This was an off year for dramas for me. I started so many yet finished so few. Still, there were a handful that I loved so I wanted to keep this countdown going even in a less bountiful year. Hopefully there will be more to look forward to in 2025!

Rather than post my usual grab bag of dramas, this year I’m going to actually rank them.

MY TOP DRAMAS

1. Futekisetsu ni mo Hodo ga Aru! (Extremely Inappropriate!)

Description (from MyDramaList): “Ichiro is a PE teacher in 1986 feared by his students for a “tough love” approach, harsh tongue and frequently “inappropriate” behavior. He’s also a dad trying to raise a rebellious daughter after having lost his wife to illness. When he gets transported in time to 2024, he encounters modern sensibilities that teach him about empathy but also gives people of today a reason to rethink their own political correctness in this time traversing comedy about change.”

I just adored this drama. It was the funniest, most creative thing I watched all year. The time travel aspect requires much suspension of disbelief, but it’s more of a plot device than something to be dissected in any logical way. I loved getting to spend time in Showa-era Japan, but it’s the characters and writing that really made this drama soar. Plus, it’s randomly a musical as well! There’s really no such thing as “genre” when it comes to this one. Give it a try if you’re looking for something quirky with super-endearing characters.

2. Where Does The Sea Begin?

Description (from MyDramaList): “Tsukioka Natsu is 28 years old. He works for a printing company in Tokyo. One day, Tsukioka Natsu hears that Nagumo Mizuki died. They were in a romantic relationship when they attended the same university. They broke up after Nagumo Mizuki suddenly told him that she wanted to end their relationship, and she disappeared afterwards. He didn’t hear anything about her for the past 7 years after their breakup. Tsukioka Natsu attends Nagumo Mizuki’s funeral, where he meets a young child named Umi. He is surprised to learn that Umi is Mizuki Nagumo’s daughter. Nagumo Mizuki’s mother talks to him and tells him that Umi is his daughter.”

This is for those of you who love a tearjerker. Seriously, this drama twists your emotions until they bleed, but the emotional suffering is somehow so sweet. That’s due to great acting and writing, including the very best child actress I’ve ever seen. This is from the creators of Silent, which was my favorite drama of 2022. They know what they’re doing when it comes to this particular format.

3. Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka! (Don’t Care for an Old Man’s Underwear!)

Description (from MyDramaList): “It tells the story of a middle-aged man, Makoto Okita, who is stuck in society’s old common sense and prejudices. He is disliked by his family as a “stiff,” and his subordinates at work shun him for his insensitive behavior. But he has continued to forge ahead on the path he believes in, believing that this is “the only right answer”. But a turning point comes for him when his son tells him, “I… never want to become someone like my dad!!” So, a prejudiced man in his fifties makes a gay friend more than two decades younger than him, and his “common sense” begins to change!”

Thematically, this actually shares much in common with my top pick. This drama’s much more typical in its execution, but the characters are so lovely to be around. It’s an interesting study in Japan’s changing social perceptions, but above all else it’s funny and incredibly warm, feel-good entertainment.

4. Chastity High

Description (from MyDramaList): “Arisawa Ichika enrolls in an elite girls’ high school attended by the children of wealthy families. Thinking of her daughter’s future, her mother Chihiro tries her best to scrape together the school fees, but life for the couple is not easy. When Ichika advances to her second year of high school, the school merges with an all-boys school to become coeducational, Asuran Academy. The students are excited, but a new school rule is enacted that prohibits dating between boys and girls. What’s more, the rule is so strict that any student who violates the rule and has sexual intercourse will be expelled.”

Unfortunately, this was one of those dramas that was absolutely great until its final episode. They didn’t land the ending, but this is still worth watching for its ability to take a lame concept and transform it into something quite thrilling. I loved the cast as well.

5. Smells Like Green Spirit

Description (from MyDramaList): “Mishima Futoshi, a junior high school student in the countryside, is bullied by his classmates. The reason is that he is seemingly gay. In reality, Mishima does like guys, so he does not resist their bullying, and instead, finds solace in secretly cross-dressing. One day on the rooftop of the school, Mishima finds the lipstick he had lost before in the hands of Kirino Makoto, one of the bullies. Kirino was about to put on the lipstick that Mishima used on his own lips. This is the story of these two young boys looking for a place they can really be themselves.”

I was on the fence about this one for the longest time. Its over-the-top exaggerated approach is off-putting at first but once I realized that was the director’s way of capturing youth I understood the drama much more. At its core, it’s an incredibly sweet coming-of-age story with a very unique perspective.