@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Season Two of “Drops of God” abandons easy sympathy, turning its once-lovable underdog siblings into something messier, darker and more compelling. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/02/13/tv-streaming/drops-of-god-recap/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

What can a TV show teach us about reality? Despite some predictable pairings and sentimental soliloquies, “The Boyfriend” offers one of the most prominent spaces in Japan for mainstream queer representation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/02/06/tv-streaming/the-boyfriend-reality-tv/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Canadian hockey romance series "Heated Rivalry" is television’s latest global hit, but its fandom language goes back to 1970s Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/01/31/tv-streaming/boys-love-heated-rivalry/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Netflix Japan’s same-sex dating show “The Boyfriend” slows down in its second season, letting relationships unfold at their own pace. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/01/23/tv-streaming/netflix-the-boyfriend/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Japanese freelance television announcer Hiroshi Kume, known for hosting the popular music show "The Best Ten" and news show "News Station," died of lung cancer on Jan. 1, it was learned Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/01/13/tv-streaming/hiroshi-kume-obituary/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

For its 65th installment, NHK’s “taiga” period drama leaves the pleasure quarters of Edo behind to shift focus on the right-hand man of one of Japan’s great unifiers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/01/02/tv-streaming/nhk-brothers-in-arms-taiga-drama/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Fights, insults and unexpected sincerity: Netflix Japan’s “Badly in Love” flips the script (and a few desks) on the dating-show formula by centering on delinquent culture. And it works. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/12/16/tv-streaming/badly-in-love/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

The neon-lit underworld of Mars populated by multilingual transplants may borrow from cyberpunk and sci-fi tropes, but its take on interplanetary cosmopolitanism merits a watch. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/12/13/tv-streaming/new-japanese-sci-fi-queen-of-mars-nhk/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Viewers are comparing the new Netflix series to “Shogun” and “Squid Game,” but “Last Samurai Standing” stands out for its anime-style cartoonish chaos. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/11/21/tv-streaming/last-samurai-standing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is getting the ultimate send-off. A six-part docuseries and concert film will hit Disney+ on Dec. 12. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/15/tv-streaming/taylor-swift-docuseries-disney/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

At the Busan International Film Festival, Netflix’s Creative Asia made one thing clear: Asia isn’t a side market anymore — it’s the creative engine shaping global streaming. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/05/tv-streaming/netflix-creative-asia-busan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

An anime about a teenage horse-girl idol shouldn’t work, but “Cinderella Grey” delivers the best sports drama since “The Last Dance.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/04/tv-streaming/umamusume-cinderella-grey/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

“The Summer Hikaru Died” is a slow-burn horror and a coming-of-age narrative, but its thematic layers and queer undertones open conversations about friendship and belonging. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/06/tv-streaming/queer-anime-summer-hikaru-died/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random
@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Takeru Satoh looks gorgeous playing a tortured genius in “Glass Heart” — a show that sounds great but rings hollow. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/08/07/tv-streaming/glass-heart/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

NHK's “After the Quake” brings Haruki Murakami’s work to television for the first time to examine the ripple effects of past major disasters across Japanese society. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/04/03/tv-streaming/after-the-quake-haruki-murakami/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Wake up, Japan! NHK E’s “The Wakey Show” is about to shake up kids’ TV with rapping puppets, history lessons and a DJ bear in a sideways cap. Even Elmo’s joining the fun! Can it make mornings a little brighter? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/03/27/tv-streaming/the-wakey-show-nhk/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Can a meal make you besties? ‘K-foodie meets J-foodie’ thinks so. Watch a Korean crooner and Japanese food icon bond over bites. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/03/06/tv-streaming/k-foodie-meets-j-foodie/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Can romance bloom without an iPhone? Netflix Japan's new reality series "Offline Love" leans into nostalgia for a simpler time. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/02/18/tv-streaming/offline-love/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random
@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Nippon TV’s “The Hot Spot” blends sci-fi with small-town serenity, proving that the best use of superpowers is just making everyday life a little easier. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/02/10/tv-streaming/the-hot-spot/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Taiwanese actor Barbie Hsu, known for her romantic lead role in "Meteor Garden," died from a respiratory illness during a family holiday in Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/02/03/tv-streaming/taiwan-barbie-hsu/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Though the innocent-looking robotic doll in "Squid Game" is deadly in the hit show, its origins are pretty cute. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/01/30/tv-streaming/squid-game-doll-origin/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Making “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi” for an American audience in the early 2000s was a bold move — and that’s why it’s still worth revisiting today. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/01/24/tv-streaming/hi-hi-puffy-amiyumi-anniversary/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social avatar thejapantimes , to random

Moviegoers flocked to see David Lynch's work in arthouse cinemas, and cherry pies and canned coffee fueled the nation's "Twin Peaks" mania. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/01/23/tv-streaming/david-lynch-twin-peaks-georgia-coffee/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon