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Seven classic Japanese 'dorama' that we miss
Let's remember the times when we weeped in front of the TV after watching these Japanese dorama.
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A still from "Oshin", the 15-minute memorable Japanese dorama. (idn.wakuwakujapan.tv/-)
What's your favorite classic dorama (Japanese drama)? Perhaps among your favorites are listed below.
Oshin (1983)
Just 15 minutes per episode, Oshin fascinated many with its slow-paced heartbreaking story.
Set in old Japan, the dorama follows Shin Tanokura, or better known as Oshin, a little girl who comes from a poor family. For up to 297 episodes, Oshin’s hard life and determination made audiences weep.
The series was made into a movie in 2013 that focuses on Oshin’s childhood.
Tokyo Love Story (1991)
The complicated love story between Rika Akana (Honami Suzuki) and Kanji “Kanchi” Nagao (Oda Yuji) is the focus of Tokyo Love Story. The cheerful and bright Rika Akana is hard to forget, while the doubtful Kanchi is irritatingly lovable.
Taking place mostly in Tokyo, this 11-episode dorama is actually based on a Japanese manga created by Fumi Saimon.
Long Vacation (1996)
What if a woman, in a wedding dress, broke into your apartment? That is how the tale between Sena Hidetoshi (Takuya Kimura) and Minami Hayama (Tomoko Yamaguchi) starts.
Both Sena and Minami are struggling in life. Sena dreams of being a world-class pianist, while 30-year-old Minami works as a model who is starting to see less professional demand.
Made in 1996, Long Vacation more or less portrays the life of youngsters in Japan amid the great recession.
(Read also: 10 old-school mangas we just can’t forget)
Anything for You (1992)
Anything for You is a sob-inducing Japanese dorama. Tatsuya (Eisaku Yoshida) dies in an accident before having the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend, Maeko (Yuriko Ishida). Fortunately, he was then given a second chance to bid his last farewell to Maeko with one catch: his spirit must possess Masaki Hikata, the man who causes the accident and knocks him down.
Consisting of 13 episodes, Anything for You also has a memorable soundtrack, with the track “You’re the Only” as a standout, sung by Ono Masatoshi.
Ordinary People (1993)
Ordinary People is based on a Japanese manga, Asunaro Hakusho, or better known as Asunaro White Paper, created by Fumi Saimon. It received the Shogakukan Manga award in 1992.
The dorama itself follows a friendship between five students. Following a love triangle and death, four of them decide to leave school. In the end, years later, all of them reunite and the story continues.
101 Marriage Proposal (1991)
101 Marriage Proposal is somewhat a romantic comedy, although the character Hoshino Tatsurou (Takeda Tetsuya) tends to make the audience feel sorry for him.
In terms of marriage proposals, Hoshino is out of luck. He has been rejected 99 times in omiai (arranged date with marriage as the final purpose). In his 100th omiai¸ Hoshino meets Kaoru (Atsuko Asano), who can’t seem to forget her dead fiancé.
Itazura na Kiss (1996)
A photo posted by Noerliz Isnaini (@noerliz_isnaini) on
The romantic comedy Itazura na Kiss tells an (almost) one-sided love story between high school student Kotoko Aihara (Aiko Sato) and her cold yet handsome senior, Naoki Irie (Takashi Kashiwabara). An incident forces Kotoko to live together with Naoki’s family. The dorama shows how eager Kotoko is to make Naoki fall in love with her.
Itazura na Kiss is based on a Japanese manga by Kaoru Tada. Sadly, she passed away in an accident before having the chance to finish it. The manga itself is very popular and has been adapted into anime and more than three TV dramas. (kes)
