Your underrated JDramas of all time!
Ultimate list of underrated JDramas that you feel not many people have seen or that tend to get overlooked, especially by newcomers to the world of JDramas!
Feel free to add anything that you think fits the bill. (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
Guidelines:
- Definition of underrated. ☜ (Clickable link)
- Can be from any year.
- Any length.
- Not just your personal favourites, must have something unique, refreshing or unusual about them. Different type of story, really good acting, great OST, unique way of filming etc. Just something unique that not many people have seen or heard of.
- Just to give a clear limit, let's say under 2500 "# of Watchers" for now. Let me know if you think this should be higher or lower.
- Once something reaches over this limit it will be removed & possibly moved to a different list yet to be created.
- Must be a JDrama.
- No movies or specials.
- No popular Dramas, that defeats the point.
- To add new items, simply scroll down & type in the search box at the bottom of this page.
Any other guidelines you feel are missing, please comment.
ElliShrax Jan 1, 2020
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![dele]()
Freelance programmer Sakagami Keishi is paralysed in the lower half of his body because of an unknown illness and uses a wheelchair. He sets up a company called dele. LIFE in partnership ...more -
![Quartet]()
Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa, and Iemori Yutaka happen to meet and form a quartet. They even begin to live together in Karuizawa during the winter, but there is a big ...more -
![Bokura wa Kiseki de Dekite Iru]()
Aikawa Kazuki is a university lecturer who teaches ethology, which is the study of animal behaviour. He has just started work as a lecturer at the recommendation of Professor Samejima Shun whom ...more -
![Yasha]()
Twin brothers, created in a lab as part of a gene-altering experiment, were born with supernatural abilities and exceptional intelligence but separated at birth. Sei becomes a top biochemist in America and ...more -
![Long Love Letter]()
Yuka Misaki, whose parents run a flower shop, casually begins dating college student Akio Asami, and later falls for him. But due to some type of accident, the two lose contact with ...more -
![Nagi no Oitoma]()
28-year-old Oshima Nagi works for a home appliance manufacturer in Tokyo. She conforms to her surroundings as she constantly gauges people’s moods. Because of that, her goal is to pass each day ...more -
![Osozaki no Himawari]()
The drama is set at the beautiful Shimanto River in the Kochi prefecture and revolves around a group of seven men and women and the unfolding of their lives. Ikuta plays a ...more -
![Ashi Girl]()
Hayakawa Yui is a 16-year-old girl whose only strong point is her ability to run fast. When her reclusive but genius younger brother invents a time machine, she accidentally gets sent to ...more -
![Kinou Nani Tabeta?]()
Kakei Shiro, a 45-year-old lawyer, lives with his boyfriend, Yabuki Kenji, a hairdresser. After work, Shiro sticks to a simple routine: he shops for groceries on a budget, then cooks a basic ...more -
![Yutori Desu ga Nani ka]()
Drama series depicts the lives of three men born in 1987 and oppose irrational things of the world through work, love and friendship. The men are from the Yutori generation when the ...more -
![Manhattan Love Story]()
Next door to Chuo TV's offices is "Manhattan," a coffee shop for aficionados. The owner's passion for coffee is almost a sickness and all he wants is for his customers to enjoy ...more -
![Gibo to Musume no Blues]()
Miyamoto Ryoichi, a father to an 8-year-old daughter, proposes to and marries Akiko Iwaki, a career-minded 32-year-old woman. What happens when a career-oriented woman who has never raised a child before now ...more -
![Juhan Shuttai!]()
Kokoro Kurosawa, once a hopeful for the Olympic Judo Team, gives up her dream due to injury and begins working at the manga magazine "Vibes." As the publishing industry faces challenges from ...more -
![Kekkon Aite wa Chusen de]()
Due to Japan's low birth rate and aging population, the government implements a policy requiring single men and women aged 25-39 to go on blind dates arranged by the government. Participants can ...more -
![Unmei ni, Nita Koi]()
During their childhood, a little girl and a boy made a pledge to meet again. Now at the age of 45, the girl, Kasumi, is now a divorced mother of a son ...more -
![Slow Dance]()
A man who constantly applies the brake in his life, a woman who could do with a brake in her life. They have their careers, but they are both failures in love. ...more -
