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"Serious" Japanese Comedy

DiaNine Author
About 2 weeks ago I watched LIAR GAME, which was my first Japanese drama, and although the story was pretty good, I felt like the acting and the editing were overly exaggerated and just didn't fit, but I thought it was just that one drama... After that I asked for some recommendations, one of them was Switch Girl, which someone had previously told me to watch as well, so yesterday I gave it a try. It seems like it also has a non-serious acting, something you don't see on Korean comedies, and although it is funny, it's not exactly the kind of thing. So, is there any Japanese comedy drama with serious acting and editing? If so, please recommend me a good one!
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shadowdancer
hımmm, it is very hard request. I looked at your list...ı guess you are more into k-drama. Well I can recommand you My boss my Hero (most recommanded), Nobuta wo Produce,Samurai High School,....They are...? how shall I put it? not comedy but funny, and cheerful. The thing is as well as I understand, for Japanese being cheerful is a lot more important than absolute comedy, and when it comes to hard core comedy, exaggeration is the main point in their humour.(for example Risou no Musukuo) You can also give a try to Cartoon Kat-tun variety show which is well known... About serious acting I can recommand you Love shuffle (contains humour and most recommanded), Soredemo ikite yuku (drama, Eita's acting nevere dissapoints me) Zeni Geba, Last Friends (drama) and Rich Man-Poor Woman, may be Lucky Seven too. I do not know if it helped you, but I am more into J-drama so you can check my list and give a try according my ratings...
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TheTranquilKnight
Legal High....excellent acting & very funny too.
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SumiTheCat
I do agree with Shadowdancer about the fact that Japanes dramas are more cheerful than totally funny. Though I found My boss My hero overly exagerated. I second Nobuta wo produce, Love shuffle and Lucky seven (for those I have seen), and also Legal High though the lead male plays in a very special manner. but that's what makes it so good. maybe you could try Hotaru no hikaru (funny moments in everyday life) or Nodame Cantabile, Hero (you have to watch Hero, Kimura is wonderful in it, and the entire cast is... just perfect). there are also dramas like Gokusen... if you don't like Switch girl, avoid Ouran High School host club and Yukan club, which where pretty good imo, but the acting ir really overexaggerated. good luck in Jdrama-land.
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Athena0
check out http://mydramalist.com/japanese-drama/74/hotaru-no-hikari Good acting and interesting story!
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xXhaninXx
Honestly,i don't really understand what you want to find but i think i should give some recommendation. 1)For comedy but at the same time there was a seriousness i think it might be Gokusen.Theres Gokusen 1,2,3, and the movie(i like Gokusen 2 more)the drama kinda old but for me,its quite good.Maybe you should try it :) (its okay if u not like it,its not a must-watch drama) 2)Bloody Monday is good too but it didn't have much comedy in it,it has a serious side more(one of my fav) 3)Lovely Complex(movie)its a comedy romance,its not my type of drama(but still love it)its worth trying right?
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muanyata
Korean and Japanese dramas have completely different styles, some people like Korean, some people like Japanese, and some people like both *shrug*. Watch a few of the recommendations already given, and if it isn't your taste, stick with Korean dramas *shrug*.
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LannyHuang
This my favorite Jdrama comedy :D : Manhattan Love Story Kekkon Dekinai Otoko Hotaru no Hikari 1 & 2 Hana Kimi Zettai Kareshi
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shadowdancer
SumiTheCat wrote: I do agree with Shadowdancer about the fact that Japanes dramas are more cheerful than totally funny. Though I found My boss My hero overly exagerated.
I second Nobuta wo produce, Love shuffle and Lucky seven (for those I have seen), and also Legal High though the lead male plays in a very special manner. but that's what makes it so good.
maybe you could try Hotaru no hikaru (funny moments in everyday life) or Nodame Cantabile, Hero (you have to watch Hero, Kimura is wonderful in it, and the entire cast is... just perfect). there are also dramas like Gokusen...
if you don't like Switch girl, avoid Ouran High School host club and Yukan club, which where pretty good imo, but the acting ir really overexaggerated.
good luck in Jdrama-land.


ah Nodame Cantabile :) how did I miss it? :P by the way I also thought that My Boss My Hero was very exaggerated but than one day ı met Risou no Musuko :P (it was stupidly funny though) well I wanted to give a recommandation but ended up taking one...two people votefpr Legal High? and my sweet Sakai Masato? apparently not going to sleep tonight :) thanks for the recommandation :)
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DiaNine Author
SumiTheCat wrote: if you don't like Switch girl, avoid Ouran High School host club and Yukan club, which where pretty good imo, but the acting ir really overexaggerated.
good luck in Jdrama-land.


It's not really that I don't like it, I actually find it cute and funny, and since it's a comedy it doesn't matter that much, but it really bothered me a lot on LIAR GAME, which is why I'm delaying LIAR GAME 2, it's just that I prefer more serious things. On a positive side, Japanese dramas are way shorter than Korean dramas so it doesn't hurt too much. But I really do prefer more "serious" than cheerful acting.

muanyata wrote: Korean and Japanese dramas have completely different styles, some people like Korean, some people like Japanese, and some people like both *shrug*. Watch a few of the recommendations already given, and if it isn't your taste, stick with Korean dramas *shrug*.


That's what I was trying to find out, I'll give a few of the recommendations a try and see what I think about it.

Oh right, is there a place where I can find subtitles for Japanese dramas? I can't find subtitles for Switch Girl after episode 4, I got the 1080p version but so far, there's only subtitles for up to episode 3. I can re-sync subtitles so it's not a problem if they weren't made for the 1080p version.

