If you’re looking for popular Japanese dramas, reading this post is the right thing to do. No matter what type of Japanese drama you like, this post provides you with a list of Japanese dramas that will allow you to find your favorite one. We will also give you a list of platforms where the dramas are streaming.
Of course, if you want to enjoy a safer and smoother way to catch up on your favorite dramas, we’ll also recommend some useful tools to unlock the streaming platforms you can’t access.
10 Best Japanese Dramas
Now let me recommend some good Japanese dramas to you.
Unnatural
Streaming on: TBS
Satomi Ishihara plays Miichan Misumi, a female forensic pathologist who works for the private forensic organization UDI. The organization specializes in taking in the remains of people who have died from unnatural causes. Together with her colleagues, Mitsumi investigates the true cause of death to find the truth.
Attack on Titan
Streaming on: Netflix
After seeing his mother devoured by a giant, the protagonist Alan has a hatred for giants. He joins the 104th Training Corps with his friends to practice his fighting skills against giants. In the end, he joins the Investigation Corps and fights giants with his friends.
Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom
Streaming on: Hulu
With less than ten days to go before graduation, the art and homeroom teacher of the 3rd year A class, played by Sugata Shohei. He tries to investigate the mystery of a high school student who committed suicide a few months ago.
He will gather the 29 students in his class and demand answers to the murderer’s question. Under the teacher’s forceful demands, the remaining 29 students are forced to face up to the truths that they had hidden and did not want to touch.
The Kindaichi Case Files
Streaming on: NTV
This drama is based on a manga that has been running for 30 years by Amagi Seimaru. Since its remake into a TV series in 1995, it has gone through five generations of cast members.
The latest installment, starring Junyu Michie, tells the story of Kindaichi, who transfers to the high school of his childhood friend Miyuki Nanase, whom he hasn’t seen in a long time, and starts working with the police to solve unsolved crimes.
From Today, It’s My Turn!!
Streaming on: NTV, Hulu
This TV series is also based on a manga. Set in the 1980s, middle school students Takashi Mihashi (Kenzo Horai) and Shinji Ito (Kentaro Ito) transfer to a new school, where they coincidentally change into their delinquent outfits to look meaner.
As the two protagonists fight off yakuza elements and other school delinquents, their friendships with the other characters deepen and hilarious stories ensue.
Death Note
Streaming on: Netflix
The drama tells the story of ordinary college Night God Yue who uses it to sanction vicious criminals after accidentally picking up a death notebook owned by a Shinigami. However, the police bring in the genius Detective L to investigate the truth, and the two go head-to-head.
From Five to Nine
Streaming on: FOD Premium, Fuji TV
This is a sweet romance drama. Junko Sakuraba, a lecturer at an English teaching organization. She accidentally spills incense ash during a puja on Hoshikawa who is an abbot chanting sutras.
This accident makes Hoshikawa fall in love with Junko at first sight, and eventually, they fall in love.
Tokyo Girl
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Tokyo Girl, directed by Yuki Sakata, the drama follows the heroine, Aya, as she grows up from her 20s to her 40s. Aya comes from her hometown to live and work in Tokyo. As she grows older and her life circumstances change, she faces brand new challenges in her life at all times.
Runaway is Ashamed but Helpful
Streaming on: TBS
Moriyama Mitsuru, a graduate of the Institute of Clinical Psychology, has been unsuccessful in her job search. Her father introduces her to the family of Heikuang Tsumazaki, who is a serious office worker who never reveals his true feelings.
Tsumazaki Heikuang is a serious office worker who never reveals his true feelings, but he gradually develops a crush on her due to her frank attitude.
MIU404
Streaming on: Netflix
Set in the Police Department’s Mobile Search Team, the series follows Ibuki Ran and Shima Kazumi, two criminal police officers with very different personalities, as they work together to investigate various cases.
Platforms for Japanese Dramas
After recommending so many Japanese dramas to you, these episodes are available on different streaming platforms, here are some of the popular ones:
U-NEXT: The Platform with the Largest Number and Widest Variety of Movies
U-NEXT is the largest streaming platform in Japan, currently offering about 190,000 titles. In addition to movies, you can also read manga, light novels, weekly magazines, etc.
U-NEXT provides a 31-day free trial service, during which you will receive 600 bonus points. After the trial period, you can subscribe for $14 monthly and get 1,200 free points.
ABEMA TV: A Platform for Watching Anime and Variety Shows
Although ABEMA TV is a streaming platform, it works like a regular TV, with a focus on anime and variety shows. You can also watch news, Korean dramas, fight shows, etc. It’s free to use, but there are advertisements. You can purchase a membership for $7 per month to eliminate ads. It also offers a two-week free trial.
Hulu: With a Wealth of Japanese Drama
Hulu is an American streaming platform that was merged into Nippon Television after entering the Japanese market in 2011. It offers not only a rich selection of overseas movies and TV shows but also a lot of Japanese drama-related works. Hulu currently offers a two-week free trial service and charges $7 per month after the service ends.
Related: Hulu Free Trial – Everything You Need to Know
Netflix: Famous for Original Series
Netflix is one of the most subscribed streaming platforms today. For fans of Japanese dramas, Netflix has captured a lot of quality Japanese original series to choose from. Netflix offers three different subscription plans that you can choose from depending on your needs.
FOD Premium: Fuji TV’s Popular Japanese Dramas
FOD Premium is a streaming platform operated by Fuji Television in Japan. It not only offers a wide range of TV dramas, including Fuji TV’s original productions, but also weekly magazines. A subscription to FOD Premium costs $6 per month, and if you pay with Amazon Pay, FOD Premium gives you a 2-week trial.
Tip:
If you cannot access these streaming platforms, LightningX VPN helps you a lot. Using a VPN can help you change your real IP address to access content from different regions. It provides stable and fast Internet speed. You can watch and download 4k streaming resources at any time.
LightningX VPN provides 2,000+ servers and supports access to streaming content from 50+ countries or regions, you can not only browse Japanese streaming content but also access dramas from other regions. It also utilizes strong encryption algorithms such as AES-256-GCM, and ChaCha20-Poly1305 to effectively protect your online privacy.
Conclusion
As the world’s second-largest music market, Japan not only attracts a large number of music viewers from all over the world, but its movie and television industry is also well developed. The production team takes every drama seriously so that the audience gets the best experience.
After reading the list of Japanese dramas provided in this post, we hope you will find the Japanese dramas you want to see.
