From the early days of Akira Kurosawa, the master of Japanese horror, through Hayao Miyazaki's aesthetically breath-taking animated masterpieces, Japanese films had always been a force to be reckoned with. This excellence applies to its drama programs as well. If you're looking for the finest Japanese dramas to watch in 2021, we've compiled a list of our favourite selections to watch on Netflix, ranging from romance to thrillers to fantasy.
1. Followers
‘Followers’ is one of Netflix's few original dramas. Followers is a web series that explores a recent hot topic: social media followers. Limi Nara (Miki Nakatani), a prominent fashion photographer, and NatsumeHyakuta (Elaiza Ikeda), a teenage actress seeking her way through life, are set in the busy Tokyo with all of its lights, colours, energy, and fashion. When Lima shares Natsume's photo on Instagram, both of their lives are transformed, with Natsume becoming a celebrity overnight.
‘Followers’ is a fantastic tale, particularly in this day and age of social media. It's a gradual build, but the graphics and positive life lessons about the evil side of social media will win you over.
2. Kakegurui
Kakegurui is a story on the same-named manga and anime series. The narrative takes place in Hyakkaou Private Academy, an exclusive school for the children of Japan's wealthiest and most powerful families. However, there is something special about the school. The entrance of a strange new transfer student shakes up the entire school. You'll be on the edge of your seat as you experience the thrills.
3. Samurai Gourmet
The Japanese are for pushing the boundaries of every creative form. The art of eating is the focus of Samurai Gourmet. This sort of televised entertainment is as Japanese as it gets for a country fascinated with food. Samurai Gourmet is a light-hearted comedy that will appeal to anybody who likes Japanese cuisine.
4. Good Morning Call
Good Morning Call is a romantic comedy that follows high school group students. A high school girl gets her apartment in the city, but she has to share it with her school's most handsome and popular male. Feelings begin to build as they strive to keep their cohabitation hidden from the rest of the world. Look no farther than Good Morning Call if you're looking for a romantic comedy to watch. Good Morning Call is a pleasant and entertaining watch that aired for two seasons and is presently in development for a third.
5. Giri/Haji
Giri/Haji, also known as Duty/Shame in English, has received critical acclaim as an excellent crime thriller with a sense of comedy. The drama's cross-cultural aspect, with plot sections set in both Tokyo and London, is also a breath of fresh air. 'Giri/Haji,' based on Japan's renowned mafia-like groups, is a shockingly genuine thriller. This eight-part series is a gripping story about betrayal, corruption, and friendship. Although there are numerous risks made in producing this ambitious international play, it's razor-sharp writing, slow-burning suspense, and the cast of intriguing characters result in a genuinely gratifying performance.
6. Switched
The body-switching concept is brought to the big screen in Switched like in the popular animated film, Your Name, but with a gender variation. This series tackled issues like social anxiety and depression and created an intriguing fictional world. A famous high school girl discovers that she has exchanged bodies with a miserable, unpopular classmate, and the new owner has no intention of switching back.
7. Million Yen Women
Million Yen Women, featuring Yoji Noda, the leader of the famous Japanese band Radwimps, is another drama based on a manga series in his first series as the eponymous lead that five women are pining over. An unpopular author moves in with five gorgeous but strange ladies. They pay him a ridiculously high rent of one million yen every month. He is not permitted to ask them personal questions or enter their rooms in exchange. One day, something happens that completely alters everything. Million Yen Women is a mystery/romance hybrid. The 12-episode series is unquestionably thrilling.
8. Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
There is an Izakaya that is open from 12 am to 7 am in some largest cities. This midnight diner is managed by ‘The Master,' a knowledgeable and emotionally intuitive cook. Midnight Diner is a collection of stories about human relationships and life ruminations that is as soul-warming as the meals served in each episode. In Japan and beyond, the episodic series is a hit. The sort of comfort tale (and food) that we all need are the uplifting food stories.
9. Erased
Erased is based on the popular fantasy thriller manga series of the same name. It is a live-action film. The lead in the series time-travels 18 years back after his mother was murdered. Not only will he save his mother if he accomplishes everything correctly, but he will also save three of his boyhood pals who the same perpetrator slew. There are 12 episodes in this series. Erased deals with severe issues like child abuse and serves as a coming-of-age narrative for Satoru, who now holds the lives of others in his hands.
10. Alice In Borderland
Alice in Borderland reignited the popularity of Japanese dramas, debuting at number one in Hong Kong as soon as it was published. After meeting with pals in Shibuya station, the drama, based on a manga series, is set in a dystopian Tokyo and follows a gamer who discovers the once-bustling metropolis now abandoned. The program begins with an unsettling image of a suddenly abandoned Shibuya Crossing and a series of frightening game rules indicating that not everyone would survive.
