Must-Watch Japanese TV Shows and Movies on Netflix for fall 2026

I can't believe we're almost in October! It feels like the summer has completely flown by, alongside the floodgae of Japanese TV Shows and Movies that dropped over the past weeks and months. But as always I am here to guide you through it all and give you some hidden gems that you might have missed that can hopfully get you through the cozy fall/autumn months.

To be honest, even I struggle with keeping up with the latest J-dramas and content on Netflix/Prime. I rememebr back in 2022/2023 when we would get 2-3 new Japanese TV Shows and Movies per month - which was amazing, but now we get new content on a weekly basis. I am definitely not complaining but it would be nice to be able to digest and process some of these stories before moving on to the next. First world problems, I know!

Enough yapping! Here are some Must-Watch Japanese TV Shows and Movies for fall 2026 that you need to check out before the next wave of goodness from Japan drops on streaming service.

TV Shows

Plastic Beauty

Netflix Japan has been on a roll this year, dropping great/high quality content on a consistant basis. Whether it's Straight to Hell, Human Vapor or more recently Plastic Beauty, the production quality and storytelling has been great. Plastic Beauty is the latest in a successful lineup of projects from Netflix Japan.

The story revolves around Japan's plastic surgery industry and how that impacts people of all backgrounds and ages. Riisa Naka plays successful plastic surgeon who transforms the lives of both young and old looking to be "reborn" again, whilst Mayu Matsuoka plays a pragmatic and reasonable ER surgeon who is against the use of plastic surgery especially when it means having to risk a persons health.

The two characters morales and ideology play a central part in the story as they both represents opposing sides in the whole "should people have plastic surgery" debate, whilst also providing a compelling story and showing us the "dark side" of Japan's plastic surgery world.

Badly In Love season 2

When Badly in Love first debuted in December 2025 I was compeltely blown away. The show delivered a refreshing twist to the usual Japanese reality television formula that we have grown so accustomed to over the past 5-6 years ever since Terrace House captured the hearts and minds of alot of the Netflix audience.

Given how popular season 1 was, it was only natural that a second season would drop but not even I would have thought that season 2 would come out just 6-8 months after season 1. Season 2 has taken that refreshing formula and improved even more on it. Have you ever heard the saying "Bigger, Badder, Better" ? That saying perfectly symbolised how I feel about Netflix's latest reality tv show gem.

If you dont know, Badly In Love is essentially a dating show that takes place over the course of 2 weeks in an abandoned school where members are tasked to find love whilst navigating friendships and rivarlies. Now the added element that makes Badly In Love such an incredible show, is that the members arent your typical Japanese people.

Face tattoos, criminal pasts and jobs in nightlife, is what many of the members/particpants have in the show. These arent your average Japanese salary men and women, but what is known in Japan as "Yankees" - loud, rebellious individuals who dont conferm to society and that's ecactly what I love about the show. It breaks all the stereotypes that the world has of Japan, whilst also showing a more real and intimate side to a certain group of individuals.

I know alot of people who love Terrace House like it because its calm, slow paced and very "Japanese" - you will find some of those elements in Badly In Love but you still get that drama and added level of excitment that the genre desperatly needs in my opinion. Also, its incredible Japanese immersion content for anyone that needs it!

Sai (2025)

I just recently watched the new Resident Evil movie and with halloween around the corner, I've been on a horror binge lately, which has lead me to watching Sai. Sai (災) recently dropped on Netflix and is essentially a psychlogical horror/thriller that revolves around a mysterious shape-shifting man played by Teruyuki Kagawa. Kagawa's character changes his appearance, job, voice and overall personality for each of the episodes, basically becoming a different person.

Each episode of Sai, which means disaster in Japanese, follows a different protagnist, such as a student, mechanic or cleaner, who is going through their own issues. That's when Kagawa's shape-shifting character comes into play, bringing disaster to the persons life by weaving himself into that character's day to day life. From a filmaking POV, I love how the show introduces a ominious horn/trumphet sound everytime Kagawa's character is introduced to a new person.

The whole show gives me Kiyoshi Kurosawa vibes, with its clean and minimal camera movements, bleak atmosphere, and overall look and feel. You need to watch this show if you're looking for something fitting leading up to halloween.

Mr. Hiiragi's Classroom

Mr Hiiragi's Classroom has one of those very typical J-drama plot lines that is almost too ridicoulous even for a Japanese drama. The story revolves around a teacher called Ibuki Hiiragi, whose played by one of my favorite Japanese actors, Masaki Suda. Just days before his class is due to graduate, Hiiragi traped 29 of his students in a classoom as hostages.

Why is he doing this you may ask ? Well, one of their former classmates, Reina Kageyama, died by suicide several months earlier and Hiiragi is desperate to find out what exactly happend to Reina and why she ended her life. Hiiragi demands that the students figure this out and if they dont he would threaten to kill one of the students. Very intenste story I know but the vibe of the show is slightly lighter than I've made it out to be.

The show features some popular Japanese actors such as Imada Mio and Nagano Mei. Its definietley one of the more unique J-dramas that have landed on Netflix and consists of a solid 10 episode run moving from thriller to mystery constantly. There is some ridiculousness to the whole thing sometimes, but that's what we love J-dramas for.

You can't expense this

Of course I had to include an office J-drama into this list as they are a staple piece of J-entertainment at this point. You cant expense this is a typical office drama where the main character is an accountant that takes her job way to seriously and penny pinches every step of the way, for the sake of the company of course.

If you're looking for a more relaxed/less romance focused office drama, then this is your show. I feel like i am quite burned out by the typical romance trope in Japanese television, so seeing a show like this that doesnt take itself too seriously whilst also providing something light and enjoyable was refreshing to watch.

Don't expect high quality character building or storylines but enjoy it for what it is.

Movies

Ribbon Hero

To be honest there werent alot of movies that caught my attention these past few weeks, except for one. The standout new Japanese movie release has to be Ribbon Hero. If this caught you off guard like me, Ribbon Hero is essentially about a princess that gains the power to tranform into this legendary figure called the "Ribbon Hero". Its a mixture of fantasy/drama.

Anime

Chainsmoking cat

Is Chainsmoking cat one of the most controversial dramas in recent memory ? If you dont know, various Japanese media outlets have spoken out against the anime for being too "real", graphic and open about a ton of different topics such as drug abuse, addiction and poverty. To be honest, I did find it slightly too disgusting at points and depressing but it is different to alot of shows out there at the moment.

Chainsmoking cat is basically about a chainsmoking humanoid cat in a world where cats are like these human-esque figures that have jobs etc. Our protaginist not only struggles with a smoking addiction but also poverty and the day to day struggles that alot of people go through. The main different between this show and many others is that it is very on the nose with these topics and doesnt shy away from showing things "as they are". Which is probably why it has gotten so much push back from mainstream media in Japan that prefer to promote stories and projects that portray a sterile and clean image of Japan rather than the one Chainsmoking cat is showing.

I enjoyed the anime for what it is but I have to admit it is sometimes too much even for me.