, and so are the child actors and actresses. Great drama.
-Kagi no Kakatta Heya****1/2
Interesting drama where Ohno plays a genius locksmith solving closed room cases. Toda Erika looks so plain here.
-Kami no Shizuku****
I'm not really interested in wine but got this drama originally because I thought it would be funny. It's actually pretty serious. I really like "One Drop" by Kat-tun. Pretty good ending.
-Karei Naru Spy****
Great comedy with funny sound effects even though they are fighting against terrorism. Cool weapons, famous actresses, lots of cosplay since they are spies!
-Kaseifu no Mita****1/2
Strange drama about a robot-like housekeeper with no emotions. A father of 4 children pushed his wife to suicide because of his affair. So much crying!
-Kimi wa Petto*****
Odd premise. So many familiar faces, but Eita has regular hair?! Young MatsuJun but very cute, even with uber curly hair, curlier than HanaDan. This role is a tad different from his usual roles. A successful woman and affectionate men. Funny. Lots of kissing. Ended well.
-Kimi wa Petto (2017)****
Not sure the original really needed a remake but so far I'm enjoying it. Shison Jun really does have puppy dog eyes.
-Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo 3*****
A bit funny and scary. Cute MatsuJun! Interesting cases. Awesome ending sequence with "Jidai".
-Kisarazu Cat's Eye*****
Great cast! Funny. Baseball, stealing, and antics. Weird characters and interesting filming method that happens every episode.
-Kissing The Ring Finger****
Contract marriage between a president and poor employee who is the eldest daughter of a family of 5.
-Kochikame****
Funny and outrageous. The theme song gets stuck in my head! Every episode is a different story. Lots of guest stars.
-Koinaka****
A story about childhood friends who were each other's unknown first loves who reunited 7 years later. A love triangle with two Aoi's.
-Koizora*****
Seto Koji as Hiro. Shocking and different from the movie, though I have to say the actors for the movie looked better except for Nozomu. I have to sigh a lot. Heartwrenching but more closure at the end.
-Konkatsu!*****
Great premise, all star cast, and funny. Marriage hunting and neighborhood saving.
-Kurosagi****
Bang! Yamapi did some good acting in this drama. I laughed every time he did that quick smile with his eyes closed. His disguises were crazy. The vocabulary, chases, and love triangle were also cool. Overall though, I wasn't as excited watching this drama compared to all the hype I've heard about it. I love the opening song, though, and the filming of the sequence is cool too. This is like the second time Yamapi and Horikita Maki have worked together in a drama.
-Kurumi no Heya****
At first I thought this drama was a bit boring but it turned out to be interesting although stressful because of all the family drama. Human relationships are so complex.
-LAST CINDERELLA****1/2
What a different role for Haruma! An adult romantic comedy. Bonus: Yamamoto Yusuke for two episodes! I was rooting for Tachibana, as I usually root for the friend.
-Last Friends*****
Real friendship. Dang Ryo! I'm scared of him and his creepiness. Crazy hair Eita once again. Cool, very expressive opening sequence with ribbons. Unlucky girl, bad family. A heavy and intense drama. Good ending.
-liar***1/2
Seems like a late night drama about office romances. Mainly watched this for Furukawa Yuki.
-Liar Game****
Nice opening sequence (color choice, etc) and premise. You really can't trust anyone... or so it seems. I like how the episodes are not long and how the last episode is both the finale and special (although most of it was recap). Matsuda Shota did a great job. It was also interesting to see Toda Erika in a lead role (her character was good). Exciting!
-Liar Game 2*****
New mind games with familiar guest stars. Shocking and interesting. So many twists per episode!
-Love is Phantom****
I love Kiriyama Renn! It's so great seeing him take a lead romantic role.
-Lost Days****1/2
Suspenseful from the start. Love the male cast! Hanging ending!!
-Love Shuffle*****
Classic English pop songs. Nice premise with good metaphors. Pretty shocking since it's more adult with loose morals. Blooper ending sequences!
-Lucky Seven*****
All star cast. I missed watching Jun and Eita, so great to see them together and as detectives. I like that this detective drama is not as scary as others. Cool teamwork. Awesome fight scenes!
