Comments on: Top 5 Starter Jdramas for Dudes

By: locohama

locohama — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:44:17 +0000

Thanks for the info. I’m gonna check out all of the above based on your recommendations. They sound great!

By: mo

mo — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:35:51 +0000

@chodee: I saw part of IWGP but it was a very low-quality copy, unfortunately. I do LOVE the scriptwriter though, Kudo Kankuro. He does great work.

@casey: I definitely enjoyed Love Shuffle, but I don’t think it’s quite as high-quality as the others listed here. I also think it’s a bit less guy-oriented (though I do have several guy friends who enjoyed it!) It’s a good runner-up suggestion though, especially if people liked Tamaki Hiroshi in Nodame.

@Laurel: Wow, I’d love to guest blog for the Ganbatte Times!! I will shoot you an email this afternoon, but really, I’m honored!!

@Darrel: Densha Otoko looks like it could have made the list — LIFE I would have categorized as a girl-oriented drama more just because all the characters are schoolgirls. You’re right though, it is really intense, and kind of scary. I was definitely also hooked in the first few minutes.

By: Darrel

Darrel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:00:46 +0000

I would definitely second Densha Otoko for this list, but Love Shuffle? Isn’t that the one where everyone pees in cups in the elevator together, then decides because of it they should trade boyfriends/girlfriends? Personally, I hated that one.

Another recommendation though is a drama called LIFE. Just watching the main character change from innocent HS girl to vicious revenge machine is amazing. And, like Kisarazu Cat’s Eye, LIFE moves 1000 miles a minute. I was hooked after the first ten minutes.

By: Laurel Ryan

Laurel Ryan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:55:46 +0000

As someone who has lived in Japan for the last year and is just now getting into TV, this is a great article. I am currently co-editor for a brand new Kyoto online newsletter, and am trying to find some good guest posts for our readers. This post would definitely fit that role! Would you consider doing a guest post on manly J-dramas for the Ganbatte Times? My email is somewhere attached to this post, and the newsletter email is on the site. Please let me know!

Oh, I’d add Liar Game to the list. Sure, forty percent of the first season is slow-motion footsteps and evil laughter, but it’s still very intelligent.

By: casey

casey — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:14:18 +0000

how about LOVE SHUFFLE. totally love this one!

By: chodee

chodee — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:10:40 +0000

These are all really good esp. My boss my hero! You might check out are Ikebukuro West Gate Park, it’s directed/produced by the same person as cat’s eye.

By: Aeris

Aeris — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:18:04 +0000

So fun!!!! i see the last 4!
now.. i wanna see Kekkon Dekinai Otoko!!!

By: mo

mo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:05:17 +0000

@bhargav: yes, thanks for being one of the initial testers of the jdrama starter list :P Glad you liked them…

@Burritolingus: I’ve actually been meaning to watch Maou for a loooong time (I planned to watch it a long time ago… and then forgot.) Thanks for the tips! They sound particularly good for the jdrama-watching dudes out there, too.

@nacest: Glad to point you in the direction of My Boss My Hero… it’s definitely one of my favorites. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko really takes the cake as far as amusing & quality too, I think.

By: nacest

nacest — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:33:06 +0000

Thanks for the list! I too would have placed 結婚できない男 at the top, it was really awesome. Now I’ll have to watch My Boss My Hero.

By: Burritolingus

Burritolingus — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:00:06 +0000

There, there, poor hard drive… it’ll all be over soon. Nice list, time to load this sucker up with a few dozen more gigs of dramas!

I haven’t watched a huge amount of J-dramas, but a few particularly manly ones come to mind.

魔王(Maou) is one of my all-around favorites, a loose remake of the Korean drama “The Devil”, a revenge story about a tough detective with a shady past and… a lawyer. Guess which one is the bad guy? Suspenseful and has one of the most memorable drama endings I’ve seen yet.

Bloody Monday was pretty entertaining, as well, if a little too over the top at times. It’s basically 24 with a few more braincells and set in Japan. Sorta. Season 2 is airing as we speak, and it’s surprisingly badass so far!

Also, Densha Otoko.