7 J-Dramas To Add To Your Stay-At-Home Watch List
Doing social distancing while working from home or trying to keep busy can be quite hard, which is why catching up on dramas can be a nice distraction to keep you all cozied up and glued to the screen indoors.
If you’ve maxed out your drama list, think again! J-dramas are here to offer unique, refreshing, and quirky stories for those looking for something extra to watch. Whether you’re single, coupled, friendzoned, or something else, here are different types of love stories you just might be able to relate to!
A love with a burning passion: “Coffee and Vanilla”
Risa Shiragi (Fukuhara Haruka) is a naive university student who’s unaware of her beauty and popularity in school. Lots of men crush on her, but she is always clueless and hasn’t felt that strongly for anyone until she meets the perfect gentleman named Hiroto Fukami (Sakurada Dori) at a cafe.
The two begin a whirlwind relationship, but as Risa spends more time with Hiroto, she realizes that he is hiding some secrets that she is scared to uncover. This drama has two good-looking leads with amazing chemistry, and it’s a bit risque for its intense, intimate scenes. It will leave you wondering whether this combination is as perfect as coffee and vanilla, or are they a recipe for disaster?
Starting watching “Coffee and Vanilla”:
An incurable case of love: “Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko made mo”
Nanase Sakura (Kamishiraishi Mone is, a clumsy yet kindhearted girl who falls head-over-heels in love with Kairi Tendo (Sato Takeru), a dashing doctor who has turned cold and indifferent towards any kind of personal relationship. She studies really hard to get into a good university, become a nurse, and to enter the prestigious hospital that Tendo works at. She finally does, but her challenges are only beginning: she must melt the heart of Tendo who is called “a devil” at work because of his perfectionist ways and strong personality.
The drama is full of touching stories not just of the couple but of the patients they care for, who each have their own struggles to overcome. You’ll also get to see another side of Sato Takeru, who often portrays mysterious and dramatic characters. Here, he will make your heart pound with his unexpected sweetness, while Kamishiraishi Mone adds a touch of youthful naivete and fighting spirit to her role.
A Love Relationship with Work: “Hey Sensei, Don’t You Know?”
Hanai Ao (Baba Fumika) is a popular manga artist who is so dedicated to her work that she has no time for dating, nor does she feel the need for it. She even forgets to take care of her appearance since she does all her work from home day to night. She suddenly feels the need to get a haircut at a salon, which is where she meets the handsome and in-demand hairstylist Kido Riichi (Akaso Eiji), who sees beyond her looks and brings out the beauty from within her.
The two started dating, but with one problem: Hana loves her work too much that she is often out of reach for days, sometimes even a month. Riichi loves that she is passionate about her work and is not the clingy boyfriend type. But what if a famous and beautiful celebrity goes after her man? Will she choose her work or her heart? This is a really cute drama with eyecandy leads, and it’s a short, fast-paced story that won’t leave you feeling bored!
Start watching “Hey Sensei, Don’t You Know?“:
A bizaare kind of love: “Kono Otoko wa Jinsei Saidai no Ayamachi”
From the literal translation of this drama alone, “This guy is the biggest mistake in my life,” you’ll get a sense of how wacky this story is going to be. Sato Yui (Matsui Airi) is a temp worker at a pharmaceutical company who was pretty much invisible until she meets Amagi Kyoichi (Mokomichi Hayami). She mistakes him for someone else and says harsh words until the next day when she finds out that he is the CEO of her company. But that doesn’t scare her. In fact, she even tells him off directly and refuses to patronize him. He realizes that she is unlike any other person who always says yes to him and follows his every command. Things go bizarre as the CEO asks her to treat him as her slave! Only J-dramas can get away with this kind of S&M infused romance dynamic. It’s hilarious, unexpected, and will keep you guessing, “who is the real boss in this relationship?”
An undying love: “Secret Unrequited Love”
If you’ve read the manga or watched the movie version of “I Give My First Love to You,” you will love this one too. Mayu (Sakurai Hinako) and Takuma (Nomura Shuhei) are childhood friends who are inseparable. They both learn that Takuma will die from his weak heart before he turns 20, but Mayu still stays loyal to him despite knowing this. Takuma tries to fend off Mayu’s feelings in an attempt to let her live life without him, but fate always brings them together.
If you felt like you wanted to see more of this story from the movie, this version introduces more interesting characters and their side stories. If you’re ready for a heart wrenching story, put your tissues next to you because this one’s going to make you cry for sure!
Start watching “Secret Unrequited Love”:
A cute love triangle: “Parfait Tic!”
Fuuko (Takahashi Hikaru) is a cheerful girl who lives an ordinary school life until two handsome cousins Daiya (Nakao Masaki) and Ichi (Hayashi Yuichiro) move into the apartment upstairs. Fuuko gets to know the cousins and finds that they are complete opposites of each other: one has a bright, positive personality while the other is more serious and mysterious. They start an unusual friendship and gradually she falls for one of them — but will consequences make her change her mind and make her choose the other cousin instead? This is a typical shoujo manga story which will make it hard for you to pick which cool guy to root for!
Start watching “Parfait Tic!”:
Love for food: “Heaven? My Restaurant, My Life”
If you consider food is life and would rather watch ikemen (handsome men) serve it, “Heaven?” is the drama for you. Kan Iga (Fukushi Sota) works at a family restaurant but his cold, straightforward personality makes him the worst person for the job. Kanako Kurosu (Ishihara Satomi) sees potential in him and recruits him for a French restaurant that she plans to open, which sounds like a good job opportunity. The catch? When he and the other men (chef, hairdresser, sommelier) reach the location of the restaurant, they realize it’s located in a cemetery!
This drama is led by the famous beauty Ishihara Satomi who is always a joy to watch. Her eccentric role plus the fish-out-of-water story will give you laughs, and you’ll find yourself rooting for the success of this weird restaurant!
Hey Soompiers! Which J-drama are you excited to watch? Tell us in the comments below!
DianneP_Kim is an English magazine and online editor based in South Korea. She is the author of a K-pop style book published by Skyhorse Publications, New York and has recently released her second book about BTS. Check it out on Amazon and follow her Instagram at @dianne_panda.
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