4 hours Ago By Rachel Crane
Whether it's swoon-worthy romance, quirky comedy or kitchen sink realism, these J-dramas of Netflix reveal a lot about how the Japanese do love. There are plenty of reasons to enjoy Japanese dramas on Netflix. But have you ever considered using Netflix to better understand relationships in Japan? Maybe you’re or want to know what you’re getting into before .
Whatever the case, fictional love stories can teach us a lot about how Japanese people view love and relationships. Romantic dramas in Japan also tend to reflect cultural trends. Sexual inexperience in adults, attitudes towards adultery and are all topical issues these dramas explore.
So, if you’re ready to tune in, here’s our selection of seven Netflix dramas that will help you understand relationships in Japan. First Love immediately stands out from other Japanese dramas on Netflix for the way it looks. Luminous cinematography turns the snow, sunshine and neon glow of Sapporo into a nostalgic dream.
An appropriate tone for a story about missed chances and lost love. The story spans twenty years in the lives of Yae and Harumichi. Once high school sweethearts with big goals, their adult selves find that their dreams seem further away than ever.
After a chance reunion, the two begin to wonder if lasting happiness could begin with first love. While the romance in First Love is somewhat idealized, the story is grounded by the reality in which it takes place. Aging apartment buildings, careers that never materialized and the struggles of being a single mother are the backdrop of this tender story, which may just bring a tear to your eye.
It would be difficult to believe the story of My Husband Won’t Fit if it weren’t based on an anonymous memoir that caused a stir in Japan a few years ago. The drama depicts the relationship of married couple Kumiko and Kenichi. They love each other deeply, but there’s a problem: they can’t have penetrative sex.
The reason seems to be a physical problem of Kumiko’s until it’s revealed she lost her virginity as a high school student. So why can’t she do it with the love of her life? The real mystery here is not why Kumiko and Kenichi can’t have intercourse, but why they don’t seek help for the problem. It makes the drama a frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking watch.
But it’s also an accurate depiction of the communication issues that can exist in Japanese relationships, and the problems that can arise as a result of the country’s poor education around sexual and emotional wellbeing. My Dear Exes, also known in English as , is a zippy comedy series that tackles unusual ground for J-drama: life after divorce. As the alternative title suggests, Towako has been married three times.
She’s now raising her teenage daughter alone while working as the head of a construction company. But her three ex-husbands can’t seem to stay away. Traditional family values are still deeply-rooted in Japanese culture, and ending a marriage is often viewed as a mark of failure.
So a drama celebrating a thrice-divorced career woman like Towako feels like a breath of fresh air. The smart, snappy dialogue isn’t necessarily realistic, but the show’s focus on how romantic relationships can evolve into deep friendships is poignant and relatable. LGBTQ+ representation in Japan is far from mainstream.
Depictions of same-sex couples are largely limited to the ‘Boys Love’ genre; titillating stories aimed at a straight female audience. So there’s something deeply refreshing about What Did You Eat Yesterday? a realistic slice-of-life drama about a middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo. Based on a manga of the same name, the story follows uptight lawyer Shiro and his much more effusive partner, Kenji, a hairstylist.
As the title suggests, food plays a big role in their relationship, with the home-cooked meals Shiro lovingly prepares for Kenji lingering over by the camera as they would be in a cooking show. It’s a delicious, heartwarming delight. The plot of Love and Fortune is an uncomfortable one.
Thirty-something Wako is fed up with her boyfriend, who seemingly takes their life together for granted. But when she meets 15-year-old Yumeaki, dangerous sparks fly. The taboo nature of Wako’s affair plays differently in Japan, where the age of consent was only raised from 13 to 16 in 2023.
Wako herself feels far guiltier about cheating on her boyfriend than about sleeping with a teenager. But if you can stomach the storyline, you’ll discover one of the most honest depictions of relationships in Japanese drama. The fatigue that can threaten long-term relationships and lead people to stray is brilliantly, painfully depicted here.
It’s also gorgeous to look at; pay attention to the ways color helps tell the story. While Love and Fortune can be a tough watch, it’s ultimately rewarding. Lovely but unassuming office worker Kosaka is 32, and still a virgin.
After years of bad luck in love, she decides it’s time to get the experience she lacks. When Kosaka crosses paths with equally shy maintenance man Kagiya, she thinks he could be the one she’s looking for. As the pair’s relationship haltingly blossoms, they learn that real intimacy is about much more than who you sleep with.
Ripe for the Picking is a sweet and watchable drama that nevertheless touches on a range of issues in modern Japanese dating culture. (One subplot involving a character coming out as asexual is a noteworthy moment of representation.) And at just nine 25-minute episodes, you’ll feel it’s all over too soon.
Just about everyone has a story about a time they hooked up with someone. Memories of such moments can be bittersweet, even years after the fact. The Could’ve-Gone-All-the-Way Committee is a quirky drama that poses the question: what might have happened that night if things had been different? In each episode, a different candidate presents their almost-did-it story to a panel of three judges.
After forensically examining every aspect of the tale, they declare whether the candidate could or could not, in fact, have gone all the way. While this drama doesn’t exactly offer much commentary on long-term relationships, it’s a great examination of the rules of seduction in a notoriously indirect culture..
