For all the JDrama-Beanies here. I never watched one. Which ones would you recommend?

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    What are you in the mood for? My absolutely favourites are Tonbi, Tenno no ryoriban and Fuben na benriya.

    Comedy/romance – Nobunaga Concerto, High School Samurai, Bitter Blood

    Crazy – Kazoku Game

    Slice of life/melo/romance – Soredemo ikite yuku, Soratobu Kouhoushitsu

    Mystery – Subete ga F ni naru, N no tameni

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      Sorry, Scratch out Subete ga F, I dropped that one. A Haha ^^

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      Oooh, Kazoku Game is GOOD. I watched it while it was airing and loved it! You’re totally right that it is crazy. Don’t go into it expecting anything realistic, but it’s definitely a fun, wild ride and says some interesting things about family dynamics.

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        Yup. I actually still haven’t seen all of it but it’s surprisingly memorable. There’s no forgetting what you’ve seen once you’ve seen it.

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      ohmygod someone who loves Fuben na Benriya aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa

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      Thaaanks!
      For someone who had BOF as her gateway drama (scared me off effectively for one year 😅) I know how important first impression is.
      I heard they’re often not as polished and sparkly as KDramas so maybe something that‘s not too different…for a smooth transition
      Which one should be my first? 😀

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        You heard right – the polish and sparkles are absent. ^^ Jdoramas can be truly bleak sometimes, ordinary people in an extraordinary, drama-worthy situation for a brief moment in their lives before turning ordinary again.

        The sparkly K-drama format doesn’t work so well with J-dramas but ‘Nobunaga Concerto’ (Oguri Shun, time travel, samurai, great OST) might be a good start? Bitter Blood (estranged father-son detective pair, comedy, some romance) is also a bit more general – could have been a Kdrama as well, but is distinctly Japanese.

        My list is at least two years old though. ^^ I haven’t seen any J-doramas from around after the last quarter of 2015.

        Yikes about BOF. I watched a few episodes with friends years before I got into J-doramas. Terrible stuff. I do not understand the popularity.

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          You know what maybe the best way is to embrace the ordinariness and jump in heads first into the most typical jdorama 😀
          I‘m a huge fan of Misaeng and other painfully relateable dramas so I‘ll probably love the bleakness 😄 Is there an japanese equivalent for Misaeng?
          No problem I‘m learning how old really is gold what with me mostly rewatching old kdramas these days.
          Also yes BOF is crazy 😄

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    I’m not as well versed as many other J-drama watching beanies. Having said that, I recently watched Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light and really loved it. It explores the rekindling of the relationship between a father and son through video games. It’s a lot more awesome and deep than the premise sounds.

    I’m assuming you’re a foodie like me. If that’s the case, I really love Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. It’s part of the Midnight Diner series. Each episode, a different main dish is featured alongside a new story based on one or more of the restaurant’s diners.

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      I LOVE let‘s eat so Midnight Diner is definitely on my list now! Thanks 😀

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    Orange Days. It’s the only one I’ve seen, but it was FANTASTIC. It has an excellent cast and was very well written.

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      Oh this was good! My first J-dorama ever. Shibasaki Kou spoke volumes for someone unable to hear (and therefore wouldn’t speak).

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        It’s actually one of my favorite shows I’ve ever seen. I really need to rewatch it!!!

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    Nodame Cantabile! This was my gateway drug to Asian dramas of any sort, and I still love it to bits. Amazing classical music soundtrack — it makes me happy just hearing any of the pieces at any time.

    Romance between two music students. He dreams of being a world famous conductor, but can’t leave Japan due to crippling fears. She wants to teach kindergarten. He is a neat freak. She is a slob. He is a perfectionist and works hard to be the Best. She is a natural talent, but as sloppy in her music as she is in her personal habits.

    And they are great together!

    She pulls him out of his depression and reintroduces him to the joy of music. He helps her harness her talent to reach her full potential and teaches her how to do the work. They are better people together than they are apart.

    And, of course, there is a delightful cast of quirky side characters.

    Be warned, however, that is drama is VERY over-the-top and cartoony. The manga roots show through loud and clear. I love it, but if you are expecting the afore mentioned jdorama gritty realism, this is not it. 😉

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