Asian Drama

Mishima, a student living in a remote countryside, was being bullied by the boys in his class. The reason? Because Mishima “seemed gay.” In reality, Mishima did like men, but he had no way to resist, and secretly dressing up as a woman was his only solace. One day, as Mishima was enjoying his usual alone time on the rooftop, he happened to witness Kirino, the leader of the bullying group, holding the lipstick Mishima thought he had lost. Kirino was secretly trying to apply the lipstick that Mishima had used to his own lips. A youth story that boys who sought a place where they could be their ‘true selves’ somewhere in this world want to convey the most right now. (Source: bltai.com) ~~ Adapted from the manga series "Smells Like Green Spirit" (スメルズライクグリーンスピリット) by Nagai Saburo (永井三郎).

Episodes: 10

Aired On: Friday

Duration: 30 min.

Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

Mishima, a student living in a remote countryside, was being bullied by the boys in his class. The reason? Because Mishima “seemed gay.” In reality, Mishima did like men, but he had no way to resist, and secretly dressing up as a woman was his only solace. One day, as Mishima was enjoying his usual alone time on the rooftop, he happened to witness Kirino, the leader of the bullying group, holding the lipstick Mishima thought he had lost. Kirino was secretly trying to apply the lipstick that Mishima had used to his own lips. A youth story that boys who sought a place where they could be their ‘true selves’ somewhere in this world want to convey the most right now. (Source: bltai.com) ~~ Adapted from the manga series "Smells Like Green Spirit" (スメルズライクグリーンスピリット) by Nagai Saburo (永井三郎).

Episodes: 10

Aired On: Friday

Duration: 30 min.

Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

A love story between Kosaka Maiko, a thirty-year-old office worker with a sexual complex, and Kagiya Senri, a lethargic young man who is not good at interacting with others.

(Source: Drama-Otaku)

Adapted from the manga series "Uri wo Waru" (瓜を破る) by Itakura Azusa (板倉梓).

Episodes: 8

Duration: 30 min.

Aired On: Wednesday

Daisuke Daichi, dreams of becoming a passionate teacher at a high school, but all the students in his class, the 3rd grade D, have problems that are a microcosm of today's Japanese society.

One incident leads Daichi to be scouted by the BBT, a professional wrestling organization, and he also becomes active as a masked wrestler, Masked D. Daisuke, while keeping the truth hidden, struggles to save the students. Will he be able to solve the problems of the students by fighting as "Masked D" and facing them head-on?

This socially-conscious school entertainment depicts a teacher who never gives up and puts his body on the line to face his students no matter what, and the students who are facing various problems!

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Watanuki Shinobu is a manga artist for the past 20 years. Despite being married and having a son, Shinobu lives her life unsatisfactorily. When Shinobu was about to give up her dreams and work, her past works became popular on ebooks and she decides to create a new work and recruit an assistant. A 22 year old young man named Tachibana Chiaki applied to be an assistant and Shinobu gradually finds her life moving forward again after a long time.

Adapted from a manga of the same name by Sakai Eri.

After Jun married her husband, she quit her job. She is now a housewife and has been happily married to Takeyori for the past 8 years. They haven't had sex for 5 years and they don't have a child. She tells her husband that she wants to have a child, but he doesn’t even want to talk about having children. To change her mood, Jun decides to work again. She takes a job as a contract worker. One day, Jun sees her husband Takeyori walking with a woman.

Adapted from the manga "Will You Still Pledge Me Your Faithful Love?" (それでも愛を誓いますか？) by Hagiwara Keiku (萩原ケイク).

A high school with poor academic performance has various problematic students who cannot receive proper education due to abuse or poverty. The hot-blooded teachers here take the role of gathering these students and help them to get back on their feet.

Wada Masao who works at an electrical manufacturer on weekdays and plays the bass in a band on weekends; having been single for the past 3,000 days, Wada sets out to create delicious dishes for his non-existent girlfriend in his imaginary world so as to earn her praise.

Cardio-surgeon Akita Mitsuo is on track to be the next director of the hospital which his father owns and has a fiancée Toyota Hidemi who is a nurse. However, when she reunites with Ogawa Nobuhiko, her senior in high school who she had feelings for, during his hospitalisation, Mitsuo suddenly changes and is caught up in his intense jealousy and insecurity about their relationship.

A doctor informs Mineko Kaneko that she has a tumor in her brain and she doesn't have much time left to live. Koji Amane lives as a freeter (jobless person). He doesn't have any dreams or goals in his life. Due to a cat, Mineko Kaneko and Koji Amane happen to meet and they get married.