Thank you for the replies everyone! I'll check some of the mentioned dramas a try!
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superpasta
for one, nodame cantabile is an OVER EXAGERRATION , if you did not like it in liar game, do not watch nodame cause it brings exaggeration to a completely higher level! legal high , i do recommend that as well, it is serious and comedic at the same time. the acting of the main actor is lovely, well i think that it is anyway. since it doesn't seem that crazy and it fits the personally i find the korean acting having one style for all of them so i dun watch much so i do not know what you are looking for since most of the korean comedies i have watched and dropped (not that many) have been too much in my book which is why i avoid k-dramas. anyway :3 At Home Dad :3 this is an oldie of abe hiroshi. serious acting here yet a funny drama Atami no Sousakan : this is comedy mixed with mystery. the acting is rather serious yet it has some perks? i'd say? i definitely liked this drama. Attention Please: the acting in this is good. it is a funny drama and although the main actress is a bit of a rebel and crazy and all over the place by the end of the whole attention please thing you end up seeing how much she has matured from her loud self to a proper cabin attendant, mature and what not. the acting is according to the role. this drama was super successful in japan and it had ratings of 15.2+ never lower than that. Bambino! : this is another drama with good acting. it is not exaggerated and it is funny to watch . at least i enjoyed it BOSS 1 + 2 : although the drama itself isn;t comedy genre, it has pretty funny elements in it . it is a police drama however it is very unique :3 and enjoyable :3 bull doctor: it is forensic+ somewhat funny to watch :3 with great acting from most of the leads with ishihara being under the proper level but becoming better as the drama proceeds (slightly better) densha otoko: this is a drama about an otaku boy who falls in love with a normal woman . it is very funny and the acting is not that exaggerated. Dirty Mama :3 pretty hilarious police drama :3 great teacher onizuka, 1st version lol :3 great acting :3 Juui Dolittle : funny with no over exaggeration Juunen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite: 6 episodes. funny with no overexaggeration. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko : funny again. abe hiroshi. no overexaggeration TRICK (all seasons) this is about solving mysteries of people who claim to be psychics. the main combi is nakama yukie and abe hiroshi. GREAT drama and funny :3 Magerarenai Onna : great acting and it has comedy in it for sure - cheerful but not the kind of comedy that makes you go "impossible" Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku : funny , romantic and no overexaggeration Renai Neet : another comedy + slightly romantic drama . lol good acting here as well and i cannot think of something else :3
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DNa
If you're new into JDrama and try to find a KDrama-ish acting style, then I second 'Love Shuffle' it's a modern adult Rom-Com but has an original plot, but it still has a Japanese trademark for the humor, I dont know if it could meet with your expectation, but it ain't wrong to give a try. and also 'Rich Man Poor Woman', I dont like this drama, but it has a serious rom-com KDrama-ish cliche and predictable plot with a similiar acting style to Korean actor. this drama is sort of a cinderella story with a love square (typical KDrama plot).
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bannie
korean funny is usually stupid funny. (aka lame/retarded ish.)
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DiaNine Author
superpasta wrote: for one, nodame cantabile is an OVER EXAGERRATION , if you did not like it in liar game, do not watch nodame cause it brings exaggeration to a completely higher level!

legal high , i do recommend that as well, it is serious and comedic at the same time. the acting of the main actor is lovely, well i think that it is anyway. since it doesn't seem that crazy and it fits the
personally i find the korean acting having one style for all of them so i dun watch much so i do not know what you are looking for since most of the korean comedies i have watched and dropped (not that many) have been too much in my book which is why i avoid k-dramas.

anyway :3

At Home Dad :3 this is an oldie of abe hiroshi. serious acting here yet a funny drama

Atami no Sousakan : this is comedy mixed with mystery. the acting is rather serious yet it has some perks? i'd say? i definitely liked this drama.

Attention Please: the acting in this is good. it is a funny drama and although the main actress is a bit of a rebel and crazy and all over the place by the end of the whole attention please thing you end up seeing how much she has matured from her loud self to a proper cabin attendant, mature and what not. the acting is according to the role. this drama was super successful in japan and it had ratings of 15.2+ never lower than that.

Bambino! : this is another drama with good acting. it is not exaggerated and it is funny to watch . at least i enjoyed it

BOSS 1 + 2 : although the drama itself isn;t comedy genre, it has pretty funny elements in it . it is a police drama however it is very unique :3 and enjoyable :3

bull doctor: it is forensic+ somewhat funny to watch :3 with great acting from most of the leads with ishihara being under the proper level but becoming better as the drama proceeds (slightly better)

densha otoko: this is a drama about an otaku boy who falls in love with a normal woman . it is very funny and the acting is not that exaggerated.

Dirty Mama :3 pretty hilarious police drama :3

great teacher onizuka, 1st version lol :3 great acting :3

Juui Dolittle : funny with no over exaggeration

Juunen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite: 6 episodes. funny with no overexaggeration.

Kekkon Dekinai Otoko : funny again. abe hiroshi. no overexaggeration

TRICK (all seasons) this is about solving mysteries of people who claim to be psychics. the main combi is nakama yukie and abe hiroshi. GREAT drama and funny :3

Magerarenai Onna : great acting and it has comedy in it for sure - cheerful but not the kind of comedy that makes you go "impossible"

Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku : funny , romantic and no overexaggeration

Renai Neet : another comedy + slightly romantic drama . lol good acting here as well

and i cannot think of something else :3


Well that was... A lot!

Thank you for trying to describe everything, much easier that way! I checked them and added some to my PTW list, I'll try to find them and start watching (some of) them soon!
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marianat
Ah, that's hard. The only one I could think of is Kurosagi. It does have some comedy in it, but it's not like Switch girl. It has a more serious feel, even though the situations are...odd. It's a bit like Liar Game, but there's no ditzy girl in it.
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