2025 delivered a charming lineup of must-watch Japanese dramas. Enjoy a hilariously awkward first meeting in Suspicious Partner, secret-identity romance in The Yakuza Boss’s Beloved, a tender arranged marriage in A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You, and swoony workplace sparks in Seal My Lips With a Kiss. 

These standout stories defined Japanese drama in 2025 — start watching now. ✨

BEST JAPANESE DRAMAS of 2025

Prosecutor Haruto Tateishi (Yusei Yagi) just wanted to take a normal bus ride in peace... until he's mistaken as a groper on a crowded bus by Sakura Miyashita (Kyoko Saito), resulting in a humiliating incident for everyone. Haruto later encounters Sakura again, this time she's in the middle of dumping her unfaithful boyfriend, and the two end up spending an impulsive, drunken night out together. Unfortunately (or not), that's not the last time they meet: several days later, Sakura, an aspiring attorney, shows up for job training – at Haruto's office! Forced to work together despite their awkward past, Haruto tries to keep things professional, but can't help but feel drawn to Sakura. Was their chaotic first meeting really a sign of fate at work? This drama was adapted from the 2017 South Korean drama of the same name.

Suspicious Partner

Love & Lawsuits

Sales clerk Makoto Sugawara (Ayaka Konno) works hard at her job at an advertising agency, where she's well-liked by her colleagues. However, her desires for a happy family are dashed by her long-term boyfriend, who treats her coldly. To make matters worse, she finds out that he cheated on her. Makoto dumps him, but finds herself without anywhere to live. To her surprise, her department manager Ren Odagiri (Shota Totsuka) offers to let her stay with him. At work, Odagiri gained the nickname "yakuza boss" for his cold, strong personality, but at home, he's unexpectedly sweet to Makoto. But Odagiri is hiding a secret almost too absurd to believe: he's secretly a gang boss for real! Will Makoto find out about Odagiri's double life – and what will this mean for their growing connection? This drama was adapted from the manga of the same name by Nao Mashimo and @R.

The Yakuza Boss’s Beloved

The Yakuza Team 🐉

Fuji TV

In 1936, Natsumi Sekiya (Kyoko Yoshine), the third daughter of her family, is suddenly told by her father she will marry Takimasa Ebata (Kyoya Honda), an imperial navy officer. However, she’s never met him before – and doesn’t even see him at their wedding ceremony, as he’s unable to attend due to his training schedule. When they finally meet for the first time, they struggle to connect due to his shy, stoic personality, but gradually grow to understand each other. This drama was based on the manga of the same name by Hachi Nishiga.

A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You

A Naval Knot of Fate

Kaede Sato (Ayaka Konno), a new transfer to the sales department, finds herself working overtime thanks to pressure from her new boss Satoru Mizoguchi (Noel Kawashima). Unexpectedly, she gets locked out of the office – until her senior coworker (and secret crush) Daisuke Shioya (Ryusei Fujii) happens to pass by. Shioya's also forgotten his keycard, so he and Kaede head to his apartment nearby to retrieve it, only for a sudden downpour to leave them soaked. Shioya offers to let Kaede stay the night, which she happily accepts... until Shioya's roommate returns home early, and the two hide in a closet and end up kissing. To Kaede’s dismay, Shioya's roommate is none other than Mizoguchi! However, Mizoguchi has a hidden crush of his own on Kaede, creating a love triangle none of them anticipated. This drama was adapted from the manga series of the same name by Fudo Fudono.

Seal My Lips With a Kiss

💘Sealed with a Kiss👄

Maika Hattori (Ayaka Konno) works at a hotel called "Bird Left," where she's secretly in a relationship with one of her coworkers. However, after she catches him having an affair with another female coworker, he dumps her, leaving Maika heartbroken. While crying alone in a hallway, she's found by the newly-appointed hotel CEO Shun Satori (Jin Suzuki), who claims he'll help her get revenge on her cheating ex. Shun himself needs an excuse to get out of an arranged marriage, so he suggests that he and Maika pretend to date as a mutually beneficial arrangement. Maika agrees, and the two begin their ruse – but even though they're supposed to be playing pretend, she starts developing feelings for her boss. This drama was adapted from the manga "Fukushu Kareshi: Dekiai Shacho no Kao ni wa Ura ga Aru" by Ryo Morita and Chika Sanada.

The Revenge Lover

💔Ctrl+Alt+Revenge💥

Aiko Hanamura (Kaya Kiyohara) is a successful divorce attorney known for her kind heart and ability to connect with her clients. Unfortunately, she doesn't have much faith in romance and love herself, as her parents frequently fought when she was young, instead enjoying single life with her new puppy Sakura. While love might not be on Aiko's mind, it seems to find Sakura – in the form of a rescued dog named Shogun, owned by handsome but stoic animal hospital director Kai Shirosaki (Ryo Narita)! Sakura and Shogun are immediately smitten, bringing their two humans in closer proximity to each other. However, company heir Woo So Ha (Na In Woo), who has arrived in Japan from Korea with a secret mission that seems to involve Kai, might just make things more complicated. This drama was adapted from the webtoon "Dog-Like Romance" by Bo Hyeon and Mun Sseoni.

