As much as we appreciate the highs and lows of romantic dramas, the uncontrollable laughter of romantic comedies, and the twisty thrills of mystery tales, sometimes we just need a story that will transport us to a different universe, fill us with optimism, and leave us with a big smile on our faces. Nothing stressful…
2024 Japanese dramas
After School Doctor Review: A Sincere and Heartwarming Portrayal of Childhood
Nowadays, the world seems to become more and more chaotic by the minute, doesn’t it? That’s why we sometimes need a show that reminds us of our human potential to be kind, improve, and help each other. If you’re looking for that warm place of optimism and comfort, let me introduce you to NTV’s After…
Light of My Lion Review: TBS’s Latest Drama Is A Roaring Success
The autumn season in Japan offered a handful of good shows, such as NHK’s Sora Wataru Kyoshitsu and NTV’s After School Doctor. But the real star of the season and the entire year was TBS’s heartfelt Light of My Lion, which aired its last episode on December 20th, 2024. Written by Tokuo Koji (of Ossan’s…
The Beginning of the Sea Analysis: A Cautionary Tale on Life-Changing Decisions
If you ask me what The Beginning of the Sea is about, I’ll tell you that it’s about the effects of our decisions — how our resolve can influence the lives of others, even of people we have never met before. It’s about allowing ourselves and others the right to make our own decisions and…
Year In Review: The 2024 Japanese Books, Films, and Dramas We Won’t Forget
A couple more weeks and it’s 2025. Can you believe it? I know that I can’t! But now it’s the perfect time for us to take a look back at 2024 and talk about the very best 2024 Japanese books, dramas and films. Can you recognise all these titles? As much as possible, I tried…
Pick Your Favourite: 10+ New J- and K-dramas Out In December 2024!
Can you believe that we’re a month away from 2025? Despair not! We still have much to celebrate this year and there are a dozen new J- and K-dramas coming out in December to warm your wintery days up. Are you ready to check them out? New K-dramas in December 2024 Cinderella Game 신데렐라 게임…
Beyond Goodbye Review: A Melodrama on Grief That Misses Its Mark
“This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.“ I couldn’t help but hear the narrator of Marc Webb’s (500) Days of Summer in my head after watching the first three episodes of Netflix’s Beyond Goodbye. “Ah,” I realised, “this isn’t supposed to be a…
The 9 Exciting J-dramas Coming To Japanese TV This November!
More J-dramas? Yes, please! This November, 9 new J-dramas are coming to Japanese TV (and a couple are also coming to streaming! Yay!). Here’s everything you need to know about them: Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan Love in The Air-恋の予感- Romance Rei (Hamaya Takuto) is a university student who was once helped by…
Are You Watching These 30+ Japanese Dramas Out in October?
With the end of the excellent The Tiger and her Wings (虎に翼, Tora ni Tsubasa), NHK’s latest asadora, I found myself wondering why it’s so difficult to legally watch Japanese dramas. In a world begging for more diverse productions, The Tiger and Her Wings would definitely resonate with audiences around the world, would it not?…
6 Heartwarming, Cosy Japanese Dramas To Watch This Autumn!
The crisp air and golden leaves are slowly taking the space that the sweltering summer days occupied just a few weeks ago. This Sunday, the 22nd of September, marks the start of this year’s autumn season. While most foreigners would immediately recognise the spring tradition of hanami (花見, or “flower viewing”) in Japan, fewer would…
