Recently, Japanese media company Fuji Television signed a licensing agreement with Netflix, planning to release more of their content worldwide. As Korean dramas gain popularity in the West, fans of Japanese dramas and variety shows are eager for more accessibility. So, what are some of the shows we might see coming to a Netflix near you?
Atashinchi no Danshi (2009)
Atashinchi no Danshi, a drama created by the same team behind Hana-Kimi, is a comedic family drama that follows Chisato Mineta (Maki Horikita) during her stay with the Okura family. Chisato is a 20-year-old woman whose mother has passed away. Her father has deserted her, leaving behind massive gambling debts that are inevitably piled onto the protagonist. Hounded by yakuza, Chisato is saved by the president of a toy company. He settles her debts in exchange for marrying him and living with his children for three months.
What to expect?
Chisato, without any help from the president, finds herself as the caretaker of five of his sons. Three of the sons are older than her, but she takes on the maternal role nonetheless. The president of the toy company adopted these sons to inherit his business, but each is preoccupied with their own issues. Now it’s up to Chisato to bring this family together!
A particularly captivating performance by Osamu Mukai, who plays the third son Shō Ōkura, led me to search for other dramas he starred in! Atashinchi no Danshi has a slapstick comedy feel and a hint of romance, but it’s best not to focus too much on the “being their mother” part!
Kagi no Kakatta Heya (2012)
Kagi no Kakatta Heya is a locked-room murder mystery series that follows the investigations carried out by a pair of lawyers and a locksmith. Following an episodic murder-of-the-week format, this mystery drama maintains the viewer’s attention with a stellar cast and an incredible soundtrack by Ken Arai.
What to expect?
The three main characters of this show have very distinct personalities. The central character, locksmith Kei Enomoto (Satoshi Ohno), is a very reserved and analytical person who mostly keeps to himself. He believes there’s no lock he can’t pick, and therefore no locked room murder he can’t solve. Not that he’s going out of his way to solve these murders.
Junko Aoto (Erika Toda) is a straight-laced, hard worker who, together with her arrogant and pompous boss, reaches out to Enomoto for help on locked-room mysteries. In each episode, a new story unfolds, gradually shedding light on the characters. Yet, there’s something mysterious about Enomoto that Aoto can’t quite figure out.
Long Vacation (1996)
Long Vacation is a drama that takes place when Japan was in an economic recession. This drama earned Takuya Kimura the nickname “The King of Ratings,” with each episode drawing in an average viewership rating of 29.5%, peaking at 36.7% during the finale. The show portrays the struggle to find purpose and the value of mutual support. Even fans of Kimura, who only know him from the action video game Judgement, fell in love with his performance.
What to expect?
After her fiancé runs off with another woman on their wedding day, Minami Hayama (Tomoko Yamaguchi) moves in with her fiancé’s former roommate. Currently working as a model, she finds work harder and harder to come by due to her age. The roommate, Hidetoshi Sena (Takuya Kimura), is a 24-year-old, shy piano teacher who struggles to connect with his audience.
Together they attempt to navigate life, love, and hardship. A very human drama that might make you feel better if you’re job hunting right now, or if your husband-to-be abandoned you on your wedding day. Also, who doesn’t love a non-problematic age gap?
Kazoku Game (2013)
Kazoku Game (or The Family Game) is a psychological mystery drama with Sho Sakurai delivering a phenomenal performance that many of his fans found too disturbing to watch. In this unsettling drama, a family hires a tutor for their youngest son who has been refusing to go to school. From the outside, this family is perfect. A successful husband, a dutiful housewife, and an honor student eldest son. It’s just that youngest son that’s the problem… or so it seems.
What to expect?
Not for the faint of heart, this drama is a wild ride from start to finish. This drama, dealing with heavy topics such as bullying, psychological warfare, and critical commentary on the concept of the “perfect” family, is one of my all-time favorites. Sho Sakurai as Koya Yoshimoto is terrifying and captivating, a far cry from his typical squeaky-clean idol/newscaster image. Not falling behind, each of the actors in the show puts their entire heart and soul into their performance. If you love anti-heroes who are definitely clinically insane then look no further!
