Japanese movies melodrama

List of the best Japanese movies melodramas selected by visitors to our site: Sky Of Love, Key of Life, Hanamizuki, Seven Days: Monday - Thursday, Kiss Him, Not Me, Paradise Kiss, Fear and Trembling, Melodies of a White Night, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins.

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan
Duration02:09

During her freshman year in high school, Mika Tahara (Yui Aragaki) loses her cellular phone, but later finds it in the school library with the help of an unknown caller. Throughout the summer, Mika and the mysterious caller continue to communicate, and agree to meet each other once school starts again. The caller turns out to be Hiro (Haruma Miura), a delinquent-like boy Mika is initially afraid of, who shows proof of his identity as the caller with a photo of the sky on his cellular phone.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrecomedy, melodrama, crime
CountryJapan
Duration02:08

Unemployed 35 year old Sakurai aspired to become an actor, but failed miserably. He decides to end his own life, but first he goes to purify himself at a public bathhouse. While there, he meets the very prosperous Kondo, who subsequently suffers a fall, erasing his memory. On a whim, Sakurai switches locker keys, steals the man's belongings, and decides to pass himself off as Kondo. What Sakurai does not know is that Kondo runs an illegal business, which brings him into contact with ornery Yakuza members. Meanwhile, Kondo has been convinced that he is actually the failed actor Sakurai and he faces the dismal reality of that life with increasing bewilderment. Fortunately, at the hospital he meets the lovely Kanae who, while yearning for marriage, goes out of her way to help "Sakurai" pull himself together. Eventually Kondo regains his memory, but before he can make a new life with Kanae, he has to solve the many problems caused by the theft of his identity.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genremelodrama, drama, adventure
CountryJapan
Duration02:08

Sae (Yui Aragaki) is a high school student who is studying hard for her college entrance exams. She lost her father when she was very young and so lives with her mother Ryoko (Hiroko Yakushimaru) in Hokkaido, Japan. Her father Kemimichi (Arata) once planted a dogwood tree in their garden after he found out he had a terminal disease and could not watch Sae grow up. She hopes to enter a university in Tokyo. She then meets Kouhei (Toma Ikuta), who attends a specialized high school teaching fishery. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a fisherman. These two young people meet and have a long distance relationship. Although their love is strong it does not last. 10 years later these two people have a miracle ...

Markimdb: 6.6
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountryJapan

Toji Seryo is a popular first year high school student. It's well known that Toji Seryo will date anyone that confesses their affection for him on a Monday, but he will break up with that person by Sunday. Yuzuru Shino is a third year student at the same high school. He looks pretty, but all of his former girlfriends end up dumping him. Yuzuru Shino becomes curious about Toji Seryo. On a whim, half serious & half joking, Yuzuru Shino asks Toji Seryo to date. The film is based on a comic. Part 1 follows Monday to Thursday. Part 2 follows Friday to Sunday.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Kae Serinuma is a second year high school student and an avid fujoshi who secretly ships her classmates, Igarashi and Nanashima. The death of her favorite anime character causes her to become stressed and lose weight rapidly. Now that Serinuma has become an attractive girl to her classmates, snarky junior Shinomiya and senior Mutsumi, how is she going to deal with them with her constant BL-filled fujoshi mind?

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountryJapan
Duration01:55

Hyasaka Yukari only wants one thing: to enter the college that her mom wants. One day, she meets an extravagant group that loves fashion. They were searching for a model and Yukari fits their ideal model. From now Yukari will know the world of fashion and modeling, and what she really wants.

Markimdb: 7
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountryBelgium, France, Canada, Japan
Duration01:47

Amélie, a young Belgian woman, having spent her childhood in Japan, decides to return to live there and tries to integrate in the Japanese society. She is determined to be a "real Japanese" before her year contract runs out, though it precisely this determination that is incompatable with Japanese humility. Though she is hired for a choice position as a translator at an import/export firm, her inability to understand Japanese cultural norms results in increasingly humiliating demotions. Though Amelie secretly adulates her, her immediate supervisor takes sadistic pleasure in belittling her all along. She finally manages to break Amelie's will by making her the bathroom attendant, and is delighted when Amelie tells her the she will not renew her contract. Amelie realizes that she is finally a real Japanese when she enters the company president's office "with fear and trembling," which could only be possible because her determination was broken by Miss Fubuki's systematic torture.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan, Soviet Union

A Russian composer and Japanese pianist enter a relationship strained by their geographic and cultural boundaries.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan

An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap, and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genreaction, melodrama, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:14

Former legendary assassin Kenshin Himura has now become a wandering samurai. Offering aid & protecting those in need as atonement for his past deeds. During this time Kenshin Himura comes across and aides Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei). Her father opened the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, a kendo school located in Tokyo and Kaoru is now an instructor there. Kaoru then invites Kenshin to stay at her dojo. Their relationship develops further, but Kenshin is still haunted by his violent past...

