In this list, we discuss some of the best Japanese dramas to watch if you want romance and love triangles that complicate these romances. If you enjoy slow-burns and a whole lot of jealousy, then these dramas are sure to entertain you.
1. Hana Yori Dango
In Hana Yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers, we follow Makino Tsukushi. She is a witty, bright, and poor student. Despite her lack of wealth, she is hard-working, and she goes to a wealthy and exclusive high school reserved only for the elite. In this school, she encounters a group of students called the F4. In this series, we see Makino trying to navigate her life and relationships.
2. Hana-Kimi
In this series, we follow Mizuki Ashiya. She is a star athlete and is on the track team. She is a bright young woman. One day, she is transferred from her old school in California to another school in Japan. This school is called Osaka High School and is a popular and elite school. This is also an all-male high school, which forces Mizuki to transform herself into a boy. We see her, as she attempts to navigate her life in this new school as well as tries to get close to her idol, Izumi Sano.
3. Ooku
This series is set in 1716 and due to an unknown epidemic men are in a low number in society. Due to the smaller number of men, women are now more dominant in society. In this series, we follow several men who enter the inner chamber of the Shogun's court and compete for the affection of the female shogun.
4. Honey And Clover
In this series, we follow the lives of five college art students who are all close friends. A new girl joins the group named Hagu, the niece of an art professor at their university. Two group friends, Takemoto and Morika, grow more affectionate with her and soon fall in love with her.
5. Say I Love You
In this series, we follow Mei Tachibana, an ordinary high school girl. Due to her trauma as a child, she is cold and distant from the other students in her school. She doesn’t have friends and likes to keep to herself. Due to an accident, she injures a popular guy in her school, Yamato Kurosawa. Yamato is intrigued by Mei and wants to get close to her. From here, we see how their relationship evolves.
6. No Longer Heroine
In No Longer Heroine or Heroine Disqualified, we follow Hatori Matsuzaki, a female high school student. Hatori has a long crush on her childhood friend, Rita Terasaka. She hopes that Rita will one day like her back and ask her to be his heroine. However, her hopes and desires were shattered when he starts dating Miho Adachi. On the other hand, we see that Kosuke Hiromitsu, a popular male student, becomes interested in Hatori.
7. A Swinging Single
Also called Noble Bachelor or Dokushin Kizoku is a series in which we follow Mamoru Hoshino who is called the Noble Bachelor, Yuki Haruno who is called a Marriage refugee, and Susume Hosino who is called Divorce Warrior. Their lives change when they encounter each other.
8. Operational Love
In this series, we follow a young man named Ken Iwase, who had missed his chance to confess to the love of his life. He was forced to attend the wedding of the woman he loves. He witnesses as she marries someone else. Ken is given a second chance, and he tries to undo the past and tries to confess to the woman he loves on her wedding day.
9. Gomen, Aishiteru
In this series, we follow Ritsu Okazaki, who was abandoned by his mother at a young age. One day, he helps a woman named Rinka Mita. When Ritsu discovers that he has little time to live, he tries to search for his mother. He soon finds that his mother has been living with another son named Satoru, and she is happy. He also runs into Rinka again who happens to be Satoru’s childhood friend.
10. Buzzer Beat
In this series, we follow Naoki Kamiya, who is a skilled basketball player. However due to his anxiety he cannot play as a professional. We also follow Riko Shirakawa who is a talented violinist. However, she finds it difficult to become a professional. Their lives get intertwined one day.
