Asian Drama

Meet Tanaka Maririn, just graduated from college and beginning her life in the workforce… at the bottommost rung. She’s not expected to know much (and she doesn’t) and she’s not expected to last long, but few at first are aware that not only does she have an upbeat attitude, but a sarcastic streak a mile long and a fearlessness to match with it. Sometimes she wears slacks instead of a skirt. She WILL succeed, and she WILL find that handsome man she saw only briefly on her first day of work after her orientation. Don’t even think you can stop her…

Meet Tanaka Maririn, just graduated from college and beginning her life in the workforce… at the bottommost rung. She’s not expected to know much (and she doesn’t) and she’s not expected to last long, but few at first are aware that not only does she have an upbeat attitude, but a sarcastic streak a mile long and a fearlessness to match with it. Sometimes she wears slacks instead of a skirt. She WILL succeed, and she WILL find that handsome man she saw only briefly on her first day of work after her orientation.

Don’t even think you can stop her…

Won the 15th Kodansha Manga Award for general manga in 1991 (tied with Kachou Shima Kousaku).

In 1995, Takakura Soichiro is a scientist who works on developing a robot. He is also on the verge of completing a plasma battery, following on the wishes of the deceased Matsushita. Matsushita was a friend of Takakura's late father and raise Takakura as his son.

Outside of work, Soichiro Takakura has peaceful days with his cat Pete, his girlfriend, Shiraishi san, and Riko the daughter of Matsushita. He is soon betrayed by his business partner and by his girlfriend, Takakura loses control of his company and the work he has done on the robot and plasma battery.

Takakura then opts to place himself into a "cold sleep" freezing machine, hoping to find a better future. When he wakes up, he discovers that he is in the year 2025.

Adapted from the novel "The Door into Summer" by Robert A. Heinlein.

Arisu—a listless, jobless and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. Together, they set out to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live.

(Source: Netflix)

Adapted from the manga series "Imawa no Kuni no Alice" by Haro Aso.

Episodes: 8

Duration: 48 min.

Content Rating: 18+ Restricted (violence & profanity)

Aired On: Thursday

Arisu—a listless, jobless and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. Together, they set out to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live.

(Source: Netflix)

Adapted from the manga series "Imawa no Kuni no Alice" by Haro Aso.

Episodes: 8

Duration: 48 min.

Content Rating: 18+ Restricted (violence & profanity)

Aired On: Thursday

Nara Rimi, an established and popular photographer, meets Hyakuta Natsume who has come to Tokyo with dreams of becoming an actress. Although Natsume suffers setbacks, she grows from these experiences in this story about the lifestyles of women whose lives intersect in this world dominated by social media.

(Source: jdramas.wordpress)

Episodes: 9

The story revolves around the daily life of Sana Morikawa, a 30-year-old single woman who works in the finance department of a soap maker.

Season 2 of this drama starts off with Machi being married to Dai Yashiro, while Kenji Rusudo is a rival real estate agent.

In the past, Kurumi Usushima wanted to become a ballerino, but he is now a detective. Kurumi Usushima and his senior detective, Takao Washio, solve a case by using the hypnosis technique past life regression.

Plain, timid and obsessed with jellyfish, Tsukimi is a far cry from her idea of a princess. Her tepid life as a jobless illustrator comes complete with roommates who harbor diehard hobbies that solidify their status as hopeless social rejects. These wallflowers run a tight, nun-like ship, but their no-men-allowed-not-no-one-not-no-how bubble is unwittingly burst after Tsukimi brings home a rescued sea jelly and a beauty queen... who's actually a guy. When the threat of losing their cozy convent inspires this glamour boy to turn the neurotic entourage into a portrait of success, will Tsukimi take her chance to bloom, or will she end up a hot mess?

