#japanese dramas

[jdramasource]

FOUR YEARS OF JDRAMASOURCE!*:･ﾟ✧ ESTABLISHED: NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020*:･ﾟ✧ Thank you always for following and sharing all things jdrama related!

— tracking: #jdramasource / #jdramaedit —

[vraisetzen]

An absolutely normal and heterosexual way to gaze look at your best friend ✨ – Abunai Deka (1986)

[gray-r-regan]

So I decided to watch the first ep of If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student (cried the whole time).

Now I'm watching the live Tyson fight (hope he beats the shit out of that shithead's shithead brother).

Then I'm going by myself to see The Substance at AMC.

I am such a goddamn masochist it is unreal.

[jjminah]

can someone suggest some really good jdramas??

like, iwgp, miu404, youre my destiny, nobuta wo produce, kantaro

[sonjathevampire]

[caitchercatlady]

Ranking Asian Dramas of 2024: Fall Season

Juicy Lips Juicy Heart (Premiered Sep 19; Why did I even finish this?)

This short drama (literally one 10 min episode) feels like a make up advertisement that’s parodying the BL genre. Why this even counts, I don’t even know!

Death’s First Love (Premiered Oct 1; Good For What It Was)

I enjoyed getting my heart ripped out each and every episode, which made me wanna see Sakuya and Nayuki get together even more. On the other hand, I felt that for each of the 30 minute episodes, each of them felt so drawn out and that the story barely went anywhere. Would I watch it again for the characters? Sure, but only if a friend asked me to.

My Damn Business (Premiered Oct 5; Good For What It Was)

Short, sweet, tropey.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Premiered Oct 17; Good for What it Was)

I feel like dramas have always had the issue of not telling the difference between a flashback and the present day. The first few episodes had me hooked, but the more it goes on, it feels like the story drags. It’s weird because Korean BL are usually better than this.

The Secret of Work (Premiered Nov 2; Why did I Even Finish this?)

I guess this is what happens when I watch dramas made for TikTok. The most hilarious thing I ever saw in my life though is that this “official drama” had the Spongebob time cards! Uh…COPYRIGHT? I would feel better if this show was a college project rather than an official show.

21 Days Closer Step (Premiered Nov 5; Good for What it Was)

It’s very subtle, but it’s a relaxing level of subtle as we explore two romantic lives in one short series. Thank you, Thai dramas, for getting me back into slice of life.

Caged Again (Premiered Nov 15; Good For What It Was)

I was introduced to this show via the pilot, and I actually made a spit take when I saw the CGI penguins walking around. I knew I was getting into something when I decided to pick this series up. I mean, you’re walking into a show about a humanized penguin and panther getting together. You’re about to see some corny and even lowkey stupid shit. However, this show does have it sweet and even high stake moments, which kept me watching. Would I recommend this show to anyone? No, not really.

[momentsatmydesk]

Sunday wisdom from ‘The Makanai’. 🌼🌞

[dylan-rodrigues]

I love this drama so much, I love tuning in every week to see this little found family 🥺😭

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[bisexualboysbroadcast]

minor subtitle translation thing that makes me sad:

in japanese dramas when they say いただきます (itadakimasu) and the subtitles translate it as bon appétit

that’s not what it means :( that’s not what they’re saying :( i understand logically it’s an okay translation but it’s not quite the same meaning :( it’s more like ‘thank you for this meal’ or ‘i will enjoy this meal’ bon appétit is more like ‘cheers to the food’

i don’t know the vibes just don’t feel right between these two phrases

[laylalgbtqheadcanons]

Aoki Sota from Kieta Hatsukoi is bisexual! (Canon)

[jdramasource]

Snowdrop no Hatsukoi スノードロップの初恋 (2024)

[vraisetzen]

Only in the 80s could you have a television subplot of someone trying to quit smoking, only to succumb at the end of the episode. Abunai Deka, ep. 26 – "予感"/Premonition

But damn if he doesn't look good doing it:

[jaejoongs-nipple-piercing]

So I will watch all the way to the end of the series, but I need to know (because I'm incredibly impatient and can't wait): what exactly happens to Kai at the end of Fermat's Cuisine? I know he's sick but does he leave like to get better or is it implied that he passes away?

[ibelongtotheclassics]

curious how the story of these two will conclude 🙉

i just hope it won't be another heartache like what happened to my hiro & kanae ship 😭😭😭

<credits to the video owner>

[maychild]

mini-reviews of bl dramas watched (part 7)

A MAN WHO DEFIES THE WORLD OF BL 2

here's my issue with this whole BL: it's.so.boring. like does anything happen?? NO. it's just mob and his internalized homophobia. (why does he not want to be in a relationship with a boy so much??? is it the phobia and stigma that comes with liking someone of the same sex?? LIKE WHAT IS THE REASON?? maybe i'm just not watching this show closely but fuck it; it shouldn't be watched closely.) also, YMMV and everything but there's no charm to it like in Cherry Magic or Old Fashion Cupcake. it's just mob and his No Homo all day everyday.