-Majo Saiban*****
Toma's first solo leading drama! I loved his color and photos! He's so silly and cute though swayed by women and money. Intense and so many twists. I want a THINK TWICE t-shirt. I also love the little nuances with the colors. Toma's yakisoba hair isn't half bad. His fashion sense and assortment of outfits are wonderful, and he plays a good, smart person as he usually does. This role definitely laid the groundwork for his role in Ningen Shikkaku. The show itself reminded me of Liar Game in content and running time, while the imperfect people of The Quiz Show 2. Needless to say, I was very jealous of Higa Manami. I did not approve of the ending.
-Maou*****
Ikuta Toma sure does a lot of running in this drama but he's definitely the hottest detective I have ever seen. Ohno can be scary at times. It's very interesting with the different tarot cards and victims. I really like broody Toma and his clothes! I love "Truth" and the opening sequence! This series definitely made me tense every episode. Toma should win an award for his amazing dramatic acting. Ohno did a good job too. The ending was hanging but mostly conclusive and good. I nearly cried.
-Mei-chan no Shitsuji*****
Outrageous and hilarious with magic. A mix of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Hana Yori Dango. I want my very own ikemen butler. Heartwarming bond between butler and lady. Very dramatic and shocking towards the end.
-Meitantei Conan****1/2
Another great detective series! Past cases to escape the white room trap. Gets more intense as it goes on.
-Meitantei no Okite****
Funny. Matsuda Shota is incredibly cute here. It's kind of weird though and breaks the rules of cinema in that the characters are aware that they are characters and comment about it a lot. Galileo spoof in last episode. Ending was nonsensical.
-Minami-kun no Koibito 2015****
It does remind me a bit of Itazurana Kiss at first. Interesting concept. I've never seen some of these actors before. A very cute high school romance.
-MONSTERS****1/2
Creepy Katori Shingo. Quite comedic. I love detective dramas. I had forgotten that Yamapi could be funny. Also I love Yanagihara Kanako! She's so cute. Note that the first and last episodes are long.
-Mop Girl****1/2
Nice cast and plot. Funny and surprising because of certain topics. I like Kitagawa Keiko's clumsy, fantasizing, and boy crazy character. The cosplay and connections are cool too. Some stories are sad though. It reminded me of a detective drama.
-Moyashimon****1/2
I had been waiting to see this drama for a long time because of the concept and Channaka. It's very educational with cute microbes! Every episode starts off with a special titles. Crazy turn of events/complicated stories and relationships.
-MR BRAIN*****
Blonde No. 3 host Takuya becomes a neuroscientist? Very interesting show. High tech and Physiology. Tortoise Matsumoto is such an odd name, though. Guest stars! I learned a lot and liked the little CGI explanations.
-My Boss, My Hero*****
Ridiculous and hilarious! I love the themes to every episode and St. Agnes' pudding. Really good drama.
-My Cuteness is about to expire?!****
Romantic comedy between a cute 29 year old and robot like woman.
-My Girl*****
Aiba's outfits are awesome and I love his laugh. Cute girl. Great song and cool graphics. Heartwarming, touching, funny and cute. I cried a lot especially for the final episode. Very good drama.
-Mysterious Summer****1/2
Language is Mandarin. Furukawa Yuki is the narrator! Mostly scary episodes, some with hanging endings or just very strange and confusing, some tear jerkers. Every episode varies in length of time from 17 to 35 minutes.
-Nanase Futatabi****1/2
Amazing telepathic abilities! I was immediately reeled in. It was very exciting and suspenseful. It was amazing to see how they represented those supernatural abilities. Highly recommended, though the ending was upsetting.
-Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku*****
It's so refreshing to watch a MatsuJun drama again! Nice glimpse into the world of actors. There's quite a bit of comedy in this as well. I enjoyed it a lot!
-Nazotoki no Dinner wa Ato de****
Clever butler with half-boiled detectives. Lavish scenes and outfits. Funny with notable guest stars. Dramatic and sometimes scary since mostly about murders.
-Nevertheless***1/2
Short remake of the Korean drama version. 3 episodes only with a hanging ending. I did appreciate the art and actors.
-Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo****1/2
Ridiculous and funny with some serious moments. I'm learning Japanese from it too. I think Naka Riisa looks better like this.
-Ninkyo Helper*****
Black kitty! Quite a few ikemen: Mukai Osamu, Yuki Jutta, and of course Yamamoto Yusuke. He was so hot here, and I like when he's serious. Tomboy Kuroki Meisa. Player Kota Yabu. Familiar celebs. Intense, violent, unpredictable, and depressing because of the elderly. I cried for a few episodes. The plot twists were crazy. I enjoyed this drama very much.
