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Japanese television drama
Japanese television drama (テレビドラマ, terebi dorama; television drama), also called dorama (ドラマ) or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily.
All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller, BL, and many others. Single episode, or "tanpatsu" dramas that are usually two hours in length are also broadcast. For special occasions, there may be a one or two-episode drama with a specific theme, such as one produced in 2015 for the 70-year anniversary of the end of World War II.
Japanese drama series are broadcast in three-month seasons: winter (January–March), spring (April–June), summer (July–September), and autumn (October–December). Some series may start in another month though it may still be counted as a series of a specific season. Most of the dramas air on weekday evenings between 9pm and 11pm. Daytime dramas are typically broadcast daily, and episodes of the same drama can be aired daily for several months, such as NHK's asadora, which usually span six months each. Evening dramas air weekly and are usually ten to fourteen hour-long episodes.
In many cases, instead of being episodic, drama series are serial, with one story running throughout the episodes. Since they are of a fixed length, dramas have a definite ending, but their length allows them to explore characters, situations, and interesting dialog in a way that is less possible in most movies. Structurally, Japanese dramas can be compared to American or British miniseries. Dramas are rarely canceled mid-season, but they usually do not continue into the next season, even if extremely popular. Popular dramas do, however, often give rise to "specials" that are made after the final episode if the show has been a huge success. Some genres such as jidaigeki, police procedurals, or family dramas, however, feature series that are episodic or that sometimes continue for years on end, with Mito Kōmon, Taiyō ni Hoero!, or Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari being famous examples.
A characteristic of Japanese drama that differentiates it is that each episode is usually shot only a few (two to three) weeks before it is aired. Many fans have even been able to visit their idols while shooting scenes as the show is airing.
In 1940, NHK conducted experimental broadcasts and aired a 12-minute television drama titled Yuugemae (夕餉前). This is considered the first television drama in Japan.
During the 1950s, private television stations such as Nippon Television, TBS, TV Asahi, and Fuji Television were launched, and each began producing television dramas. At the time, however, television dramas were regarded as inferior to movies and theater, and top actors hesitated to appear in them. Amid this trend, NHK established the Taiga drama slot and successfully cast Keiji Sada, a major movie star, paving the way for other movie stars to transition to television.
By the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, television ownership in Japan had surpassed 90%. As movies declined, television dramas entered their golden age. The 1970s saw the emergence of talented scriptwriters such as Kuniko Mukoda, Taichi Yamada, So Kuramoto, and Shinichi Ichikawa. In the 1980s, NHK's Asadora Oshin (1983) recorded a peak rating of 62.9%, while the Taiga drama Dokuganryu Masamune (1987) achieved an average rating of 39.7%. In commercial broadcasting, series with flashy action, such as Taiyō ni Hoero! (1972), Tokusō Saizensen (1977) and Seibu Keisatsu (1979), became popular. From the late 1980s to the 1990s, "trendy dramas" gained widespread popularity. This period also saw the emergence of talented screenwriters like Yuji Sakamoto, Eriko Kitagawa, Shinji Nojima, Koki Mitani and Yoshikazu Okada, as well as new stars such as Yuji Oda, Yosuke Eguchi, and Takuya Kimura.
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Japanese television drama AI simulator
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Japanese television drama
Japanese television drama (テレビドラマ, terebi dorama; television drama), also called dorama (ドラマ) or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily.
All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller, BL, and many others. Single episode, or "tanpatsu" dramas that are usually two hours in length are also broadcast. For special occasions, there may be a one or two-episode drama with a specific theme, such as one produced in 2015 for the 70-year anniversary of the end of World War II.
Japanese drama series are broadcast in three-month seasons: winter (January–March), spring (April–June), summer (July–September), and autumn (October–December). Some series may start in another month though it may still be counted as a series of a specific season. Most of the dramas air on weekday evenings between 9pm and 11pm. Daytime dramas are typically broadcast daily, and episodes of the same drama can be aired daily for several months, such as NHK's asadora, which usually span six months each. Evening dramas air weekly and are usually ten to fourteen hour-long episodes.
In many cases, instead of being episodic, drama series are serial, with one story running throughout the episodes. Since they are of a fixed length, dramas have a definite ending, but their length allows them to explore characters, situations, and interesting dialog in a way that is less possible in most movies. Structurally, Japanese dramas can be compared to American or British miniseries. Dramas are rarely canceled mid-season, but they usually do not continue into the next season, even if extremely popular. Popular dramas do, however, often give rise to "specials" that are made after the final episode if the show has been a huge success. Some genres such as jidaigeki, police procedurals, or family dramas, however, feature series that are episodic or that sometimes continue for years on end, with Mito Kōmon, Taiyō ni Hoero!, or Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari being famous examples.
A characteristic of Japanese drama that differentiates it is that each episode is usually shot only a few (two to three) weeks before it is aired. Many fans have even been able to visit their idols while shooting scenes as the show is airing.
In 1940, NHK conducted experimental broadcasts and aired a 12-minute television drama titled Yuugemae (夕餉前). This is considered the first television drama in Japan.
During the 1950s, private television stations such as Nippon Television, TBS, TV Asahi, and Fuji Television were launched, and each began producing television dramas. At the time, however, television dramas were regarded as inferior to movies and theater, and top actors hesitated to appear in them. Amid this trend, NHK established the Taiga drama slot and successfully cast Keiji Sada, a major movie star, paving the way for other movie stars to transition to television.
By the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, television ownership in Japan had surpassed 90%. As movies declined, television dramas entered their golden age. The 1970s saw the emergence of talented scriptwriters such as Kuniko Mukoda, Taichi Yamada, So Kuramoto, and Shinichi Ichikawa. In the 1980s, NHK's Asadora Oshin (1983) recorded a peak rating of 62.9%, while the Taiga drama Dokuganryu Masamune (1987) achieved an average rating of 39.7%. In commercial broadcasting, series with flashy action, such as Taiyō ni Hoero! (1972), Tokusō Saizensen (1977) and Seibu Keisatsu (1979), became popular. From the late 1980s to the 1990s, "trendy dramas" gained widespread popularity. This period also saw the emergence of talented screenwriters like Yuji Sakamoto, Eriko Kitagawa, Shinji Nojima, Koki Mitani and Yoshikazu Okada, as well as new stars such as Yuji Oda, Yosuke Eguchi, and Takuya Kimura.