![Holyland]()
High school student, Kamishiro Yu, doesn't fit in and is constantly bullied; fed up with the abuse, Yu secretly trains in boxing and takes revenge on those who once bullied him. Eventually, ...more -
![Long Goodbye]()
Set in Tokyo, Japan during the 1950's. Tamotsu is suspected of murdering his actress wife, Shizuka Harada. He flees to Taiwan and commits suicide. Tamotsu’s friend Banji Masuzawa works as a private ...more -
![Aozora no Tamago]()
Torii is a hikikomori who can make deductions even when he's given a very small amount of information. His friend Sakaki works in an insurance company, and he's the only person who ...more -
![Yakou Kanransha]()
The drama is based on the best selling same-titled novel Minato Kanae, and is about two families that reside in the same upscale neighborhood. Amongst all the beautiful homes lined up in ...more -
![Kou Kou Kyoushi]()
The life of the lead character has been a series of embarrassing events beyond his control. Yet his fate is sealed when he falls in love with one of his students, with ...more -
![The Count of Monte-Cristo: Great Revenge]()
22. The Count of Monte-Cristo: Great Revenge
Japanese Drama - 2018, 9 episodes373 points by 4 votersA man, wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years, escapes and returns as a new identity, believed dead by those from his past. Driven by vengeance against those who ruined his life, he orchestrates ...more -
![Egao no Hosoku]()
Yumi (Takeuchi Yuko) is a 23-year-old office worker. Out of the blue, she is fired from her job. A few days later, wearing kimono, she is rushing to an interview for some ...more -
![Uchi no Otto wa Shigoto ga Dekinai]()
Tsukasa is an ideal husband to his wife Sayaka. He possesses a good appearance, impressive educational background and earns a high salary, but he keeps a secret from Sayaka. His secret is ...more -
![Ghost Writer]()
Tono Risa is a gifted writer in her 30s. She has already made a name for herself, but actually feels that she is at the end of the road. At that moment, ...more -
![Soredemo, Ikite Yuku]()
Fukami Hiroki's younger sister was killed by a friend. Hiroki then meets the killer's sister, Toyama Futaba, 15 years after the incident. Both of their families have been burdened with grief, but ...more -
![Bara no nai Hanaya]()
Shiomi Eiji is a florist. He is a single man with a young daughter named Shizuku. One day, he invites a blind woman seeking shelter under his shop awning to come in ...more -
![Iari: Mienai Kao]()
After the death of university professor Hirokawa Seiji's wife, an unknown woman visits their house, asking if his wife is at home, only to disappear when he opens the door. Shortly after, ...more -
![Nemureru Mori no Jukujo]()
Chinami Aizawa is a 46-year-old housewife who quit her job at a bank, after her marriage. One day, her husband asks for a divorce because he reunited with his first love through ...more -
![Kyo Kara Ore wa!!]()
Two transfer students, Mitsuhashi Takashi and Itou Shinji, tired of their boring normal life and unpopularity decide to take their arrival at a new school as an opportunity to reinvent their image, ...more -
![Yasashii Jikan]()
Yukichi Wakui, a former businessman, moves to Furano, Hokkaido, after his wife Megumi's tragic death in a car accident. There, he opens a small coffee shop called "The Forest Clock." His son, ...more -
![The Queen's Classroom]()
A new school year begins at Hanzaki Elementary School, and there's a new mysterious teacher named Akutsu Maya in grade 6, class 3. Meanwhile, Kanda Kazumi is now entering the 6th grade ...more -
![Kaitou Yamaneko]()
Yamaneko is an eccentric and mysterious 'Phantom Thief' who steals from the corrupted rich while exposing their misdeeds. Along for the ride is Katsumura Hideo, a magazine reporter who, at Yamaneko's request, ...more -
![Princess Maison]()
26-year-old Numagoe Sachi works for a Japanese-style bar and earns an annual income of 2.5 million yen. She lives with the goal of buying an apartment. Her routine is to spend her ...more -
![Lupin no Musume]()
Hana comes from a family that has been thieves for generations. Hana refuses to become a thief, and she wants to live a normal life. She currently works as a librarian, and ...more -
![Semi Otoko]()
Okawa Yuka is living out the daily motions of life but doesn't understand her reason to keep living. After a confrontation with a co-worker, she decides to end it all but fails ...more -
![Mop Girl]()
Momoko has just started a new job at a company that offers funeral services and cleans up after crime scenes when she discovers she has an amazing supernatural power. When she touches ...more -