-Nobunaga no Chef****1/2
Ikemen chef with amnesia, fancy meals, nice cast, time slip, and a history lesson on feudal Japan makes for a good drama. Some of the war stuff was a bit boring for me, but overall I enjoyed the relationships in the drama. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the ending.
-Nobuto wo Produce*****
Familiar faces. Funny jokes and Engrish. Great ending song "Seishun Amigo". Unlikely friendship.
-Nodame Cantabile*****
I love it! International. Young Chiaki spoke excellent English. Koide Keisuke! All star cast. Eita with crazy hair again. Hilarious little things and imagination sequences. Music. I like Nodame's clothes. The last episode was very satisfying though Chiaki and Nodame's relationship is quite odd.
-Ohitorisama*****
Teppei and Keitachi! Funny, cute, and interesting, reminding me of Suppli a bit. Akiyama-sensei and the principal do a lot of fun activities outside of school. The karaoke scene in episode 8 is great. Teppei sings! The first song was GReeeeN's "Kiseki". Good songs, manipulative women, and random special effects. Very exciting towards the later episodes.
-Oh! My Girl!!***1/2
Mainly, a family drama. Not as good as I thought it would be considering the main stars. All I can think about when I see Mokomichi is how well he played a robot.
-Oishii Puropozu****1/2
Random English. A nice love story with a focus on Italian cuisine. Not a fan of the hanging ending though. It leaves a lot to the viewer's assumptions.
-Okusama wa, Toriatsukai Chuui****1/2
I love champions of justice! This secret agent turned housewife rescues fellow housewives in her neighorhood! And the plot thickens up until the very end.
-Onnatachi wa Nido Asobu****
All star actresses. Peach! Most of the stories were weird. Warning: full back nudity of the stalker in third episode. I felt like all of the women were users! The fourth story was probably the most normal. The last one was a bit funny.
-One Pound no Fukuin*****
It's wonderful to see Kamenashi Kazuya play such a crazy, silly, and funny character. So overexaggerated! Impossible relationship, funny opening sequence, "Lips". Kame is so energetic and different here. Very good drama. I was pleased with the ending.
-Orange Days*****
All star cast. Human drama with lots of sign language. I'm even learning some. Funny situations. Captivating, heartwarming, and emotional with surprises! Intense, cute and romantic. Some sad moments and very powerful. A wonderful drama which I enjoyed from beginning to end.
-Orthros no Inu*****
Clever and captivating concerning superpowers contrary to their owner's characters. Not as scary as I had thought but shares some similarities with MAOU. Very dramatic with a good opening song and sequence. Contains some animated sequences. Politics, atonement, and the difference between kids and adults. I was very pleased with this drama.
-Otoko no Kosodate****
Though a bit slow at first, it turned out to be a heartwarming and funny story. However, I probably would not have watched this for the story alone had not w-inds. "Beautiful Life" been the theme song. The son's teacher looks like she could be Aiba Masaki's sister. The neighbor boy was really cute.
-Otomen*****
Short summer and normal length fall episodes. Overexaggerated beginning. Silly, scary, and funny. Cool ending sequence and great song. Kimura Ryo always plays a bad boy now. Cute Okada Masaki! Seto Koji kawaii! Funny teacher and class. Good concept. Hilarious imagination sequences/references. I love it! I guess I really like doramas based off of shoujo mangas.
-Otona Joshi****1/2
A story about 3 single 40 year old girlfriends looking for love. Oryo and Chiba Yudai are in here!
-Otto no Kanojo*****
A witch? Great plot and cast. Full of misunderstandings, comedy, and tear jerkers. Makes for a good drama.
-Ouran High School Host Club*****
Outrageously hilarious, especially Yamamoto Yusuke! And I don't have to tell you how hot he is. Great cast! I really do love shoujo manga adaptations. I love the cosplay in every episode as well. Chiba Yudai grew on me for sure as well as Daito Shunsuke.
-Ouroboros*****
So excited to watch this! I love the cast and Arashi sings the ending song. Toma and Oguri Shun reunited after 8 years! The ending reminded me of Maou. I loved the action scenes and bathhouse scene.
