Mother (2010)

Both stories based on children who suffer abuse. The Crucible is a lot darker & more graphic dealing with sexual abuse

Both about teachers going above & beyond for the sake of their students

There are many similarities in the plot and the drama's stylistic elements. Yuko Tanaka also stars as the mother of the main character in both dramas.

Similar stories where the it is not the parents who choose their sons are sons chose their parents.

Both are the same. The Korean drama is the remake of this drama. Both are amazingly done with great chemistry between the two leads.

Both doramas have heavy feelings and treat subjects as children's absuse and adults that try to help them.
Kimi wa iiko tells the stories of different children who have to undergo different adversities but they end up being pilars for the people who are near them, something similar occurs in Mother.

Both take a deep look at parenthood and have a dark theme. While not similar in storylines, the themes and genres are similar

Yuko Tanaka previously worked with Director Nobuo Mizuta and Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto in 2010 NTV drama series "Mother" and 2013 NTV drama series “Woman: My Life for My Children.”

Both stories portray the harshness life brings and the strive of the characters to do good/survive while exposing humanity.

Both involve a "cold" woman saving a childfrom abuse and portrait the deep connection between childless woman and traumatized child

You don't get to choose your family but if you did the bonds would be the same. While watching Shoplifters I got the feeling of dejavu and then realized that I felt the same way while watching Mother. Both deal with children in unhappy/ unsafe homes and finding solace elsewhere. With Mother you get a more drawn out story while Shoplifters is a more condensed version. I highly recommend both.

both deal with family, life, relationships and have a similar atmosphere and feel to it.

Dramas are about guardians wanting to save a child from abuse by their real parents. The difference is that 'Mother' struggles through the forceful approach, while 'Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu' struggles through the legal approach.

Both star Ashida Mana. About the lives of children from abusive/unstable homes

Both have ....

-same writer
-Kurashina Kana <3
-some suspense plots
-(very) depressing tone in the start of series, but gradually become more hopeful
-somewhat unique and beautiful ending