Completed Jdramas

The drama that started it all for me, and therefore my judgement is heavily clouded by nostalgia

Perfection, apart from that last shot I JUST WANT TO REACH INTO THE SCREEN AND WRENCH THOSE GODDAMN LIFT DOORS OPEN.

I feel like Stalker Monk: The Series is not something even a wattpad writer could come up with

Do you want to skip school?

I still don't know how I feel about this

Misogyny on aphrodisiac

'THIS IS A GAY MANGA' the magaka's words, not mine. Dated but fantastic

why does the male gaze ruin everything that is good and holy in this world

Ok so this is actually about as good as the first season, it just had fewer uncomfortable scenes and depictions of women in it so the rating is higher. Don't get me wrong though - there's still plenty of questionable things (such as the teenager character being in love with an older man because of course Japan you just freaking had to) but I actually think I liked a few things about this more than season 1??

I really shouldn't rate this so highly but there's some kind of comforting crack in this show that somehow lets me ride through the inherently misogynistic plot whilst ignoring all the successive problems along the way. 

Possibly it’s easier for me to stomach because I interpet Furukawa's depiction of Naoki as having depression at the beginning of the show, because he has an EQ that is so low beneath the ground it’s in the underworld combined with a ridiculously high IQ. This kinda helps explain a lot of his manipulative actions, his superiority complex (I think beneath it all there is an insecurity stemming from his lack of identity and social interaction), and his lack of and inability to communicate.

Kotoko on the other hand is adorable, resilient, with an EQ in the clouds. Yes she greatly lacks self esteem in many ways, is persistent to a fault (I mean severely, girlie should have walked away years ago but is way too empathetic), but she is still a character whose traits are beautiful.

It gets slightly better, with the bare minimum of character development (which is thwarted by the final episodes I like to pretend don't exist). I should also not  rate this so highly but what is objectivity??? I don't know her

Perfection, heartwarming, my bookish heart is trembling OFFICE/WORK-BASED JDRAMAS OWN. MY. HEART. 

I just want one more episode, Kahoko's journey is so precious

Even though a lot of the actions of the characters here actually made a lot of sense to me and I disagree with those saying there is no character development at all, I just don't know how I feel about it. The male leads treat Terada badly, especially the second male lead, but for the male lead it wasn't the worst in the world (still messed-up but that is literally the point of this drama), so I just can't hate it but also wtf. wtf??? wtf. The chemistry was good? help

Kuritani was iconic though, sometimes good food is more important than love.

The sweetest of sweetness, perfection, can this be any more adorable??? Give us season two nowww

Side notes: Aoki you are my inner voice, Hashimoto best girl, Ida how more thoughtful can a person possibly be?, the homophobia arc was handled excellently

I... This looks more suspicious than it is... girlboss malewife energy? does that sell it to you?

If Mischevious Kiss was less misogynistic and only took place in the hospital arc. Also for those who like the softer tsundere type, this is for you.

Dark, subverts the romance genre, somewhat problematic in its portrayal of a lesbian side character but considering that every character in this does messed up stuff it's not too bad

If we ignore the questionable one night stand situation, FINALLY A DRAMA WHERE IT'S NOT 100% CLEAR WHO THE FEMALE LEAD ENDS UP WITH, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW THAT MAKES THE LOVE TRIANGLE ACTUALLY ENJOYABLE. I love that the misogyny decreases in this one.

Ouran High School Host Club x Black Butler I don't care what you say I'm right

The only thing I remember about this is that it was adorable but also that scene where she turns back to normal size ON TOP OF HIM NAKED IN THE HOSPITAL

Fluff to watch when you feel like crying

Aside from some questionable-to-say-the-least actions taken by some of the characters, this is iconically hilarious

Once again, Dori Sakurada chooses a questionable script. Also cheating is just…. ugh, and the obsessiveness of all the characters was so messy in a way that left me very unsatisfied. It was watchable though, and the perspective shift was interesting

When they get it right, Japan excels at sensual sex-based stories that turn into heartfelt romance. Also love how the leads match each other so well in terms of general life experience cos it means there's no power imbalance in sight, AND ONCE AGAIN PERSPECTIVE SHIFT!!!

