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Best Japanese Dramas of 2023
Written by YumCha! Editorial Team
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Here are our editors' picks for the best Japanese dramas of 2023!
0.5 Man
Matsuda Ryuhei is in very Matsuda Ryuhei mode in this WOWOW comedy-drama written and directed by Okita Shuichi, the master of quirky, meaningful life stories. Protagonist Tachibana Masaharu is a hikikomori who spends his days gaming in his room, with occasional visits to the convenience store. Life is hunky-dory like this, but change arrives with his married sister moving back into the family home. The residence gets converted into a "2.5 family" house for his supportive parents, his sister's family and himself as the "0.5." Masaharu's awkward but earnest efforts to interact with his grumpy niece and screamy nephew end up pulling him bit by bit out of his room. Nothing much happens in 0.5 Man, but what does happen is eminently empathetic and charming as a small yet significant journey of growth. 0.5 Man warmly champions a safe space and pace for people to fall back on when the outside world becomes overwhelming, and embraces an updated vision of the modern family living arrangement.
Brush Up Life
What would you do if you could live your life again from the start? What if you have to live it three times, four times… Ando Sakura is Kondo Asami, an ordinary woman with an ordinary job, a nice family and a tight-knit friend group. At the age of 33, she passes away in an accident. At the afterlife help desk, she learns that she can reincarnate as an anteater, or relive her life and try to collect more merits for a better reincarnation. Opting for the latter, she is born again to the same parents and re-experiences childhood, school and growing up with full memories of her first life. She improves here and there, but is it enough? While continuously rebooting her life, Asami repeats things but also makes changes that take her down different paths with some surprising twists. Written by Bakarhythm, this gem of a comedy-drama reflects on life in its normal glory, and appreciates family, friendship and a good sense of humor. Brush Up Life is full of little details and preposterous yet relatable moments that make you laugh and sniffle about what matters in life.
Fence
Every TV series Nogi Akiko has written since 2015 has made our year-end list, but Fence is different from hits like MIU 404 and Unnatural. A collaboration with Pension Metsa director Matsumoto Kana, this original WOWOW series takes on a host of hard-hitting topics in five episodes. Matsuoka Mayu plays tabloid reporter Kie who heads to Okinawa to cover a serial sexual assault case. She meets half-black local girl Sakura, played by Miyamoto Ariana, and together they seek truth and justice for victims. Rooted in Okinawa's unique culture and complex history, the acute series takes on the white elephant: the U.S. Army's contentious presence on the island. Fence touches on historical war trauma, PFAS environmental contamination and sex crimes committed by U.S. military personnel. However, the story itself is highly personal and emotional in depicting the characters' sexual trauma and mixed experiences in Okinawa, including the discrimination faced by mixed children of U.S. soldiers. Despite the grave themes, Fence manages to not be overly gloomy thanks to two strong female protagonists who speak out and fight back.
Hayabusa Fire Brigade
Ikeido Jun is known for stories set in the financial and business world like Hanzawa Naoki, so his latest novel Hayabusa Syobodan is something of a welcome anomaly. The rural mystery published in 2022 was quickly picked up for a TV Asahi adaptation this year. Nakamura Tomoya takes the role of novelist Mima Taro who moves to his late father's rural hometown for a change in scenery that will hopefully get him out of his creative slump. Hayabusa seems like a quiet and idyllic town, but the peace is soon broken by a series of house fires and the death of a resident. Joining the volunteer fire brigade to defend Hayabusa from arson, Taro the mystery writer finds himself up against a strange real-life mystery involving the town's residents. Hayabusa Fire Brigade intrigues with its blend of human drama, romance, mystery suspense and some amateur firefighting. While small town with dark secrets is a common trope, the story goes in an unexpected direction with its increasingly creepy mystery connected to a cult.
The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House
Based on the manga Kiyo in Kyoto by Koyama Aiko, this modern-day fairy tale is set in the traditional world of geiko. Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki play teenage besties Kiyo and Sumire who excitedly move to Kyoto to begin their journeys as maiko, or apprentice geisha. While Sumire excels early on, Kiyo is clearly not cut out for the job. Instead, Kiyo happily finds her calling as a makanai, a live-in cook for the maiko house. The Makanai offers an inside look into traditions and illusions of geisha culture, and the lives of those who carry on this tradition. In the bustling yakata residence, a supportive sisterhood of different generations – including Tokiwa Takako, Hashimoto Ai and Matsuoka Mayu – share their daily lives while honing their art and making choices at crossroads. Some stay, some go, some return. With Kore-eda Hirokazu as the showrunner, the beautifully shot Netflix series is steeped not only in charming cultural and culinary details, but also in a welcoming warmth that encompasses the characters and the viewers. The Makanai may be a rose-tinted fairy tale, but it's one that you'll enjoy staying in for nine episodes.
Passion For Punchlines
"This is definitely not a story of friendship or a story of success, and it has no reference value for most people," says the narrator at the start of every episode. Passion For Punchlines is based on the true stories of popular comedians Wakabayashi Masayasu from Audrey and Yamasato Ryota from Nankai Candies. Wakabayashi and Yamasato are portrayed respectively by King & Prince's Takahashi Kaito and SixTONES' Morimoto Shintaro, who is near unrecognizable under round glasses and a bowl cut. The NTV series begins on May 31, 2021, at the final show of the duo Tarinai Futari formed by the two comedians, and then goes back in time to chronicle their (mostly separate) lives to get to this point. Starting from their dazed and confused days as students to their dazed and confused days as struggling comedians, the NTV series is a whirlwind of jokes-in-progress, awkward auditions, industry rites and the many, many fails that line the coming-of-age road to manzai stardom. As expected, this tour of Japanese comedy is often loud and laced with acquired-taste humor, but it keenly captures the distinct appeal of manzai and the universal passion and insecurities of dream-chasing youth. The differing tones and personalities of the protagonists offer dual threads with just the right balance of over-the-top and down-to-earth characterizations.
A Town Without Seasons
Kudo Kankuro adapts Yamamoto Shugoro's classic 60s novel Kisetsu no Nai Machi into a quirky, contemporary portrait of hard-knock life. The tragicomic Disney+ series is set in a temporary housing settlement for survivors of a disaster identified only as "The What," but clearly a reference to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Twelve years on, a handful of residents still live in the shanty town, including Roku-chan (Hamada Gaku) who drives a train that only he can see, Tatsuya (Nakano Taiga) who works his hardest but can't get his mother's love, and Katsuko (Miura Toko) who bears the weight of the world on her slumped shoulders. Into this oddball mix enters Hansuke (Ikematsu Sosuke) who reports the residents' stories to a boss that occasionally pays him in cabbages. Under the in-your-face weirdness lies the pathos and poverty of people who have lost everything – and the camaraderie of a community that listens and accepts. A Town Without Seasons is unapologetically bizarre and at times disturbing, but it also heals with the ability to laugh at life's absurdities and misfortunes. In other words, it's a Kudo Kankuro drama.
Turn To Me, Mukai-kun
Everything seems right in the J-Drama world when we have Akaso Eiji panicking about romance and making "eh?!" reactions while trying to figure out his feelings. Based on Nemu Yoko's novel, NTV's romantic comedy-drama follows salaryman Mukai-kun's quest to find a girlfriend after being single for ten years. His interactions with potential girlfriends eventually show how sincerely clueless he is about the others' thoughts. Even when being considerate, Mukai-kun may be reading the situation totally wrong, as pointed out by straight-talking drinking buddy Sakaido played by Haru. Each time the lighthearted drama pulls back to reveal the same interactions from the perspective of the woman, the gap between how different people view different kind of relationships is highlighted in humorous yet realistic manner. Sometimes the spirited discussions take on a battle of sexes tone, but the comedic episodes of errors always lead into honest self-exploration and heart-to-heart talks about different values, lifestyle choices and views on relationships, romance and marriage.
What Did You Eat Yesterday? Season 2
What Did You Eat Yesterday? is back for a second season, and it's just as warm, low-key and magical as the first season. Shiro (Nishijima Hidetoshi) and Kenji (Uchino Seiyo) continue to be relationship goals as a middle-aged gay couple who share lovingly cooked (and carefully budgeted) meals together, with the recipes considerately spelled out for us to try out. Within the wholesome slice-of-life episodes of delicious food and domestic bliss, this season notably addresses the concerns of aging as the leads enter their 50s, from Shiro's grudging acceptance of reading glasses to the shift to healthier dishes to honest conversations about after-death arrangements. The meaning and importance of family is a moving running theme throughout the series, both in the comforting partnership of Shiro and Kenji and in the heartening redefining of family by their respective parents.
Which Date Were You Born?
Starting from the choice of jaunty 60s hit Bus Stop by The Hollies as the opening theme, this TV Asahi drama moves to its own oddly appealing rhythm, and the audience just has to get with the groove. Eccentric hit novelist Kumon Ryuen (Mizobata Junpei) collaborates with a struggling manga artist on the condition of using the latter's daughter Sui (Iitoyo Marie) as the model for the main character of the new work. Sui has been a hikikomori for ten years after a traumatic incident in high school. With Kumon and team's intervention, she reunites with her high school squad and faces people and insecurities of her past, but her relationships and response to different situations don't go the way Kumon expects. This interesting offering from screenwriter Nojima Shinji is ultimately a healing drama, though it's often as puzzling and unpredictable as a suspense. Each character's secrets, complexes and true feelings are gradually uncovered in twisty ways. The use of B&W photography for the high school flashbacks is an inspired touch.
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Published December 18, 2023
0.5 Man
Matsuda Ryuhei is in very Matsuda Ryuhei mode in this WOWOW comedy-drama written and directed by Okita Shuichi, the master of quirky, meaningful life stories. Protagonist Tachibana Masaharu is a hikikomori who spends his days gaming in his room, with occasional visits to the convenience store. Life is hunky-dory like this, but change arrives with his married sister moving back into the family home. The residence gets converted into a "2.5 family" house for his supportive parents, his sister's family and himself as the "0.5." Masaharu's awkward but earnest efforts to interact with his grumpy niece and screamy nephew end up pulling him bit by bit out of his room. Nothing much happens in 0.5 Man, but what does happen is eminently empathetic and charming as a small yet significant journey of growth. 0.5 Man warmly champions a safe space and pace for people to fall back on when the outside world becomes overwhelming, and embraces an updated vision of the modern family living arrangement.
Brush Up Life
What would you do if you could live your life again from the start? What if you have to live it three times, four times… Ando Sakura is Kondo Asami, an ordinary woman with an ordinary job, a nice family and a tight-knit friend group. At the age of 33, she passes away in an accident. At the afterlife help desk, she learns that she can reincarnate as an anteater, or relive her life and try to collect more merits for a better reincarnation. Opting for the latter, she is born again to the same parents and re-experiences childhood, school and growing up with full memories of her first life. She improves here and there, but is it enough? While continuously rebooting her life, Asami repeats things but also makes changes that take her down different paths with some surprising twists. Written by Bakarhythm, this gem of a comedy-drama reflects on life in its normal glory, and appreciates family, friendship and a good sense of humor. Brush Up Life is full of little details and preposterous yet relatable moments that make you laugh and sniffle about what matters in life.
Fence
Every TV series Nogi Akiko has written since 2015 has made our year-end list, but Fence is different from hits like MIU 404 and Unnatural. A collaboration with Pension Metsa director Matsumoto Kana, this original WOWOW series takes on a host of hard-hitting topics in five episodes. Matsuoka Mayu plays tabloid reporter Kie who heads to Okinawa to cover a serial sexual assault case. She meets half-black local girl Sakura, played by Miyamoto Ariana, and together they seek truth and justice for victims. Rooted in Okinawa's unique culture and complex history, the acute series takes on the white elephant: the U.S. Army's contentious presence on the island. Fence touches on historical war trauma, PFAS environmental contamination and sex crimes committed by U.S. military personnel. However, the story itself is highly personal and emotional in depicting the characters' sexual trauma and mixed experiences in Okinawa, including the discrimination faced by mixed children of U.S. soldiers. Despite the grave themes, Fence manages to not be overly gloomy thanks to two strong female protagonists who speak out and fight back.
Hayabusa Fire Brigade
Ikeido Jun is known for stories set in the financial and business world like Hanzawa Naoki, so his latest novel Hayabusa Syobodan is something of a welcome anomaly. The rural mystery published in 2022 was quickly picked up for a TV Asahi adaptation this year. Nakamura Tomoya takes the role of novelist Mima Taro who moves to his late father's rural hometown for a change in scenery that will hopefully get him out of his creative slump. Hayabusa seems like a quiet and idyllic town, but the peace is soon broken by a series of house fires and the death of a resident. Joining the volunteer fire brigade to defend Hayabusa from arson, Taro the mystery writer finds himself up against a strange real-life mystery involving the town's residents. Hayabusa Fire Brigade intrigues with its blend of human drama, romance, mystery suspense and some amateur firefighting. While small town with dark secrets is a common trope, the story goes in an unexpected direction with its increasingly creepy mystery connected to a cult.
The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House
Based on the manga Kiyo in Kyoto by Koyama Aiko, this modern-day fairy tale is set in the traditional world of geiko. Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki play teenage besties Kiyo and Sumire who excitedly move to Kyoto to begin their journeys as maiko, or apprentice geisha. While Sumire excels early on, Kiyo is clearly not cut out for the job. Instead, Kiyo happily finds her calling as a makanai, a live-in cook for the maiko house. The Makanai offers an inside look into traditions and illusions of geisha culture, and the lives of those who carry on this tradition. In the bustling yakata residence, a supportive sisterhood of different generations – including Tokiwa Takako, Hashimoto Ai and Matsuoka Mayu – share their daily lives while honing their art and making choices at crossroads. Some stay, some go, some return. With Kore-eda Hirokazu as the showrunner, the beautifully shot Netflix series is steeped not only in charming cultural and culinary details, but also in a welcoming warmth that encompasses the characters and the viewers. The Makanai may be a rose-tinted fairy tale, but it's one that you'll enjoy staying in for nine episodes.