-Party ga Owatta****
Manga opening. The concept was great but not what I expected. It was more weird, sketchy, and a bit funny rather than a romantic comedy. Naka Riisa was whiny for a lot of the stories. My favorite was probably the last story with Koide Keisuke, he is hot as his character. I won't spoil it. I loved the undead dance sequence. The ending was a bit hanging.
-Peanut Butter Sandwich****
An agency that reports on girls who want to get married. Short series based off a web drama focusing on 4 girl friends.
-Pretty Proofreader****1/2
Mostly focusing on how fashionable Koetsu is. Interesting to see what proofreaders and editors do. Sudacchi!
-Princess Princess D***
Weird concept. Kind of random. Funny Take. Sometimes boring.
-Proposal Daisakusen****1/2
YamaPi looks good here. Eikura Nana annoys me. Good quotes. Magic and outrageousness! I thought it would just be one trip to the past, but there are multiple. Ending sequence with a live performance by the artist. Korean talk?! Longest wedding ever! Teacher and student love?! Cute drama. I got frustrated with Iwase Ken though. Romance and friendship. Socrates and Ito-sensei were interesting characters.
-Propose Kyodai*****
Great cast especially the four male leads. Only 4 episodes about how each of them get married.
-Puzzle (2007)***
Too much talking. A bit boring, actually. It gets interesting towards the end.
-Puzzle (2008)****
It's interesting to see Ishihara Satomi act as a two-faced teacher. I got sucked in right away... smart handsome students, interesting puzzles, opposite of Yankumi. It's scary; I have to watch it with the light on and sound low. Not as scary by the time I got halfway through it. Funny diagrams and Engrish. Nonconclusive ending, though.
-Quartet****1/2
Matsushita Yuya in action! Lots of violence so be forewarned. I like the outfits and the music. The plot is pretty good. It does have its rare funny moments as well. Mandarin is also spoken.
-Rebound*****
I love this pairing and the unbelievable turn of events every episode! It's hilarious although it makes me think about my own weight. Some things like Mokomichi's character at first was a surprise. Very inspirational.
-Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko no Uso****
Funny and a little bit scary. She's more of a detective than a psychic. Some touching stories. Slight twist at the end.
-Renai Kentei****
Seto Koji plays a vegetarian in the first episode! Four different stories about a love god testing three women and one man.
-Renai Neet****1/2
I wish that Yuki Jutta had more scenes; he was the best looking guy although kind of thin in this role! I have to say that I think anything Nakama Yukie is in is gold. I'm glad she's not really typecast in the same kind of role anymore although this role is akin to Yankumi or Yamada Naoko. I love the cast and the love shapes between them. Also helps that there are cat lovers in this! Pretty satisfied with the ending. I especially liked Tada and Nanako's storyline.
-RESCUE*****
Funny, intense, and emotional. Teamwork and good values as they work towards becoming Super Rangers. Great song and orange colors again! Maru's acting gets better as the show progresses, while Yamamoto Yusuke plays a tough kid, I'm guessing like his role in the ROOKIES movie. Shocking moments and full back nudity.
-RH+***
I like how each episode is only 23 minutes. The vampire lore doesn't make much sense though, and there are no ikemen. It got more exciting towards the end.
-Rich Man, Poor Woman****
Lots of my favorite stars including a cameo by Sudacchi. Intriguing premise/concept. Mean Shun with his disorder. Technology stuff was not that interesting though. An unexpected story of betrayal and forgiveness. I feel that Shun's dramas always has something extra; they are usually not just a love story. I enjoyed the ending.
-Rikokatsu****
Different kind of role for Eita but had to watch for him and Kitagawa Keiko! Marriage and divorce.
-RISKY****
Short 7 episode dark series with an unexpected twist!
-Risou no Musuko****
A mother who can eat a lot and the son who loves her. Lots of over the top scenes.
-ROOKIES*****
Funny, exciting, and very intense to watch. I got teary eyed for every episode and finally cried for the last one. Another awesome teacher, a surprising principal, and a captain that always cries plus some perverted dudes. I think I like sports dramas: trust, friendship, teamwork. Great ending song, "Kiseki" by GReeeeN, made me want to clap along. I like teachers like this.
-Room of King****1/2
I love the premise of this movie and all the different characters in the room share; there's even a vegetarian! Bonus points! Each episode is only about 40 minutes including the ending sequence and next episode preview. It's a comedy, so it's silly and fun! The ending was a bit unclear, though.
