Best Japanese suspense series
A curated collection of popular suspense series from Japan.
24 JAPAN (2020)
24 JAPAN (2020)
Japanese adaptation of the American TV Series "24". Genba Shido is the director of Team A in the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). He is excellent at his job and a reasonable person, but he often has to make drastic decisions to save lives.
Captured Hospital (2023)
Captured Hospital (2023)
The story is set in a big hospital which is infiltrated and taken over by an armed group wearing devil masks. Musashi Saburo a police officer on leave of absence has to save the hostages within a set time limit.
Mistress (2019)
Mistress (2019)
Shibasaki Kaori is a doctor. Her patient that she was having an affair with dies. Kaori is suspicious of the patient's son Kido Takashi about the death. Noguchi Tomomi is a single mother. She is excited in experiencing love for the first time in 7 years. Harada Saeko is in conflict with her husband Harada Satoshi about having a child. Mizushima Juri insists on having freewheeling romance. She feels excitement with meeting a woman.These four women's lives connect and an unexpected story begins.
War of Traps (2023)
War of Traps (2023)
Parliamentary secretary Toru Washizu (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) has devoted 20 years of his life to Kosuke Inukai, a member of parliament and cabinet minister. Toru works behind the scenes as Inukai's "shadow," deftly handling the petitions of Inukai's supporters and crushing any hint of scandal. Cool and collected, Toru rarely betrays emotion and would humble himself to anyone to get what Inukai needs. But then a shocking event changes everything. Toru's only son, Taiki, is gravely injured in an accident that leaves him close to death. Toru is stricken with worry and fear for his son, but Inukai orders him to conduct a cover-up. Feeling betrayed, Toru, who once would have done anything for Inukai, begins to question everything.
Dog and Scum (2023)
Dog and Scum (2023)
Sakuraba Haruma's childhood friend Inukai Shuji was a cut above him in every way imaginable, living out the glamorous life bestowed upon him. Haruma, an unassuming salaryman, has lived his every day clutching onto his inferiority complex, existing only in Shuji's shadow. One day, Haruma coincidentally meets Shuji's wife, Inukai Reika, who Haruma has always secretly admired since his high school days. With feelings of envy, jealousy, and more, a "secret" is born from Haruma's repetitive days.
Lawyer Sodom (2023)
Lawyer Sodom (2023)
A legal suspense drama featuring the unconventional lawyer Odagiri Wataru, who specializes in defending fraud victims. The story revolves around Wataru's choice to defend fraudsters for a specific reason, as he strives to win cases against the perpetrators who prey on the vulnerable in court, revealing his true motives along the way.
5 Ways to Socially Kill Your Husband (2023)
5 Ways to Socially Kill Your Husband (2023)
Okuda Akane has been subjected to domestic violence and moral harassment by her husband, Okuda Daisuke. After experiencing a miscarriage due to domestic violence, Akane begins to reconsider her life and follow the instructions in a mysterious letter to punish her husband socially.
Would You Like to Play Da Capo? (2023)
Would You Like to Play Da Capo? (2023)
Eight men and women with heavy debts, are trapped in a situation where they cannot survive. The eight people are invited by a mysterious man named Ninomiya, an agent of Mr. X, to play a "lottery game" at a permanently closed hotel. The game involves risking their lives and their money. Who is Mr. X and what is the purpose of the game?(Source: DramaWiki)
You Want Me to Steal You (2023)
You Want Me to Steal You (2023)
Naoya Aizawa has been married for a few years to his colleague, Kana. The couple has a perfect life until a new employee named Noa Tachibana is assigned to Naoya’s branch office. Will Naoya be able to resist Noa’s temptation? What is the fate of this couple?
The Decline Game (2023)
The Decline Game (2023)
Kanata Moriguchi, a representative of the fashion subscription service "shareDresser", becomes popular overnight, because of a famous artist's shout-out on SNS. From there, surrounded now by luxury, Moriguchi starts touting the concept that the number of followers on social channels is the most important thing and everything else will just work on its own. Because of his popularity, he becomes a part of a celebrities circles, but also ends up as the object of envy and respect of his fellow industry colleagues.However, everything changes when Moriguchi receives a message from a stranger. In it, he receives a video that should never see the light of day and could ruin his life. Forced to follow the blackmailer's instructions, Kanata tries to find out who is behind it and what his motives are. At the same time, he faces a dilemma whether to save his career or confess his sins to the world.
Actress (2023)
Actress (2023)
The stage is five years after "Borderless", Nao, Kiri, and Kotone have started a new life on their own. One day, a novel written by Kiri will be published under the name of a popular young actress. Kiri is dissatisfied but cannot resist. In addition, "incidents" occur to trace the incidents in the works. They can't believe it's a coincidence, who imitated what and why? As they tried to get to the bottom of the truth, an inescapable tragedy struck them again...
