2000s Japanese Drama/Movie Chat - Discussions & Recommendations

I made a thread earlier for 80s drama but recently I've found myself watching alot of 00s dramas again.
I love this era alot. I first came to Japan in 2008 and there's a certain lingering nostalgia I have for this time even if I missed most of it.

I love seeing older dramas with the  crossover remnants of the 90s into the early 00s  with the highlights and spikey flicked hairsprayed hair. It's really starting to have it's own identity. It's a funny decade as alot of shows after 2005 still feel fairly modern to me in style unless they were on a cheap budget but it's just easier to group by decade.

Here's a few recommendations I've watched more recently:

The 2004 version of Kurokawa no techou thought this was really good. I generally like Yonekura Ryoko in anything though so this didn't dissapoint. Very good suspense.  

In the past I've seen some of the bigger name shows.  I'm currently in the middle of rewatching 14 sai no haha and I honestly forgot how incredible most of the actors in this are. A real powerhouse drama that really owes alot to it's cast IMO. 

I recently watched Shiawase ni naritai!  from 2005 and really enjoy this. Just a lovely story full of likeable characters. Very light hearted and a nice comfy drama that won't make you feel anything too intense or feel heavy. One of the best fluff shows I've seen I think. 

Now from memory:

Scandal - This felt like Japan's answer to the Desperate Housewives tv show boom in the late 00s. Similar sort of premise here with 4 very different housewives all coming together when a friend mysteriously dissappears. I remember really enjoyed this although I feel like the ending was a bit of a fizzle but I honestly can't even remember how it ended now (which probably says alot). The journey was fun though and probably started my obssesion with Momoi Kaori who really outacts everyone else. 

Last I recommend Around 40. This is actually one of my favourite dramas ever. It's nothing incredibly mindblowing or special but somehow it just really clicked with me. I describe it as Sex and the City without the Sex. It's very wholesome and the characters are all likeable and different and It introduced me to 3 of my favourite actresses all at once, Otsuka Nene , Amami Yuki and Matsushita Yuki.  This is a comfort drama for me and it just makes me feel happy. If you want a pleasent drama that you can just relax and forgot your day this is a nice recommedation. I also liked the plot centering around older women and their different lives. 

To go a bit older try something like 2001's,  Love Revolution, this drama first introduced me to both Esumi Makiko and Yonekura Ryoko. I can't actually remember this now and am very overdue a revist. I think I first watched this back in 2007 but I remember enjoying it. 

Anyway just wanted to get the ball rolling and I think all the above are fairly well known. Anyone else watch alot of 2000s dramas? What are you faves and recommendations. Thought it would be fun to share shows and meet others who like the same stuff.  Have fun!

TBH I have too many favorites and maybe it's more easier to split into two; 2000-2004 and 2005-2009. 

I guess 2010 will not count because otherwise the decade will be 11 years.

My favorites from 2000-2004 

• Hero 2001 - fancy Kimura Takuya profession drama
• Dr Koto 2003 - this one is deeper than it seems. Beautiful island scenery.
• Good Luck!! 2003 - fancy Kimura Takuya profession drama
• Lunch Queen 2002 - the best food drama around that time with siblings rivalry
• Gokusen 2002
• Midnight Rain 2002 - a bit 90's like melodrama
• Big Money! 2002 - "niche" drama but I liked the educational aspect of it
• Egao no Hosoku 2003 - drama about self development with lots of life lessons
• Ace wo Nerae 2004 - standard sport drama
• Star no Koi 2001 - standard romcom, but entertaining and funny

I used to like these dramas the first time I watched but not sure if I still like them now

• Satorare 2002 
• Orange Days 2004
• Boku Dake no Madonna 2003
• Yamato Nadeshiko 2000

Watched more recently  

• Suna no Utsuwa (from Matsumoto Seicho's novel) 2004 -amazing and I liked it a lot than the 1974 movie version
• Last Christmas 2004 - basic romance with a touch of comedy, but I liked the writing from Sakamoto Yuji
• The Great White Tower 2003 (Rewatch more recently. First time watch not complete because missed some episodes when it aired on TV) - amazing and the original novel was a godfather for all university hospital tropes
• Home Drama 2004 - good watch for found family trope

My favorites from 2005 - 2009

• Kekkon Dekinai Otoko 2006 - my all time favorite. I like the writing and for how it made me feel relatable with the MC (despite he was a jerk in the drama) 
• Iryu Team Medical Dragon 2006
• My Boss My Hero 2006 - one of the best youth coming of age comedy in its era
• Nodame Cantabile 2006 - this is the most low budget drama ever and the comedy was very manga-ish with bad special effects, but no dramas got this deep when it comes to music.
• Jin 2009
• Attention Please 2006
• Engine 2005 - another fancy Kimura Takuya profession drama
• Bara no nai Hanaya 2008
• Osen 2008 - Japanese cultural showcase. I like its educational aspect.
• Ryokitekina Kanojo 2008 - just my personal favorite standard romcom written by Sakamoto Yuji that was based on the Korean movie, My Sassy Girl.

Honorable mention for their legendary status

• Liar Game 2007
• Proposal Daisakusen 2007
• Nobuta wo Produce 2005 
• Hana yori Dango 2005 - people may not like it if they watch it in this era because of the overused trope  
• The Queen's Classroom 2005  

Watched more recently

• Ashita no Kita Yoshio 2008 - amazing but maybe more suitable for older viewers
• Tiger and Dragon 2005 - super funny (but not everyone cup of tea) with rakugo as the basis of the episodic plot
• Saka no Ue no Kumo 2009 - amazing and based on real people and revolved around WW1 right after the Meiji restoration. Somehow educational if you like history.