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, melodrama, drama, detective, military, history
CountryJapan
Duration02:24

A young man Kentaro Saeki (Haruma Miura) keeps failing his bar test and does not know what to do any more. His older sister Keiko is a freelance writer. Kentaro and Keiko begin to search for information on their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe (Junichi Okada) who dead in the special forces during World War II. Their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe was terrified of death and obsessed with life. Why did he join the special forces? According to his fellow navy soldiers, Kyuzo Miyabe was a genius and also a coward. Kentaro and Keiko then discovers the shocking truth which has been sealed for 60 years.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend. But she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens.

Markimdb: 8.4
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan

Young, free and madly in love. As teenagers, the world was their oyster but as adults, their lives seem dimmer, like a very important piece is missing.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

An unhappy young woman from an abusive family is married off to a fearsome and chilly army commander. But the two learn more about each other, love may have a chance.

Markimdb: 5
Genrehorror, thriller, detective
CountryUSA
Duration01:26

    A group of six tourists looking to go off the beaten path, hire an 'extreme tour guide'. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years earlier. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, the group members find themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:48

    Duke Red has overseen the construction of a massive Ziggurat to extend his power across the whole planet. Tima, a robot-girl built in the image of his deceased daughter, is at the core of these plans. However, after escaping the Duke's clutches in a laboratory fire, she meets and befriends Kenichi, a boy who's traveled to Metropolis with his detective uncle in search of a scientist wanted for organ trafficking. Will her relationship with Kenichi, and the realization of the truth of her existence, change her destiny?

    Markimdb: 5
    Genrehorror, fantasy, drama
    CountryUSA, Canada
    Duration01:54

    A teenage girl discovers a box with magical powers, but those powers comes with a deadly price.

    Markimdb: 5.6
    Genremelodrama, drama, biography
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:01

    The controversial true story of a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor.

    Markimdb: 5.4
    Genremelodrama, history
    CountryFrance
    Duration01:38

    A passionate love story set against a backdrop of sexual freedom, loosely based on the relationship between 19th century authors Pierre Louÿs and Marie de Régnier

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrefantastic, action, adventure, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Germany
    Duration01:20

    When 9 first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good.

    Markimdb: 8.4
    Genrefantasy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:35

    High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.

    Markimdb: 5.9
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan

    Mia Kurihara works in the public relations department of a company. She falls in love with Kairi Miyoshi. He is the vice president of the company, but he is also married.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration00:45

    One hot summer day a little girl gets lost in an enchanted forest of the mountain god where spirits reside. A young boy appears before her, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear. And so a wondrous adventure awaits...

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:23

    As a child, Masamune Makabe once suffered greatly at the hands of a wealthy and beautiful girl named Aki Adagaki, who nicknamed him "Piggy" due to his chubby appearance. Seeking revenge against his tormentor, Masamune works hard to improve himself and returns as an incredibly handsome, albeit narcissistic, high school student. When he encounters Aki once again, he is prepared to exact vengeance. With the aid of the rich girl's maid, Yoshino Koiwai, Masamune slowly begins to build his relationship with Aki, intending to break her heart when the time is right. However, as his friendship with Aki begins to grow, Masamune starts to question the objectives of his devious plans, and if bringing them to fruition is what his heart truly desires.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genrefantastic, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:00

    Narumi is on bad terms with her husband Shinji when one day, Shinji goes missing. He comes back a couple of days later, but seems like a totally different person, and is now gentle and tender. He goes for a walk every day. Meanwhile, Journalist Sakurai covers the story of a family that was brutally murdered, when an unexplained phenomenon takes place. Shinji Kase tells his wife that he came to Earth to invade.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    Jun, Akari, Sakurako, and Fumi truly believe that they can confide in each other. But one day, at a party, Jun confesses that she is seeking a divorce from her husband and this information seems to upset the other three. They follow her trial as she attempts to win her case against her husband's will.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:05

    While sorting through a mess of books in the staff room, Ohana happens upon one of Denroku's log books from long ago. Within it, it recounts a story of Ohana's mom when she was the same age as her.