Suda Tamio is an ordinary salaryman. He experiences various stress throughout his daily life. His only pleasure is to set out on trips to find "Zetsumeshi." Zetsumeshi refers to endangered meals, that may no longer exist in the future. While his wife Kanae and child go attend concerts by their favourite idol groups, he leaves home on Friday after work and returns home Saturday night.

People who just died first visit the death office. There, the final destinations of the deceased, who died for various reasons including suicide, murder and disease, are decided. Shimura (Masahiro Matsuoka) works at the death office.

Endo Kenichi is rumoured to have announced his retirement from acting. Staff head somewhere to uncover the truth, only to see a shocking sight. Endo has concealed his identity and been working at little-known as well as famous hot springs in various regions across the country as a male attendant. He pokes his nose into the affairs of the imperfect beauties he encounters there and runs around trying to solve their problems. However, he loses his heart to them and gets involved in trivial incidents. Why on earth is he doing this?

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

17-year-old Aoi came to Yui Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic as a part-time nurse apprentice in Summer 1997. Right after her entry, she is shocked after witnessing an abortion surgery. However, she also met staff members like Yui, the head of the clinic who is careful about everything, Sayako, a reliable and experienced nurse, and Sakaki, the gentle head nurse, who face each pregnant patient and support them after surgeries. Fumika, Aoi's mother, is worried about her clumsy nature and poor communication skills, but Aoi's unique compassion and kindness draws patients' hearts. "I wonder what's life..." Aoi matures while looking at the newborn babies' overwhelming life and asking herself that question.

Minato Shindo has savant syndrome. His memory is amazing, but he has difficulty communicating with other people.

When Minato Shindo was little, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. He met Doctor Akira Shiga and he wanted to become a paediatric surgeon. Akira Shiga was surprised by the 7-year-old's memory of the human organs and he decided to support Minato Shindo in achieving his dream. Eventually, Minato Shindo graduated from medical school and passed the national exam for medical practitioners.

Now, Akira Shiga works as a director at a large hospital. He suggests to Minato Shindo to work in the pediatric surgery department at the hospital where he works.

Snack bar owner and her regular patron tell 11 different stories about the worst day in the lives of people in their neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. One of those instances involve a Tokyo politician being kidnapped during an S&M session. ~~ 11 screenwriters contribute 11 different stories with different casts under the theme of “The worst day of their life.”

Itomura Satoshi is back again, but in Kyoto and with a new team. He begins work at the 1st Investigation Division of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Station. The 1st investigation division with deals with the most difficult cases.

Unconventional, intriguing Kakizaki Shinichi was once a brilliant lawyer, but he was punished and lost credibility after violating the Attorney Act in a case. Saddled with a huge debt, Kakizaki has difficulty regaining the confidence of his clients. Then he unexpectedly gets a request to handle a wealthy old man's inheritance issue. Kakizaki is rewarded handsomely without appearing to court and this taste of success encourages him to become a lawyer specialising in inheritance.

Kasahara Sachiko’s (Kitagawa Keiko) parents died young and she lives in a Tokyo apartment with her only sister Nobuko (Koike Eiko), a journalist for a newspaper’s cultural department. She has not found a job and has been interviewing at a number of companies. On this day, Sachiko bids farewell to Nobuko who is leaving for a holiday at Lake Towada in Tohoku, and sets off for another company interview. This should have been the usual scene of the two sisters who share a close relationship. But that night, Sachiko gets news that Nobuko was killed in an accident, and for some reason, Nobuko lost her life in Nagano which is a different place from what she had told her. Nobuko’s colleague and fellow journalist Yoshii Ryoichi (Mukai Osamu) suddenly shows up before a grieving Sachiko. He sets out to investigate the mystery of Nobuko’s death together with Sachiko, but she does not know his true intentions. Meanwhile, Sachiko starts to work at the newspaper as her sister’s replacement and goes to meet the cultural figures that Nobuko had been in charge of when she was alive. Among these people with habits which are unimaginable from their glamorous appearances, is the pediatrician Nishiwaki Mitsutaro (Sawamura Ikki) who writes a column for the newspaper. He seems to be the greatest philanderer in celebrity circles even though he has a wife (Nishida Naomi), and calls Sachiko out many times. But right after that, Machida Tomoe (Sakai Wakana), who had been her sister’s colleague in the same department, commits suicide. She leaves behind cryptic words for Sachiko regarding Nobuko’s death. “There is someone who should take responsibility”, “All the more if it is a famous person”. Sachiko’s hunch is that her sister’s death is connected to someone prominent that she had been dating while alive. However, the more she attempts to learn the truth, the more “suspects” meet suspicious deaths one after another until she no longer knows who is her friend or foe. Sachiko has unwittingly been sucked into a deep darkness as if she is wandering about in a dark, dense sea of trees with no exit.

