# JDrama recommendations



## ZarakiLee (Jan 4, 2007)

Can someone recommend me some JDrama's and tell me what they are about.


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## Taxman (Jan 4, 2007)

JDrama is basically japanese soaps and not anime right?....so that means this thread is in the wrong place

*moves to konoha theater*


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## Gene (Jan 4, 2007)

Great Teacher Onizuka (which is based off the manga/anime)

This is the only jdrama I've seen, but I can tell you that it's a great show.



			
				AnimeNewsNetwork Summary said:
			
		

> Eikichi Onizuka, former gang leader, becomes a teacher of a class of students who torment their teachers and fellow students. Of course they do not do this out of whim, they have their reasons. Onizuka is charged by the chairlady to help these troubled students into a more healthy adulthood, and help rehabilitate the teachers in the process as well.


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## QBnoYouko (Jan 4, 2007)

Two words for you: *Densha Otoko*. (Train Man)


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## Nico (Jan 4, 2007)

The Great Teacher Onizuka series is a good adaption from the anime. 

I would say "It started with a Kiss" also.


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## dspr8_rugged (Jan 6, 2007)

QBnoYouko said:


> Two words for you: *Densha Otoko*. (Train Man)


Damn. You beat me to it. 

Although, I feel that it's more of a J-comedy than a J-drama. You may find yourself getting tired of Yamada's lack of balls, and his relying too much on his friends at the A-channel.

Well, I can recommend Gokusen Live Action. It's better than the original anime, IMO. Also Summer Snow, for some very character-driven love-story.


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## QuoNina (Jun 4, 2007)

I rarely visit this section and I am quite surprised that this thread only has a few posts, lol. 

I've watched quite a few jdramas. Here are some interesting ones that are also on my favorite list: 

-*Shiroi Kyoto *(The Great White tower) 

It's a jdrama about doctors and hospital scandals. The concept is a lot similar to the beginning of Monster (manga): doctors working for fame/challenge to consolidate their status or working solely for patients as caretakers. It has big casts and very engaging stories. I was totally in awe with Karasawa Toshiaki's acting even though he is over 40 years old.   

-*Orange Days *

It's hard to rec love stories because they can all be pretty good. But I like this one because it is about college students and it is light hearted. It's a love story between an ordinary, kind psychology student and a deaf and stubborn talented violinist. Really tender love with a bit dramatic plays of each of their ego's. The most successful part of this drama, other than talking about love, is that it's also a good drama about friendship, friendship between main characters and their friends, friendship in college years before they step into real world starting to worry about their career and social images (that's their "orange days").

-*Trick* I, II, III 

Short episodes of solving mysteries. If you are afraid of ghosts and darkness like I still do, watching this film would help you to overcome the fear greatly. It's about a broke magician and a goofy physicist (really goofy ) trying to disprove supernatural phenomena that people set up in order to make money in religious cults. Kind of like short detective stories. Make you fall in love with Nakama Yukie and Abe Hiroshi ever since. They are great comedy actors. 

-*Yamato Nadesika *(大和撫子) 

A rather late film of Matsushima Nanako, but it's one of her best (imo). The story is about a materialistic girl who is determined to marry a rich guy because she doesn't want to suffer from poverty again. The director of this drama always likes to make dramas about people shaping into who they are because of the cruelty of reality, yet still keeps an "innocent hearts" deep inside... stuff like that (Like the recent drama _Haken's Dignity_..., but _Yamato Nadesika _wins, by far) This drama is decent and Nanako's acting is really good. 


