Best Japanese drama series
Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch drama shows from Japan, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023)
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023)
From the mind of horror manga maestro Junji Ito comes a spine-tingling selection of some of his most bizarre, disturbing and terrifying tales.
Oshi no Ko (2023)
Oshi no Ko (2023)
Dr. Goro is reborn as the son of the young starlet Ai Hoshino after her delusional stalker murders him. Now, he wants to help his new mother rise to the top, but what can a child do about the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry?
Saga of Tanya the Evil (2017)
Saga of Tanya the Evil (2017)
On the front lines of the war, Tanya Degurechaff, blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain white skin, commands her squad with lisping voice. Actually, she is one of Japan's most elite salary men, reborn as a little girl into a world of magical warfare after angering a mysterious being who calls himself God.
Summer Time Rendering (2022)
Summer Time Rendering (2022)
Upon hearing of Ushio's death, Shinpei returns to his hometown of Wakayama City on Hitogashima and reunites with his childhood friend's family. The funeral goes smoothly, but under the surface something strange is brewing on the island. What mysteries await him on this secluded summer island?
Wonder Egg Priority (2021)
Wonder Egg Priority (2021)
Ai, a young girl with shut-in tendencies, who tries not to interact with others. She keeps one of her eyes hidden behind her hair. One day, she happens to stop by a deserted arcade, where she meets "Aka." Spinning the gacha at their urging, she acquires a "Wonder Egg," and from that moment, her fate begins to change...
Shiki (2010)
Shiki (2010)
Sotobamura is a small village with around 1300 residents; so small the village isn't even connected to a single highway. An isolated village in which old customs, such as the burial of the dead, are still practiced. One day, the bodies of three people are found dead. Although Ozaki Toshio, the village's lone doctor, feels uncertain, he treats the deaths as a normal occurrence. However, in the days following, the villagers start to die one after the other.
Tomodachi Game (2022)
Tomodachi Game (2022)
After his class' school trip fund is stolen, Yuichi and his best friends are abducted to play a debt repayment game; there is more than money on the line, as their bonds are tested with dark secrets and a lingering question of who is behind it all.
When They Cry - Higurashi (2006)
When They Cry - Higurashi (2006)
After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem.
From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke (2009)
Orange (2016)
Orange (2016)
One day, Naho Takamiya receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Kakeru Naruse. The Naho from ten years later repeatedly states that she has many regrets, and she wants to fix these by making sure the Naho from the past can make the right decisions—especially regarding Kakeru. What's more shocking is that she discovers that ten years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them. Future Naho asks her to watch over him closely.
Vampire Knight (2008)
Vampire Knight (2008)
Yuki Cross, along with her best friend Zero, attempts to keep the peace between humans and vampires at Cross Academy, but personal issues soon threaten the situation.
My Happy Marriage (2023)
The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat (2021)
The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat (2021)
The world's number one assassin has been reincarnated as the eldest son of a family of aristocrat assassins. In exchange for being reincarnated in another world, a goddess has imposed upon him one condition. "Kill the Hero who is prophesied to destroy the world." This was to be the mission in his new life. The synergistic effect of the vast knowledge and experience he gained that made all manner of assassinations possible in the modern world, and the secret techniques and magic of the fantasy world's most powerful family of assassins turn him into the greatest assassin of all time.
Domestic Girlfriend (2019)
Domestic Girlfriend (2019)
Natsuo is a high school boy who is experiencing the crushing despair of unrequited love. To make matters worse, the person he is in love with is his teacher, Hina. In an attempt to lift his spirits, he attends a mixer where he meets a girl named Rui. The two sleep together, expecting never to see one another again, but fate has other plans. His life suddenly becomes more complicated when his father comes home and announces he has remarried a woman with two daughters whom Natsuo has met before: Hina and Rui!
Kids on the Slope (2012)
Kids on the Slope (2012)
Two different students - a successful but aloof academic and a rebellious but kindhearted delinquent - form a friendship through their love for music.
School Days (2007)
School Days (2007)
A rumor states that if you take a photo of someone you like with your cellphone and keep it hidden, they'll fall for you. Will Makoto win his love by taking a picture of Kotonoha without anyone knowing?
Say "I Love You." (2012)
Say "I Love You." (2012)
Friends suck, and trusting someone is just setting yourself up. That's the lesson Mei Tachibana learned after her heart was ripped out and only a shell was left where a girl used to be. But unlike so many, she found an easy solution: she'll never make another friend. Ever. Okay, maybe that's not as easy as it sounds, but it's worked for Mei. Or at least it did. Until handsome, charming and annoyingly popular Yamato Kurosawa came along. Because for some freakish reason, he seems to like Mei. He even gave her his phone number! As if she would ever call him. Except she did. But only because she needed help. Still, he came. He actually came. And now things are getting way too complicated. Mei's no princess in a tower. She's not waiting for a knight in shining armor to rescue her. So why did he have to kiss her and confuse everything? And why are those three little words so hard to say? Between heartbeats, behind trembling lips, and unspoken with every breath, the specter of betrayals past, future and present now haunt them both in SAY "I LOVE YOU."
