I've compiled a list of latest Japanese romance dramas. These dramas were aired from Winter 2010 to Winter 2015. Here's the 2nd part of this very long list of romance dramas.
Please note!
This list will only include dramas which are:
- centered on romance, even if it has work/business, mystery, or other genre involved, or is mostly set in a school or workplace, as long as it emphasizes more on the lead character's romance life.
- series and not special dramas with only one or two episodes.
This will not include dramas which are:
- focused on mystery, medical, or any other genre more than romance.
- Asadora and Taiga dramas.
- SPs aired in a season.
And of course, I will only include dramas which piques my interest.
While I can promise that I'll do my best to categorize the dramas, I cannot promise that it'll be perfect as categorizing some of them can be really confusing. The dramas I haven't watched yet are even more confusing to categorize. I might edit this post if sometime in the future, I think a drama fits another genre more. If you would like to suggest that a drama fits a certain genre more than where I included it, feel free to comment so I can take it into consideration.
Shima Shima (Spring 2011)
By day, Shio manages an aromatherapy salon. But by night, she is the owner of “Striped Sheep”, a business that dispatches men to the homes of women who suffer from insomnia to lie next to them. These “Striped Sheep” in fact represent a brand new profession of so-called “co-sleepers,” whose sole mission is to provide a night of relaxation to restless women. Shio's four “sheep” consist of Gai, her ex-husband's brother, Ran, a man with a cool, soothing gaze, the glib Linda and a taciturn book worm named Matthew. As sleep-sharers, these four men find out a lot about what drives or plagues their women clients, and help them gradually discover themselves and the right life pathways. “There are nights when a woman just needs a man at her side.” (from dramawiki)
Doesn't interest me much before, but I guess I am more interested to watch it now since we have Fukushi Sota here. I would love to see how he was when he was just starting his career not that he's like almost in the peak.
Asuko March! (Spring 2011)
Takei plays Yoshino Nao, a girl who fails the entrance exams of her target high school. She winds up enrolling in a technical high school called Kenritsu Asuka Kougyou Koukou, also known by the nickname "Asuko." Out of the 148 entering freshmen, only three are girls, and Nao is the only one in her class. (from dramawiki)
I can't really remember every scene anymore since I've watched this several years ago but I can remember that I really loved this one. Maybe I should put this in the school dramas list or a reverse-harem list, but I decided to put it in the list of romance dramas. This is where I discovered Kaku Kento. I think there's more chemistry between Kaku Kento and Takei Emi, so I'm hoping they will star in a drama or film in the future. Nothing much, but this is quite a nice watch. I'm quite surprised Furukawa Yuki is in here, I can't remember so I want to re-watch. Oh let's not forget about the male lead, of course, Matzusaka Tori is good. I like him, but I don't ship him with Emi.
Zenkai Girl (Summer 2011)
Devoted to becoming an international lawyer, Ayukawa Wakaba is full of ambition. Her hard work pays off when she lands a job at an international law firm, but to her disappointment, the first prestigious assignment that is given to her is to babysit the boss' 5 year old daughter, Hinata. Wakaba loathes kids and nursing, but unwillingly takes on the job as she is fixated on wealth and success. One day when she goes to a preschool to pick up Hinata, she meets a man named Yamada Sota. Sota is a man without higher education, wealth, or a future goal, someone that Wakaba absolutely cannot stand, the complete opposite of her ideals. Once again, contrary to her will, she ends up looking after Hinata and a few other kids along with Sota. Despite being exhausted from all the first-time experiences in child care, Wakaba begins to realize what is truly important to her. A heart-warming comedy about work, relationships and love.(from dramawiki)
I don't really find Pitaro cute, but Hinata really is very adorable. Lol. Okay, about the leads, I love both Aragaki Yui and Nishikido Ryo. I really like the story of this one. Not too much chemistry between the two to be honest, I guess there's this thing we can call "natural chemistry" with on-screen partners, but I don't think they have that. It was their talents, credit their acting skills that they actually pulled off this romantic drama, and turned their pairing into a laudable and cute one.
Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu (Autumn 2011)
"More than half of women in their 20's to 30's admit to "currently lacking a boyfriend." Men, love, sex, work, marriage... All the issues women face today are revealed in truth through this generation, an "ice age of love."
