I haven't watched much this year; Saikai was pretty interesting but I really disliked the ending, Ginga no ippyou was really good though not exceptional. I'm watching Midnight Taxi and will probably continue it but overall I'm feeling kinda meh this year. That's about all I've watched for 2026.

What are some dramas so far this year that have made you go WOW?

hey all,

my working knowledge of japanese shows all come from netflix and i would appreciate your recommendations!

i understand that there's more i need to discover as I feel like i've barely even scratched the surface, and that being said:

the shows that i've liked so far:

hibana spark, GTO, extremely inappropriate, alice in borderland,

here are some stuff that i do like:

movies: inception, beauty inside, menace 2 society,

shows: the bear, westworld, dark, snow piercer, narcos, alice in borderland, league of legends arcane, game of thrones, hannibal

animes/mangas: hikaru no go, vinland sagas, violet evergarden, frieren, GTO

kdramas: hospital playlist, hotel de luna, stranger, Deserter Pursuit, itaewon class

Do you happen to know about any? I'd love to join. Except for straight romance, I watch pretty much anything that I find interesting. Thanks!

Okay, so I... tonally don't think I'm understanding Human Vapor. For the first 5 episodes, it was playing as melodrama with pretty few, if any, moments of humor - very self important, very overtly serious aside from poking fun at the failing youtubers.

Then in episode 5 a "tense" scene between two men deeply entrenched in the yakuza settle a bet with a bowling challenge.

On the face of it, okay, that's fine, it's a dramatic thing to say "hey do this perfectly or we'll shoot you, high stakes etc" but then the scene erupts into an 80s style montage with lens flare and wild coloring - climaxing in this mobster randomly being a bowling savant, and somehow that earns an insane amount of, idk, street cred? And he's straight up dancing after he does it?

The entire scene shift I was audibly saying to my partner "what the hell is going on? I- what?"

Can someone explain?

Hi all! Looking for a good J drama for my Japanese learning, my wife is Japanese and I am practicing as much as possible and I’m hoping watching Japanese shows will help too! Something similar to the Kdrama filing for love would be great! Thank you!!

Where can I download these movies? Also, is there any website where I can download old Japanese movies?

Crossposting because I wanted to hear what this community thinks.

I genuinely think Kiss That Kills is Kento Yamazaki's most underrated performance. His portrayal of Otaro Dojima is still my favorite role of his, and I don't think it gets nearly enough recognition.

I'm thrilled but are they only releasing the 2024 movie, not the drama seasons?? Maybe I'm being geoblocked?

So i finished i will find you and on my recomendation this came up im looking for something fast paced and thriller twist and turns is this worth watching or overhyped?

can anyone recommend me shows like good luck?

something that doesn’t have a complex plot and doesn’t have a lot of episodes. a slice of life but isn’t depressing.

would appreciate it if it’s on netflix

thank you :)

Hii didn't think of anywhere else to post this lol. I'd like to know abt your opinion, I hope ppl who have watched Hana-Kimi (2007 version) can tell me what they think ab It.

(Sorry if I say something wrong, I speak spanish lol)

Anyone else hoping and wishing that Netflix will add the Nodame Cantabile Europe specials and two movies?

(Ep. 9, around 8:21) As Yae finds and stares at the train ticket, she says "Ai..."
What does this line mean? I know Ai means love but it seemed as if she was reading something from the ticket but there is no word like Ai in the ticket..?

Anyone plz help? Thank you.

I've been chasing that same emotional high but haven't found many that hit the same way. Looking for mature, character-driven J-dramas with subtle romance and strong writing - preferably from the 2000–2011 era.

Any hidden gems you'd recommend?