![Kaseifu no Mita]()
Can a family hope to recover after losing their mother to suicide? Keiichi Asuda serves his wife, Nagiko divorce papers after he tells her that he intends to marry his mistress. The ...more -
![Strawberry Night]()
Himekawa Reiko is a female detective at the Metropolitan Police Department. Reiko doesn't come from an elite background but has risen fast through the ranks with hard work. Reiko then becomes involved ...more -
![Water Boys 2]()
Three years ago, the former all-girl Himeno High School opened its doors to male students but remained a female-dominated institution, with the majority of students being girls. One day, Eikichi Mizushima transferred ...more -
![Radiation House]()
Igarashi Iori is a talented radiographer who believes the “truth” is definitely captured in CT and MRI images. He and radiologist Amakasu An work at a hospital’s radiology department where they determine ...more -
![Tokyo Joshi Zukan]()
The story follows Aya Saito from last year in high school to her 40s, as she moves from Akita, a small rural town in the Japanese countryside to the glittering metropolis of ...more -
![Minshu no Teki]()
Sato Tomoko leads an ordinary life as a 40-year-old wife and mother with a part-time hourly job to supplement the household income. One day, she defies an unfair rule at her customer ...more -
![Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu]()
"I thought I might be using a lifetime's happiness in a moment. I was that happy, and she was that beautiful." A young boy stands on the red earth of Australia under ...more -
![Mondai no Aru Restaurant]()
Tanaka Tamako, betrayed by her boyfriend-turned-chef and arrested after an incident involving sexual harassment of her friend, resigns from her male-dominated restaurant job. She opens a bistro on a rooftop in Jingumae, ...more -
![Triangle]()
The series starts with the murder of a 10-year-old girl in 1984. 15 years later, after the case goes unsolved and passes the statute of limitations, a doctor named Goda Ryoji suddenly ...more -
![Toumei na Yurikago]()
17-year-old Aoi came to Yui Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic as a part-time nurse apprentice in Summer 1997. Right after her entry, she is shocked after witnessing an abortion surgery. However, she also ...more -
![Tokyo Love Story]()
When Kanchi first came to Tokyo to work, he was full of uncertainties. He is 'lost' in his work and his love relationship is in a mess. During those times, Rika, his ...more -
![Garasu no Ie]()
When Tamaki Rei was a child, her parents died in an airplane accident in France. She grew up in a difficult environment, and money was always hard to come by. Now in ...more -
![Koi no Chikara]()
Toko (Fukatsu Eri), decides after she turns 30 that she is all but ready to give up on any future career hopes or romance, so she turns to the bottle for comfort. ...more -
![Brother Beat]()
They don't know when to stop and live life to the full—meet the never-a-dull-moment Sakurai family, where nobody holds their feelings back. Sakurai Harue, who brought up her sons alone after her ...more -
![Dr. Koto Shinryojo]()
After making a serious mistake in his work in Tokyo, talented surgeon Goto Kensuke is invited to take charge of the only clinic on the small island of Yonaguni, Okinawa. It is ...more -
![Hokuto]()
20-year-old Hokuto is being detained as a murderer and tells his court-appointed lawyer Takai Soichi to get him the death penalty. Hokuto was actually severely abused by his parents in his childhood ...more -
![Sumika Sumire]()
Kisaragi Sumi, a 65-year-old woman trapped in the body of a 20-year-old, spent her life caring for her family and never had a chance at youth. After her mother’s death, she wishes ...more -
![Hatsumori Bemars]()
The park of Hatsumori, where Nanase and her friends grew, is in danger of being erased. Will it and its memories survive? Its future will be decided on a softball competition. (Source: ...more -
![N no Tame ni]()
University student Sugishita Nozomi, Naruse Shinji, Ando Nozomi and Nishizaki Masato end up coming upon the scene of the murder of the Noguchi couple, because of a plan they had devised. Nishizaki ...more -
![Love and Fortune]()
Frustrated by life with her boyfriend, thirty-something Wako can't stop herself from being interested in high schooler Yumeaki, despite the age gap. (Source: Netflix) ~~ Adapted from the manga "Koi no Tsuki" ...more -
![Mukashi no Otoko]()
Akari is a jewelry clerk who doubles as the store’s catalog model. She does not appreciate only being valued for just her beauty. She is eager to marry her boyfriend Hayato who ...more -
