5 Japanese Dramas on Netflix to Study Japanese

A big part of improving your Japanese skills is to integrate the language into other aspects of your life. Beyond textbooks and classrooms, Japanese dramas on Netflix can help you learn the language passively. You’d be surprised at the number of new vocabulary and grammar points that might not be covered under the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Plus, watching Japanese dramas can also help you improve your pronunciation and listening skills further.

If you’re a beginner, start with children’s shows like Miffy or Pokémon, but for intermediate and advanced learners, here are some Japanese dramas on Netflix to challenge your listening and reading skills. Here are our top ten recommendations of Japanese dramas on Netflix for you to check out.

Rebooting (2023)

Have you ever wanted to do it all over again? Well, in this drama, protagonist Asami Kondo does just that. Thanks to a freak accident after a night out with friends, Asami has been given a choice to either reincarnate as an ant eater or do her life all over again. Starting from birth, she has to live the same life until she’s 33 again in the hopes of getting everything back on track. It’s a fun show to watch when you just want to unwind. The conversations are easy to follow and often quite funny.

Trailer: WATCH HERE

• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of life
• Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
• Japanese level: N3

Extremely Inappropriate! (2024)

This drama is my Favorite but might be a bit more controversial than others, but it gives a peek into some of the toxicity of Japan’s Showa Era. Japanese culture isn’t what it used to be, or so says the protagonist, Ichiro Ogawa. A widower working as a gym teacher, Ichiro finds himself transported into 2024 one fateful day. How well will he be able to adjust to modern-day Japanese society? Will he change his ways, or will he fight back? You’ll have to watch this drama to find out. This show has a lot of jokes pertaining to Japan’s Showa Era, so it’s a great opportunity to widen your vocabulary.

Trailer: WATCH HERE

• Genre: Comedy, Slice of life, Fantasy
• Where to watch: Netflix, UNext
• Japanese level: N2

Alice in Borderland (2020)

Three friends carelessly wandering in Shibuya find themselves trapped in a parallel world where they have to play deadly games against strangers to survive.

If you liked the Hunger Games movies, Liar Game manga or the recent K-drama Squid Game, you’ll enjoy Alice in Borderland for sure. This drama is an excellent tool for learning conversation dynamics or just casual daily conversation in Japanese vocabulary. If you have N3, you might not follow everything due to grammatical forms you only see in spoken language, but all the vocabulary shouldn’t be a problem.

Fun fact: Shibuya’s striking empty streets, including the Shibuya crossing you see at the beginning of the series, was actually done in an outdoor studio.

Trailer: WATCH HERE

• Genre: Survival, Suspense, Mystery
• Where to watch: Netflix
• Japanese level: N3~N2

Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands/My Dear Exes (2021)

If you’re really looking to test your listening skills, then try watching Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands. Towako has had her share of marital troubles, which have ended in three divorces, but she continues to move forward by raising her teenage daughter Uta as a single mother. This slice-of-life drama features fast-paced conversations about anything and everything in between. Praised for its punchy writing and unique storyline, you won’t want to miss a beat.

Trailer: WATCH HERE

• Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of life
• Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
• Japanese level: N2

What Did You Eat Yesterday? (2019)

What Did You Eat Yesterday? is about two things: home cooking recipes and the joy and struggle of gay couples in modern-day Japan. Vocabulary is centered on cooking techniques and everything related to the gay scene in Tokyo while having a decent amount of daily and work-related conversations.

Trailer: WATCH HERE

• Genre: LGBTQ+, Romance, Comedy, Cooking
• Where to watch: Netflix
• Japanese level: N4~N3