I used to deal with my Japan-homesickness by trotting down to my local Family Mart and picking up a video tape to watch. Thus, I was able to subject my fiance to the entire Densha Otoko series, though I couldn’t convince him to watch Yoshitsune.
But no more. Videos, that is. Instead, it’s the interent to the rescue. I’ve found this fantastic site called Crunchyroll. Once you register, you have your pick of dramas and videos to watch. Many are subtitled. If you’re like me, then you might be looking for a way to keep your “Japanese ear” in shape, and watching television is not a bad way to do it.
There are other services. SARS does a great job of subtitling, and their work occasionally appears on Youtube, which is where I first caught Gokusen (and Jun Matsumoto).
If I could recommend one J-drama for the Japan enthusiasts out there, it would be Hana Yori Dango, which I adore. Picture Jane Austen meets Jane Eyre meets your irrepresible plucky Japanese heroine. In this story, a heroine named Tsukushi (a term which should sound familiar to you), is a poor student attending prestigious Eitoku. She hopes to get through the school year unscathed, which is to say, she hopes not to be picked on by the fashionable, uber-rich, bullying clique F4, made up of 4 impossibly attractive and well-groomed boys.
Of course, as all stories of plucky heroines must go, she does attract their attention one day when she stands up to the fearsome group in order to defend a friend. The F4 declare war on her, but she punches the leader, Domyouji in the face. He is baffled and enraged; after all, he’s used to being in control. And naturally enough, he begins to fall for Tsukushi, even as she longs for another member of the group, the sensitive but moody Hanazawa Rui who has been helping her behind the scenes. Domyouji has never cared for anyone before, and his method of revealing his affections is clumsy and awkward. But he’s determined. What happens? Like all heroines, she goes through her Herculean trials, and along the way, will win your heart, just as she does nearly every other boy she encounters.
If you are sick of inane American dramas in which plotting feels forced and predictable, it’s worth checking out the riches of Japanese television and the sometimes startling way in which their entertainment is put together. I think Hana Yori Dango is particularly good, because of the performances and chemistry between the actors who portray Domyoji and Tsukushi.
I’m currently looking forward to Maison Ikkoku. I’m curious to hear from other J-drama addicts out there; what are you excited about these days?
I’m glad to see somebody share my appreciation for J-drama. I get quite annoyed by the naive ‘gaijin’ that make a habit of making fun of anything they see on Japanese television. Sure, silly and mindless TV shows are prevalent in Japan, but the last time I browsed through Crank Yankers and The Man Show on Comedy Central or the latest Jerry Springer (yes, it’s still on), it’s really no better. I do enjoy great shows like Prison Break and 24 in the U.S., but a lot of J-dramas are far more superior in content and human emotion — hands down. I think it does help to be fluent in Japanese in order to appreciate a lot of the lines that just aren’t able to be translated, though.
A lot of my favorite dramas are some oldies, like “Hyaku Ikkai me no Propose” (101th Proposal) with Takeda Tetsuya, and Tonbo with Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi. Densha Otoko was more on the silly side but pretty good also.
Hey Marie, do you get the AZN or iaTV cable channels? Time Warner carries them on the digital lineup here in New York. It’s not exclusively Japanese programming but there is a lot of Japanese stuff too, including J-dramas. If you’re homesick you’ll probably like em, they help me with my language studies.
Wait, so is that the Rumiko Takahashi Maison Ikkoku? As in the manga? Looks like it..
I tried to get those channels on cable down here in Texas, but they’re too much for a humble college student.
This post is a godsend! I’ve been trying to find so many of the j-dramas that the site has. Thanks Marie! I can study my Japanese in an o-so-fun-manner once more
I see you’ve linked to d-addicts. I pretty much download all of my j-drama torrents off of this site. It’s a fantastic way to watch currently airing dramas with a typical lag of 1-3 days at most.
While the introduction of a network series like Heroes has somewhat restored my faith in US television, what’s great about J-dramas is the close-ended nature of the format. I love how story arcs are concluded in a highly satisfactory way on some of the best j-dramas. (Some of my favourites include the Trick series, Orange Days, Gokusen, and pretty much anything with Kanno Miho in it. As a Canadian, I found the on-ice scenes in Pride to be hilarious.)
Anyways, long live torrents. And a big “screw you” to the CRTC.
I suppose on one level Hana Yori Dansi can be dismissed as comic book (it was originally a manga) escapism and harmless, but my first impression was outrage at the extremely (even by Japanese TV standards) stereotypical two-dimensional characterizations and the unrealistic portrayal of the all-too-real problem of school bullying.
“Here” in New York, Duo? Are you perchance in my time zone?
I don’t actually have cable. At all. I rarely watch network anything. I use the TV for games, DVDs and, if I have to, network news if something major happens. But maybe cable isn’t such a bad idea–just for dramas!
Supercoolmanchu–I love J-dramas. One of the worst things I remember from childhood is leaving before a series finished. For years I wondered what happened at the end of “Kou Kou no Fufuf” or (Kou kou sei kekkon, or whatever it was).
