Rarely โ very rarely โ we stumble upon a series or a film that isn’t scared of telling the story it wants to tell. One that eschews the clichรฉs and the need for the “traditional happy ending”, developing its characters so flawlessly that they are the ones to dictate where they want to end up….
Reviews
Miss King Isn’t a Tale About Revenge but Freedom
It’s rare to find a television series as cinematic as AbemaTV’s Miss King, an eight-episode drama that aired from September to November 2025. Written and co-directed by Yamagishi Santa, who shared the helm with Tsubakimoto Keijiro, Miss King is set in the world of shogi (which is a kind of Japanese chess), but the game…
The Greatest Teacher: A Flawed but Profoundly Relevant Youth Mystery
The knottiness of classroom dynamics has been the topic of many series and films. If you’re a fan of Japanese dramas, I’m sure you’ve heard of NTV’s remarkable Mr Hiiragi’s Homeroom (2019), for instance. If you’re more of a K-drama fan, you might remember OCN’s Class of Lies (2019) instead. Following in their footsteps, you’ll…
Romantics Anonymous: A Celebration of Uniqueness, Love and Chocolate
Romantic comedies are a tricky thing to write. There’s a fine line between sweet and cringey, romantic and intrusive. It’s difficult to balance personal growth and romantic involvement, finding time and space to develop both the individual and the couple. But when a story gets it right, it can be a thing of beauty. That’s…
Cinderella Closet: Being Yourself Is a Revolutionary Act
I must confess that, when TBS’s Cinderella Closet first came out on Netflix, I didn’t expect much from it. Its 20-minute episodes and a light-hearted premise, however, persuaded me to give it a shot. The story that blossomed in front of my eyes had the shell of thousands of other romantic Japanese dramas, but it…
The 19th Medical Chart: A Soothing, Heartwarming Dream of a Better Future
Among a sea of medical dramas, there are only a select few that don’t rely on intense political intrigue or that try to imagine a different approach to the current healthcare system. These often stand out โ either because they don’t live up to the audience’s expectations of fierce sequences of surgeries and emergency rooms…
119 Emergency Call: An Optimistic, Unique Take on an Oft-Forgotten Profession
We often hear the dramatic stories of firefighters and policemen who save people and catch criminals. But it isn’t nearly as often that we stop to think about those who actually receive our calls for help and make our rescue possible: the emergency dispatchers. So, in an ocean of police procedurals and action-heavy thrillers, Fuji…
A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You: Sweet, Simple, and… Unexpectedly Egalitarian?
Sometimes, we need a sugary romance that boosts our hopes and leaves us with a big smile on our faces. It doesn’t even matter if it’s a tad cringy at times or a tad too idealistic. We want to see two people falling in love and being happy together, that’s all. If that’s what you’re…
Glass Heart Review: A Captivating Love Letter to Music
The history of our connection to music goes way, way back. As a cultural universal, music is present everywhere all the time. It conveys emotion, creativity, and culture. It offers solace and encouragement. Since music has existed for almost as long as human beings, it’s no surprise that cinema and television have portrayed this bond…
Suspicious Partner x Ayashii Partner: Which One Is the Drama for You?
With Japan and Korea TV collaborations becoming more and more popular, we have seen a wave of remakes coming out recently. Nowadays, everyone has been talking about the Japanese version of tvN’s Marry My Husband, while Park Min-young’s remake of Fuji TV’s The Confidence Man, re-titled Confidence Queen, has been confirmed to be released on…