-Runaway: Aisuru Kimi no Tame ni****
Finally getting to watching this drama! Excited about the cast. The premise is quite sad and the episodes are very suspenseful and frustrating! A twist I had suspected by the last episoder. Tearjerker ending.
-Ryusei no Kizuna*****
Though it was funny at the beginning with the swindling dramas within the drama itself, it became more serious at the end as I originally thought. The ending was shocking but good. I enjoyed the theme song, the confusion with Nakashima Mika's character (who was she really?), and the camaraderie amongst the siblings.
-Saki****1/2
Women are scary! I am very impressed with Nakama Yukie playing the role of an evil woman. Nice cast and plenty of intrigue. Very suspenseful with quite a few twists. The ending was so hanging though.
-Samurai High School*****
Hilarious and outrageous! Haruma does a great job playing both characters. So silly and cute! I love the opening sequence. Awesome special effects. Cool henshin. Even Shirota Yu is cute here. Action and comedy with good lessons. I also loved the relationship the dad and son had.
-Saru Lock****
A drama about a locksmith who also doubles as a detective. Ritsuko is really cool! I like the ending sequence with the comparison of them as kids with their current selves. The guys are perverts though. Funny and sometimes scary. Some of the cases made me mad. The ROOKIES reference was hilarious! Strange background music choice.
-Scrap Teacher****1/2
Interesting but kind of random. Outrageous, unbelievable, with references to other dramas I have watched and enjoyed. Students punishing teachers. Weird ending.
-Second Love****
Figured this was a late night drama. A contemporary dancer and high school teacher's romance. Finding one's dream and being talented.
-Security Police*****
Short episodes with a cool opening sequence. Interesting and exciting. Quite intense with special abilities as well as crazy and scary terrorists. My first time watching an Okada Junichi drama. Great action sequences with some light moments. Classical, opera, and choral songs in Latin music. Surprising, what's real and what's imagined? Revenge. Hanging ending.
-Seito Shokun!*****
This drama is deep and oftentimes stressful to watch, but I highly recommend it. It reminds me of Gokusen a bit, even though it's about middle schoolers and has a co-ed class. The teacher is really admirable because of her determination and enthusiasm. I cried quite a bit. Lots of young, famous faces in this drama.
-Sexy Voice and Robo***
Kind of interesting since it's about spies though seemingly disconnected from episode to episode, much akin to Yukan Club and Puzzle (2008). The ending was a bit sad, but the odd relationship of the two main characters was cute. It was funny to see Matsuyama Ken'ichi act as an otaku. Does he always play odd roles like this?
-Share House no Koibito****
Interesting premise! I'm fond of the cast as well. Odd love triangle. Weird characters. Slow pace. Some funny and unbelievable moments. Sometimes I think Mizukawa Asami's dramas are hit or miss, but this drama was pretty heartwarming and ends well.
-Shibatora*****
Super exciting! What an amazing detective to go so far to trust and help people, and he has powers! I'm glad that I bought this drama. I'm a bit surprised that neither Koike Teppei nor WaT sang the ending theme song, though. This drama contains plenty of dark social issues, and it ends where it begins. Kyo Nobuo has a cameo towards the end.
-Shima Shima****
I was dying to watch this drama! The concept is wonderful. I wish it really existed since I have trouble sleeping. Some really great scenes. Sometimes the pace seemed a bit slow but overall the drama was a bit rushed. I enjoyed the ending.
-Shinigami-kun****
Mostly sad episodes. Episode 2 reminded me of Death Note. Sudacchi as Akuma! Great ending.
-Shinigami no Ballad*****
Very interesting but quite sad. Great opening song. The stories appear to be connected, but I wasn't happy with some of the hanging endings.
-Shiratori Reiko de gozaimasu****
Some outrageous scenes and it felt really sped up, maybe because I have been watching K dramas. I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions/explanations between the two main characters. Overall, a fun manga turned live action drama.
-Shirayuri Kyodai no Handsome na Shokutaku***1/2
I liked the cooking lessons with directions. I think this drama showed Dori's acting range and it made me fall for Takkun more. It was funny, crazy and weird though. First drama I watched raw. Still waiting on the subs.
-Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou****1/2
Johnny's Juniors! Some are the younger brothers of more famous Johnny's. Not a fan of the girls. Interesting concept of Catholic school girls and yankee school boys. Never knew yankee schools existed. Fighting ikemen, reminds me of Crows Zero or DROP especially the last episode. Loving the cameos. Some deep issues and the usual strong bonds of friendship in high school that I admire.