they are trying to cram character growth and romantic development into three very short eps and, imho, i don't think it works?? yes, it pokes fun at BL tropes, but i think that's the only good thing it does because i just don't care about these characters. well, that's not true, i do care about kikuchi and mob but then i'm inundated with all these minor characters that we're wasting time on when we could be focusing on kikuchi and mob. i just want the freakin' show to focus on them, but it doesn't and so i'm frustrated. maybe i just don't like self-referential shows?? this bl and I didn't vibe and that's okay but i feel like some people rate it more highly than it should be. (also, i don't remember what happened in either season, that's how much this bored me. well, i remember mob was in the hospital for some scenes but that's all...)

i do love the beauty and the beast-esque instrumental music and the opening/closing themes so very much tho. 6.5/10

CHERRY BLOSSOMS AFTER WINTER

so beautifully filmed and happy and fluffy. this isn't a drama that says a lot, or is deep in any way really, but taesung and haebom were adorable (there is a bit of Drama with the mother--the sole guardian/parent of these two boys--not approving of their relationship at first, but she comes around, and i do like that that part is realistic). a simple story told semi-realistically (there was no dreaded last minute break up, thank goodness, and it seemed to avoid most cliches found in kdramas).

the chemistry for these two is so-so for me; it wasn't necessarily bad, but i also didn't really buy into their relationship. here's my whole issue: besides a couple of almost steamy kisses, and romantic touching, this isn't a show that focuses a lot on the physical side of things. and that's okay! some loving, romantic relationships don't revolve around sex at all, and to each their own, but well, it just seemed to me that this show erred too much on the platonic side of things (the show really tried to tell me that these two weren't horny for each other at all, without explicitly also stating they were asexual, which i might've bought if they showed the two leads having any kinda conversation about sex, even while sleeping in the same bed, but they didn't so i didn't buy two college students being so very chaste in their relationship). 7.5/10

THE EIGHT SENSE

this was very beautiful in the story line and cinematography and everything, although the choppy camerawork grated on my nerves at times, and so did the jump cuts (i get that it was an experimental style of filming, but up to this point all KBLs have mostly been very polished pieces, except for certain parts of blueming as well, so it's jarring to see it in a piece that's been afforded a much longer run-time. also, for example, some scenes were quite noisy where i expected it to be super silent, so this felt very realistic in that regard, but again, so jarring). these are very, very minor quibbles in what was essentially a bl so beautiful and pure and amazing, tho.

the slow burn of it all was wonderful as was the chemistry between all the character. there was one drunk kiss between the leads that they never talk about again so the whole bl is them becoming friends AND then becoming lovers so i appreciated that while they both had a connection with each other right from their first meeting, it wasn't only about the lust between them, but about how these two different people came together when they needed each other the most and provided a safe harbor for each other. jaewon's therapist harped a lot on jihyun being jaewon's refuge and safe place but i think he was the same thing for jihyun and i think that's why they worked so well together considering they came from different backgrounds.

the minor/supporting characters were also a delight to watch (esp. jihyun's group of friends contrasted with jaewon's friends who felt very fake and like they were only jaewon's "friends" bc his dad was super rich--excluding yoon won who was the best).

i did wish for more beautiful, tender, cute boyfriend moments (seriously the latter half of the show was so much angst topped with angst and i understand why, narratively it made sense for a character like jaewon who had so much trauma in his life he was trying to live through every day), but i also really loved what we got.

i would definitely love a second season or even the two leads appearing in another bl (i know korea doesn't do branded pairs/fan-service like other countries but it's also not entirely out of the realm of possibility). 9/10

OUR DATING SIM

i was initially hesitant to start this bc the summary made it seem so cringey and gave me secondhand embarrassment re: the rejection and then ep 2 clears everything up: IT WAS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING. and then we enter the miscommunication era that lasts a whole seven years. sigh. it's a good thing i don't mind the miscommunication trope.

this was so cute and fluffy and adorable and overall we got a lot of the story told in flashbacks, which i like, when the flashbacks are utilized in a good way and they definitely are here. this is a combo of friends to lovers and high school romance combined with office romance and the tropes are delicious. lee wan does the chasing at first, then the miscommunication happens, and then shin gi tae does the chasing in their adult lives and i like when it switches up like that. the two actors' chemistry is very believable and it's easy to believe they are totally in love. the series was short of course, but, the upside of that was that it forced shin gi tae to be very straightforward and direct with his feelings; of course he was playing games for the first four or so eps because he was justifiably hurt by the abandonment of his best friend but once he leaves behind that hurt, there was no stopping him from pursuing lee wan. and lee wan also had to take some time to get used to the fact that shin gi tae liked him back, so it felt very realistic.

the pacing of this story was stellar too; nothing felt too rushed, there wasn't any filler, every scene moved the story along, and the conflict came from having to choose different paths, and miscommunication.

this was a kbl that didn't disappoint in any way (besides only being about eight eps and 15-18 minutes long). 9/10

PART 1/???, PART 2/???, PART 3/???, PART 4/???, PART 5/???,PART 6/???

[wren-der]

I've been on one of my foreign drama kicks lately, because I'm bored with American television/steaming, and the thing I've learned about myself is I HAVE TO pause the show anytime it mentions the temperature in celcius so I can check the conversion. Also anytime it gives an amount of currency I need to look up the exchange rate so I have some reference. My silly brain won't let these things go.

You would think at some point I would just learn to convert temps in my head, but no, apparently I'm to old for that new trick.