The genre of J-dramas is now seeing newfound glory after Netflix and Disney+, among other popular international streaming platforms, announced interesting titles that initially catapulted with shows like Alice In Borderland.
Being shorter than regular Korean or Chinese dramas, Japanese dramas are quick to watch with an average of 10 to 12 episodes per season. This month there are a large number of Japanese dramas releasing and they all come from different genres like romance, comedy, historical, mystery and thriller.
Below you’ll find the most popular Japanese titles to be released this month. Here is a list of the most exciting J-dramas to watch in April 2024.
Solliev0
Release Date: April 1
Genre: Family, Drama
Episodes: 10
Network: TVK
Plot: The story takes place in a small Italian restaurant managed by half-brothers Fuyuuma and Haruyo Amatsuki, who manage the secretly popular restaurant with a “secret menu” to solve customer problems. Haruyo, the heir to Amazuki Holdings, is ill and has only a short time to live. In the middle of all this, a mysterious man, Tsukasa Nitta contacts Fuyuma, causing him to change things up at the restaurant.
RoOT
Release Date: April 3
Genre: Mystery, Investigative
Episodes: 10
Network: TV Tokyo
Plot: The show follows the story of Reina, a cool and lonely 19-year-old detective working in a small detective agency, who teams up with unlucky but optimistic newbie Sato after an investigation into a small case concerning a strange taxi driver leads them to be embroiled in a much bigger case.
Kanzo wo Ubawareta Tsuma
Release Date: April 3
Genre: Suspense, Drama
Episodes: 10
Network: NTV
Plot: Yuka, a devoted and energetic child raised by her mother, dreams of building a happy family. She falls in love with Nakamura Kosei, who shares similar circumstances. After her mother’s death, Yuka marries Kosei, becoming a liver transplant donor.
However, she is deceived and divorced. After giving birth to Kosei’s child, Yuka meets him five years later, feeling resentment for insulting her late mother and son. She decides to take revenge on her Nakamura family.
Secret Domei
Release Date: April 5
Genre: Romance, Drama
Episodes: 10
Network:
Plot: Shian is a woman whose boyish looks attract the attention of other women. These women think she is a lot more attractive than the average guy which leads her to struggle with two issues – an extreme fear of men and excessive meddling from her mother.
Shian suddenly meets a beautiful college junior – Ritsuko who seems kind-hearted at first but is an obsessive stalker with feelings for Shian. Meanwhile, Shian starts working part-time at a women’s cafe, where she meets head chef Hasumi Yuushin who hides the fact that he is a playboy. Even though he is a man, she realizes she doesn’t find herself panicking around him.
Acma: Game
Release Date: April 7
Genre: Manga-based, Action, Mystery
Episodes: 10
Network: NTV
Plot: Oda Teruasa, the heir of Japan’s Oda Group, lost everything 13 years ago when a mysterious organization murdered his father. He was given a key that would increase his fortune with the number of keys he collected.
Teruasa escaped overseas and accumulated knowledge. Returning to Japan, he finds himself in the “Akuma Game,” a life-threatening battle against rivals for the key.
366 Nichi
Release Date: April 8
Genre: Romance, Drama
Episodes: 10
Network: Fuji TV
Plot: Yukihira Asuka is 28 and works at the reception desk for a music school. She hears that her high school will soon be abolished and decides to attend a school reunion held at her high school. There, Yukihira Asuka meets Mizuno Haruto.
Asuka liked Haruto when they were high school students but never conveyed her feelings to him. Asuka and Haruto talk during the school reunion and they learn that they both had feelings for each other and they still feel the same way. Asuka is ecstatic, but, the next day, an unexpected tragedy strikes Haruto. That leaves him in an unconscious state.
Destiny
Release Date: April 9
Genre: Thriller, Romance, Mystery
Episodes: 10
Network: TV Asahi, Netflix
Plot: After Nishimura Kanade loses her father who was a prosecutor, she moves to her mother’s hometown and decides to enrol in the law department at the local university. There, she enjoys her youth while preparing for the bar exam with the four friends she meets there.