Contract marriage fluff = instalove, and this one is perfect

There’s something in that seaside air that whispers to me: ‘Even though you know this is tropey, weirdly there’s something in this plot that feels refreshingly new and magical. Maybe it’s the bickering couple dynamic you’re a sucker for, maybe it’s because for once the male lead doesn’t lose his grouchiness after falling in love, or maybe it’s the stellar performances, but one thing’s for sure: you’ll rewatch this one day’

I think I erased this from my memory or something

Asiancrush title-maker, you are a holy grail sent to earth

P E R S P E C T I V E   S H I F T   D O N E   R I G H T !!!!!!!!! 

What an iconic, supportive, and realistic age-gap couple, but I continue to notice a concerning trend with hostile/antagonistic/psychotic queer side characters in jdramas. At least in this one the side character’s actions make sense with their backstory

I’m jUsT a mOB-  oops i fell in love

Even better, but can you stop torturing us with cliffhangers creators??  please

Despite frustration upon frustration I found it more enjoyable than most, probably because I find neuroatypical characters interesting

I finally watched the classic and whilst F4 Thailand is a better, less problematic adaptation in so many ways, nothing can beat really good acting and chemistry. And props to them for giving Makino the dream of being a lawyer despite other misogynistic aspects of this adaptation.

Dragged a bit more than season 1, which made it a more heartwrenching viewing experience (the final movie barely made up for the the pure painful frustration of them holding hands for 3 seconds only to turn around and see Domyouji's mother, like ffs)

Just like Secret Crush on You (a Thai bl), this weird asf show turned out to be incredibly wholesome with a healthy relationship, you just have to trust the process. Gotta say, I have a strange appreciation for the abstract sex scenes

Adorable, just wasn't long enough. There was also a distinct lack of kisses considering the title, I was promised kisses!!! :'(  The emphasis on consent was lovely though

Possibly the most chaotic thing I've ever watched, and displays a level of procrastination not even I could achieve

Also made me tear up a little, my only gripe is that the chemistry between the leads maybe wasn't quite there

The grandma was 100% my favourite character though, she stole the limelight

Creepy behaviour displayed by Togawa at points, but I suppose that makes sense for his character due to his attempts to suppress his feelings. Aside from that, overall it's lovely to see a story like this centring on older people with beautiful conversations about aging and what that means for our life choices.

It also scratched that constant itch for dramatic jdrama running scenes, they are always the best

This adaptation of the HanaDan sequel captured part of its addictive essence whilst constructing a far less problematic male lead and a female lead whose experience of both riches and rags makes for a unique perspective I loved watching. I honestly just wanted there to be less female competition in this show because I hate it when female leads can't just be friends from the beginning, also why did c4 only have one girl involved??? And she just had to romantically interested in the male lead?? Otherwise this show was cute

I love love LOVE that this sequel features no breakups, no external dramas: instead it focuses on the relationship development between Kiyoi and Hira as they work through their problems.

I do think the pacing was a lil off in comparison to season one though, but I don't really mind considering there will be a final movie to wrap this up.

Silly, sometimes reflective, often cliche but fun. Enjoyable as a short lil watch but I would say the chemistry was a tad off (fake-out kisses and the singular weirdly intense and sudden sexually suggestive moment are no one's thing, thank you very much)

Love LOVE the theme tune though, especially the intro the editors went off on that

The first two episodes or so really had something, then the energy just *disappeared* for the remainder of the drama like someone washed the seasoning off for their spice averse child and only gave themselves a small extra helping of the decently flavoursome proposal scene at the end.

Put simply, this was far too textbook tropey a show for the overall blandness of the acting and writing from episode three onwards. Honestly I don't blame the actors for this at all though, they're actually decent at acting and in particular the female lead was characterised in a very natural realistic way, its just that the writers and director made some strange and boring decisions. Where it felt like there were moments that could maintain and build on chemistry, everything seemed  downplayed or shyed away from in favour of  scenes going back and forth between the couple acting oddly awkward in public to having brief hugs that somehow lead to yet another dragged out fight in their relationship ugh

I am so done with my past generous ratings for mediocrity in case you couldn't tell lmao

Fun, needed more romantic moments to get away with the lack of consistent character development imo but the tension was there for sure. Very glad at least they settled on Yae choosing her own princess path in the end otherwise this wouldve been too lost to the Japanese misogyny gods for me to approve because absolutely *no one* who's a people pleaser to that extent is sane and real. I should know since I am one lmao. Yae is at least 90% a passion project of those misogyny gods who have a kink for the sexist 'good girl' archetype I just know it!

Also, really wish that misogynistic-obsessed-with-marriage-chairman-dude was more obviously criticised in the dialogue though because wtf do you mean 'that's best' if she's a housewife?!?