Tokyo Dogs (2009)
Tokyo Dogs is a buddy cop drama starring Shun Oguri and Hiro Mizushima. Oguri portrays a very serious, uptight New York city cop named So Takakura who witnessed the murder of his father at a young age. Transferred back to Tokyo for a special investigation, he pairs up with Maruo Kudo, played by Mizushima. Kudo is So’s total opposite: a former delinquent turned cop who is hot-headed and hot-tempered. Together, they go after drug-related crimes in Tokyo.
What to expect?
Action-filled from the first episode, this show is an intense investigative drama. While working to solve crimes, the two buddy cops come into contact with a girl who has amnesia (Yuriko Yoshitaka). Takakura suspects she may have had something to do with his father’s death years ago, although he’s not sure how or why. The three work together to recover her memories, solve Takakura’s father’s murder, and put an end to drug trafficking in Tokyo. Tokyo Dogs hooks the audience from the first episode.
SMAPxSMAP (1996–2016)
Iconic Japanese boyband SMAP hosts this variety show! Takuya Kimura and his bandmates drew in an average of 20 million viewers per episode, featuring guests of national and international fame. If you’ve seen your favorite artist performing with a group of Japanese men online, it was probably from Sma-Sma. The show includes a food segment, a game or comedy sketch, and a musical performance by SMAP or SMAP alongside their guest.
What to expect?
With such a wide range of guests, you’re bound to find at least a handful of Sma-Sma episodes that’ll pique your interest. SMAP is a Japanese idol group, but the hosts’ antics on the show make you wonder if they are secretly comedians.
One of the staple segments of the show is SMAP Bistro, where the guests order a dish and SMAP has to prepare it. Imagine if you went on a show and the Backstreet Boys were cooking you a meal. Then, one of the next segments could be they have to put together a short film, except there’s no script or crew, just a handheld video camera and vibes. Then after all of that chaos is over they sing a song for you while looking beautiful.
Mago Mago ARASHI (2005–2007)
Mago Mago ARASHI is a variety show featuring ARASHI, the record-breaking boy band from Japan (including members Sho Sakurai and Satoshi Ohno) before they gained widespread fame. In each episode, two members of the group visit an elderly couple and act as their grandsons for the day. The guys cook, study Mandarin, and listen to lovey-dovey stories told by grandparents to make them happy.
What to expect?
Do you love crying from how heartwarming something is? Then this is the show for you! You not only see five kind young men cheering up lonely grandmas and grandpas but also witness their personal growth as they learn new skills and gain an appreciation for their elders.
In particular, there is a segment in the series called Mago Mago Boating Club. The Arashi members learned team rowing for an upcoming boating competition. The five idols, with no prior rowing experience, push their mental and physical limits to fulfill a grandpa’s wish.
VS ARASHI (2008–2020)
Finally gaining traction in the industry, boyband ARASHI returns to Fuji TV to host VS ARASHI. This variety show has guests team up to defeat team ARASHI in various physical challenges. The guest team changes every week, while team ARASHI also includes a special surprise guest. Some iconic show moments include Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones promoting Men in Black 3, and an episode with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz playing games.
What to expect?
With new episodes every week for twelve years, the games on the show would change and evolve. Some great games include a rock climbing wall with button pressing for points, a game involving guessing where a pipe will fall and having to catch it, and a game where you catch balls in a basket while teammates yell out their locations as they fall from above.
The show also included special tournaments where ARASHI members competed to avoid the title of “Weakest ARASHI,” as well as a segment where the worst performing member of the episode is dropped from a platform into ink-covered cubes.
FNS Music Festival (1974 — present)
FNS is an annual music program that originated as a song contest to commemorate Fuji TV’s 15th anniversary. No longer a competition since the 90s, FNS features a wide array of musical artists from Japan and select acts from South Korea. The show features a speaking segment with the guests, followed by a performance. Typically around 4 hours long, this long-running music festival is a great introduction to Jpop.
What to expect?
The music festival doesn’t have special segments, but it’s a great way to discover new artists. Every year the show features some of the top artists, so a full library release would be an awesome treat for people who love city pop and Japanese 80s music. Each year’s festival offers a snapshot of what the music scene in Japan was like during that celebration.
Interested in a Japanese drama already on Netflix? Check out this article about the Netflix show First Love!
Story originally published on Trillmag.