MALICE (2023)
MALICE (2023)
Kozono Yohei, secretary general of Shoto University, was found stabbed to death in his home. Hoshino Naoto, a detective at Fujimi Police Station, rushes to the scene and sees the scene of the murder in the living room. Tanimura Kaho, a lecturer at Shoto University's Department of International Studies, is trying to get ahead in life at any cost, and has been having an affair with Kozono, who holds the right to personnel affairs, for half a year. Kozono is murdered, and Kaho is arrested as a murderer. On the other hand, reporter Maruyama Sota receives information about the affair via anonymous email, and realizes that someone is trying to manipulate the impression of the incident, and begins his own investigation. In the midst of this, Hoshino feels uncomfortable with the investigative policy of the upper-level police, which concludes that Kaho is the culprit in a half-baked investigation, and eventually realizes that Kaho may have been framed by someone.
Strangers 6 (2012)
Strangers 6 (2012)
The Korean-Chinese-Japanese collaborative drama series “Strangers 6″ is about a group of six experts from the police forces of Korea, China, and Japan who are secretly gathered to protect the countries’ economic futures.“Strangers 6″ is set in the near future and centers around the fictional Chinese city of ‘Haiwan’, a huge economical hub without any national boundaries for companies from South Korea, Japan, and China. However, the city is doomed to collapse under a gigantic earthquake predicted to hit the city within the next three months. There’s a chance to prevent the disaster by installing a special device underneath the city, but this would require cutting-edge technology and an unimaginable sum of money from all three countries.Believing that this is the only way to protect their economy, the countries are quick to agree on this joint-operation and hasten their efforts in order to complete the device as soon as possible. However, somebody is trying to interfere with the project and attempts to assassinate the people involved. In order to protect the project and to find out who is behind the assassination plot, the three countries form a top-secret group, ‘Strangers 6′, which is made up of their best experts and agents.
Insect cage's Lock (2019)
Insect cage's Lock (2019)
A religious cult called Mushikago no Niwa that secretly developed hidden human potential existed in the past. However, one such person, whose potential was unleashed, rose in rebellion. After the cult was destroyed, the members dispersed and only the rumour of a vast fortune on the cult grounds is whispered in the underworld. Nanami is a go-between and trades information with people of the underworld. One day, he meets Kagoroku who happens to be there when he is in a tough spot in a secret deal. The two of them eventually team up to solve all sorts of issues. They get involved in a fight between the former Mushikago no Niwa members that went through human experiments and the people of the underworld over the assets and mystery of the cult.
Wild Adapter (2014)
Wild Adapter (2014)
Makoto, a gang leader, takes in Minoru Tokito. Minoru has a mysterious past that includes the usage of a drug called W.A. This drug has caused Minoru to have his right arm as a monstrous limb. The two begin their journey by investigating this drug that is tearing up the city's "underground."
Kaiji (2007)
Kaiji (2007)
Kaiji Itou is a good-for-nothing loiterer who spends his days drinking beer and stealing hubcaps—that is, until he ends up being tricked by his former co-worker. Unable to suddenly repay his friend's huge debt all by himself, Kaiji is offered a shady deal to participate in an illegal underground gamble on a cruise ship. This turns out to be nothing more than the beginning of his new life of hell—thrown headlong into a life-threatening roller coaster of mind games, cheating, and deceit.
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom (2009)
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom (2009)
Mafia is rife in America where assassinations are a regular occurrence on the streets. Inferno, a mysterious company, is behind most of these dealings through the use of their near-invincible human weapon, "Phantom."One day, a Japanese tourist accidentally witnesses Phantom's latest murder. Desperate to escape, the tourist hides in a secluded building. However, Phantom, revealed to be a young woman named Ein, and the leader of Inferno "Scythe Master" captures the tourist and brainwashes him.Given the name "Zwei," this once peaceful tourist is now a puppet of Inferno with no memories. Drawn into a world of lies, deceit, and violence, Zwei must fight to survive, hopefully to one day regain his memories and escape from this world where he is constantly on the brink of death.
![Poster for [C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/qtJi38lUQut2USuI07A1dX4KJ3D.jpg)
[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control (2011)
[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control (2011)
Kimimaro works two jobs to make ends meet. He could go from pauper to prince in a parallel world called the Financial District—if he’ll invest his future as collateral in a dangerous game. Winning gets you more wealth, but losing could erase you from existence. When the destructive forces at play compel Kimimaro to confront the most powerful player, can he save the real world from total collapse?
