A to Z Challenge

A - No one does heart warming school dramas quite like Japan can. With its underdog narrative, this one ends up a winner.

C - Considering this one under its English title "Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!" Just as it title implies—it's pure magic.

G - Come for the mystery and stay for the character growth—suspense may runs in its veins, but this is a character drama through and through.

H - A hidden gem and a much-needed reminder that there is always beauty in life to behold.

I - Taking influence from Hashiguchi Ryosuke's Like Grains of Sand, this gentle tale of sexual self-discovery is stunning, raw, and above all else, utterly captivating.

J, Part 1 - It was hard to choose between this and Jimi ni Sugoi, but deciding to choose both was easy. They feel like two sides of the same coin: workplace dramas with plucky female leads who tackle the day-to-day in their own unconventional ways.

J, Part 2 - Where Juhan Shuttai posits a lead who puts her heart & soul into her work despite the ire of her colleagues, Jimi ni Sugoi has one who tries to run from her job but can't, because she doesn't realise just how much her heart & soul belongs there.

K - Its premise is built for comical shenanigans. Instead, we are dealt a delicate queer narrative exploring the power of love in all its forms.

L - Terminal illness is a touchy subject. Treating it with gravitas ensures it's done right.

M - A drama that never leaves you. Complex female characters with complex relationships (with each other and others around them) navigating a world of misogyny. Prepare your tissues.

N - I consider Okada Yoshikazu the master of "bad things happen to good people" narratives. There is perhaps no work in his repertoire that represents that approach better than this.

O - It's rare to get a drama brimming with so much confidence to be itself: to laugh at its own jokes, soak in its own imagery, and dance like no one is watching.

O - School dramas can contain multitudes. If some win the heart for being earnest, Ore no Sukatto? trumps them all by just being fun, whether it's making sense or not. You end up wishing school was like this.

R - Through charming "plamo" metaphors, Riko and her colorful cast of workmates learn just how to build better versions of themselves. Now, if only life had an instruction manual this easy...

S - Take caution: this one's heavy. If you've ever faced depression or been around someone who has, this series might break you like it broke me. (The stunning cinematography is just a bonus.)

T - Let Michiko be your travel guide across the stunning vistas of rural Japan, as she contemplates obsolecence, the casualties of progress and the resilience of the human soul.

Y  - A zany supernatural sitcom that's equal parts camp and charm. You'll wish you had roommates like these.