Discover the 10 Best Japanese Dramas

It is complicated to rank Japanese doramas, or any type of dorama. After all, just like original movies and series, it is something very diverse. These arts can involve comedy, action, romance, and drama. But fans always have their little list of favorites.

Based on popularity, story, cast, and production quality, here is a list of the 10 best doramas of all time, for those who haven’t seen them to set aside time to watch immediately, and for those who have, to rewatch, as they deserve to be watched many times.

Bloody Monday

Bloody Monday (Buraddi Mandei) is a 2008 adaptation of a manga of the same name, starring Haruma Miura. For those who enjoy suspense with a touch of action, it is a full plate.

The series follows a young hacker who will help the police solve a mystery involving terrorists and a deadly virus that may have gone to Tokyo. As a result, he ends up in the eye of the hurricane of an international investigation involving futurism, genetic experiments, and the virtual world.

Highly recommended by dorama fans, it is an intriguing series full of surprising plot twists, designed to capture the viewer’s attention.

My Boss My Hero

My Boss My Hero is the Japanese series version of the 2006 South Korean film from 2001. The Japanese version manages to bring lightness and comedy to mafia themes, in one of the favorite settings of doramas, mangas, and animes: the school.

The synopsis alone is worth checking out. A 27-year-old son of a member of the Japanese mafia aims to take over his father’s business, but due to his lack of skill with numbers and dropping out of school when he was young, he may not achieve what he wants.

To have a chance to be the successor in the mafia, the young man will have to return to school, pretending to be a teenager and go through ups and downs to manage to graduate and learn math.

Guaranteed laughs and a captivating and addictive plot, it has to be on the list of the best of all time.

Itazura na Kiss 

Itazura na Kiss was based on an unfinished manga, due to the sudden passing of the writer. The story has gained several versions. The first and oldest is Japanese and carries the same name as the manga. Filmed in 1996, it has only 9 episodes, so it is easy and quick to watch.

It tells the story of Kotoko Aihara, a young girl in love, who decides to confess her love to a classmate, who claims it is unrequited. Due to an earthquake, the two end up having to share the same roof and many stories.

A classic of doramas, with romance and introspective emotions, that only Japanese dramas know how to translate.

It is worth noting that Itazura na Kiss also inspired the series Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo and Itazura na Kiss 2, a more recent Japanese series from 2013, as well as the huge Korean success (Playful Kiss, from 2010) and Taiwanese (It Started With a Kiss, from 2005).

The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov (Karamazofu no Kyoudai) is not so popular, but it is definitely worth watching. A version of the Brothers Karamazov, a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a famous Russian writer, the series brings the drama and density of the original story, with a wonderful emotional touch.

Set in present-day, in a provincial town, 3 brothers are accused of murdering their father after visiting him for a family reunion, unfolding a psychological drama of the story of all the characters and society as a whole, bringing philosophical and political reflections on human behavior.

Gokusen

Another school romance dorama, this adaptation of a manga from 2002 brings the relationship of a teacher, with a troubled life story, and her students, a rebellious class. A story of overcoming and harmony. After the first series, 2 continuations were made, one in 2005 and another in 2008. It is worth watching them all, but the first is definitely the best.

Liar Game

An intriguing story, not so dramatic, but fun. Liar Game is also a version of a manga, which tells the story of a game where the winner must deceive the other participants and obtain 100 million yen from them. A chosen participant is the extremely honest student Nao Kanzaki. It is worth watching for fun and to see the ethical limits of the players being tested.

Unnatural (2018)

The newest series on the list, which is worth watching. A medical suspense drama that puts many famous medical series to shame. Set in the UDI (Unnatural Death Investigation), a pathologist leads a team that investigates deaths that seem natural but are not in each episode. Intriguing and exciting.

1 litre of tears Ichi rittoru no namida

The translation of the title is 1 liter of tears, which is what you will shed while watching this dorama.

The series is based on the book of the same name, which sold over 1.1 million copies. Inspired by the real diary of Aya, a young girl who discovers she has a degenerative disease. Very emotional and dramatic, the story tells all about the involvement of family and friends in the search for a cure for her. It is worth watching with a box of tissues in hand.

2nd PLACE: Hana kimi

To break the mood of the 3rd position, our dorama in 2nd place is funny and entertaining, one of the most popular doramas of all time. Based on a manga, filmed in 2007, Hana kimi tells the story of a student who tries to pass as a boy in an all-boys school to convince her idol to return to sports. Imagine the confusions and delightful stories that come from this.

1st PLACE: Hana Yori Dango

Beloved by many and hated by few (there are always haters), Hana Yori Dango is definitely the number 1 dorama, filmed in 2007, the series was so successful that it returned for a second season in 2008.

The setting: school. The theme: Gender war and class conflict. It couldn’t be better. A poor student manages to enter an extremely prestigious school attended by the wealthiest in the city. There, they have an elite group called F4 (flower four), which rules the school.

If you enter their red list, your end in the school community is decreed. Of course, the protagonist will clash with them and receive the red mark. You have to watch and rewatch as many times as you can!

It is worth remembering that the series had a Korean version, Flowers Over Boys, a resounding success of k-dorama.