The notion of mini-series appears in Japan as the standard format of television dramas. Mostly composed of ten episodes, the series are closed narratives where the initial plot finds its denouement in the final episode, without any possible opening and therefore without continuation. Based on the series Dragon Zakura (ドラゴン桜, 2005) and Kekkon dekinai Otoko (結婚できない男, The Man Who Couldn’t Get Married, 2006) I wish to discuss the structural and aesthetic modalities of Japanese dramas, their evolution over time and the link between dramas and cinema threads.