fifty for '26
Goal: Catch up with at least fifty dramas, including oldies and newest ones. Might be far-fetched, but I’ll try my best.
This list exists as a way to make me feel motivated to watch more meaningful Japanese series and see if I can accomplish it by the end of the year.
I included a few brief notes on the themes I picked up from the shows, for anyone who wants a quick idea of what they’re about.
Updating time-to-time.
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1. The Right to Judge
Japanese Drama - 2025, 10 episodes
Portrays the lasting cost of bullying on a person’s ability to move forward in life. It highlights that not everyone possesses the same capacity to cope with past trauma, emphasizing that time alone does not always heal pain. Every choice and action, no matter how small or how long ago it occurred, can become a catalyst that shapes or destroys someone else’s life. What may seem like harmless fun to one person can remain a permanent scar to another. For the victim, the memory lingers, while for the perpetrator, it is often far easier to move on.
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2. Forbidden to Love
Japanese Drama - 2025, 10 episodes
Explores distorted forms of love born between pure affection and destructive obsession. Though love is often viewed as innocent, it can unintentionally lead to torment, control, possessiveness, and manipulation. The series highlights how individuals justify harmful behaviors in the name of love, through persistent stalking, the breakdown due to imagined ownership, blind trust in deceitful partners, and extreme actions taken under the guise of protection.
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3. The Unknown Me
Japanese Drama - 2025, 11 episodes
Depicts the transformation of friendship into resentment, ultimately leading to a wrongful chain of revenge. Highlights how years of uncommunicated misunderstandings play a significant role in the unfortunate events that unfold. The story follows long-time closed individuals who continuously deceive themselves, allowing misdirected anger to grow between them, that not only damages their bond, but also affects the lives of those around them.
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4. Since I Took You Away
Japanese Drama - 2025, 11 episodes
Portrays a grieving mother who seeks to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s tragic death, stemmed from a food-related incident. Years of accumulated silent lies, surround the child she took away from the person believed to be responsible for her daughter’s life being cut short. The story leans into the complexities of parenthood, depicting the struggle to shield themselves from truth that could shatter them. Caught between an overbearing conscience and moral goodness, the characters wrestle with whether to sustain the lies or abandon them for the greater good.