    Markimdb: 8.6
    Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, music, anime
    CountryJapan

    Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother's sudden death took away his ability to play. Each day was dull for Kousei. But, then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who has an eccentric playing style. Can the heartfelt sounds of the girl's violin lead the boy to play the piano again?

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Our naïve protagonist proposes to a female character in an online game, only to find out that the player is actually a guy. Traumatized by that, he decides to never trust a girl online, but now, two years later, a female player is proposing to him. What will happen?

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan

    Based on the manga series "Mars" by Fuyumi Soryo (published from February, 1996 to December, 2000 in Japanese shojo manga magazine Bessatsu Friend).

    Markimdb: 8
    Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:00

    Spring time in April and the last of the cherry blossoms are still in bloom. The usually aloof bookworm with no interest in others comes across a book in a hospital waiting room. Handwritten on the cover are the words: "Living with Dying." He soon discovers that it is a diary kept by his very popular and genuinely cheerful classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, who reveals to him that she is secretly suffering from a pancreatic illness and only has a limited time left. It is at this moment that she gains just one more person to share her secret. Trying to maintain a normal life as much as possible, Sakura is determined to live her life to the fullest until the very last day. As her free spirit and unpredictable actions throw him for a loop, his heart begins to gradually change.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:25

    Satou Ichirou once called himself 'Maryuuin Kouga' and behaved as if he were a hero in a fantasy world. His strange behavior caused his classmates to bully him and he left the school. At his new school, he tries to behave like a normal boy, but one day he meets a girl who cosplays with a blue cape. She calls herself "a researcher traveling from the outer world to search for the 'Dragon Terminal'". At first, Ichirou rejects the girl, Satou Ryouko, because her behavior reminds him of his embarrassing past, but he changes his mind after seeing her getting bullied. In order to bring Ryouko back to real life, Ichirou accepts her and his past and begins the final battle as Maryuuin Kouga.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Yuuta and Rikka are in their third year of high school. One day in Spring, Touka declares that she will take Rikka to Italy with her, as her job has stabilized there and thinks they should migrate together as a family. Touka is also worried about Rikka not being competent enough to advance to universities in Japan. The gangs from the club suggested Yuuta, who doesn't want to be separated, to elope with Rikka!! A runaway drama throughout Japan begins.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genreaction, thriller, comedy, melodrama, drama, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:26

    Shamoto runs a small tropical fish shop. When his daughter Mitsuko is caught shoplifting at a grocery store a man named Murata steps in to settle things between the girl and the store manager. Murata also runs a tropical fish shop and he and Shamoto soon become friendly. However Murata hides many dark secrets behind his friendly face.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genreaction, fantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    In the story, the seasons have changed and it will soon be the second spring. Tatsuya and Miyuki have finished their first year at First Magic High School and are on their spring break. The two go to their villa on the Ogasawara Island archipelago. After only a small moment of peace a lone young woman named Kokoa appears before them. She has abandoned the Naval base and she tells Tatsuya her one wish.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:13

    Set in the 1960s, high school student Toru Watanabe loses his only friend Kizuki after he commits suicide. Toru, now looking for a new life, enters a university in Tokyo. By chance, Toru meets Kizuki's ex-girlfriend Naoko in the university. They grow close because they both share the same loss. As Toru and Naoko grow even closer, Naoko's sense of loss also grows. After Naoko's 20th birthday, she leaves for a sanitarium in Kyoto. Watanabe, devastated by the situation, meets pure-hearted Midori during the spring semester. Midori looks like a small animal that just came into the world ...

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called "Ena" which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed.This show follows the story of Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea.Hikari and his friends' lives are bound to change as they have to deal with the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the people of sea and of the surface, the storms in their personal lives, as well as an impending tempest which may spell doom for all who dwell on the surface.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    I (Takumi Kitamura) am a high school student. I happen to find a diary by my classmate Sakura Yamauchi (Minami Hamabe) that reveals she is suffering from a pancreatic disease. I spent time with Sakura, but she dies. 12 years later, due to Sakura’s words, I (Shun Oguri) am now a high school teacher at the same school where I graduated from. While I talk with my student, I remember several months I spent with Sakura. Meanwhile, Kyoko (Keiko Kitagawa), who was Sakura’s friend, is soon to marry. Kyoko also recalls the days she spent with me and Sakura.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan

    Takatoshi Minamiyama (Sota Fukushi) majors in art at an university in Kyoto. On the train to the school, he sees Emi Fukuju (Nana Komatsu) and falls in love with her at first sight. Gathering up all his courage, he speaks to her. They begin to date and enjoy happy days together, but Emi reveals her secret to him.

