Best movies & TV Shows like The Ordinary People

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Ordinary People Starring Hikari Ishida, Michitaka Tsutsui, Takuya Kimura, Anju Suzuki, and more. If you liked The Ordinary People then you may also like: Boys Over Flowers, Strobe Edge, Anitomo, Signal 100, Orange Days and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

Upon entering college, Narumi forms the Asunaro Group along with four other boys and girls. In time, she starts to date Tamotsu, whom she felt attracted to when she first saw him at the entrance exam. Although the two are happy together at first, their very different backgrounds cause them gradually to fall out and ultimately break up. Immediately following the break up, a member of the group dies a terrible death, and this brings the group to an end. The members go their separate ways, but Narumi and Tamotsu do not forget each other. Four years later, when the group reunites on the anniversary of the death of their friend, Tamotsu proposes to Narumi. The story follows the Asunaro Group members’ growth into adulthood as they struggle with the boundary between friendship and love, deal with bitter experiences, and find love for the first time.

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Boys Over Flowers

It's a story about a girl who becomes a student at Eitoku Gakuen, the institute for very rich people. She is faced with four of the most powerful and rich guys at school who call themselves F4.

Strobe Edge

Ninako Kinoshita has never been in love until an encounter with the school's most popular boy, Ren Ichinose, leads the two to befriending each other. Ren's patient and kind personality is a far cry from his unapproachable idol status at school, and soon Ninako falls in love with him. However, she must cope with the fact that he already has a long-time girlfriend.

Anitomo

Sota Nishino is a good-looking high-school student. He meets Mai, who is his friend Yukihiro Nanase's younger sister. She is also a high-school student and somewhat naïve. Sota Nishino mutters to Yukihiro Nanase, "Your sister is cute." Mai overhears Sota's remark through the thin wall between her room and her brother's.

Signal 100

A group of high school students are forced into a game where they are hypnotized to commit suicide on an unknown command. Where no one is safe from a sudden death, how can they avoid their fates?

Orange Days

A psychology major meets a prickly violinist on campus. As they communicate through sign language, their new relationship helps them face their fears.

Dragon Sakura

A struggling lawyer, Kenji Sakuragi, takes a position at private school Tatsuyama Gakuen to pay off his debts. Kenji decides to try to turn this hopeless school into one of the elite institutions in Japan to help rejuvenate his career. His barometer of success will be to get five of his students admitted to the prestigious Tokyo University the following year. But rather than cramming them with lots of general information, his down-to-earth class concentrates on unknown techniques for passing the entrance examination and how to live a good life in these turbulent times. His refreshing outlook and strategy may just be what is needed to turn around the future prospects of himself and his students and teach the rest of us a thing or two as well!

Honey and Clover

The series depicts the relationships and lives of a group of five art school students. This is a live-action television drama based on the manga and anime series with the same name.

Cat Street

A story about a talented child actress who wins back her dream after retiring from acting. Keito was once a popular child actress, but she had shut herself away from society for 10 years after a traumatic acting incident. She is now 17 years old and incidentally enrolls to a free school for dropouts where she makes true friends. Together, they build trust and find the meaning of life. --NHK

IS: Not a Boy and Not a Girl

“IS” stands for “intersexual,” a term referring to people who cannot clearly be classified as male or female, and who may biologically possess characteristics of both sexes. Rokuhana's manga primarily deals with the troubles faced by the young Hoshino Haru (played by Fukuda), an intersexual who was registered as a girl at birth but has been raised as a boy. Goriki plays Aihara Miwako, a mysterious classmate who tries to get close to Haru. Inoue Masahiro has been cast as Ibuki Kenji, a member of the soccer club whom Haru begins having feelings for. Nishida Naomi and Minami Kaho play Miwako's and Haru's mothers, respectively.

The Queen's Classroom

The Queen's Classroom is a live-action Japanese television drama about Maya Akutsu, a new teacher at Hanzaki Elementary School who strives for perfection and punishes her students in unorthodox manners. A 12 year old student, Kazumi Kanda, has been able to withstand her strange punishments so far but the other 23 students begin to fold under the pressure. A South Korean remake of the same title starring Go Hyun-jung in the lead role, was produced in 2013.

Shomuni

Shomuni, that's the common name given to General Affairs Section 2 of a trading company. Here are six women who have ended up in this department known as "the dump" for office ladies. But Chinatsu Tsuboi (Makiko Esumi) declares that the value of woman is equal to the number of men. With her as the central focus they create a totally new type of office lady drama that does away with those heartless men still caught up in worn-out social ideas and the class system within the company.