However, the day she is about to take the law school entrance exam, an accident causes someone’s death which also breaks Nishimura’s friends group which also includes Nogi Masaki.
12 years on, Nishimura is now 35 years old and is working as a prosecutor at the Yokohama District Public Prosecutor’s Office. Unexpectedly, a classmate whose whereabouts had been unknown since that fateful incident suddenly appears before her, and she is forced to face the past once again which in turn exposes the truth about her father’s death from 20 years ago.
Living With Him
Release Date: April 12
Genre: BL Drama, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 10
Network: Tokyo MX
Plot: With his parents frequently away for work, Natsukawa Ryota had been the main caretaker for his younger sisters and the housework, but now he’s finally about to go to University, he’s looking forward to being able to live freely on his own! However, in a surprising turn of events, he’s surprised to discover his roommate will be his childhood friend Tanaka Kazuhito.
Despite his picture-perfect looks and pleasant personality, Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend. Ryota tries to help Kazuhito find a partner but ends up falling for his kind words and actions.
Yips
Release Date: April 12
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Episodes: 10
Network: Fuji TV
Plot: Kuroba Miko is a mystery writer. Her books are popular and she has written bestsellers since she made her debut, but she is unable to write anymore. She currently works as a commentator for a TV show. Morino Toru is a detective.
Due to an incident, his arrest rate has plummeted and he is unable to solve cases anymore. Kuroba Miko and Morino Toru both suffer from the yips and they happen to meet at a sauna facility. They become good friends and solve cases together.
Promise (Yakusoku: 16-Nen-me no Shinjitsu)
Release Date: April 10
Genre: Thriller, Action, Mystery
Episodes: 10
Network: YTV
Plot: In 2008, Kiryu Aoi’s younger sister was a victim of a serial murder in their hometown.
Aoi, who discovered the body, was so shocked that she lost some of her memories from before the incident. Furthermore, Aoi’s father was arrested as a serial killer.
After losing everyone, Aoi leaves her hometown. 16 years later, Aoi, now a detective, returns to chase the truth and prove her father’s innocence, but another incident occurs in the peaceful town. As Aoi, alongside her detective partner Kosaka Kei, pursues the truth, she discovers the hidden sides of her classmates with whom she had spent her youth.
Anti-Hero
Release Date: April 14
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Law
Episodes: 10
Network: TBS
Plot: Japan has a conviction rate of 99.9% for criminal cases that go to trial. A lawyer can defeat those odds and obtain an acquittal for his client, even though there’s conclusive evidence that says otherwise. The show follows the story of good people turning into bad people due to minor incidents that force good and evil to switch sides.
At 25:00 in Akasaka
Release Date: April 19
Genre: BL Drama, Romance
Episodes: 10
Network: TV Tokyo
Plot: Shirasaki Yuki, a rookie actor, finally lands an audition and is chosen to star in a BL drama alongside current superstar Hayama Asami, who was also his senior at university. Feeling anxious and troubled before his first major role, Shirasaki is approached by Hayama with the proposal to form a “romantic relationship for the sake of character development” until the filming concludes.
Their pseudo-romantic involvement off-screen leads to a moving and beautifully crafted love story exploring the intricacies of relationships within the entertainment industry and among actors.
Tokyo Tower
Release Date: April 20
Genre: Romance, Drama
Episodes: 10
Network: TV Asahi
Plot: Kojima Toru is a medical school student, but he is bored with his life which always seems the same. One day, he meets an architect, Asano Shifumi, and he is invited to her office. He enjoys a pleasant time with her. They drink coffee and listen to music.
At that time, he sees a black and white photo of the Tokyo Tower on her office wall. He asks her if she likes the Tokyo Tower, and she replies that she does not because it looks lonely to her. Kojima Toru loves the time he spends with her. A couple of days later, he visits her office again and tells her that he wants to know more about her.
House of the Owl
Release Date: April 24
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Episodes: 10
Network: Disney+
Plot: Ogami Ryutaro, a powerful figure manipulating events from the shadows, clashes with his son Ogami Ryu, who operates as a vigilante to counter his father’s machinations and uphold justice.
Which Japanese drama are you most looking forward to in April? Which do you think could become the best of 2024? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!