Magical Girl Raising Project (2016)
Magical Girl Raising Project (2016)
A social game called The Magical Girl Raising Project allows one in tens of thousands of people to be a "magical girl" — possessing extraordinary physical capabilities and looks, as well as special magical powers that set them apart from the rest of the human race. But one day, in a district containing 16 magical girls, the administration announces that it must halve the number of magical girls to solve the problem of magical energy. At first, the 16 magical girls race to collect more "magical candy" than their competitors, but the rules quickly become twisted, and it quickly becomes a murderous battle for survival among them.
Testimony of N (2014)
Testimony of N (2014)
University student Sugishita Nozomi, Naruse Shinji, Ando Nozomi and Nishizaki Masato end up coming upon the scene of the murder of the Noguchi couple, because of a plan they had devised. Nishizaki is arrested at the scene and is given a 10-year prison term because of his voluntary confession. 10 years later, Takano Shigeru, a former police officer who has misgivings about the verdict of this case, starts to pursue the truth. He is convinced that it all began as a result of an incident caused by Nozomi and Naruse on an island in the Seto Inland Sea in the summer 15 years. “They committed a crime at that time. It was for the sake of each N.”
TASUKETSU -Fate of the Majority- (2024)
TASUKETSU -Fate of the Majority- (2024)
The game began suddenly. It was "Tasuketsu," a brutal survival game in which the majority is eliminated. In order to fight back against the immensely powerful emperor masterminding the game, young men and women create their own futures using the mysterious special ability known as "Special Right."
Fugitive Boys (2017)
Fugitive Boys (2017)
Tobio Masubuchi and his friends are ordinary high school students. Due to an incident, their peaceful days are about to change. Tobio’s friends are beaten by students from another high school in their neighborhood. Tobio and his friends scheme to get back the students from the other school. The day they are to carry out their plan, they see the other high school engulfed in flames. Tobio and his friends become suspects.
Re: The End of the Tiny World - Half a Year Later (2021)
Re: The End of the Tiny World - Half a Year Later (2021)
Six months ago, life went dark for the underworld negotiator Kida when his lifelong friend and fellow former outcast Makoto became embroiled in a deadly plot. Makoto had risen to become the head of a powerful trading firm, but the events that unfolded on Christmas Eve put an end to all that. Since then, Kida has continued to drift through life without a single bright spark to light up his life. Nobody cares if he lives or dies except his underworld boss, who values Kida’s inimitable skills.
Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? (2025)
Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? (2025)
After her ex-cop father is murdered on Christmas Eve, Komugi finds a letter hinting at a dark conspiracy and teams up with a lawyer to uncover the truth.
Destiny (2024)
A Suffocatingly Lonely Death (2024)
A Suffocatingly Lonely Death (2024)
The suspense story begins when Jin Saeki, a policeman in Yamanashi Prefecture, arrives at a prominent estate residence in response to a tip, and finds the skeletal remains of 13 children, as well as a mysterious marking. Jūzō Haikawa, the long-missing owner of the estate, immediately becomes the prime suspect. Saeki collaborates with a woman named Kanon Hasumi, who has a connection to Haikawa, and together they search for the truth behind the case. In a parallel story set in Tokyo seven years after the case, a girl with a connection to the mark left on the Haikawa estate runs away from home.
Hiru (2022)
Hiru (2022)
21-year-old Shinomiya Yuki has no friends and spends his days alone working part-time jobs. One day, when he returns home as usual after a night shift, a male stranger who has been stabbed in the abdomen with a knife is sitting in his room. The man wakes up at the hospital that he has been taken to and identifies himself as Shinomiya Yuki to detectives. Then he points to Yuki and states that he stabbed him. Yuki flees the hospital right away and becomes a fugitive in an instant. At that moment, a mysterious woman called Zoka appears right before Yuki and asks him to help her take revenge on her father’s killer. He decides to collaborate with her. Zoka is a “leech” who goes from one house to another while its occupants are away. The two of them eventually encounter Kara, a legendary leech who lives like an empty shell solely for the purpose of revenge.
Shōtai (2022)
Shōtai (2022)
Keiichi Kaburagi is arrested as a suspect in a murder case and sentenced to death. He escaped from prison during the transfer, but while fleeing, he rescues the people he meets in his hiding place from the predicament. And when the rescued people realize that Kaburagi is a wanted death-row prisoner, they begin to wonder, "Is he really a murderer?"
60 Justice Project (2018)
60 Justice Project (2018)
Eiji Arima (Hiroshi Tachi) is a veteran detective who is about to retire. Shoichi Sera (Yuki Furukawa) is a young lawyer and Misuzu Haruna (Mari Hoshino) is a prosecutor. These 3 people belong to the Gohan Taisakushitsu (‘Misjudgment Countermeasure Office’). Their job is to reexamine death-row convictions and check to see if anyone were falsely convicted.