"The reason I can't find my love" highlights the lives of three women, Fujii Emi, Ogura Saki and Hanzawa Mako. Emi works for a lighting company as a lighting technician, where she is surrounded by men due to the nature of the profession. She has a straight-forward and generous personality, but is unconcerned about general feminine interests such as fashion. She is often treated like another man by her boss and colleagues, and feels that being in love is tiresome. However, she cannot forget about her ex-boyfriend and hopes to someday fall truly in love. Saki is prideful and determined, but fails in landing a desirable job. As a result, she starts to work at a bar as a hostess, keeping the fact a secret from her parents. Mako is the youngest of all, having attended the same high school following Emi and Saki. She is earnest and responsible, but on the other hand, rather clumsy and afraid of taking chances on a romantic relationship. The three women end up living under the same roof by coincidence, and it is there that they share each other's experiences, bitter or sweet, desperately struggling with their love life. A life-sized unconventional love story ever to air on Fuji TV's prime 9 Monday drama slot!" (from dramawiki)
This is a good one as well. I love to see Karina and Yoshitaka Yuriko working together again after Love Shuffle which I really love as well. I think this is a really mature drama, ladies in their 20s and 30s can probably relate to this the most. I didn't know Oshima Yuko when I watched this one, and she didn't really impress or charm me in here. Karina and Yoshitaka Yuriko got the show.
Mitsu no Aji ~A Taste of Honey~ (Autumn 2011)
"The story will focus on a love triangle between the three leads. Eikura plays the role of Morimoto Naoko, a girl from the countryside whose first love is her uncle, Ikezawa Masato (ARATA). She follows after him to Tokyo by getting admitted into an elite medical university, but there she runs into Masato's girlfriend and colleague Aya (Kanno), a beautiful and intelligent researcher who is the daughter of the university hospital's director. However, things get complicated after Naoko and Masato meet again." (from dramawiki)
It is somehow creepy when I read the plot (And I don't know why I view ARATA creepy himself), but on the other hand, the story seems interesting and mysterious. This is not a priority, but I might check it out.
Hungry! (Winter 2012)
"Mukai is taking on the role of Eisuke, a former bassist of a rock band who gave up his music dreams to carry on the tradition of his family's French restaurant. The show will involve a love triangle as Kuninaka and Takimoto play rivals for Eisuke's heart.
Kuninaka has been cast as Eisuke's older girlfriend Maria, who works at a bank. She is shocked to learn that Mukai has abandoned his music to devote himself to the restaurant, leading her to uncertainty about their relationship. Takimoto's character is a 20-year-old college student named Chie who comes from a farming family. Although she initially had a bad impression of Eisuke, she begins to develop feelings for him after tasting his cooking.
SMAP's Inagaki will play Tokio, the owner of a competing French restaurant. In the past, he was fond of the restaurant that Eisuke's mother ran, but after she passed away, he deceived Eisuke's father and bought out the restaurant's chefs and staff. Knowing of Eisuke's ability as a chef, Tokio views him as a rival.
Eisuke's friends, who were part of his band ROCKHEAD, are being played by Tsukamoto (guitarist) and Miura (vocalist). Both of them help Eisuke with his restaurant." (from dramawiki)
Not the best, but it's okay. A few scenes were a little boring, but the sense and the passion were there. I wanted to check out Takimoto Miori after seeing her first in Ikemen Desu ne. I didn't like it that Osamu Mukai and Kuninaka Ryoko met on this set, and is now married. Loljk. I don't like Kuninaka Ryoko that much, but it seems they are happily married, I'll support them. I don't have any right to meddle anyway. Yes, I know, so you don't have to lecture me on that. Miura Shohei and Ishiguro Hideo are both part of the cast as well. Yamashita Rio is a discovery, I like her more than Takimoto Miori after watching this. Good to see Shori here too, he was new to the industry by then.
Renai NEET ~Wasureta Koi no Hajimekata~ (Winter 2012)
"Nakama Yukie plays the role of Rin, who works at a publishing company and is someone who has not dated in 8 years. She has been too busy working and looking after her siblings after their parents passed away. Her colleagues and boss consider her "difficult" to handle because of her strong-willed personality.
One day, she goes to her best friend's "divorce celebration" with Nanako who lives in the same apartment. There, she meets Matsumoto, a dentist, Tada, a researcher at a food manufacturing company, and Shunpei, a part time worker. Few days after the party, all three of them contact her but she has been out of the dating market for so long, she does not know what to do...
A unique comedic "love scramble" among 6 men and women who are in serious need of lessons on how to date." (from dramawiki)
This sounds interesting and fun. I like Sasaki Kuranosuke, I've watched him several times but he got me with his acting in the first season of Saitou-san. Sasaki just became an ideal man and husband. Of course, I love Nakama Yukie, and I can shake off the Gokusen image from her so I hope I can watch another drama of hers. Lol. I think I'm going to check out this one.
Plots and commentaries to follow. :) 05.26.2015 I have finally finished this second part. Been working on some stuff and kind of lazed around.
Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
