The Banana Guide to Asian Entertainment: It’s All About Japan: Part II
Jdramas, they’re so varied!
As a person who used to dive into every possible American show, I rejoiced with cable television shows — mostly from Showtime, and I can attest to the fact that the first season of Dexter is as near perfect as a show can be. Cable television explodes with ideas for shows because there’s no thematic constrains — in short, there’s a lot of freedom — making a lot of amazing actresses flock towards them instead of sticking around in good ole Hollyweird.
But besides Showtime, HBO, and as of late, AMC, there’s just not much going on TV-wise stateside — especially for lazy people like me that don’t want to have to go through seasons and seasons of one show that might or might not be good. You know, the type of shows that get broadcast outside the US and stick around for more than one season… if they’re lucky to not be cancelled by their third episode in the US.
Jdramas are of easy access with shows that might hook you for a couple of episodes, and that will be enough to see if you want to stick around for more. Surprisingly, jdramas are NOT all about love and the youths that happen to be in love with someone! Staple jdramas like Hana Yori Dango — a.k.a. Boys Over Flowers — or Hanazakari no Kimitachi e — a.k.a. Hana Kimi — immediately come to mind.
Of course, love as a theme comes into play as part of many stories, like the popular franchise Nodame Cantabile, which not only revolves around the building relationship between a perfectionist piano player who dreams of becoming an orchestra conductor and the quirky piano genius who just wanted to be a teacher, Nodame exposes you to classical music as well as a story of self-growth… with a knack for VERY distinct humor.
That’s one of the other amazing things about jdramas — many of them, if not most, have a lot of humor. You might be watching one of the most depressing dramas of the season, and out of the blue you will be bursting out laughing. An amazing example of it is Keizoku, a 1999 mystery drama starring Miki Nakatani and Atsuro Watabe.
During the 11 episodes of the show, you might burst out laughing at the detectives’ antics while they solve some very serious crimes, alongside a VERY dark storyline developed all the way up to episode six or seven when things get even more dramatic. It’s amazing and damn near perfect an ending if it hadn’t been for Keizoku: Phantom and Keizoku: The Movie.
You’ve got a broad array of types of jdrama, from your regular medical dramas, to romantic dramas, tearjerkers — specifically developed to make you cry, believe me — historical fiction, crime dramas, and even comedies with traditional characteristics like Osen, a 10-episode show revolving around the young proprietress of a traditional Japanese restaurant; or Tiger & Dragon, an 11-episode show revolving around a Yakuza who wants to learn about Rakugo [1].
I want to recommend My Little Chef. It is cute, features food, and passes the Bechdel Test (in which two females talk about something other than a guy) with flying colors.
@Diandra Rodriguez, looks like there’s another one on the list! LOL Other than Keizoku, I haven’t watched many “old” shows. They’re harder to come by now!
@amy, I watched it at Mysoju. It’s probably still up there