Asian culture, A to Z.
Anime, manga, drama, gastronomy, traditions, personalities. Browse the encyclopedia of Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture.
Midnight Diner (Shinya Shokudo)
Japanese series adapted from Abe Yaro's manga, aired on TBS then Netflix from 2009 to 2019 (5 seasons). A small Tokyo restaurant, open only from midnight to seven in the morning, welcomes night-time customers for whom the silent chef prepares their favorite dish. A contemplative ode to Japanese cuisine and the human stories that unfold over a meal.
Alice in Borderland
Japanese survival series adapted from Haro Aso's manga, produced by Netflix in 2020-2022 (2 seasons, 16 episodes). Arisu, an aimless young gamer, finds himself in a deserted Tokyo where he must participate in deadly games symbolized by playing cards to survive. A gripping thriller that rivaled Squid Game on the international stage.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
South Korean drama of 16 episodes written by Moon Ji-won, aired on ENA/Netflix in 2022. Woo Young-woo, a brilliant autistic attorney passionate about whales, joins a major law firm and confronts prejudice while solving cases with a unique perspective. An unexpected global phenomenon that highlighted neurodiversity in Korean popular culture.
Business Proposal
South Korean drama of 12 episodes adapted from HaeHwa's webtoon, aired on SBS in 2022. An employee goes on a blind date in place of her friend and runs into the CEO of her own company, who decides to marry her to stop the blind dates imposed by his grandfather. A light and refreshing romantic comedy that won over global audiences on Netflix.
Vincenzo
South Korean drama of 20 episodes written by Park Jae-beom, aired on tvN in 2021. An Italian-Korean lawyer, consigliere of the Italian mafia, returns to Seoul to retrieve a hidden treasure beneath a building threatened with demolition by a corrupt conglomerate. A flamboyant legal thriller blending action, dark humor, and anti-heroic justice.
Itaewon Class
South Korean drama of 16 episodes adapted from Gwang Jin's webtoon, aired on JTBC in 2020. A young man fresh out of prison opens a bar-restaurant in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood to take revenge on the food conglomerate responsible for his father's death. A tale of perseverance and social justice carried by Park Seo-joon's charisma.
My Love from the Star
South Korean drama of 21 episodes written by Park Ji-eun, aired on SBS in 2013-2014. An alien arrives on Earth during the Joseon dynasty and lives among humans for 400 years before falling in love with a famous and capricious actress. A cultural phenomenon that triggered the Hallyu wave in China and popularized K-dramas across Asia.
Hospital Playlist
South Korean medical drama of 2 seasons (24 episodes) created by the duo Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, aired on tvN in 2020-2021. Five doctors who have been friends since medical school reunite at the same hospital and form an amateur band. A warm drama celebrating adult friendship, medical vocation, and the small joys of daily life.
Reply 1988
South Korean drama of 20 episodes from the Reply series, written by Lee Woo-jung and aired on tvN in 2015-2016. In the Ssangmun-dong neighborhood of Seoul in 1988, five neighboring families share their daily lives during a time of great change in South Korea. Considered one of the greatest K-dramas of all time, celebrated for its warm nostalgia and deeply human characters.
Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
South Korean fantasy drama of 16 episodes written by Kim Eun-sook, aired on tvN in 2016-2017. An immortal warrior from the Goryeo dynasty searches for a human bride who can remove the invisible sword lodged in his chest to end his eternal life. A masterpiece of Korean fantasy, celebrated for its cinematic aesthetics and poetic dialogue.
Crash Landing on You
South Korean drama of 16 episodes written by Park Ji-eun, aired on tvN in 2019-2020. A South Korean heiress accidentally lands in North Korea during a paragliding accident and falls in love with a North Korean officer. An iconic romance that broke audience records in Korea and became a worldwide phenomenon on Netflix.
The Promised Neverland
Manga by Kaiu Shirai (story) and Posuka Demizu (art), serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2016 to 2020. Emma, Norman, and Ray are exceptionally intelligent orphans raised in an idyllic setting at Grace Field House. They discover their orphanage is actually a farm where children are raised as livestock for demons. A gripping thriller with constant twists, totaling 20 volumes and over 40 million copies sold.
