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Dear Sa-Chan

Dear Sa-Chan

2024Ended1 season12 episodes~30 min/epMidcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

After moving to Tokyo for college, Kyosuke finds himself torn between his long-distance girlfriend, Sa-chan, and his beautiful, married neighbor, Shino.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dear Sa-Chan?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dear Sa-Chan streaming on Netflix.

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Highlights

What stands out about Dear Sa-Chan?

Dear Sa-Chan earns 1 badge: Universally Panned.

Reception

Is Dear Sa-Chan worth watching?

Dear Sa-Chan's Midcredits score is the 7th percentile of all shows, from 186 ratings across 2 sources. 28% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

7th percentile

Better received than 7% of shows

4th percentile among Drama7th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)14th
Approval (how many liked it)2nd

Acclaim

Universally Panned: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

60 /100

14th percentile of all shows

10th percentile among Drama15th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

28% liked it

2nd percentile of all shows

1st percentile among Drama3rd percentile among 2020s
28% rated it 7–1072% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

39th percentile

177 ratings across platforms

27th percentile among Drama38th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn drama about emotionally distant people repeating destructive relationship patterns.

Fans praised

  • emotionally complex portrayal of stunted communication and Japanese social norms
  • mature, psychologically grounded depiction of co-dependency and low self-esteem
  • performance of Sa-Chan evokes genuine sympathy and pathos

Detractors panned

  • unlikable, clueless protagonist with no discernible arc
  • confusing and stilted dialogue makes motivations inscrutable
  • sex scenes feel gratuitous and exploitative rather than meaningful

What stands out

ActingDivisive62

Shino's actress praised; Sa-Chan's performance draws mixed reactions

Atmosphere55

tense, melancholic mood

Emotional impactDivisive50

some viewers moved by co-dependency portrayal; others repulsed

OriginalityDivisive45

retreads familiar co-dependency tropes

Plot and storyDivisive40

predictable blackmail plot with ludicrous coincidences

DialogueDivisive35

formal, stilted, inscrutable

Ending35

unnecessary final scene; ironic twist feels forced

CharactersDivisive30

protagonist described as clueless and unlikeable; supporting cast underdeveloped

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2024 · 12 episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Jun 11, 202420 min
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Jun 18, 202420 min
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Jun 25, 202420 min
  • S1E4

    Episode 4

    Jul 2, 202420 min
  • S1E5

    Episode 5

    Jul 9, 202420 min
  • S1E6

    Episode 6

    Jul 16, 202420 min

Watch experience

What is Dear Sa-Chan like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
MelancholicTenseBittersweet
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series plays its material straight, treating the emotional turmoil and moral dilemmas with earnest seriousness.
The rideThe love triangle and affair create a melancholic tension that likely culminates in emotional resolution in the later half of the series.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear, conventional manner across its 12 episodes, following the protagonist's choices and consequences.
Episode formatThe synopsis describes a continuous story of a love triangle and affair across 12 episodes, suggesting a serialized narrative.
Season formatThe series is 1 season, concluded, likely telling a complete story within that run.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a lingering sense of sorrow and unease about the unresolved emotional damage and cyclical patterns in the protagonist's life.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% (this title) · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

4% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a protagonist caught between two relationships, leading to destructive outcomes for all involved, fitting a tragedy of doomed love.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% (this title) · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 9% of showsRomantic love · 10% of showsBetrayal · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeKyosuke's move to university and his moral choices in love triangles explore his passage into adulthood and the cost of desire.
StanceThe series questions what coming-of-age means when desire and betrayal are involved, without celebrating or condemning.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Motoyoshi Tai
SettingTokyo university and nearby apartment settings
MusicThe score likely underscores the emotional tension of the love triangle with a melancholic and brooding atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Dear Sa-Chan okay for kids?

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • South Korea19
  • SingaporeM18

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Dear Sa-Chan have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dear Sa-Chan?

Cast

Keito Kimura
as Kyôsuke Katagiri
Hinano Nakayama
as Sachi Osanai
Ren Ishikawa
as Shino Kunikida
Hina Higuchi
as Misuzu Sugawa
Nose Rin
as Asahi Kuroiso
Taketo Tanaka
as Makoto Isezaki
Tôru Sakurada
as Kaname Kunikida
Utano Aoi
as Ayaka Yamada
Riku Hirano
as Fumiya
Hyunyul Kim
as Kan

Crew

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What other shows share a tag with Dear Sa-Chan?

253 other shows share the rarest tag below, relationship: love triangle. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.