Contract marriages are always a delight to watch. Dramas that especially, depict the blooming love stories, hook the audience to their seats. Audiences tend to connect more to the gradual development of feelings and characters, and they resonate with reality. So let’s look at some of the Top 10 Love After Marriage in Japanese dramas:
1. Marry Me!
This romance drama followed the story of Shin Akiyasu, a civil servant who had been selected for a program (NEET) that helped unemployed individuals or individuals who live alone. However, this program would marry off a working individual and a NEET member to observe and help them. Shin Akiyasu had been paired with Himari Sawamoto, a 21-year-old single and unemployed woman. Unaware of each other’s existence, they were eventually married. Gradually, they found love with each other and developed an adorable relationship. This drama was short and sweet, airing only 25 mins, which kept the audience engaged till the end.
2. Hapimari: Happy Marriage!?
This drama revolved around Takanashi Chiwa, a working woman who worked part-time as a bar hostess to pay off her debts, and Mamiya Hokuto, the president of her company, who suddenly asked her to enter into a contract marriage with him, in exchange for paying all her debts. Initially, they were two strangers with opposite personalities, who were compelled to live together, but gradually began to understand and learn about each other, while dealing with the different problems of life.
3. Shanai Marriage Honey
This drama revolved around Miura Manatsu, a young office employee, who wished to marry someone, to bring a smile to his sick mother's face, and Haruta Ami, a depressed woman who was looking for a rebound, to get over her dishonest ex. Eventually, with different aspirations, they joined and matched on a dating app. Hastily, they got married, only to realize later that they were from the same company. While keeping their marriage a secret, they juggled the varied problems in their personal and professional lives and slowly developed feelings for each other.
4. Only Just Married
This drama revolved around Akiha Okada, a designer, and a happily single woman, who preferred to remain unmarried, but her grandmother wished the contrary, On the other hand, Shu Momose, was an employee at an advertising agency, wanting to enter into a fake marriage with someone, for a personal and specific reason. They coincidentally, met at a bar, where Akiha drunkenly spilled about her situation to Shu Momose, who ended up asking her to marry him. Initially, she was hesitant, however, she later agreed to the marriage, in return for 5 million yen, to save her grandmother's bankrupt cafe. Eventually, they fell in love and developed a beautiful and mature relationship.
5. From Five To Nine
This 2015 romance drama followed the story of a 28-year-old woman, Sakuraba Junko, an English professor with aspirations of settling in New York, who was single all her life. Later one day, at a funeral, she met a very handsome monk who was performing the rites. After kneeling for a long time, her legs went sore, and in an attempt to get up, she accidentally knocked over the bowl of ashes on him, when he was chanting the prayers. Eventually, the plot revealed their reunion, when her family set her up on an arranged marriage date, and the guy was none other than the monk. Later, after entering into a so-called marriage, they gradually learned and understood each other, thus falling in love.
6. We Married As A Job
This drama revolved around Moriyama Mikuri, a graduate in psychology. who was unemployed due to the lack of opportunities, and was temporarily working as a housekeeper for Tsuzaki Hiramasa, a bachelor all his life, who was also a perfectionist in terms of cleanliness of the house. Later, in the needs of her desperate times, she proposed a contract marriage to Tsuzsaki, with a mutual benefit, wherein she got the status of a permanent employee, and he would be married, to a housewife. Eventually, they got married and developed an adorable relationship while juggling the comical incidents in their lives.
7. You Are My Destiny
This drama followed the story of Satoh Aya, an intelligent and capable temporary employee at a large company, where she was called the ‘sticky woman’ due to her habit of conveying her thoughts and ideas through a sticky note. Later, she met Ichijo Kei, the successor of a large company, in unexpected circumstances. He was forced by his grandmother, whom he favored most, to marry someone to inherit the company. Eventually, they tied the knot, and things complicated further, when they encountered different and strange obstacles in their lives, making this drama binge-worthy!
8. Takane To Hana
This drama revolved around Hana Nonomura, a 16-year-old girl who replaced her sister, on an arranged marriage date with a 26-year-old man, Takane Saibara, the heir to a large company and also the place where her father was an employee. However, she set off on the wrong foot with him, due to his arrogant behaviour and stormed off after throwing her wig at him. This act of annoyance by Hana intrigued Takane and eventually entered into a marriage with her. They gradually developed feelings for each other, while respecting and caring for their inner selves, than their family status.
9. Hare-Kon
This drama followed the story of Koharu, a young woman who was fed up with her failed relationships and moved back to her hometown, only to find out that her family was on the brink of bankruptcy. Later, a stranger named Ryunosuke Date, offered her to pay debts in exchange for her hand in marriage. Eventually, it was revealed that her hometown had permitted polygamous relationships, and Koahru was now the third wife of this man. This drama had a unique touch of romance and storyline to this list, however, it kept the audience engaged till the end.
10. Happy Negative Marriage
This drama is a unique touch to this list, and it revolved around Keitaro Sato, a 30-year-old virgin who was set up on an arranged marriage date with Shimako Akio, a beautiful woman who suspiciously seemed ready, to immediately tie the knot with him. Although love was at first sight for Sato, it was on the contrary for Shimako, who seemed suspicious from the start. After untangling the web of different motives, they eventually fell in love.