    Markimdb: 8
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    The year is 1991 and 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo only has video games to live for. He's not popular in school and he's neither handsome, funny, nice nor even friendly. The only thing he has going for him is that he is good at video games. One day at the local arcade, he plays Oono Akira, a fellow classmate but who's popular, smart, pretty and a rich girl that absolutely destroys him at Street Fighter II. Not only does he lose to her 30 times in a row, he can’t beat her at any game. Haruo can’t seem to shake Akira off as she follows him from arcade to arcade everyday after school and beats him every time. As weird as it sounds, the odd couple begins a strange bond and friendship.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:16

    Following the death of the unmarried and childless Taki, Takeshi, a young relative of hers, discovers several pages of closely written lines in which the old lady has recorded her memories. This is how he learns the truth about her youth working as a housemaid and nanny for the Hirai family in a little house in Tokyo with a red gabled roof.

    Markimdb: 6.8
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:03

    High school student Yuki Hase (Kento Yamazaki) wants to become close with classmate Kaori Fujimiya (Haruna Kawaguchi) who is alway by herself. Kaori Fujimiya refuses to become close with Yuki Hase, because she forgets her friends every new Monday. Even though Kaori tells Yuki why she doesn't want to become friends, Yuki still wants to become close to her.

    Markimdb: 5.6
    Genrecomedy, melodrama
    CountryJapan

    Setoka Tachibana is a female high school student who has confessed her feelings to other boys 12 times, but has been rebuffed each time. Her older brother Haruka Tachibana cares for his younger sister deeply, but he keeps secret from her that they are not blood related. One day, Setoka's first love Takane Serikawa appears after many years and approaches her.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genremelodrama, musical
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:13

    Troubled high school student Makoto arrives in Tokyo to exact revenge from a past incident. He then falls in love at first sight with Ai, a daughter raised in a wholesome family. Around Makoto and Ai are Iwashimizu, who has feelings for Ai and Gamuko, a gang member who eyes Makoto.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrefantastic, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:53

    One day, Naho Takamiya receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Kakeru Naruse. The Naho from ten years later repeatedly states that she has many regrets, and she wants to fix these by making sure the Naho from the past can make the right decisions—especially regarding Kakeru. What's more shocking is that she discovers that ten years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them. Future Naho asks her to watch over him closely.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genrecomedy, melodrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:33

    Yu Akahane (Nana Komatsu) moves to a dormitory room after her father's transfer from work. She is excited that she will live in the same dorm as Takumi Shirakawa (Yudai Chiba) aka "White Prince." Yet, Haruto Kurosaki (Kento Nakajima) aka "Black Devil" kisses her as punishment for going against him. It is Yu Akahane’s first kiss. Since then, she becomes obedient to Haruto Kurosaki.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrefantastic, action, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    "Hundred"—that is the only weapon that can oppose the mysterious life form "Savage" from visiting the earth. The protagonist, Kisaragi Hayato, aims to become a Martial Arts Master using this Hundred. He managed to get into the battleship university Little Garden. However— "I wanted to see you, Hayato!!!" "H-How do you know my name?" Around the roommate, Emil Crossford, who somehow knows him well (?), Hayato gets an uneasy feeling. What's more, just after the entrance ceremony, he gets asked for a duel by the campus' strongest martial arts master "Queen" Claire Harvey...!? The ultimate academy battle begins here!

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genrefantasy, comedy, melodrama, drama, biography
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration01:55

    When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town named Marwen where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation — a testament to the most powerful women he knows — through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:27

    Documentary filmmaker Genya Tachibana has tracked down the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career. When he presents her with a key she had lost and thought was gone forever, the filmmaker could not have imagined that it would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life... but also his own.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:53

    Aoi Nishimori's parents moved to another city for work, but Aoi didn't want to transfer to a new high school. She stays behind and lives in an apartment by herself. Shusei Kugayama moves in next to Aoi's apartment. Shusei is a very popular student at their high school. Due to a mistake, Aoi makes the sprinkler go off in his room. Until Shusei's room is fixed, he stays with Aoi.




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