I'm watching Romantic Anonymous for the 4th time and I still can't get enough of it 😭 i don't even know why i love it so much Han Hyo Joo is just so adorable and beautiful and her big expressive eyes make every scene even better i also really like how the drama shows someone dealing with social anxiety it feels sweet and respectful without being too heavy the little funny moments are so good too, and the whole drama is just a comforting feel-good watch I'm also a huge Han Hyo Joo fan. I really like hearing her speak Japanese. You can still hear a bit of her Korean accent, and I actually find it really cute and charming.

For context. I live in Spain and was considering buying Netflix but since I only enjoy Japanese Dramas / Movies ( not including anime) I was wondering if its worth it for me to get Netflix or not. Couldn't find a proper answer anywhere. Hope anyone of you guys can help me in this

So I have recently finished the drama Let's Get Divorced. This is the second work of Kankuro Kudo I watched, the first being Yutori Desu Ga (if anyone went through my previous posts, yes I am unwittingly in the Yutori rabbit hole). I loved Yutori Desu Ga, despite certain plot devices made me very exasperated. Therefore I was not surprised when the very premise of this show kind of pissed me off. Still I gave it a chance, and as always, Kudo-san's writing was so amazing that I was thoroughly entertained.

The only little qualm I have is about the ending really. The entire show served as a way of giving peak development to the MMC (kind of the same that happened with Then You Try Making It) so I thought maybe they will resolve their issues and get back together. Which obviously did not happen. Then I thought that maybe FMC and her lover would get together, which also did not happen. So here is something that kind of disappointed me. Anyways, Kudo san's motif is probably messy adults who knows.

A good thing that happened was how MMC and FMC's lover became friends through the whole ordeal (Ryo Nishikido and Matsuzaka Tori in one screen- I'm in heaven!)

In short, ratings-

Plot: Unique, fun but affairs are hard on the stomach still 7.5/10
Pacing: Not bad 7/10
Characters: Quirky, messy, dare I say human...? 9/10
Dialogue: Peak humour! 10/10
Acting: The main cast was so vibrant and animated. I really enjoyed them on screen. 9/10

Overall: 8.5/10

I have watched the first episode of 25 Years of You in Netflix. First of all, I have to praise the lighting and editing. I found it bright and lovely. As for acting, Matsumura felt really creepy. I am a bit worried about the plot, especially the mystery hinted in it- will it fall short in the ending? Is the story promoting stalker romances or is a cautionary tale...all of it is too early to tell. But I am hoping I will not be disappointed whatever choice it makes. Fingers crossed.

What are your thoughts on this show?

Sequel to GTO 1998.

Airing on Netflix!

At Seishin Academy, a private school funded by a major corporation, both teachers and students are constantly evaluated through a digital ranking system. At this school, where efficiency and rationality come first, there is little room for genuine human connection.

Onizuka Eikichi, now 52, is a legendary former teacher known for his unconventional methods and wild past as a biker gang member. Although he once helped many students by facing their problems directly, his extreme behavior made it difficult for him to keep a steady job. Now, he arrives at Seishin Academy, which may be his final chance as a teacher. The students in his class avoid close relationships and care more about social media and personal gain than each other. The classroom feels cold and disconnected. Ignoring rules and social expectations, Onizuka confronts his students head-on and pushes beyond the school's strict system.

Among the faculty is Kashiwabara Mio, a pragmatic teacher who values efficiency and keeps her distance from both her work and her students. As he becomes involved in each student's hidden struggles, he begins to change not only the students, but also Kashiwabara and the teachers around him. Genuine human connections slowly begin to emerge in the classroom—challenging the school's system itself.

• GTO (1998)
  • https://www.netflix.com/title/80066010
  • https://mydramalist.com/116-gto
• GTO Revival (2024)
  • https://www.netflix.com/title/80066010
  • https://mydramalist.com/757561-gto-revival
• GTO (2026)
  • https://www.netflix.com/title/82968487
  • https://mydramalist.com/809660-gto

I'm so happy they got a lot of OG cast back, they even got Yutaka Matsushige back aka Uncle Mike when he was a bomb squad guy in the previous entry.