-Shitsuren Chocolatier****
Fast paced opening episode. How is Ishihara Satomi not fat eating all that chocolate? Her character is quite annoying. Paris! Loved the cast especially Mizukawa Asami and Sato Ryuta! An adult drama - frustrating yet funny. Loved the fantasy/daydream sequences.
-Sign*****
Amuse power! I really want to learn this dance. It's surprising to see TAKA in such a serious role. Gotta love the boys including their quotes and friendship. Plenty of LOL moments but also some shockers.
-SMILE*****
Hisashiburi, MatsuJun! Working in the food industry again but tan, not looking so great in the future. Weird opening sequence. Oguri Shun is very bad here. Suspenseful and maddening. Powerful and heavy, with a focus on racism. I had to sigh a lot towards the later episodes, and I cried multiple times for the finale. Great drama.
-Sotsu Uta****
Four half-hour stories about different kinds of graduating with popular actresses. I thought that the first story was the best one. I mostly watched this for the third story with Yamamoto Yusuke in it, though.
-ST: Scientific Task Force****
Yet again Fujiwara Tatsuya plays an insane genius! Love the casting especially for the ST unit - every person with amazing skills yet each with their own oddities/fears. But what kind of ending was that?
-Stand Up!!*****
Good drama with an all star cast. Yamapi's character was probably the best though I found Narimiya Hiroki to be hilarious! Interesting plot.
-Sumike Sumire****1/2
Interesting tale about a cat demon who grants the wishes of a 65 year old woman to redo her life. True love.
-Sunao ni Narenakute*****
Intense, heavy human drama revolving around Twitter. Funny, cute, very complicated and dark. Good music.
-Suppli*****
Fate is funny. Eita with crazy hair as usual but kind of a bad boy. Cute Kame. Good songs, opening and ending sequences. I love the four mental mirrors. Misunderstandings and romantic relationships in the advertising business. I cried a lot for the last episode. Great drama.
-Sushi Oji****
A short drama with weird moves and crazy special effects for sushi making. Entertaining though a bit slow and repetitive.
-Suugaku Joshi Gakuen****
Dori is the saving grace of this drama. Overly cutesy girls and mostly incomprehensible math. The stories get more interesting as the drama progresses though.
-Swan no Baka***1/2
A salaryman whom all the ladies like. Basically, a family drama. Some funny moments.
-Sweet Room****
Not much story development and a lot of intimate scenes. I enjoyed "Birthday" the most.
-Switched****
Short netflix original series about body swapping and life lessons on body image, friendship, and not comparing yourself to others.
-Switch Girl!!****1/2
My kind of drama - ridiculous and unbelievably hilarious but also endearing with major eye candy. I love Renn so much! Nika's fantasy sequences are so crazy and usually pervy. I was even able to tolerate the kiss scenes.
-Switch Girl!! 2****1/2
Silly fantasies. I think they got bolder and darker with this season. My only complaint with this series is too many kiss scenes between Arata and Nika.
-Tadashii Ouji no Tsukurikata****
What characters the boys are! Short, funny drama. Silly Renn! The opening theme song got stuck in my head like crazy. I enjoyed the cast of boys and the special guest for the last episode!
-Taisetsu na koto no subete kimi ga oshiete kureta****
Quite a heavy, complicated drama that makes me mad and upset. The American music is mostly Pink, but sometimes it is distracting from the subtitles and I don't like some songs. Sudacchi is my saving grace here, he's so silly and adorable. I love that he speaks Kansai-ben in this as well. I was pleased, however, with the ending for the most part.
-Taiyo to Umi no Kyoushitsu****
Sakurai-sensei has a strange way of doing things but teaches his students important lessons and helps them a lot. The individual stories are very compelling, especially the studious girl's. I enjoy Yamamoto Yusuke's character, though they never explained if he ever kissed the assistant teacher or not. Okada Masaki's character is pretty lovable, and how can I forget that Kagimoto Akira is one of the main students? Kitagawa Keiko does a pretty good job as a teacher but seems whiny, compared to Hino Rei in PGSM.
-Takkyu Tanaka 3 Go*****
So dramatic with lots of good train metaphors. Tanaka is a big-mouth. Tetsu friendship, family relations, and 3-on-3 romance drama. This drama exceeded my expectations, and it was Tanaka Koki's first drama.