Tokita Mayuko had researched fibres in university and hoped to get employment with a textile manufacturer. However, she unexpectedly finds a job with ‘Emotion’, an order-made luxury lingerie brand in Ginza, despite a complete disinterest in fashion. The company president, Nanjo Mayumi, is an icon who has led the Japanese lingerie industry since the brand was established 25 years ago and her staff work with pride. Mayuko experiences confusion in a world with a new set of values different from any she has ever known in the countryside where she comes from. But she gradually falls under the spell of her job and grows with the help of the people around her ~JDrama Weblog~

A 30-year-old single detective (Nagase Tomoya), who is under the illusion that he is popular with females is called 'Unubore' by friends. He is an ultra romantic and susceptible to conceitedness. He has such a strong desire to marry to the extent that he has bought an apartment for his newlywed life. He falls in love with female criminals at first sight each time. While the sheer desire to meet wraps around him, he will get proof that the female is the culprit. And so, he will thrust both the arrest warrant and marriage papers at her, proposing with the words, "If you marry me, I won’t arrest you." If that still does not work, he will hold out an engagement ring and his handcuffs. In the end, the criminal will choose to be arrested and his heart will be broken. He will cry as he puts the handcuffs on her.

Synopsis: Suzune (Yamasaki Shizuyo) is an elevator girl, she is not the prettiest one, but she falls in love really quickly. Suzune´s friend Tonaka Ippei (Koumoto Junichi) is a manager of cake shop, but he is hardly managing to cope with his job. Yukiko (Sakai Wakana) used to be news announcer, but must work now in variety show. Akai Santa is "Happy Delivery" man, who is mostly controlled by his 4 older sisters. They all are missing love in their lives and during the Christmas they have started to feel loneliness. Without knowing, they will become related to each other in one or other way.

After terminally ill Bussan finally passes away he misses hanging out with his still living friends and decides to return to Kisarazu. In his ghost form however only his most trusted friends can see him, and his meddling in the lives of the living results in the return of Ozzy and a long dead team of American baseball players who drowned off the shores of Kisarazu. It's down to Bussan and the Cats to save the day and restore the town to order, but can Bussan bring himself to say bye-bye once and for all?

When Bussan learns he has less than a year to live, he decides to continue his life as usual. He spends his time with his friends, a band called Kisarazu Cat's Eye. Their funny adventures range from playing gigs to solving a mystery surrounding counterfeit money, but Bussan's impending death is never far away.

Rintaro Hino is a 41-year-old psychiatrist, working at a university hospital. He is an excellent doctor with keen insight and intuition. He even sees the Chief Cabinet Secretary as a patient. Dr. Rintaro has written books and appears as a guest on TV. Some patients have to wait more than 2 months to see him. One day, a woman appears in front of Dr. Rintaro and his life changes because of her.

Smart, successful and good-looking Iwaya Sumire works for a big newspaper. However, her boss asks her to leave for being too "perfect" a woman. Feeling angry and dejected Iwaya returns home depressed, and most of all lonely. However, when she finds an unconscious young man lying in a box out the front of her home and takes him in. He looks like a dog she used to own called Momo. She dubs him Momo and decides to "keep him as a pet." It's the start of an unexpected life together as they overcome obstacles and become quite attached to one another. But can love like this exist? ~ TBS

Himawari is an unsuccessful 39-year-old enka singer who has bad luck with men and money. Born into an Osaka takoyaki shop, the young Himawari was inspired by her father's words to immerse herself in enka. At the age of 13 her father disappears and her mother, bitter over the husband that left her, remarries--but Himawari has trouble adjusting to a new father and brother. With her father's words in her head--"You're the #1 singer in all of Japan!"--Himawari immediately heads to Tokyo after high school and makes her debut as an enka singer.

July 1590, Odawara. Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army had surrounded the Odawara Castle for over three months, hoping to conquer this last obstacle to his dream of the country's unification.

Standing at the gate of the castle, a lone man facing the menacing guards shouted out: "Do not throw your lives away. Treasure living!". Not long after, the castle gates opened and the reigning lord surrendered. The name of that man is Kuroda Kanbee. An excellent military strategist, he worked hand-in-hand with Hideyoshi to unify the country.