I don't think I've actually ever seen a drama with Kimura Takuya in actually. I was bored at work today and look up some of the highest ratings for dramas and noticed quite a few of his had them. I've book marked Good Luck and Beautiful Life.  I'm gonna try one sometime once I've cleared off some shows with time limitations to watch them on. 

Suna no Utsuwa is on my to watch list, as I said, I really liked Kurokawa no techou and also the movie Amagigoe also based on a story by Matsumoto Seicho, so I'm keen to watch more things based on his stories.  I also love Matsuyuki Yasuko

I finally watched the queens classroom last year finally after bouncing off it a few times. It's very mainstream mystery and was very reminiscent to me of Kaseifu no mita which came out much later but I saw first. In fact I rewatched Kaseifu too not long after and I think after watching queen's classroom I thought less of it. Very similar and a bit of a retread of ideas IMO. I watched the special of Queen's classroom too and thought that was really good albeit incredible dark. I really like Amami Yuki and I liked seeing her have more chance to act in that special (instead of the monotone ice queen in the main series)

I tend to gravitate to older casts and target audience I think nd less the teen or very young romances, but it does depend on who is in it and the premise. I also usually don't watch things focused around an activity that is quite a common trope in Jdrama like sports, music cooking, etc. But I'll watch anything tbh if the vibe appeals especially older shows.  I think suspense or human drama is typically my favourite genres. 

I'm currently watching One missed call the 2005 drama series. Mostly because it was free on TVer. I enjoyed the movie and thought I would try. Honestly it's not very good and the acting is pretty terrible but its been growing on me as I went. I'm on episode 8 now and it really has improved but it's still very 6/10 territory.  The movie is alot better. 

I hadn't heard of Home Drama, might have to try that as I'm really getting into Sakai Wakanai as an actress these days after seeing her in this years Renai Kinshi

I skipped Aishiteru when it was released thinking I wasn't ready for it.....and until I read you post I almost forgotten the existence of this drama....LOL

I don't think I've heard about Last Present before, but I am not a fan of Amami Yuki (I don't mind watching her drama BTW) and considering the theme I probably won't watch it anytime soon. I also don't fancy terminal illness (that's why I avoided 1 liter of tears) but I remember I somehow loved Kaze no Garden with the similar plot (male version).

I think popular dramas are not necessarily oversell or generic like nowadays teen fanservice dramas. For example all Kimura Takuya dramas in the 2000's were super popular and always got the prime time slot. But his dramas also have the best production team, best scripts, and sometimes uniquely fresh plots (of the time) like HERO or Good Luck!!. I even read somewhere there are people who actually became pilot because of Good Luck. 

Idol drama in the 2000's can sometimes surprise you as well. Like Yamada Taro Monogatari staring 2 of Arashi members. I was skeptical with this drama at first but it turned out fun with some family element in it. I don't think this drama was popular back then despite being an idol drama.

There's also Uta no Oniisan, another idol drama staring another Arashi member. It was about self searching and development after a setback. Lots of life lessons. As a person who is not a fan of any idol groups I found the drama was not that bad as long as you don't mind some over acting from the support cast.....LOL

 Hystericmoon:

I hadn't heard of Home Drama, might have to try that as I'm really getting into Sakai Wakanai

I have seen some of Sakai Wakana acting (recently Susukino Intern) but rarely seen her as the main role though. I first noticed her in Manhattan Love Story so I always call her Emo-yan, the character she played in that drama. Just minor side character in a crazy comedy. It was written by the same person who wrote Tiger and Dragon, IWGP and Kisarazu Cat's Eye.

 autumn iris:

Satomi Hakkenden (a drama special about 8 samurai being "born" from late first princess' pearls (think of dragon balls who fly away in multiple directions) to protect her kingdom)

Never heard about this drama. Thanks for highlighting it!

 autumn iris:

Put Osen in my cw for maybe weeks, but hasn't started it. Looks interesting.

Oh yes if you like to learn Japanese culture (in a crash course way) this drama is a good one. As a guy, I personally like this kind of strong female character (Osen) more, than let say Daimon Michiko and alike. Just ignore the ML then you are good. 

 Aethra:

I watched some less popular ones, too.

Just share it here!

My all time favorite drama from 2000s is Trick with Yukie Nakama and Abe Hiroshi .  It aired in 2002 around the time of the fifa world cup.. It was the one that introduced me to the Japanese mystery outside of anime.. 

Is spec 1 from 2000s too? I don't remember that series had so many spin-offs. 

Bebop high school, I watched the anime ova multiple times and read the Manga and absolutely loved it. 

I never got around to watching the drama. 

Why you ask? 

Cause I got used to seeing the actors as adults mostly playing detectives, so I didn't want to change the image of them throwing fists in his school.. Haha

 autumn iris:

Out of topic of this discussion, but there's also a 2024 movie titled Hakkenden (with Itagaki Rihito), I just haven't found it.

It is at drama-otaku. Alternatively you can get the sub at luwuang discord because it was subbed by EdwardWong (Edward also has the raw). 

 autumn iris:

I wish there's no annoying character there.

Yes the ML...LOL

It is not slice of life. There will be some conflicts, but Osen is there to solve it. ML just the mascot....but the cultural trivia is worth the watch.

 Hystericmoon:

Trick has been on my radar for a while.

Trick was another legendary drama. I watched couple of seasons but I don't remember which season actually (therefore I don't bother to put on my list). It was long ago through Crunchyroll during its illegal stage. I think it's an interesting one but it's episodic mystery investigation so not sure you're okay with that format.

 RainyEvenings:

Is spec 1 from 2000s too?

1999, basically can be included but 2000's era already have many.