Snow White with the Red Hair (2015)
Snow White with the Red Hair (2015)
Shirayuki was a young girl born with unique apple-red hair. She meets a famous but foolish Prince Raji, who falls in love with her at first sight and orders her to become his concubine. With nowhere else to go, Shirayuki cuts her hair and escapes to a neighboring country. While traversing through the forests, she meets a young boy, Zen, who helps her after she boldly cures his wounds but then gets poisoned by an apple given to Shirayuki. Meanwhile, Prince Raji sends out henchmen to search for her. What will happen to Shirayuki? What is Zen's true character? A refreshing fantasy story between an optimistic heroine and a prince who constantly stays on her watch.
Citrus (2018)
Citrus (2018)
Yuzu, a high school gyaru who hasn't experienced her first love yet, transfers to an all-girls school after her mother remarries. She's beyond upset that she can't land a boyfriend at her new school. Then, on her first day, she meets the beautiful black-haired student council president Mei in the worst way possible. What's more, she later finds out that Mei is her new step-sister, and they'll be living under the same roof! And so the love affair between two polar opposite high school girls who find themselves drawn to one another begins!
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004)
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004)
Koyuki Tanaka's boring life is changed after meeting Ryusuke Minami, a local musician with a bad attitude, who introduces him to foreign music.
Ping Pong the Animation (2014)
Ping Pong the Animation (2014)
Makoto 'Smile' Tsukimoto and his friend Yutaka 'Peco' Hoshino have been playing table tennis together since they were kids, but as they enter high school, they find that the game, and how they see it, has changed. Peco, brimming with confidence and energy, wants to be the best in the world, but the reserved Smile has little fighting spirit and doesn't want to sacrifice others' happiness just to win, despite his innate talent. As the two grow, and experience the ups and downs of the sport – and life – they try to figure out exactly who they really are and what drives them to play.
The Ancient Magus' Bride (2017)
The Ancient Magus' Bride (2017)
Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise's life will never be the same again.The man is a "magus,"a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice--and his bride!
Usagi Drop (2011)
Usagi Drop (2011)
By force of circumstances, a 30-year-old single man with a full-time job suddenly starts raising a 6-year-old girl. While running each other ragged, the two of them gradually grow into a "family".
Plastic Memories (2015)
Plastic Memories (2015)
After failing his college entrance exams, 18 year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki is offered a position at the renowned SAI Corporation, known for its production and management of Giftia, androids that possess human emotions. Tsukasa’s position is in the terminal service department where the main job is to recover Giftias that are close to their expiration, a graveyard department in every sense. To make matters worse, Tsukasa is ordered to work with Isla, a female Giftia who is never given any responsibility other than serving tea to co-workers.
Fate/Apocrypha (2017)
Fate/Apocrypha (2017)
There was once a Holy Grail War waged by Mages and Heroic Spirits in a town of Fuyuki. However, one Mage took advantage of the chaos of World War II to steal a Holy Grail. Several decades have passed, and the Yggdmillennia family, who took upon the Holy Grail as its symbol, defected from the Mages' Association. Furious, the Association sent forces to deal with the Yggdmillennia, but were defeated. With the Holy Grail system changed, war at an unprecedented scale breaks out.
Planetes (2003)
Planetes (2003)
In the year 2075, mankind has reached a point where journeying between Earth, the moon and the space stations is part of daily life. However, the progression of technology in space has also resulted in the problem of the space debris, which can cause excessive and even catastrophic damage to spacecrafts and equipment.
Battle Angel (1993)
Battle Angel (1993)
Doc Ido, a doctor and mechanic who lives and works in the postapocalyptic "Scrapyard", finds the remains of a female cyborg in a junk heap.After he revives and rebuilds her, the amnesiac "Gally" begins a life for herself in a world where every day can bring a new fight.
No. 6 (2011)
No. 6 (2011)
In the near future, most of mankind now lives in a handful of city states. There, for the privileged elite, life should be perfect. But for young Sion, life has become a nightmare since letting a strange boy spend the night in his apartment. Banished to the outskirts of the city, Sion now finds himself in worse danger as his inquiry into a new series of mysterious deaths results in his being arrested on suspicion of murder! Now, on the run, the two young men have only one chance at survival.
Carole & Tuesday (2019)
Carole & Tuesday (2019)
Part-timer Carole meets rich girl Tuesday, and each realizes they've found the musical partner they need. Together, they just might make it.