All the New J-Dramas on Netflix you need to know about

We have once again been blessed with a new wave of Japanese drama releases in the past month. As always, I am here to guide you through it and potentially give you a steer as to which show you should start your J-drama journey with for the winter months ahead. Without any further ado, lets get into it!

Romantics Anonymous (Netflix)(2025)

The Netflix original J-drama, Romantics Anonymous, centers on two individuals with severe social anxieties who find an unlikely connection in a chocolate shop. Hana Lee, a gifted chocolatier, suffers from scopophobia (fear of eye contact), while Sosuke Fujiwara, the new director and heir, has mysophobia (fear of physical contact). In a twist of fate, they discover they can look each other in the eye and even touch without triggering their respective phobias, creating a safe space in the struggling chocolate shop, "Le Sauveur." As they work together and navigate an awkwardly sweet courtship, the series explores their journey to confront their fears, finding not just romance but also personal healing and self-acceptance.

The Greatest Teacher (Nippon TV)(2023)

The Japanese drama The Greatest Teacher (Saiko no Kyoshi) begins on graduation day when high school chemistry teacher Rina Kujo is fatally pushed off a school building, only managing to glimpse a student's uniform sleeve. In an instant, she is sent one year back in time to the first day of classes, aware that one of the 30 students in front of her will become her killer. Driven by the need to identify her assailant and prevent her death, Rina abandons her previous detached teaching style, now determined to intensely connect with and solve the deep-seated problems—like bullying and parental neglect—afflicting her students, knowing her own survival depends on changing the fate of her class.

Divorce Lawyer (Fuji Tv)(2024)

Divorce Lawyer follows the journey of Takako Mamiya, an ambitious and successful public relations lawyer who leaves a top-tier firm to start her own independent practice handling divorce cases. Facing immediate obstruction and sabotage from her former employers, she manages to assemble a mismatched and often quirky staff. The series shifts its focus from corporate law to the high-stakes, emotionally complex world of divorce law, where Takako must navigate messy personal tragedies and ethical dilemmas in each case. Through her work to secure justice for clients facing betrayal and conflict, Takako learns to move beyond her pragmatic legal training to become a more empathetic and humanisticlawyer, redefining her own idea of success in the process.

Just a bit Espers (TV Asahi) (2025)

The Japanese sci-fi romance drama Just a Bit Espers centers on Bunta, an ordinary salaryman whose life hits rock bottom after he is fired and divorced, leaving him broke and adrift. His fortunes abruptly change when he is hired by the mysterious company Nonamare and given a bizarre mission: to save the world by becoming a "just a bit esper"—an individual with minor psychic abilities. As part of this new life, Bunta is forced to live in provided housing with a total stranger, Shiki, who is inexplicably convinced that he is her husband, despite the peculiar rule that he must not fall in love. The series follows Bunta as he stumbles through his strange new destiny, grappling with the meaning of his powers, companionship, and his unlikely role as a reluctant, slightly psychic hero.

The Golden Egg (TBS)(2025)

The Japanese drama The Golden Egg (Scoop no Tamago) follows Hinako Shinoda, a second-year employee at a major publishing house whose career takes an unexpected turn when she is reluctantly transferred to the weekly tabloid magazine department. Dismayed by the department's daily focus on sensationalist material—including celebrity gossip, financial scandals, and suspicious deaths—Hinako initially questions the purpose and integrity of her new assignment. The series serves as a realistic dive into the chaotic, deadline-driven inner workings of a Japanese tabloid, chronicling Hinako's journey as she chases controversial stories and searches for a way to find meaning and purpose within a profession she initially finds questionable.

Passing the Reigns (TBS)(2025)

The TBS drama, released internationally on Netflix as Passing the Reins (original title: The Royal Family), tells the epic, 20-year story of Kurisu, a tax accountant whose dreams of joining his father's practice are shattered by a sudden, devastating incident. Plunged into despair, Kurisu's life finds unexpected meaning when he encounters Sanno, a passionate racehorse owner. Set against the high-stakes, dramatic backdrop of the horse racing world, the series follows Kurisu as he is drawn into a community of adults intensely pursuing their ambitions, exploring themes of familial bonds, friendship, and the miraculous connections that can form between people and horses.

Ichikei's Crow - The Criminal Court Judges

Ichikei's Crow - The Criminal Court Judges follows Michio Iruma, an unorthodox and former-lawyer-turned-judge in the First Criminal Court of the Tokyo District Court (Ichikei). Unlike his efficiency-focused colleagues, like the elite judge Chizuru Sakama, Michio is obsessed with uncovering the absolute truth in every case, a principle he pursues by personally conducting on-site inspections of crime scenes—a highly unusual practice for a judge. Due to his eccentric methods and determined scrutiny, he is simultaneously respected and feared by both lawyers and prosecutors as he pushes beyond courtroom testimony to ensure no false judgment is ever issued.

The Pride of the Temp

The Pride of the Temp (Haken no Hinkaku) centers on Haruko Ohmae, an ultra-competent and fiercely independent temporary office worker who is the envy and exasperation of the permanent employees (seishain) at the companies she is dispatched to. With a strict three-month contract, Haruko refuses overtime or workplace socializing, but possesses an astonishing array of qualifications—from crane operation to speaking Russian—allowing her to single-handedly resolve every corporate crisis. The drama satirizes the rigid, often inefficient hierarchy of the modern Japanese workplace and the social divide between secure full-time workers and temporary staff, as Haruko consistently proves that skill, professionalism, and personal dignity are more valuable than a permanent employment title.

Kyojo

Kyojo (also known as Police Officer Instructor) is a chilling police procedural centered on Kimichika Kazama, played by the eternal Kimura Takuya, a relentless and enigmatic instructor at a police academy. With his distinctive gray hair and cold, observant demeanor, Kazama subjects his diverse class of aspiring officers to grueling and highly realistic training designed to strip them of all weaknesses, secrets, and preconceived notions. The drama follows the students' desperate struggle to survive the intense program while Kazama, with almost superhuman perception, pushes them to their absolute limits—often resulting in their expulsion—to ensure that only those truly fit to serve on the front lines will graduate.

Hana Kimi

Hana Kimi (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradise) is a wildly popular 2007 romantic comedy about Mizuki Ashiya, a Japanese girl living in America who is so inspired by a talented high jumper, Izumi Sano, that she decides to transfer to his school in Japan. The catch is that Sano attends the elite, all-boys Osaka High, forcing Mizuki to cut her hair and disguise herself as a male student to enroll and encourage her idol, who has mysteriously quit the sport due to an injury. The comedy ensues as Mizuki becomes Sano's eccentric roommate, struggles to maintain her secret amidst a school full of handsome and competitive boys, and navigates a bizarre love triangle when her earnest classmate, Shuichi Nakatsu, begins developing feelings for the 'boy' Mizuki, causing him to hilariously question his own sexuality.