![Home Drama]()
In a house in the outskirts of Tokyo, there lives a family of eight. Such a large family is rare these days; however, not one is related by blood. They all lost ...more -
![Going My Home]()
The drama focuses on 45-year-old Tsuboi Ryota, the coordinator of a large CM company who is receiving a request from one of their clients to change some parts of their new CM. ...more -
![Ashita no Yakusoku]()
Hinata Aizawa, a high school counselor, is a trusted figure who listens to students' problems. Having grown up with an over-caring mother, she understands their struggles. One day, a student who had ...more -
![Keizoku]()
Graduating at the top of her class, elite detective candidate Jun Shibata is transferred to the section that handles cases deemed "unsolvable" by the department. Her partner, though a well-respected and experienced ...more -
![Strawberry on the Shortcake]()
At some point, Irie Manato began to withdraw himself from the world. Even when picked on, it's not the real Irie, but an act. However one day he meets a strange girl ...more -
![Kaidan Botan Doro: Beauty & Fear]()
The ghost of Otsuyu, a beautiful lady who died pining for love, visits her beloved Hagiwara Shinzaburo every night. The personalities and desires of Otsuyu's father Iijima Heizaemon the loyal Kurokawa Kosuke ...more -
![Suugaku Joshi Gakuen]()
The story, developed with the cooperation of the International Mathematical Olympiad in Japan, is set at a specialized math school full of “suugaku joshi” (“math girls”). Naturally, the show will incorporate various ...more -
![Hard Nut!]()
Kurumi Nanba is a student in late teens majoring in math at Tokyo university. She's viewed as a weirdo due to her poor communication skills, but having a genius level intellect. Meanwhile, ...more -
![Golden Bowl]()
Focus, concentration, proper posture and good release are the hallmarks of a good bowler. Welcome to Golden Bowl bowling alley. A bit rundown and small but no worse for wear, the Golden ...more -
![Chef: Mitsuboshi no Kyushoku]()
Hoshino Mitsuko is the talented three-star chef of famous French restaurant, La Cuisine de La reine, in Ginza, Tokyo. She has drawn attention not just from Japan but also the world for ...more -
![Big Money!]()
"Big Money!" is a human drama with a suspense twist about a young man who learns the tricks of the trade about stock exchange from a well-experienced investor. The backdrop of this ...more -
![Satsui no Michinori]()
Due to heavy debts incurred by CEO Yushiyuki, the owner of a small cardboard processing company was forced into bankruptcy and driven to suicide. Despite pleas from the man's family, Yoshiyuki remained ...more -
![Girl Gun Lady]()
Koharu is a dull high school girl who is always alone. Her only hobby is making plastic models. One day, Koharu stops by a mysterious antique shop and purchases a plastic model ...more -
![SPEC: Birth]()
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department forms a special unit called Mishou (Unidentified Crimes Unit) to tackle complex cases with no evidence, witnesses, or connections to major organizations, which are beyond the reach ...more -
![Boku no Yabai Tsuma]()
Mochizuki Kohei, married to the beautiful and talented Maria, seems to have it all—a successful café and a perfect marriage. However, feeling suffocated by her, he plans her murder with the help ...more -
![Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi]()
Forced out of his research group after conflicts with his colleagues, Ogawa Takanobu takes up an offer to teach at a girls' high school in Nara. When taking roll call on the ...more -
![Namae o Nakushita Megami]()
The story focuses on a group of mothers who all have children around the same age. These women form a bond by sharing their anxieties about raising their children, each coming from ...more -
![Sexy Voice and Robo]()
Hayashi Niko is a mature middle school student with heightened hearing and the ability to mimic the voice of anyone she encounters. Sudo Ichiro is an immature Otaku who is obsessed with ...more -
![Medaka]()
Takako Meguro's dream has always been to get married and quit her job. But one day, she finds herself working as a teacher at a night school. At first, she is unmotivated ...more -
![Siren]()
Satomi Shinobu works in the Mobile Investigation Unit of The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The Mobile Investigation Unit conducts the initial investigation at all crime scenes. He works with Inokuma Yuki. They ...more -
![Love Story]()
Misaki is a 30-year old unlucky in love editor. She tends to fall in love hard and smothers her boyfriends to death. With no major accomplishments under her belt, she is told ...more -
