Best Slice of Life Japanese Dramas
What makes Japanese dramas different from other dramas from other countries such as Korean dramas or Chinese dramas is how diverse it is. From mystery thrillers, Romance Manga live actions, tearjerkers, quirky comedy to job oriented ones, but my favorite and without a doubt their forte is the thought provoking slice of life genre.
The slice of life genre is very broad. There are romance with slice of life elements or job oriented dramas with relatable life aspects but I want to focus on purely slice of life like how Japan likes to do it. I watch a lot and I notice there is a formula to it, laidback, meaningful dialogue, fun characters, symbolism, and Japanese sensibility at its core. These Japanese script writers are very good in observing the human connection, exploring the Wabi Sabi philosophy, and inserting the theme of Ikigai into their stories.
Nagi no Oitoma (2019)
One principle of Wabi Sabi says that we should find the beauty in imperfections by embracing it means letting go of our need to be perfect, basically finding contentment at the moment. Nagi (Haru Kuroki) is a people pleaser. She is a girl who is always trying to fit in from work to her own love life. She is always like that, changing her personality in every situation so people will like her. She always straightens her curly hair to please her boyfriend. One day she got fed up with everything, broke up with her boyfriend, resigned from her company, moved to a new place and started her long vacation to reboot her life.
There she met the imperfect people scammer turned best friend Sakamoto, film buff grandma, a very sketchy neighbor and bar owner mama. These people taught her how to have her own dream and not to live for other people. Every person is longing for a place they can call home, their safe haven. Nagi finds it with these people.
Bokura wa Kiseki de Dekite Iru (2018)
If Nagi is the spiritual animal of those who are trying to fit in then Aizawa Kazuki (Takahashi Issei), is for those who always compare themselves to others. Kazuki is an eccentric borderline high functioning on the spectrum. He is a university lecturer who teaches ethology, which is the study of animal behavior. This drama loves to connect animal behavior to the philosophical meaning of life.
Kazuki had insecurities in the past and he hated himself for that but he managed to accept himself for who he was. The theme of this drama was explored well through its side characters which had their own set of problems and insecurities. Each episode we follow these characters on their self actualization journey which Kazuki is the catalyst.
Beach Boys (1997)
It is like they are 2 boys brought ashore to this guest house on the beach run by Aging surfer and his granddaughter. I really like the symbolism here. The found family aspect is strong. Hiromi (Sorimachi Takashi) a freeloader, a you only live once type of guy and Kaito (Takenouchi Yutaka) an elite employee of a large multinational trading company, these characters along with other side characters are at that point where they are about to make a decision that would greatly affect their lives.
Ikigai, reason for being or finding your purpose is the whole theme of this drama. Will Kaito leave his high paying job to relax and enjoy himself more and when will Hiromi find his passion in life? These young people will struggle to answer that question throughout this drama as they balance their wants and needs while reconnecting with nature, and that's just part of life.
Konto ga Hajimaru (2021)
Through acceptance you find freedom, through acceptance you find growth. This another Wabi Sabi principle helps us in coping with failure. Life doesn't always go the way we plan it, sometimes it is bound to fail. This is a story about an unpopular comedy trio, a woman who quit her company and stays in her shell while working at a family restaurant and her little sister who has no goal in life. We follow them as they try to overcome their failures in life.
Acceptance is the key but it is not easy as sometimes we need help from people around us like family, friends and loved ones. This story excels in exploring every human relationship in connection to the core theme of this drama. It is a great, relatable, reflection of young adults in their journey to find their true Zen.
Bread and Soup and Cat Weather (2013)
Another Ikigai themed story is Bread and Soup and Cat Weather. Akiko (Kobayashi Satomi) quit her editing job to take over a restaurant left by his mother who suddenly passed away. The restaurant only serves two items, sandwich and soup. Probably the most slice of life among this list as this has totally zero conflicts. This simple story just follows Akiko on how she struggles confronting her inner self along with her mom’s past.
Akiko’s stern personality is due to the fact that she is a product of a single parent household. From childhood to adulthood she’s always been like this, not until she decides to run a restaurant. There she learns there is a different way to live. She started to enjoy things, have fun, and accept that all things in life are in an imperfect state of flux. This drama teaches us to strive not for perfection but for excellence instead and sometimes slow and simple is the better way to feel joy.
Yuube no Curry, Ashita no Pan (2014)
One aspect of slice of life that I really like is the healing effect on its audience, especially on how it deals with grief. Tetsuko (Naka Riisa) is a young widow whose husband Kazuki died at the young age of 25. Even with the death of her husband she still lives with her father in law, Rentaro. Although not blood related they continue to live together as family. This is a heartwarming story of people who are stuck while the world continues to move forward. There are hard times but eventually they are able to move on.
Kintsugi is a Japanese art of repairing broken things by putting them together. The most common example is a broken tea bowl, put the broken pieces together and glue them again to become a new functioning tea bowl. Usually artists color the broken lines with gold to become even more beautiful than its origin. This can also be applied to real life as well. Time would not heal the pain if people won’t do something with the broken pieces. You won’t be the same as you were before the loss sure but you will definitely be a better version.
Suika (2003)
Motoko (Kobayashi Satomi, Queen of Slice of life genre btw) is having a midlife crisis at the age of 34. She still lives with her mom and is still unmarried. Tired of her monotonous lifestyle she decides to move out and live her own. She found a lodging house called “Happiness Sancha”. There she met Natsuko, an old college professor who has lived there since she was in college, Kizuna an erotic mangaka whose works don't sell much and Yuka, a young landlord desperate for more borders.
The cause of the midlife could be due to a career change, change in family dynamics, aging, financial situations or even childhood trauma can contribute to this as you reach adulthood. In a way it is the desire to put right the things including part of ourselves that don’t feel right. Although this pursuit of perfection deepens the discontent in your heart. This drama explores this theme to an extent where the characters learn to accept that not everything in life will be perfect including themselves, the wabi sabi philosophy.
The slice of life genre got a bit popular recently but they are still underrated. Maybe because of the simplicity of its story. But Japanese writers have a way to make such seemingly simple stories very interesting and those food for thought dialogue created due to talks about the most trivial things you just won’t get that in other dramas. I just hope with this blog I will open your eyes to the beautiful world of the Japanese slice of life dramas.
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