Vinland Saga (manga)
Historical manga by Makoto Yukimura, serialized first in Weekly Shonen Magazine (2005) then in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon (2005-2023). A Viking epic following Thorfinn, son of a legendary warrior, in his transformation from a vengeful child into a man seeking to create a land without war. One of the rare manga prioritizing the protagonist's psychological evolution over action, awarded the Kodansha Manga Grand Prize.
Claymore
Dark fantasy manga by Norihiro Yagi, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump then Jump Square by Shueisha from 2001 to 2014. In a medieval world infested with Yoma, shape-shifting monsters that feed on humans, the Organization creates half-human half-Yoma female warriors called Claymores to fight them. Clare, Number 47, the weakest of her generation, pursues a quest of vengeance and survival. An intense tale of feminine strength, sacrifice, and solidarity.
Fruits Basket
Shojo manga by Natsuki Takaya, serialized in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume from 1998 to 2006. Tohru Honda, an orphaned high schooler living in a tent, is taken in by the Soma family and discovers their secret: each member transforms into a Chinese zodiac animal when embraced by someone of the opposite sex. A deeply touching tale of emotional healing, forgiveness, and self-acceptance, with over 30 million copies sold.
Nana
Josei manga by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Shueisha's Cookie from 2000 to 2009, currently on indefinite hiatus for health reasons. Two young women named Nana — one an ambitious punk rocker, the other a naive romantic — meet by chance on a train to Tokyo and become roommates in apartment 707. A masterful tale of love, friendship, dreams, and the disillusions of adult life, with over 50 million copies sold.
Tower of God
Manhwa (Korean webtoon) by SIU (Slave In Utero), published on Naver Webtoon since 2010. Twenty-Fifth Bam, a boy who has lived his entire life in a cave beneath the Tower, enters it to find his friend Rachel. Each floor presents different trials in a world of immense political and narrative complexity. One of the most popular and longest-running webtoons in the world.
Solo Leveling
Manhwa (Korean comic) illustrated by Dubu (Jang Sung-rak), adapted from Chugong's web novel, published from 2018 to 2021 on KakaoPage. Sung Jinwoo, ranked as the weakest E-rank hunter, gains a unique 'System' allowing him to level up indefinitely in a world where dimensional gates release monsters. A global phenomenon of the fantasy/action genre that popularized manhwa internationally.
Chainsaw Man (manga)
Manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto published in two parts: Part 1 in Weekly Shonen Jump (2018-2020, 11 volumes) and Part 2 in Shonen Jump+ (since 2022). Denji, a destitute teenager, merges with the chainsaw devil Pochita to become Chainsaw Man. A punk, unpredictable, and emotionally devastating work that reinvented modern shonen conventions with over 30 million copies sold.
Spy x Family (manga)
Manga by Tatsuya Endo, serialized in Shonen Jump+ since March 2019. Spy Twilight, assassin Yor, and telepath Anya form the Forger family for a secret mission, without knowing each other's true identities. A global hit combining espionage, comedy, and family warmth with over 35 million copies sold. One of the most popular manga of the decade.
Haikyuu!!
Volleyball manga by Haruichi Furudate, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2012 to 2020. Hinata Shoyo, a short player with an exceptional vertical leap, teams up with the brilliant but temperamental setter Kageyama Tobio to take Karasuno's team to the top of Japanese high school volleyball. The definitive modern sports manga with 45 volumes and over 60 million copies sold.
Tokyo Ghoul
Dark fantasy manga by Sui Ishida, serialized in Weekly Young Jump from 2011 to 2014, followed by Tokyo Ghoul:re from 2014 to 2018. Ken Kaneki, a literature student, becomes a half-ghoul after receiving organ transplants from a ghoul in an accident. Torn between the human world and the ghoul world, he undergoes a devastating physical and psychological transformation. One of the best-selling manga of the 2010s.
Dandadan
Manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, serialized in Shonen Jump+ since 2021. Momo Ayase, a high schooler who believes in ghosts, and Ken 'Okarun' Takakura, an otaku who believes in aliens, discover both exist and are swept into a spiral of wild supernatural adventures. An explosive mix of action, comedy, and romance with spectacularly energetic artwork.
Blue Lock
Football manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro (story) and Yusuke Nomura (art), serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2018. Following Japan's World Cup failure, 300 young strikers are locked in the Blue Lock program, a radical experiment to create the ultimate egoist striker. An unconventional approach to sports manga that won the 2022 Kodansha Award.