Class divide & privilege ? Both dramas explore the sharp gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary students, showing how money and status shape relationships.
School setting ? The main conflicts unfold in prestigious schools, where competition, secrets, and ambition drive the story.
Identity & transformation ? Characters struggle with who they are versus who they want to be — whether through magical change (Golden Spoon) or social climbing (Bitch x Rich).
Moral dilemmas ?? Each drama asks: What would you sacrifice for success? Choices around loyalty, friendship, and ambition are central.
Dark tone with suspense ? While not horror, both series carry tension, mystery, and emotional weight that keep viewers hooked.
School setting ? The main conflicts unfold in prestigious schools, where competition, secrets, and ambition drive the story.
Identity & transformation ? Characters struggle with who they are versus who they want to be — whether through magical change (Golden Spoon) or social climbing (Bitch x Rich).
Moral dilemmas ?? Each drama asks: What would you sacrifice for success? Choices around loyalty, friendship, and ambition are central.
Dark tone with suspense ? While not horror, both series carry tension, mystery, and emotional weight that keep viewers hooked.
on the writing level i give CFC 10/10, Shiko Funjatta 9/10. They are close. both are masterpieces in our generation.
team camaraderie: Characters discover friendship and unity by committing to a demanding club activity.
tradition meets youth: Each story highlights a deeply traditional Japanese practice (karuta in Chihayafuru, sumo in Shiko Funjatta!) while showing how modern students engage with it.
personal growth: The leads mature by facing setbacks, learning discipline, and finding identity through competition.
emotional highs: Both balance humor, frustration, and heartfelt moments, making the journey resonate beyond the sport itself.
team camaraderie: Characters discover friendship and unity by committing to a demanding club activity.
tradition meets youth: Each story highlights a deeply traditional Japanese practice (karuta in Chihayafuru, sumo in Shiko Funjatta!) while showing how modern students engage with it.
personal growth: The leads mature by facing setbacks, learning discipline, and finding identity through competition.
emotional highs: Both balance humor, frustration, and heartfelt moments, making the journey resonate beyond the sport itself.
If you’re torn between Shiko Funjatta! and Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku, go with Shiko Funjatta!—it’s better in every way. The characters feel alive, the pacing is tight but natural, and the emotional beats actually land. Chihayafuru isn’t bad—it has heart and visual flair—but it’s so rushed it ends up feeling forced, like it’s sprinting through moments that deserved to breathe. Shiko Funjatta! balances comedy, growth, and team spirit with surprising depth. Highly recommended if you want a sports drama that actually earns its impact.
Both center on male leads who are exceptionally skilled and driven in their pursuit of justice.
Each drama mixes crime investigation with a strong thriller element, keeping the tension high.
Corruption and hidden conspiracies are major obstacles the protagonists must uncover.
The tone is dark and suspenseful, with little focus on romance.
Both shows highlight the cost of fighting powerful enemies while staying true to one’s convictions.
Each drama mixes crime investigation with a strong thriller element, keeping the tension high.
Corruption and hidden conspiracies are major obstacles the protagonists must uncover.
The tone is dark and suspenseful, with little focus on romance.
Both shows highlight the cost of fighting powerful enemies while staying true to one’s convictions.
Both explore elite school settings and the divide between rich students and outsiders.
Each story involves bullying, manipulation, and survival themes.
Characters are morally ambiguous, driven by ambition and desperation.
Despite being youth?centered, both lean toward dark tones rather than lighthearted school life.
Each story involves bullying, manipulation, and survival themes.
Characters are morally ambiguous, driven by ambition and desperation.
Despite being youth?centered, both lean toward dark tones rather than lighthearted school life.
Justice vs Corruption, Male Lead Duo/Dynamic, Case?Driven Narrative, Moral Ambiguity.
A mix of suspense, strategy, and occasional levity (Okura leans more on bromance/comedy, Again My Life on revenge?thriller intensity).
A mix of suspense, strategy, and occasional levity (Okura leans more on bromance/comedy, Again My Life on revenge?thriller intensity).
If you enjoyed Again My Life, you’ll likely find Trillion Game appealing too — both center on brilliant underdogs who outwit powerful elites through strategy, charisma, and carefully built alliances. While Again My Life leans into legal revenge and political corruption, Trillion Game shifts the battlefield to business and startups, but the thrill of watching a genius dismantle entrenched systems is the same. Neither spends much time on romance, keeping the focus on clever takedowns and the satisfaction of seeing the “little guy” outplay the giants.
Sharp, Strategic Protagonists
High-Stakes Professional Arena
Ethics Under Pressure Both explore what happens when professional duty collides with personal principles, and how far someone will go to stand by their convictions.
Tightly Woven Tension The pacing keeps you hooked — every move feels like part of a larger chess match, with the audience piecing together the strategy as it unfolds.
Charisma & Presence The leads aren’t just smart — they have a magnetic presence that draws allies, rattles rivals, and keeps viewers invested in their journey.
High-Stakes Professional Arena
Ethics Under Pressure Both explore what happens when professional duty collides with personal principles, and how far someone will go to stand by their convictions.
Tightly Woven Tension The pacing keeps you hooked — every move feels like part of a larger chess match, with the audience piecing together the strategy as it unfolds.
Charisma & Presence The leads aren’t just smart — they have a magnetic presence that draws allies, rattles rivals, and keeps viewers invested in their journey.
If you liked Trillion Game, try Hanzawa Naoki 2. Both are high-stakes Japanese business dramas where a sharp, fearless lead takes on powerful financial institutions. Trillion Game shows Haru bluffing and scheming his way to build a trillion-yen empire, while Hanzawa Naoki 2 follows a banker who uses wit and grit to fight corruption inside Japan’s biggest bank. Both deliver tense corporate battles, clever strategies, and the thrill of watching the underdog outsmart the system.
P/S: love Mio Imada in both :)
P/S: love Mio Imada in both :)
Share house, Sismance, Social Commentary, Housemates' Relationship, Social Issues, Miniseries, strong Female Lead, Slight Romance.
For Joshiteki, must watch until Miki meets Goto and it's very interesting.
For Joshiteki, must watch until Miki meets Goto and it's very interesting.
Comedy, Hilarious chats, Gag humor, Adapted From A Manga, Physics, Science, Nerdy Male Lead, Eccentric Male Lead, Miniseries
Comedy, Romance, Nerdy Male Lead, Eccentric Male Lead, Nice Male Lead, First Love, Miniseries, Scientist Male Lead, Experiment, Smart Male Lead, Adapted From A Manga
