Japan in the 90’s pumped out some great movies. From Audition, Dr. Akagi, Princess Mononoke, and Love Letter. Classics. Just pure classics. Japan also gave us great television series.
Here are five series that are worth checking out if you haven’t seen them already. If you have, well…they are always worth a rewatch.
Happy viewing! 📺
1. Beach Boys (1997)
Hiromi Samurai just got kicked out of their apartment by the now ex-girlfriend. While trying to find himself, Hiromi decides to go to the beach. On the way, he cross paths with Kaito Suzuki, a straight-laced businessman. Suzuki is running away from his extremely stressful life in Tokyo after some problems start to arise. The two meet at a seaside B&B, that is ran by an aging surfer named Maseru Izumi. Maseru runs the little B&B with his granddaughter, Makoto Izumi.
Both men end up agreeing to work at the place in exchange for free boarding over the summer. Forced to share a room, Hiromi and Kaito often butt heads, but after spending some time together, the two come to an understanding. Kaito slowly adjusts to life in the small seaside town and spends his summer night wondering if he should return to the chaotic corporate world back in Tokyo, or start a new life in the rural sleepy town.
2. Long Vacation (1996)
Sena Hidetoshi is a recent college music graduate. He has big dreams of becoming a professional musician. His goal…to become a world-class pianist. One day while in his apartment, his roommate, Asakura’s fiancee, Hayama Minami, rushes to the apartment. She wants to know where her fiancee is. Minami tells Hidetoshi that he has left her at the alter on THEIR WEDDING DAY! Hidetoshi allows Minami to move into the apartment to help her now that she is struggling to survive. Soon the two new roommates start to confide and console each other. Romance starts to blossom between the two. Trying to ignore their feeling for each other, Hidetoshi and Minami, along with their group of friends try to manage their day-to-day struggles while navigating life in Japan.
3. Bayside Shakedown (1997)
Detective Shunsaku Aoshima takes his job very seriously. He works in the Wangan Precinct in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Coming from a corporate life, Aoshima took a job as a detective with heroic dreams. But, he soon learns that working as a detective is not different from the corporate life. Lazy co-workers, bureaucratic red tape, and bosses wanting to play golf rather than be helpful, soon disheartens Aoshima. He vows to push against the apathy in the department and pursue his idea of what a police officer should be.
4. Heaven’s Coin (1995)
Aya Kumamoto lives in Hokkaido. She works with a doctor named Shuichi Nagai. Aya carries a secret within her, she is in love with Dr. Shuichi. After working with Dr. Shuichifor a while, Aya finally confesses her love to him. One day, Shuichi decides to leave for Tokyo for personal reasons, but when he returns, he promises Aya the two will get married. While in Tokyo, Shuichi gets into an accident and loses his memories. Shuichi slowly recovers and soon he realizes that he has no memory of his former life and the woman that loves him. After not hearing from her beloved, Aya goes to Tokyo to find out what happened to him.
5. 101st Marriage Proposal (1991)
101st MARRIAGE PROPOSAL
Fuji Television Network
Tatsuro Hoshino is a man that is unlucky in love. He has gone on 99 failed dates. Tatsuro sees himself as not smart, nor good-looking, but prides himself as having a heart of gold. And he is determined to find love and marriage. Hoshino Junpei, Tatsuro’s brother, decides to help him. He enlists the help of his friend, Yabuki Chie. Chie has an older sister currently trying to get over a past love. The two set up a blind date between Tatsuro and Kaoru. Meanwhile, Tatsuro tells himself on his 100th date, that this is the woman that he will finally marry. The woman turns out to be a classical musician, and Chie’s older sister, named Yabuki Kaoru. Kaoru guards her heart very closely from pain due her previous relationship, and the difficulties of letting go. While the two initially don’t hit it off on the first date, they keep getting drawn back to each other.