Kanbee's family had fled to Harima, and were relatively poor. As the protege of Kodera Masamoto, Kanbee was very much trusted and relied upon by his lord liege. However, Kodera was suspicious of Kanbee's father, Mototaka, thinking that he was trying to usurp his power. One day, Kodera decided to match-make Kanbee with the daughter of Kushihashi, another one of his vassals. Kushihashi's son, who was of the same age as Kanbee, intensely disliked Kanbee and objected to the match. Since this was the order of Kodera, they had no choice but to marry the youngest daughter, Teru, to Kanbee. On Kuroda clan side, in order to assuage their lord liege's suspicions, Mototaka decided to step down, and made Kanbee the head of the clan. Kanbee was but 22 years old. Kanbee and Teru were married, and they were blessed with a son soon after, but when many years had passed and yet Teru couldn't seem to conceive a second child, Kanbee decided to adopt the young children of his vassals as his proteges who became known as "Kuroda's warriors".

When Kanbee turned 30, a revolutionary young lord was slowly laying siege to all the various shogunates, aiming for a unified Japan. Harima became the place where the clash between Oda and Mori Terumoto was set. Kanbee was very attracted to Oda's unification plans, and had gone to Gifu Castle to meet up with him. There, he became acquainted with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and soon became Hideyoshi's right-hand man, marking the birth of Gunshi Kanbee.

Suzuhara Nao, an expert observer of migratory birds, becomes a substitute teacher at an elementary school. She's in charge of of first-year students and doesn't have much passion for her job. One of her young students named Reina becomes attached to her new teacher.

One day, Nao knows about bruises on Reina and realizes that she is the victim of child abuse. At first Nao doesn't say anything, but Nao notices more bruises with each passing day and Reina's absences from school become more frequent. Nao's maternal instincts kicks in and she decides to take care of Reina. Nao & Reina then takes a train from their native Hokkaido to Tokyo ...

17 year old high school student Rio is always the center of attention due to her beauty. Yet, Rio has never cared about anyone but herself due to her traumatic past. Her friends and boyfriends exist only so she can use them for her gains. Rio is only interested in money.

Then one day she meets 35 year college professor Kouki and falls in love for the first time. Rio feels confused by her emotional change and expresses her love to Kouki honestly. Although Kouki becomes interested in Rio there is a reason he can't pursue the relationship.

Based on the popular cell phone novel of the same name.

Tamako, an elite lawyer with a promising future, works for a reputable law firm. She is recently given an opportunity to take a case involving a young child who has been bullied at a local elementary school. Fully aware of the difficulties uncovering the truth in cases involving schools, Tamako is reluctant to proceed with her new client. Tamako is romantically involved with one of her colleagues, Naoyuki, and is hoping to further develop their relationship. However, Tamako's seemingly happy life comes to a sudden halt when she learns the news of an accident involving a young female high school student named Asuka. Asuka had apparently fallen from a classroom window on campus and suffered serious injuries. Tamako takes a strong interest in Asuka's case and immediately launches her own private investigation.

Takako Meguro's dream has always been to get married and quit her job. But one day, she finds herself working as a teacher at a night school. At first, she is unmotivated and doesn't take her work seriously. But she soon finds out that work at night school is tougher than she thought. There's a high-school dropout, a businessman, a cabaret girl, and many others—every student is either strange or extraordinary in one way or another. Half of the students are older than Takako, and she discovers that one of the students was her classmate in elementary school.

Now that she sleeps during the day and works at night, Takako is unable to attend drinking parties to meet guys. She starts to think that's how life is, and she should go with the flow. But one night, an incident ignites Takako's passion for her job, which explodes into an angry scolding of her students.

Humanity has always been obsessed with the idea of somehow regaining our youth and going back to our childhood. But what would happen if that dream became a reality? Would that really bring happiness… or tragedy?

Yuko has a promising career in journalism ahead of her, and is happily married to Satoru, a younger man. But an unfortunate event turns their world upside down, and leads Yuko into a desperate attempt to regain her youth. She drinks a potion that begins a “de-aging” process, only to find out that once started the process cannot be stopped! Yuko and Satoru are forced to reexamine her life and their marriage, and their love for each other. And Yuko must somehow find a way to return to halt the process, or dire consequences await.

This touching story not only explores the question of lost youth but also takes a hard look at what it really means to love someone.

The Young Kindaichi is back and better than ever! In this first of many cases, Kindaichi finds himself onboard a cruise ship in which the captain mysteriously disappears the day after a big party. A search of the ship finds nothing, except for little drops of blood on the light switch in the captain's room. Might it be a clue perhaps? You bet! When what looks to be a case of serious foul play unfolds, the ship's radio is found disabled-so much for contacting the authorities. So, far out at sea until they can reach land, it's up to Kindaichi and friends to find the killer - and stay alive!

Kawai Shota, whose parents were both doctors, decided to run away with dissatisfaction with the large number of "lunch" one day when he was ten years old. Kota, who packed a big bag gets acquainted with a 73-year old man named Shuzo Shinohara on his way to the bus stop.