*Spoiler*: _Other pretty good ones_ 




-*Long Vacation* (A good love story, enough said)
-*GTO*, Great Teacher Onizuka (Sorimachi Takashi  , funny + heartwarming)
-*Dragon Zakura* (Shorter episodes than most dramas. It's about getting a bunch of lazy and falling behind students into the best college. I think it is good mostly because it is encouraging. Watch it if you need a booze of energy. And also watched it for Abe Hiroshi. His face makes me laugh. [And his recent drama _Kekkon Dekinai Otoko_ (A Man Who Can't Get Married) is also funny.] )
-*Bijo ka Yajuu* (Reporters' love story.) 
-*Yasha* (Suspense/Sci-fi. The story begins with a virus outbreak and centers around a pair of twin brothers, their relationship, their principles, and the mystery behind them. [It's played by the same actor which is quite remarkable.] Thrilling yet heartwarming. Please don't get yourself spoiled b4 watching it. )
-*H.R.* (Short comedies and nothing else. xD Super funny as far as I remember. The setting is in an adult school.)
-*Lunch Queen *(Okay drama, but the food ... )

Not necessarily great, but fairly enjoyable dramas as of recent: 
-*Unfair *(Suspense/mystery. A few seemingly unrelated homicides that leave the same message at the murdering scenes. Starring Shinohara Ryoko. Good thriller with emotional appeals but not necessarily deeper meanings.  Again, don't read spoilers.)
-*Nobuta wo Produce *(I don't love this drama. But it is one of the better ones among a sea of classroom drama's starring younger actors/singers. The story is about two guys (played by Yamashita Tomohisa and Kamenashi Kazuya) helping a shy gloomy girl to become popular.) 




You can go for synopsis and actor lists of all the jdramas.


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## Gene (Jun 4, 2007)

*My Top 4 jdramas *(I've only seen 4 xD)
1.) Great Teacher Onizuka
2.) My Boss, My Hero
3.) Densha Otoko
4.) Gokusen

I really wouldn't recommend Gokusen btw. Too repetitive imo. Though _Feel My Breeze_ was still an amazing song whenever it came on. :3

I'm gonna check out "1 Litre of Tears" once school's over for me.


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## Haruno Sakura (Jun 4, 2007)

I like the manga of Gokusen and Kimi wa Pet.

Gokusen's a yakuza crimelord's daughter becoming a high school teacher, and Kimi wa Pet's about a women who more or less... Keeps a guy as a pet. XD Sounds weird now, but it actually kind of makes sense in the context of the story. The first is kind of an action/comedy/romance, and the latter's a drama/comedy/romance. Both are very cute.


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## Lord Snow (Jun 4, 2007)

*Hana Yori Dango:*


> Tsukushi is a new student at Eitoku Gakuen - an exclusive school attended by rich families' children. Being poor, she is always bullied and sabotaged by her schoolmates. Things become worse when she crosses the path of F4 (a group comprises of the 4 richest guys). And along the way, she makes friend with Rui, a person who has helped her often, and falls in love with him. Shortly after, her head rival, Tsukasa, also reveals that he likes her. This turn-around situation puts Tsukushi in a very difficult position as she doesn't know what to do.



*Hana Yori Dango Season 2:*

*Spoiler*: _If you haven`t seen Season 1_ 





> This second season of Hana Yori Dango picks up right after Domyoji leaves for New York. After confessing to Domyoji, Makino has not spoken to him for a year. Rui and the other members of F4 try and help Makino meet Domyoji again by going to New York for the christmas holidays. Though F4 and Makino meet Domyoji again, he has become a completely different person, and so they leave for Japan.
> 
> Some time later, Domyoji's mother annouces that they will be returning to Japan. There, they hold a giant super-rich and classy birthday party for Domyoji and annouce something very important. Domyoji, like in the first season, is engaged to a rich girl and heir. The only difference is that they are to be wed soon. What will Makino do?
> 
> On the side, Rui begins to fall in love with Makino... will this become a love... square?


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## Tokio_no_Go (Jun 4, 2007)

Kimi wa Petto, Densha Otoko, and Great Teacher Onizuka are all amazing.


