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10 Japanese Dramas to Binge on Netflix During Your K-drama Break
Looking for something different to watch after your K-Drama binge? Why not try out J-Dramas this time around?
Korean dramas—otherwise known as K-dramas—are all the rage these days, especially when you’ve got fantastic series like Hospital Playlist, Squid Game, and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha to watch. But if you happen to be looking for something new after your multiple K-drama binges, we’ve got a suggestion for you: J-dramas.
J-dramas, or Japanese dramas, have actually been aired on local networks multiple times for many years now. In fact, a lot of your favorite K-Dramas actually had a previous J-Drama series that they were based on. Boys Over Flowers, for example, is a remake of the manga Hana Yori Dango, which also had a J-Drama based on it.
If you’re ready to go on a J-Drama Netflix binge, here are 10 suggestions we have for you:
10. Alice in Borderland

If you’re a fan of Squid Game, Alice in Borderland is a J-drama you should definitely check out due to the similarities they both share. As the name of the series suggests, it takes inspiration from Alice in Wonderland and incorporates the concept of surviving deadly games.
The story follows Arisu, who is described as a NEET (In Japan, a NEET is a young person who isn’t in school, has no work, and is not in training). He and his friends suddenly find themselves stuck in an abandoned Tokyo and are forced to participate in games to stay alive.
Alice in Borderland stars Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Yuki Morinaga, Keita Machida, and Nijiri Murakami, and many more. You can stream Alice in Borderland on Netflix.
9. Atelier

Anyone who is into fashion, coming-of-age dramas, or both shouldn’t miss out on Atelier. With just 13 episodes, this 2015 drama won’t take long to finish, especially if you end up watching one episode after the other.
Atelier’s story revolves around a character named Mayuko Tokita, who becomes the newest employee of a lingerie brand called Emotion. The series follows her journey as an Emotion employee, especially her relationship with the owner of Emotion, Mayumi Nanjo.
Atelier stars Mirei Kiritani, Mao Daichi, Wakana Sakai, and many more. You can stream Atelier on Netflix.
8. Emergency Interrogation Room

Crime dramas are a favorite anywhere in the world and Japan is no exception. If you happen to have a lot of time on your hands and you’re a fan of crime dramas, consider Emergency Interrogation Room for your next Netflix binge session.
Emergency Interrogation Room stars Yuki Amami as Yukiko Makabe, a negotiator who works for the police. After a failed mission, she finds herself transferred to a team that’s headed by someone she didn’t get along with in the past. This J-drama has a total of three seasons and each season has nine to 10 episodes.
Emergency Interrogation Room also stars Tetsushi Tanaka, Mokomichi Hayami, and many more. You can stream Emergency Interrogation Room on Netflix.
7. Erased

If you’re into stories that involve time traveling, Erased is one of the J-dramas that should be on your must-watch list. It tells the story of a character named Satoru Fujinuma, who happens to have a time-traveling ability and uses it to prevent bad things from happening.
Things take an interesting turn when Satoru’s mom is murdered. From there, he travels 18 years back in time to try and stop the person who murdered her, as well as three other classmates.
Erased stars Yuki Furukawa, Mio Yuki, Jin Shirasu, and many more. You can stream Erased on Netflix.
6. Giri/Haji

By now, you’ve probably heard of the yakuza or the members of organized crime syndicates in Japan. Much has been written and said about the yakuza and one J-drama that incorporates them into its story is Giri/Haji.
Giri/Haji’s story centers around Kenzo Mori, who scours the whole of London to look for his brother who is accused of both being a murderer and being involved with the yakuza.
Giri/Haji stars Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, Yosuke Kubozuka, Justin Long, and many more. You can stream Giri/Haji on Netflix.
5. Good Morning Call

High school romance dramas are popular in Japan and an example of this kind of J-drama is Good Morning Call. Good Morning Call has two seasons and a total of 27 episodes.
The story of this J-drama revolves around Nao Yoshikawa and Hisashi Uehara, two classmates who suddenly discover that they’re sharing the same apartment. The two eventually decide to keep it a secret from everyone else.
Good Morning Call stars Haruka Fukuhara, Shunya Shiraishi, Dori Sakurada, and many more. You can stream Good Morning Call on Netflix.
4. Midnight Diner

Are drama anthologies more of your thing? Well, this J-drama is something that’s right up your alley. Midnight Diner is an anthology TV series that focuses on a diner that is open late at night, its mysterious chef, and its customers.
The chef—who is referred to only as Master—has a very limited menu but will cook any dish a customer wants as long as he doesn’t find it too complicated and he has the ingredients. Since it’s an anthology, each episode of Midnight Diner introduces a customer whose story becomes the focal point of the episode.
Midnight Diner stars Kaoru Kobayashi, Mansaku Fuwa, Toshiki Ayata, and many more. You can stream Midnight Diner on Netflix.
3. Million Yen Women

Some J-drama plots can be pretty odd at times and can even make people raise their eyebrows. One such example is Million Yen Women, whose story, in a nutshell, revolves around five women living with a male novelist.
These women and the novelist aren’t related to one another per se, but the ladies pay the novelist—who is named Shin Michima—one million yen every month for rent and living expenses. There is, however, a catch. Questions about the women and their lives are banned in the house.
Million Yen Women stars Yojiro Noda, Rila Fukushima, Rena Matsui, and many more. You can stream Million Yen Women on Netflix.
2. Re:Mind

Ready for yet another psychological thriller that may just keep you up at night? If you are, it’s a perfect time to watch Re:Mind.
Re:Mind’s story centers around 11 girl classmates who awaken to find themselves seated around a dining table with their feet shackled to the ground. They try to find a way to escape—only for some of the girls to begin disappearing from the table.
Re:Mind stars Mirei Sasaki, Sarina Ushio, Mei Higashimura, and many more. Likewise, the 11 girls are actually members of a J-pop group called Hinatazaka46. And yes, they go by their actual names in the series. You can stream Re:Mind on Netflix.
1. Switched

Before we talk about the last J-Drama on our list, we’d like to give a trigger warning for mentions of suicide.
We’ve seen many movies and TV series that deal with characters switching bodies for one reason or another. Switched is one such drama series that features this concept in its story.
Switched tells the tale of two high school students, Zenko Umine and Ayumi Kohinata. Zenko commits suicide by jumping off the rooftop of a school building, which Ayumi witnesses—before promptly fainting. The two girls eventually wake up and discover that they’re in each other’s bodies.
Switched stars Kaya Kiyohira, Miu Tomita, Daiki Shigeoka, and many more. You can stream Switched on Netflix.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your favorite drama series marathon snack and start watching these awesome J-dramas!
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