Jyouou

Fujisaki Aya is a young college student whose family is 150 million yen in debt after her father's corporation went bankrupt. To earn the money, she enters the Hostess Grand Prix.

Princess Princess D

An all-boys school with a tradition of Princesses, boys chosen to dress up as girls to create tension between the students. Yutaka Mikoto, Shihoudani Yuujirou and Kouno Tooru are this year's chosen Princess team. Unsatisfied with the efforts of the current Princesses, Hanazono Otoya creates his own team of Dark Princesses to rival for the students' attention.

Ramen Loving Girl

Koizumi is a mysterious and attractive high school student. But what most people don't know about her is that she's a ramen master who is always on the lookout for great ramen restaurants. Everyday, she goes hunting for real-life places serving the best ramen dishes and delightfully eats the delicious noodles. The way Koizumi downs a giant bowl of ramen–more adeptly than any large man—will amaze and delight you!

Long Riders!

Ami Kurata, a first-year university student who has no athletic ability, suddenly falls in love with a folding bicycle after seeing it in front of a train station. Inspired by her newfound love, she starts saving up to buy a bicycle and to learn cycling.

Sumika Sumire

Kisaragi Sumi is a 20-year-old university student. But do not be surprised that she is a 65-year-old inside. Under pressure to help out with the family business from a young age, she could not have a youth. Even afterwards, she devoted her entire life to taking care of first her grandmother and then her father and mother. Sumi finds herself turning 65 without ever having had a boyfriend. She takes a little pride in having lived with integrity. But after her mother passes away, she has the sudden thought of regaining her youth once more and making a fresh start in life. A miracle happens to her. One day when Sumi wakes up, she has the appearance of a 20-year-old. Despite being bewildered by this unbelievable reality, she introduces herself as Sumire and gets another try at youth.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

With next year's university entrance exams looming, high school senior Yoshiyama Mihane is beginning to feel the blues. She recently joined the school's photography club. As she walks by the science lab one day after school, she smells the aroma of lavender. From that moment on, she acquires the ability to leap freely through time and the days ahead are marked with bizarre occurrences...

Sukeban Deka

A juvenile delinquent code-named Saki Asamiya is taken in by the government and forced to fight crime to redeem her actions. She is sent to various high schools to infiltrate and neutralize gangs and other forms of crime as a police officer using her metal yo-yo badge as a weapon.

Seiren

For high school students like Shouichi Kamita, university entrance exams and the future are common concerns. It is also during this time in life that a mysterious emotion that vexes people of all ages may begin to weigh upon one's mind—love. At this point in his teenage years, Shouichi finds three girls he could see himself having a future with: the ever-cheerful Hikari Tsuneki, who teases Shouichi without mercy, but actually has a softer side; the competitive gamer, Tooru Miyamae, who has difficulty communicating with others; and Shouichi's childhood friend, Kyouko Touno, the sometimes immature shoujo manga enthusiast. Seiren follows Shouichi's relationships with these three girls across three separate arcs, as their feelings grow from mutual interest and blossom into something more beautiful.

I'm Inside Mari

Isao Komori is a college dropout who spends his days cooped up in his apartment playing video games. The highlight of his day is visiting a convenience store where an angel-like high-school girl called Mari visits every night. One morning Komori wakes up in Mari's body. Another "Komori" inhabits his old body, and Mari has disappeared. Komori struggles to maintain Mari's ordinary life and starts to investigate Mari's disappearance.

Love and Fortune

Wako Taira is 31 years old. She works part-time at a cinema close to her home. Her boyfriend is Fu-kun and they have lived together for three years. She has never thought of breaking up with her boyfriend, considering her age. One day, she meets high school student Yumeaki Iko. She can't resist him. Wako Taira has an affair with Yumeaki Iko.

Shonan Junai Gumi!

Before Ekichi Onizuka would become “Great Teacher Onizuka“, he and Ryuji Danma were members of the infamous biker gang Oni-Baku. When they weren’t out riding around and getting into trouble, this duo could be found in school. Doing what you ask? Picking up women of course!

Motokare Retry

Mitsu became a college student while dragging along the trauma of her first boyfriend and a broken heart in her years back in junior high school. She was thinking about going to college and finding a new love, but the person in the room next to hers is Kaede, her ex-boyfriend! It had been 5 years and he has become sophisticated and grown-up, but his gentle smile has not changed. Mitsu wants to forget her old love and enjoy university life, but she finds herself trapped between her grown-up ex-boyfriend and her best friend.