Sugisaki Momoko used to be a nursery school teacher. Her difficulty smiling leads to communication problems with parents and her contract is terminated in one year. Momoko is picked up by ‘Little Snow’, a home care service for sick children, and makes a fresh start there as a caregiver. When a child has a fever, the caregiver would visit the home and care for the child in place of the parents who simply cannot take time off from work. Momoko encounters all sorts of families at the places she is sent to. With the support of her colleagues and the occasional help of her best friend, Yumika, she starts to face work, romance, family and friendship.

Episodes: 10

Ichinose Ryo works as a salesperson for Hashiba Sales Service, a subsidiary of the mid-sized electronics manufacturer, Hashiba Electronics, which prides itself on its long history. One day, he is ordered to transfer to the company’s headquarters. Why him when he has no strong points? Hashiba Electronics designs products which its subsidiary is responsible for manufacturing. The group’s share of the market is now being lost to emerging foreign companies and it is in financial difficulty. The new company president, Matsumoto Kiyoomi, who has come from America, has his eye on Ichinose’s perseverance as a salesperson and intends to make a five-member team contemplate strategies to improve the management of the group. Ordered to submit a proposal, Ichinose and the members head to Vietnam in search of ideas for cost-cutting measures. He finds out about a new business plan, a license business in Vietnam. However, that is when he learns of the ongoing bribery behind the contract work between headquarters and subsidiary as a result of the license business. Ichinose’s former boss, Taki Shinsuke, is aware of this bribery, and had promised to keep quiet about it in exchange for a director’s position at Hashiba Electronics. Determined to push through reforms in order to correct company’s way of doing things and fulfil his own and the other members’ dreams, Ichinose gets close to but a series of big hurdles stand in his way.

A man (Tatsuya Fujiwara) possesses a special ability to manipulate others with just his eyes. Because of this special ability, he killed his abusive father and was abandoned by his mother. He now lives a lonely life in the dark side of a city.

Meanwhile, Shuichi Tanaka (Takayuki Yamada) doesn't have a family and lives with his friends. Even though he is poor, he has a bright outlook on life.

One day, these two men meet. The man becomes confused, because he can't manipulate Shuichi with his eyes.

1. Remake of 2010 South Korean film "Haunters" starring Gang Dong-Won & Ko Soo.

2. Filming began in July, 2013.

Iwata Koichi and Kagawa Midori are second-year students at Tozaiyama High School. One day, while coming home from school, they discover a shooting star rising up in the sky. The next day, Midori sees a shining figure in school and everyone on the school grounds starts talking about a ghost. At that point, a mysterious transfer student called Yamazawa Norio suddenly arrives at the school and moves in to live next door to Koichi. Strange things begin to happen frequently around Koichi whenever Norio appears. The reason and objective of Norio’s arrival in this world is gradually revealed.

The drama is based on the same-titled manga which showcases a very unorthodox hero that uses every dirty little trick to resolve the open cases. Kurokouchi Keita is the black sheep of the police force. He works alone, and doesn't think twice about extorting money from the dirty politicians by getting hold of their achilles heels. Using the money and whatever bits of information acquired through underhanded means, he gets closer and closer to the ultimate unresolved crime of the Showa era; the 300 million bank heist. One day, the new rookie Seike Mayo, is assigned as Kurokouchi's partner. Excellent, but naive, she is the exact opposite of Kurokouchi, but nonetheless, the duo combi relentlessly chase down the criminals.

The drama is based on the same-titled manga which showcases a very unorthodox hero that uses every dirty little trick to resolve the open cases. Kurokouchi Keita is the black sheep of the police force. He works alone, and doesn't think twice about extorting money from the dirty politicians by getting hold of their achilles heels. Using the money and whatever bits of information acquired through underhanded means, he gets closer and closer to the ultimate unresolved crime of the Showa era; the 300 million bank heist.One day, the new rookie Seike Mayo, is assigned as Kurokouchi's partner. Excellent, but naive, she is the exact opposite of Kurokouchi, but nonetheless, the duo combi relentlessly chase down the criminals. --TBS