Love is for the Dogs

🐾 Paws of Fate 🐶

Despite being in a devoted relationship with his girlfriend, salesman Kazuaki Hagiwara (Jun Muto) feels unfulfilled and frustrated due to their lack of physical intimacy. Meanwhile, Sei Nakarai (Asahi Ito), Kazuaki’s aloof and asocial coworker, harbors an unrequited love for his roommate and childhood friend, who is also called Kazuaki, and struggles with feeling emotionally distant from others. Their paths cross unexpectedly when Kazuaki accidentally sends a message meant for someone else to Sei, opening up a channel of communication between them as they share candid conversations about their deep-seated desires and frustrations. Gradually, Kazuaki and Sei begin to explore the possibility of deeper intimacy with each other, challenging both societal norms and their own preconceived notions about relationships.

When it rains, it pours

Tokyo MX

Sweets-loving Kotori Ogata (Yumena Yanai) works at a web production company, where she's known for her kind and caring personality. However, she struggles with her body image due to past incidents and tends to be shy when it comes to romance. She has a crush on her younger coworker Ryosuke Soma (Shunta Sono), but he has a reputation for being cold and unfriendly at work. After the two get caught in the rain together, Kotori extends a hand to warm him up, cracking through Ryosuke's chilly exterior. From that day on, Ryosuke begins to show Kotori – and only Kotori – affection at work, slowly bridging the gap between them as they build a relationship together. This drama was adapted from the manga of the same name by Mayuha Mihoshi.

My Frosty Coworker Is Only Sweet to Me

🍰 Sweet Frosty 🍧

When her mother remarries, Matsuri Amamiya (Meari Hayashi) becomes the younger stepsister to triplets who form the popular male idol group Terezetto. Matsuri always dreamed of having brothers, but she's dismayed to learn that the brothers don't get along. Azusa (Kazuto Mokudai), the middle sibling, wishes that he and his brothers were closer, so Matsuri decides to plan a welcome party to bring the two families together. Unfortunately, the triplets end up fighting again – until Matsuri unexpectedly collapses, and the siblings decide to call a truce. Matsuri is determined to intervene every time the brothers argue, which works to some extent... until one day, Azusa confesses his love for her! Complicating matters further, Matsuri reunites with her handsome childhood friend Subaru (Minato Matsui), and he's about to debut in a rival idol group. This drama was adapted from the manga "Netsuai Prince: Onii-chan wa Kimi ga Suki" by Madoka Seizuki.

Secret Love with Prince

Royal Secrets Team

TV Asahi

Ryuhei Agawa (Yoshinori Masakado) has had a crush on his neighbor Tamaki Musashibara (Rin Takanashi) ever since he was young. However, their ten year age difference seemed impossible to overcome, as Tamaki always treated Ryuhei as a younger brother rather than a potential romantic interest. Ryuhei is about to give up on his long-held unrequited love, but when Tamotsu Kinugasa (Yu Inaba) enters the picture and catches Tamaki's eye, Ryuhei's competitive spirit rears its head at the sign of a rival. He decides to pursue his attraction for Tamaki in earnest, hoping that she might finally see him as a man. Will Ryuhei finally manage to win Tamaki's heart, or is there no chance for him? This drama was adapted from the manga "Musashino Rondo" by Haruka Kawachi.

MUSASHINO RONDO

💌Waiting Passion💕

As Yuki Onomura (Kaya Kiyohara) enters her first year in the workforce, she starts feeling nostalgic for her time spent at university with her friends Hiromi Tokunaga (Hayato Sano), Mahiru Shiraishi (Ai Yoshikawa), Airi Hasegawa (Ai Mikami), and Toranosuke Wada (Ayumu Mochizuki). While each person came from different backgrounds and had different personalities, they managed to build a deep connection with each other. Yuki kept a diary throughout college and revisits her memories by reading her old entries, reminiscing on the carefree days of her youth while also confronting the difficulties of transitioning into adulthood and keeping up friendships with people she no longer see as often.

My Diary

While Akihito Kano (Kotaro Daigo) was originally a technical worker, he was transferred to the sales department. A year later, he still struggles to fit in with his colleagues, particularly with Seiji Ogami (Daisuke Nakagawa), the ace of the sales department, whom he both admires and is envious of. On a night of a full moon, Akihito stumbles across a shrine, where he finds an old mirror with a mysterious message that the person who looks into the mirror will see their true self. After Akihito wishes to stand on equal footing with Seiji, he's suddenly surrounded by mist, and he awakens in a world that looks just like his – but his colleagues treat him warmly, and Seiji looks at him with affection. Can Akihito use this opportunity to confront his true feelings about Seiji and learn how to let others in? This drama is adapted from the novel of the same name by Sachi Umino.

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