Passion For Punchlines
"This is definitely not a story of friendship or a story of success, and it has no reference value for most people," says the narrator at the start of every episode. Passion For Punchlines is based on the true stories of popular comedians Wakabayashi Masayasu from Audrey and Yamasato Ryota from Nankai Candies. Wakabayashi and Yamasato are portrayed respectively by King & Prince's Takahashi Kaito and SixTONES' Morimoto Shintaro, who is near unrecognizable under round glasses and a bowl cut. The NTV series begins on May 31, 2021, at the final show of the duo Tarinai Futari formed by the two comedians, and then goes back in time to chronicle their (mostly separate) lives to get to this point. Starting from their dazed and confused days as students to their dazed and confused days as struggling comedians, the NTV series is a whirlwind of jokes-in-progress, awkward auditions, industry rites and the many, many fails that line the coming-of-age road to manzai stardom. As expected, this tour of Japanese comedy is often loud and laced with acquired-taste humor, but it keenly captures the distinct appeal of manzai and the universal passion and insecurities of dream-chasing youth. The differing tones and personalities of the protagonists offer dual threads with just the right balance of over-the-top and down-to-earth characterizations.
A Town Without Seasons
Kudo Kankuro adapts Yamamoto Shugoro's classic 60s novel Kisetsu no Nai Machi into a quirky, contemporary portrait of hard-knock life. The tragicomic Disney+ series is set in a temporary housing settlement for survivors of a disaster identified only as "The What," but clearly a reference to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Twelve years on, a handful of residents still live in the shanty town, including Roku-chan (Hamada Gaku) who drives a train that only he can see, Tatsuya (Nakano Taiga) who works his hardest but can't get his mother's love, and Katsuko (Miura Toko) who bears the weight of the world on her slumped shoulders. Into this oddball mix enters Hansuke (Ikematsu Sosuke) who reports the residents' stories to a boss that occasionally pays him in cabbages. Under the in-your-face weirdness lies the pathos and poverty of people who have lost everything – and the camaraderie of a community that listens and accepts. A Town Without Seasons is unapologetically bizarre and at times disturbing, but it also heals with the ability to laugh at life's absurdities and misfortunes. In other words, it's a Kudo Kankuro drama.
Turn To Me, Mukai-kun
Everything seems right in the J-Drama world when we have Akaso Eiji panicking about romance and making "eh?!" reactions while trying to figure out his feelings. Based on Nemu Yoko's novel, NTV's romantic comedy-drama follows salaryman Mukai-kun's quest to find a girlfriend after being single for ten years. His interactions with potential girlfriends eventually show how sincerely clueless he is about the others' thoughts. Even when being considerate, Mukai-kun may be reading the situation totally wrong, as pointed out by straight-talking drinking buddy Sakaido played by Haru. Each time the lighthearted drama pulls back to reveal the same interactions from the perspective of the woman, the gap between how different people view different kind of relationships is highlighted in humorous yet realistic manner. Sometimes the spirited discussions take on a battle of sexes tone, but the comedic episodes of errors always lead into honest self-exploration and heart-to-heart talks about different values, lifestyle choices and views on relationships, romance and marriage.
What Did You Eat Yesterday? Season 2
What Did You Eat Yesterday? is back for a second season, and it's just as warm, low-key and magical as the first season. Shiro (Nishijima Hidetoshi) and Kenji (Uchino Seiyo) continue to be relationship goals as a middle-aged gay couple who share lovingly cooked (and carefully budgeted) meals together, with the recipes considerately spelled out for us to try out. Within the wholesome slice-of-life episodes of delicious food and domestic bliss, this season notably addresses the concerns of aging as the leads enter their 50s, from Shiro's grudging acceptance of reading glasses to the shift to healthier dishes to honest conversations about after-death arrangements. The meaning and importance of family is a moving running theme throughout the series, both in the comforting partnership of Shiro and Kenji and in the heartening redefining of family by their respective parents.
Which Date Were You Born?
Starting from the choice of jaunty 60s hit Bus Stop by The Hollies as the opening theme, this TV Asahi drama moves to its own oddly appealing rhythm, and the audience just has to get with the groove. Eccentric hit novelist Kumon Ryuen (Mizobata Junpei) collaborates with a struggling manga artist on the condition of using the latter's daughter Sui (Iitoyo Marie) as the model for the main character of the new work. Sui has been a hikikomori for ten years after a traumatic incident in high school. With Kumon and team's intervention, she reunites with her high school squad and faces people and insecurities of her past, but her relationships and response to different situations don't go the way Kumon expects. This interesting offering from screenwriter Nojima Shinji is ultimately a healing drama, though it's often as puzzling and unpredictable as a suspense. Each character's secrets, complexes and true feelings are gradually uncovered in twisty ways. The use of B&W photography for the high school flashbacks is an inspired touch.
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Published December 18, 2023
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