What are the best Japanese dramas?

We are all a big fan of drama shows coming from the West, that much is true. In recent years though, there has been a surge in the popularity of drama shows coming from our Asian contemporaries. A lot of us are probably confused as to why these two genres are so different from one another. A big part of that is how these shows are conceptualized, produced, and marketed to viewers. Most western TV shows today are made to run for as long as possible. This means that western shows are a bit more unpredictable and capricious in nature. These shows tend to go on as long as viewers are interested. So it's not really uncommon for these shows to abruptly end, which we know, as fans, can be quite annoying and disappointing. No one wants to invest their time following a story that could possibly end without any proper closure.

Asian drama shows in comparison are more controlled and deliberate. Their showrunners know exactly how many episodes there will be, with how many seasons, and for how long it will run. You might think that that seems too constricting. On the contrary, it actually makes it easier for the writers of these shows. They can plot out how they want the story to unfold and how it will from the get-go. If you're already a fan of the genre, then you'll know that Korean drama (k-drama) is probably one of the most popular sub-genre of Asian drama there is right now. For now, we want to focus your attention on its lesser-know cousin, Japanese drama or j-drama. There are plenty of really good j-dramas to watch and we've listed some of them down below. Check out some of the best Japanese dramas today and tell us what you think in the comments section below.