-Tantei Gakuen Q*****
Captivating from the first episode! Cool opening sequence and nice ending sequence. It reminds me of Akihabara@DEEP but with a younger cast. Lots of familiar minor actors here. Good soundtrack and cast. One of best detective dramas I've seen.
-Team Batista no Eiko****
Mystery and medicine. I learned a lot. The ending was good, but there no way I could have predicted the outcome.
-Team Batista 2: General Rouge no Gaisen****1/2
Focusing on Emergency Medicine department this time around. Very educational and interesting. Good guest stars.
-Team Batista 3: Ariadne no Dangan****
Learning a lot as always from medical dramas. Guchi is adorable as usual. Quite a complex story. Police vs. doctors, forensics vs. autopsy imaging.
-Team Batista 4: Raden no Meikyu*****
So many familiar faces. Sad situation with the end-of-life care hospital. I guessed right about how the hospital director was using the mother-of-pearl room.
-TEIOH*****
Fast pace, short episodes about hosts! It's kind of similar to Jotei, with a good-natured main character but is almost too good to be true.
-The Killer Inside****1/2
Will a son of a serial killer become one himself? Horrible torture.
-The Quiz Show 2*****
I'm pretty surprised at Sho's character, it's very different. Yokoyama Yu seems to play the same type of character in the dramas I've seen of him. Sometimes funny but mostly sad. A twisted love triangle and search for the truth with revenge as the motive. It reminds me a lot of Maou.
-The Secret Message****
T.O.P. and Ueno Juri! Great cameos and cast - CROSSGENE's Shin, Koide Keisuke, etc. Korean and Japanese are spoken. LINE. At first confusing and all over the place maybe since each episode is 10 minutes (web drama).
-This Guy is the Biggest Mistake in My Life****
Interesting to see Moco play a masochist. Really outrageous short drama.
-Time Taxi****
What if you could take a taxi ride back to the turning point of your life and change the outcome?
-Tokujo Kabachi!****
Drama about public notaries and Japanese laws. Lots of reading but not bad. Some touching moments and lots to learn.
-TOKYO Airport****
A drama about air traffic controllers. I really like how the Japanese make dramas of all sorts of professions; they are very educational. It turns out that this is the first drama on air traffic controllers ever. This drama is quite tense as expected of the most difficult job out there but also heartwarming. Lots of English for the commands. I don't understand some of the terminology.
-Tokyo Dogs*****
Silly, hilarious partners with plenty of fight scenes. It starts in America. I love the opening sequence with the name titling and the ending song. It has been a while since I've seen Oguri Shun in a drama, funny yet serious. The Ninkyo Helper and Nodame references were great. Guest star friends.
-Tokyo Ghost Trip****1/2
Different kind of role for Renn. Funny! It's pretty cool with fighting, powers, and twists. BIG twist at the end. A bit scary in episode 2. I love how there's a paw print with every trip number, but we never get to see the cat except in the opening sequence.
-Trick****
So different from Galileo: both characters solve tricks, and Nakama Yukie is another strong female role model. But why does she always star in dramas that run three seasons with a special and movies? Just kidding, it's only been two so far. Really weird ending sequence. Funny laugh. Supernatural powers. Weird and dirty topics in the two main character's discussions. Each case spans 2-3 episodes.
-Trick 2*****
More word games, funny and interesting. Each episode has a different running time though, some are short and some long.
-Trick 3****1/2
Adventurous. Weird ending again. More riddles (word play, puzzles) and jokes. Some episodes were sad though. A lot of them seem to be about revenge as well.
-Troubleman****1/2
Interesting drama, more like a film split into multiple parts. Some funny stories, particularly the landlady's and Tagawa's back stories. Unbelievable turn of events towards the end. Quite outrageous. The ending wasn't bad.
-Tsuki no Koibito*****
Mature, human drama about a furniture company president. Chinese and English spoken as well. Manipulation with a Cinderella element to it. Unexpected ending!!
-Tumbling*****
SO awesome! Ikemen galore. I am surprised by Hiroki, Nissy, and Soma Keisuke's characters though, so unlike them. Loving it. Quite complex with some shocking as well as sad moments. Yamamoto Yusuke is not only hot but funny. I love when he does comedy. Kaku Kento is always a riot. Amazing cast! Very intense.
