I am looking for easy to find and stream (free & legal like Viki, YT...) Japanese dramas and movies for someone who is learning Japanese. Something with good family dynamics, legal/cop/medical themes, comedies, historical or something I haven't listed (b/c I haven't thought of it) and you think might work. Please avoid excessive violence, graphic scenes and nudity. Please also avoid BLs.

Thank you in advance.

Japan Film Festival Online starts this Weds (noon JST). 23 films from 5th-19th June and then two 10 ep drama series from 19th June-3rd July (all noon JST, so watch time zones and such). Available through their website https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/page/jffonline2024/ 

All free and legal. Variety of topics, including serious ones and comedies. Hopefully something will interest you. Aside from the horror shorts (easy enough to avoid), I'd be surprised if any have excessive violence, graphic scenes or nudity. The one with BL in the title is about an intergenerational friendship between an elderly woman and a girl who bond over BL manga. It's not a BL itself. Last year's festival was brilliant, they did an excellent job choosing films so my expectations for quality are high for this year's.

I made a list and a forum thread in hopes others will join in to share opinions and recs. You're welcome to join in or just use them to help you decide what to watch.

viki sadly doesn't have that many great japanese drama (but depends I guess what you're into as well) 

there are some Japanese movies on youtube, but Japanese dramas are harder to find if you want to stick to legal sites... especially older dramas


- kahogo no kahoko 

- 1 litre of tears

- an incurable case of love

- kimi ni todoke (2010)

- ashi girl 

- koinaka

- snow prince (2009)

- rich man poor woman

- zenkai girl 

- kanojo wa kirei datta

Hitotsubashi Kiriko no Hanzai Nikki is available on NHK's website (https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/drama_kiriko/)

The Makanai (this one is just lovely) is on Netflix, so is Brush Up Life (under the title"Rebooting"; it's hilarious and very much recommended).

Juhan Shuttai ("Sleepeer Hit!") is on Viki