Cover J-drama thriller ‘Alice in Borderland’ returns to Netflix for its third and final season. (Photo: Netflix)
J-drama thriller ‘Alice in Borderland’ returns to Netflix for its third and final season. (Photo: Netflix)
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From high-stakes thrillers to heartfelt romances, these J-dramas showcase the breadth of Japanese storytelling
From Alice in Borderland to First Love to The Makanai, J-dramas are captivating global audiences with their distinctive mix of storytelling, visuals and emotion. They have also introduced J-drama actors—Takeru Satoh, Kento Yamazaki, Kentaro Sakaguchi and Tao Tsuchiya, to name a few—to an international following.
While K-dramas have long dominated the international conversation, they’re no longer the only Asian export making waves on international streamers. Whether you’re in the mood for high-stakes survival games, tender coming-of-age tales or sweeping romances that cross borders and decades, today’s J-dramas offer something for every kind of viewer.
Don’t miss: 12 Must-Watch Japanese Dramas On Netflix In 2021
‘Alice in Borderland’
Above Netflix’s ‘Alice in Borderland’ is a J-drama thriller that has captivated the imagination of audiences worldwide.
The global Japanese hit series Alice in Borderland is back on Netflix for its third and final season. Inspired by Haro Aso’s original manga series, the show follows Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and his friends as they try to survive Borderland, a brutal alternate universe where they are forced to participate in life-or-death games.
At the end of the second season, who’s left of our heroes manages to escape back to the real world, and the shocking truth about Borderland is revealed. Yet the closing scene drops a subtle hint that their ordeal may not be over just yet.
See also: 5 things we love about the second season of Alice in Borderland
‘The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House’
Above The healing J-drama about friendship is a comfort watch.
This healing slice-of-life J-drama tells the story of best friends Kiyo Nozuki (Nana Mori) and Sumire Herai (Natsuki Deguchi) as they begin life in the okiya. While Sumire flourishes as an apprentice geisha, Kiyo struggles with the rigid training. However, it doesn’t take long before Kiyo finds her true calling as the okiya’s resident cook.
The series charmed audiences with its tender portrayal of female friendship. It also offered an insider’s glimpse at the everyday lives of the maiko and time-honoured Japanese traditions, alongside mouthwatering shots of Kiyo’s dishes.
‘What Comes After Love’
Above ‘What Comes After Love’ is J-drama meets K-drama.
A joint Japanese and South Korean production, What Comes After Love blends the emotional textures of both J-drama and K-drama. It stars Japan’s Kentaro Sakaguchi as the devoted, introspective Jungo Aoki opposite South Korea’s Lee Se-young as the sunny yet resilient Choi Hong in a swoony, moody melodrama that shifts between past and present, Japan and South Korea. It’s a slow-burn romance that explores whether love can survive time and distance, and unravels the complexities of longing, regret and second chances.
See also: Lisa’s male lead Kentaro Sakaguchi shines in roles from romance to action
‘Drawing Closer’
Above This teen-romance J-drama is a guaranteed tearjerker.
This bittersweet coming-of-age drama, adapted from Ao Morita’s bestselling novel Yomei Ichinen to Senkoku Sareta Boku ga, Yomei Hantoshi no Kimi to Deatta Hanashi, echoes the spirit of A Walk to Remember and The Fault in Our Stars. In the film, Haruna Sakurai (Makanai’s Natsuki Deguchi) and Akito Hayasaka (Ren Nagase) are two young, terminally ill patients who fall in love. As expected, their story is sweet and sentimental in all the ways only a tragic teen romance can be. It has all the hallmarks of first love—youthful, joyful, bright and hopeful—even as it edges toward inevitable heartbreak.
‘Beyond Goodbye’
Above Kentaro Sakaguchi stars in this melodrama about undying love.
When transplant patient Kazumasa Naruse (Kentaro Sakaguchi) receives the heart of Yusuke Nakamachi (Toma Ikuta), it gives him more than just a new lease on life. It also inexplicably comes with Yusuke’s talent for playing the piano, his passion for coffee and his undying love for Saeko Sugawara (Kasumi Arimura). Already married, Kazumasa is torn between loyalty to his wife Miki Naruse (Yuri Nakamura) and the inexplicable memories and emotions he seems to have inherited along with Yusuke’s heart.
‘First Love’
Above The J-drama was inspired by Hikaru Utada’s iconic song.
A sweeping, bittersweet romance inspired by Hikaru Utada’s iconic songs, this J-drama follows childhood sweethearts Harumichi Namiki (Takeru Satoh) and Yae Noguchi (Hikari Mitsushima), whose youthful dreams are shattered by a tragic accident that erases Yae’s memories of Harumichi. Years later, fate brings them back together as adults adrift from their former selves. Harumichi, still deeply in love, must face the pain of being a stranger to the woman who once knew him best—until an old, familiar song offers a glimmer of hope.
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Maggie Adan is a content writer, editor, and strategist with extensive experience across print, digital, and social media publishing. Formerly editor-in-chief at K-Zone Philippines, Summit Books and Content Lab, she has written lifestyle stories covering everything from entertainment and travel to beauty and wellness. A storyteller at heart with a keen editorial eye and a passion for narrative, she contributes to various publications and helps brands create and curate content for their social media platforms.