![Kiken na Aneki]()
Hiroko is the number-one hostess club girl. Hailing from the Miyazaki countryside, she has been told since her youth that all she has is a beautiful face. Her brilliant younger brother, who ...more -
![Camouflage]()
The series consists of four 3-episode chapters, each handled by a different director. The directors were given freedom in their stories, but they all share a common theme: lies. --Tokyograph All of ...more -
![Star no Koi]()
Sosuke Nakata is just your everyday salaried worker. There is really nothing special that stands out about Nakata. He is a serious guy, whose life mostly consists of going back and forth ...more -
![Bunshin]()
Two women who look identical search for the secret behind their births and, in the process, discover forbidden medical technologies and the mystery of life. ~~ Adapted from the novel "Bunshin (分身)" ...more -
![Date - Koi to wa Donna Mono Kashira]()
Yabushita Yoriko, a 29-year-old economics expert who holds a Masters degree from University of Tokyo and works in the field of macroeconomics research, is rigid and refuses to pander to others. As ...more -
![Bread and Soup and Cat Weather]()
Akiko lives with her mother, but suddenly her mother passes away. Since then she quits her editing job and takes over her mother's small restaurant. At the restaurant there's only two items ...more -
![Wonderful Life]()
Kirishima is the most famous baseball player in Japan. However, an unfortunate injury forces him to retire. His family abandons him, and all that's left is a vacant coaching position at a ...more -
![Last Money - Ai no Nedan]()
Seiwa Life Insurance receives approximately 3,500 claims a day and the company pays out on average 4.9 billion yen a day. When the company suspects possible fraud, they investigate the claims within ...more -
![Mother Game]()
Kanbara Kiko is a divorcee and raises her 5-year-old son alone. To open a box lunch food store, she moves to her grandfather's house. She tries to enroll her son Haruto into ...more -
![In Hand]()
Himokura Tetsu is a scientist who specialises in the study of parasites. He loathes people and is very sadistic. Tetsu bought a huge botanical garden in Hakone which he converted into his ...more -
![Namonaki Doku]()
Saburo Sugimura works for the PR department of a company that his father-in-law, Yoshichika Imada, runs. One day, Yoshichika Imada asks Saburo Sugimura to find out about Nobuo Kajita. A complicated story ...more -
![Tenshi no Wakemae]()
Arisa Mizuki plays a 35-year-old woman named Kurumi, who suddenly loses everything in her life when her fiance runs off with all of her assets. Left with a mere 15,000 yen and ...more -
![Toho Nanahun]()
32-year-old Kurosaki Yoriko has no man, no friends and no job. She starts to live alone for the first time and comes in touch with a new world. This is the story ...more -
![Petero no Souretsu]()
Saburo Sugimura works for the PR department of a company which his father-in-law runs. His job is to edit the company newspaper. One day, on the bus, Saburo Sugimura faces a hijacking ...more -
![Watashi no Uchi ni wa, Nanimo Nai]()
Mai used to live in a messy room, but now has an obsession with decluttering. She wants to live a "Nannimo Nai" Lifestyle. However, when friends visit, they are shocked by her ...more -
![Voice]()
A group of five medical students take on the task of conveying the "voices of the dead." Kaji Daiki fails to get into a popular heart surgery seminar but is somehow accepted ...more -
![Fukuyado Honpo - Kyoto Love Story]()
Fukuyoshi Hina, Arare, and Hana are three sisters whose family run Fukuya, a 450-year-old traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Kyoto. This is the story of their individual romances, love of family and ...more -
![Quartet]()
Shun is a tattoo-clad 3rd generation orphan in China. Shun and two others assist the police in undercover investigations in the fictional town of Midori, where illegals live. "Quartet" is a serious ...more -
![Fumo Chitai]()
Iki Tadashi is a military leader who was captured by the Soviets during World War II. Treated as a war criminal, he was sentenced to many years of labor in a harsh ...more -
![Hatachi no Koibito]()
Hatachi no Koibito tells the story of Inoue Keisuke, a married salaryman. At the age of 50, he begins thinking about his purpose in life. By chance, he encounters Sawada Yuri, a ...more -
![Muri na Renai]()
Shogo is a divorced man with one daughter. In his younger days, he was briefly in a band but it quickly broke up, and he took on a job at a record ...more