-Umi no Ue no Shinryojo*****
I love Matsuda Shota's character here! He kind of reminds me of Hidari Shoutarou from Kamen Rider W. Amazing medical and surgical skills but girl crazy. A different female guest star per episode.
-Untouchable****1/2
Interesting and funny. Nakama Yukie plays another great character. Reminds me of a bit of Trick. A bit complex. Something deeper is going on. I was upset by the hanging ending though.
-Unubore Deka*****
First time watching a Nagase drama. Hilarious! I love the random dancing in it. Toma is cute. I'm so glad that he's in a comedy again! Great female guest stars.
-Uta no Onii-san****1/2
I thought it was a comedy but it turned out to be a bit serious. Pretty interesting and funny, and Ohno's character is relatable as well as heartwarming. I enjoyed the children's songs, and though I didn't like Ohno's solo single at first, it worked in the drama.
-Utsukushi Rinjin****
First episode's pace was a bit slow. I actually watched 'Saki' first so now I am finding out the back story. A good human drama but may have been better if I had watched this in order.
-Vampire Heaven****1/2
Interesting, different vampire lore. Silly. I love the gothic outfits for the girls! Catchy ending theme. Good cast and concept. Short series. Unresolved ending.
-Vampire Host*****
Funny but a bit scary, with a focus on the supernatural. I like the visuals and music, like the clothes, special effects, setting, and opening and ending sequences. Matsuda Satoshi is awesome in this, and when he transforms, he looks like Gackt. Very cool. Themed host clubs seem fun. I also learned some history. Not too pleased about the ending, but it made sense.
-VOICE*****
Cool opening sequence. Toma makes a hot doctor. Eita is pretty cute too. I like GReeeeN's ending song. Funny despite being a serious drama. Very interesting cases with deep thoughts, philosophy, and heartwarming moments. Best case drama I've seen. Quite profound.
-Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu****
Story about 3 women who become roommates as they all search for love. A lot of familiar faces. Some interesting jobs like a lighting technician.
-Water Boys*****
Everyone is so young in this! Tamaki Hiroshi is hilarious! Great compelling story and awesome concept! Hilarious too. I love the background music. Amazing performance for the finale.
-Water Boys 2*****
Ichihara Hayato is so cute and clumsy in this! Great cast with a bit of weird and a lot of funny thrown in. More moving as the episodes go on.
-xxxHOLIC****1/2
As this is based of a seinen manga, it was pretty toned down. Anne had elaborate costumes. I liked the actors, especially the one who played Domeki, and the theme song "Aitai". Interesting concept. Very short series.
-Yamada-kun to 7-nin majo****1/2
Nice short funny yet heartwarming drama with a magical focus! Too much kissing, so atypical of a Japanese drama. I was very jealous of one actress who got to touch Yamamoto Yusuke's abs! Great ending, cast, and concept.
-Yamada Taro Monogatari*****
Super funny with the Engrish and fantasy! I liked Sho better than Nino, though.
-Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge****1/2
Interesting plot. Great cast. Kame is looking good. Funny imagination sequences, ridiculousness, complexes, and action. It gets way more serious in the later episodes.
-Yankee-kun to Megane-chan*****
Funny and ridiculous with good themes. I love the fight scenes and the Crows Zero-ish background music.
-Yoiko no Mikata****1/2
Great ending song. Sho as a preschool teacher makes for an interesting concept. Touching and funny. Dang, cameos by Aiba, Ohno, Sawada Shin and Kuma!
-Yukan Club***
See my blog on hairstyles to what I thought of Junno's hair in this one. The stories were interesting but I didn't like it that much, probably because there was no love triangle.
-Yume wo Kanaeru Zo****
Ridiculously funny with a classic love triangle tale. Oguri Shun only had a cameo in the first episode. Some historical figures in a modern day setting. 30 minutes only each episode!
-Zeni Geba****1/2
Dark, violent, multiple deaths. Comparing the past and present throughout the drama. Pretty good premise. Clearly, Matsuyama Ken'ichi always plays weird roles. I especially enjoyed the last episode of 'what could have been'.
-Zettai Kareshi****
Pretty interesting. I think I'm hooked from the first episode. My love triangle theory was sort of disproven with this drama. I was surpised with her choice. I really cried for most of the ending. Quite sad, but I guess that's how it had to be. The ending song got stuck in my head for days.