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## Potentialflip (Jun 4, 2007)

Well the ones I have seen and liked...
- Hana Yori Dango and it's second season 
- H2 (Baseball Drama) synopsis: 
- Orange Days
- Gokusen

The other three are provided others in the thread.
- I got into Orange Days and the HYD series due to them having either cameo's or mainstays from people who were on either Battle Royale or Battle Royale II
(HYD S1 had the two main outside of Fujiwara Tatsuya BR II stars - Oshinari Shugo and Sakai Ayana cameo appearances only
HYD S2 had Kato Natsuki known as the female sniper in BR II as a recurring character Shigeru)
(Orange Days starred Shibasaki Kou a.k.a the one chick you didn't want to come across the BR program in the first Battle Royale movie Mitsuko)
- Gokusen is the oldest of the ones I preferred. There is a second one but didn't really get into it due to only a handful of returning cast members. I have that it doesn't felt the same feeling when watching the second season.
- H2 to be honest this was the only drama I saw because of an actress. Ishihara Satomi. But it still was a pretty good and fun drama to watch. The scenes were well done.


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## Bear Walken (Jun 5, 2007)

I've seen a lot of JDrama movies but the only one coming to mind right now is . Which is a pretty good film starring Takeshi Kitano, whose just badass in almost every film he's in or works on.  

I'll probably add more later as they come to mind.


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## Lord Snow (Jun 5, 2007)

*LIAR GAME:*


			
				DramaWiki said:
			
		

> Based on the manga series of the same name, Toda Erika plays an honest college student, Kanzaki Nao, who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million yen in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi, who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help.


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## Jayka (Jun 5, 2007)

Like some others already mentioned -->Gokusen and Hana Yori Dango
But my absolutely favourite J-drama is Nodame Cantabile





> Chiaki is a top-level piano student at a Music Academy in Japan. After getting into a fight with his teacher, he finds himself demoted to the lower classes. His dream is to become a composer in Europe, but he cannot study overseas due to an extreme fear of flying. To top it all off, he ends up having to work with an annoying girl, Noda, who has a crush on him, and also lives in the apartment next to him. (www.animenewsnetwork.com)


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## Dark Evangel (Jun 8, 2007)

Hana Yori Dango I should say and don't even bother watching Meteor Garden.

PS- look at the AMV in my sig.


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## Gene (Jun 8, 2007)

@ Megami - Have you seen the anime version of Nodame Cantabile? If so, how does it compare with the jdrama?


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## Jayka (Jun 8, 2007)

Gene said:


> @ Megami - Have you seen the anime version of Nodame Cantabile? If so, how does it compare with the jdrama?



Yeah, I've seen the anime. The story is basically  the same, since it is both taken from the manga of course. But it differs on some points. The characters are introduced at different points of the story. Some events are left out or altered. (I haven't read the manga, so I don't know what the timeline is supposed to be)

I prefer the live action over the anime. In the drama they're exaggerating things, like slow-motion punches and hairdo's that stand out, which make it seem like a you're watching an anime with real people. The cast/acting is great and the music sounds nice  So even if you're watching the anime series, the live action surely is a recommedation!   (It has 11 episodes)


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## Lord Snow (Jun 9, 2007)

Here is another one:
*Stand Up:*


> Four schoolboys find themselves the last virgins left at school. During the summer holidays, a girl they knew as children 11 years ago, moves back to the neighborhood. Despite their childhood attraction to her, they realize she is a mere shadow of the "princess" they all thought they knew. This story of summer - love, friendship, school, family, the hypocrisy of adults, complications of life, experience and failure is set in an everyday shopping district and shows the clumsiness of children who have developed a little later than their peers. It's a bright romantic comedy that both young and old can appreciate.


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## dspr8_rugged (Jun 10, 2007)

Oh yeah, *Stand Up!* is a good one. Although I haven't finished that yet, since Nya! fansubs hasn't finished subbing it. Well, that was months ago, I don't know if it's finished by now.

I just started watching the live action of *GTO*. Heck, I'm having fun as much as its anime adaptation.

And I'm also aiming for *Sexy Voice and Robo*. FYI, the guy who played as L in the Death Note live action movies is the protagonist of this one, who is apparently a mecha-otaku.


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