The Files of Young Kindaichi

Kindaichi Hajime is a high school student and a private detective with an IQ of 180. He solves murder cases that are riddled with difficult clues. Kindaichi Hajime works with his childhood friend Nanase Miyuki and Kenmochi Isamu. Kenmochi Isamu is now the chief inspector of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Rental a Girlfriend

In today’s Japan, “rental” services can deliver an afternoon with a “friend,” a “parent,” even a fake girlfriend! After a staggering betrayal by his girlfriend, hapless freshman Kazuya gets just desperate enough to give it a try. But he quickly discovers how complicated it can be to “rent” an emotional connection, and his new “girlfriend,” who’s trying to keep her side hustle secret, will panic when she finds out her real life and Kazuya’s are intertwined in surprising ways! Family, school, and life all start to go wrong, too… It’s sweet but naïve boy meets cute but ruthless girl.

The Red Apple

The story happens in the near future of Japan, where sexual activity is forbidden by law. Inuda Hikaru is an honor student whose father is an executive at Setori (Sexual Misconduct Control Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare). Hikaru aspires to become like his father and finds sex unpleasant. Minase Yu is Hikaru's childhood friend who has a sharp tongue but excels in her grades. Yu is also a big fan of nationally known actress Uchu Misora, commonly known as Uchura. One day, Hikaru is invited by a classmate to a shady members-only club where he witnesses men and women engaging in illegal sexual acts. He is also surprised to see Uchura, who claims to be "pure" there with a man. Before he realised, Hikaru finds himself being caught in an "underworld organization" where sexual activity is performed.

Falling high school girl and Irresponsible teacher

Following a failed confession to her first love, female high school student Mikoto Ochiai contemplates jumping off the roof of the school building. However, her thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Jin Haiba, the physics teacher known for being a slacker and the butt of students' jokes. Calmly, he lights a cigarette and asks for an explanation of the events that led her to this precipice. Rather than dissuade her from killing herself, he makes a request—will she enter into a romance with him before she dies? Together, the two gradually ponder why they should keep living and why they should not love each other in earnest.

Setoutsumi

Sō Utsumi doesn't have many friends. After school and before going to a private institute, he kills time by doing nothing on the riverside. One day, Shōkichi Seto appears in front of him. Shōkichi quit the soccer team and has nothing to do. They spend time together. In front of the two guys, Ichigo Kashimura and Hatsumi, from the same high school, appear.

Ciguatera

Bullied by his classmates, Ogino Yusuke lives his life in hell. After becoming obsessed with motorbikes, Yusuke starts attending driving school in secret where he meets Nagumo Yumi, and the two begin dating.

Girl XX

An omnibus style pinku drama that focuses on the sexual concerns of modern women. Based on the manga “Sex-chan” by Haro Aso, the original creator of Alice in Borderland.

Ao Haru Ride

At the end of the first year of high school, Futaba Yoshioka meets Kou Tanaka who was her first love. In their middle school days, they attended the same school, but he suddenly transferred to another school. Three years later, he appears in front of her again with the different last name of Kou Mabuchi. His personality also seems to have changed from warm to cold. He is like a totally different person from three years ago. Futaba Yoshioka slowly learns what happened to Kou Mabuchi for the past three years and she become to have feelings for him again.

Mr. Sahara & Toki-kun

Toki-Kun is a yankee who gets into fights. But despite his appearance he is actually a gentle guy. He gains favor with Mr. Sahara, who is not only a physical education teacher but his homeroom teacher. The loud gong of a straight-gay unrequited love echoes out!!

Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater

Tsurugi Hina, a first-year high school student who moved from the city, is an indoor person who is not good at living things. While walking along the embankment, she met her senior Kuroiwa, and was forced to join the mysterious "Teibo Club" and she decides to start fishing. With the support of unique club members, she gradually discovers the joy of fishing.

Hakuoki SSL~sweet school life~

The fluttering Sakura. Spring – a season of blessing for new encounters. Chizuru Yukimura knocks on the gates of a private academy, which has always been a boys' school. However, as of this year, Hakuō Academy opens its gates to co-education and Chizuru is the only female student enrolled. Thus begins her first year.

Hakuoki SSL~sweet school life~: THE MOVIE

A live-action theatrical film for Hakuoki SSL, a spin-off of the popular Hakuoki otome game series that re-imagines the cast of Shinsengumi samurai warriors as teachers and students living a peaceful existence in modern Japan.

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