If you are a big fan of Korean drama, then you have likely gone through most of the shows on Netflix. So, while waiting for the next season of your favorite shows or new ones to binge on, why not try a different East Asian genre? Japanese drama offers something different that will surely catch your attention. Here are some great recommendations to check out.
Japanese dramas no. 1: The Naked Director
We start the list with something a bit unconventional for a Japanese drama. The Naked Director is a comedy-drama that follows the life of controversial Japanese porn director Toru Muranishi. It explores Muranish’s early beginnings as a struggling book salesman, to his first foray into creating pornographic content, The series soon delves into his ascent to the top of the adult video industry, becoming one of its most prolific directors.
Arguably the first thing that will intrigue you is the premise. After all, you won’t find a lot of dramas talking about the life of porn directors. And with this being an original Netflix series, the eight-episode show is unafraid to dig deeper into the various controversies surrounding Muranishi’s life.
Don’t be surprised that the first episode alone has sex scenes. Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada) himself is often shown with just his briefs on while shooting his films, something that he indeed did in real life (hence the title). All of these are things that will likely not go past the rigid network censorship found on Japanese television.
But The Naked Director goes beyond these titillating elements to give a rather candid look on Muranishi’s life. This goes hand in hand with a thoughtful commentary on Japan’s adult video industry, as well as its society’s views on sex. Its raunchy humor gives a lot of levity to the more dramatic parts, effectively humanizing the director.
Japanese drama no. 2: Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light
One of the best things about Japanese drama is that it isn’t limited to romance stories. The genre can take something as mundane as playing video games and create a heartwarming story from it. That is what you will get out of the eight-episode miniseries Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light.
The series follows office worker Akio Inaba (Yudai Chiba) as he tries to rekindle his relationship with his distant father Hakutaro (Ren Osugi). The plan involves getting his father to play the online game Final Fantasy 14, meeting the old man there, and befriending him online. Akio then hopes that it will spill back to the real world and help him communicate with Hakutaro.
While this might seem like an obvious promotion for Final Fantasy 14, with Square Enix being the major sponsor, Dad of Light earnestly tells a fun father and son story. Hakutaro’s awkward initial foray into the game is a delight to watch and will trigger plenty of fond memories for gamers. Meanwhile, Akio’s bonding moments with him on and offline are both endearing and hilarious, as both turn out to be the same goofball when it comes to games. There is a bit of drama but it doesn’t override the happy ride.
One thing you might find interesting is that the story is based on a real-life event. The game footage used for Akio’s FFXIV character is, in fact, that of the gamer whom the story is based on. They even got his guildmates to participate in some of the game scenes. This adds to the charm factor of the show and will catch the attention of even non-gamers.
Japanese dramas no. 3: Good Morning Call
Now for something a bit more familiar for K-drama aficionados. Good Morning Call is a Japanese drama centered around high school students Nao Yoshikawa (Haruka Fukuhara) and Hisashi Uehara (Shunya Shiraishi). Nao is your average easygoing girl while Hisashi is the popular school heartthrob. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the two end up sharing an apartment unit to cut down on expenses.
You can pretty much guess how the story goes by the premise alone. But the strong characterization more than makes up for the cliched story. Nao is presented as a headstrong, likable girl and her positive attitude is fun to watch. Meanwhile, Hisashi is a more relatable take on the usual bad boy lead characters found in romance dramas.
Another great thing about Good Morning Call is that it has a fun supporting cast. Each of the supporting characters is gradually explored throughout the series, and the ensemble creates a more believable world around Nao and Hisashi’s story. The show has two seasons, with 17 and 10 episodes respectively, so you have a lot to watch.
Japanese drama no. 4: Erased
While anime based on manga is a fairly common thing, live-action Japanese drama based on the latter is also an interesting watch. Erased is one such Netflix show that you would want to check out.
The series follows manga artist Satoru Fujinuma (Yuki Furukawa). While he might seem like any regular guy, Satoru possesses a unique power to go back in time to moments before a disaster happens. He uses the power to save lives but an unexpected turn of events in one of his adventures leads to the murder of his mother. Now, he must use the power to go back 18 years and save her.
What makes Erased stand out from other live-action adaptations is that the author of the original manga is the one writing it. As such, you get a more faithful adaptation of the source material. The show also changes just a few things to make the story more compelling without deviating too much. You will be surprised at how better the story flows despite the series being the same length as the anime.
Discover a new genre to binge on Netflix
These are just a handful of the Japanese drama shows that you can binge online. And Netflix is expected to roll out more, both original productions and licensed shows. With that, you will have a lot to look forward to and marathon on your days off. Enjoy watching!