I think what appeals to me, aside from the historical shows, is the fact that neurosis itself isn’t usually the basis of drama. Characters are usually trying to find some sort of honest connection to their hearts. And that appeals to the Japanese part of me.
ienkenshi–I’m so glad this was helpful! Like you I was really thrilled to find crunchyroll. I think it’s not a bad idea to support them, either, because they work so hard and have such great stuff! Be sure to report back if there is something you see that you like.
RYO–I’ve never gone the torrent route. I should, I know. I don’t know what my problem is! It’s probably easy and quick and all. So far I’m being lame and just doing DVDs or Youtbue like stuff.
Papa–Your comments really got me thinking. We actually had this conversation a few nights ago. Would someone like Domyoji actually have such a turn of heart? I know someone like him, and throughout adulthood he’s had to wrestle with his violent side, and his pride and arrogance. I don’t know how much people really change.
The bullying is really terrible, and the “almost” rape scene very upsetting. It is interesting that this fantasy of a show is so affecting. I admit to absolutely loving it. But it also has a very dark, and disturbing undercurrent–it isn’t a fluffy walk through adolesence.
Bullying seems to be a big part of these high school dramas. Gokusen, for example, was also full of violent kids.
I used to idealize Japanese high school–had this fantasy that I would have been happier there than in the states. But perhaps not.
To tie together various points brought up so far on this post, I am currently watching わたしたちの教科書, which airs on Thursdays and is usually uploaded within 2 days for torrent downloading (as raw files unfortunately for those who may want subtitles). It stars Kanno Miho and the Densha Otoko guy - he’s still short and weepy - and presents what I assume is a fairly realistic portrayal of modern bullying in a school setting in Japan.
Marie: I encourage you to make the switch to torrents. I too watched Gokusen on Youtube initially but switched to torrents for the greater selection and convenience this method offers. (For example, you can view at your own convenience without being forced to watch via an open browser and even save files to blank DVDs.)
My problem was not the presentation of bullying in itself, but the way the story, clearly pitched at teen-and-up, framed this real-world problem in a setting that on the surface appears realistic but is actually a fantasy or a parody of situation real bullying victims find themselves in.
Very few if any bullying victims are as irrepressibly plucky and unfailingly virtuous as Tsukushi. Very few if any bullies are as unreasoningly vile or unimaginably wealthy as every other student but Tsukushi. There were so many sterotypes squeezed onto the screen I felt claustrophobic. Once you get the setting “middle class (don’t get me started on stereotypes in Tsukushi’s family!
) student at exclusive private school becomes a target of bullying”, the story blasts free of the known universe.
I understand the point of “relax, it’s just a story”, but I couldn’t help wondering what a young bullying victim might think if they were watching the show hoping it would shed some light on her own problems.
Ack, I know you’re right, RYO. That was the good thing about videos–I was forced to watch everything raw, which was healthy for me, though it was stressful trying to translate everything to my boyfriend. Subs are nice because I can avoid them, and he can get some sense of what is going on.
I’ll see if I can figure out the whole torrent thing. I know it’s not hard. I’d really like to get my mother started on them too, so she can watch her shows!
“I understand the point of “relax, it’s just a story”, but I couldn’t help wondering what a young bullying victim might think if they were watching the show hoping it would shed some light on her own problems.”
I rather appreciate and admire your sensitivity.
Thanks, that’s nice of you to write.
ha ha ha. You still got a girl’s mind, Marie. Recent cases like your new red and white umbrella which has a Cat Head on the handle, Hallo Kitty Tsukushi Collections or Spring Manicure appear that you are taken in kawaii syndrome.
Many of J-Dramas have thrilled story arcs which can be catchy enough. When you once start watching, it’s hard to stop. I try not to watch them too often. I prefer to watch movies in English for the sake of language brush up. But American ones are frequently just powerful damn stereotype, as you suggest.
I sometimes see young women whose matter of primary concern is the story development of those J-Dramas. It has the same importance as their daily activities at school or work. Maybe it is a compensation of some love affair which is lacking them ? I don’t know. Behind this addiction there is certainly Libido engine which drives them…
Sorry, I don’t mean you are one of them.
Well, TofuUnion, the last time I was in Japan, I was talking about something with one of my male cousins–some hair clip or something–and he smiled and said “Yappari onnanoko dana.” Guilty as charged.
Family Mart? Do you live in Astoria?
Speaking of Jun Matsumoto, I first saw him in ARASHI’s debut PV - A-RA-SHI. Recently I dug up some of my old CDs and found the PV and I watched it again. LOL, he was pretty “dark” back then… and he wasn’t even the main guy in the group, they kept showing the girly one. (Sorry if I offended any fans here, but I’m not too familiar w/ Arashi.) Watch it on Youtube here.
I also love Trick and it introduced me to Abe Hiroshi. He’s such a good actor. I highly recommend his “recent” (as in last summer? that’s recent to me…) drama ~ Kekkon Dekinai Otoko.
As for torrents, http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/torrents.php , filter by jdrama or j-tv, or just search for them. Download uTorrent, you don’t even need to install it, just associate .torrent files to it and start downloading / sharing. Let me know if you need help, I can drop by… neighbour!
OMG! I was living in Astoria until the end of January. Just moved to Jackson Heights, actually. I still go to Family Mart to pick up my shiso leaves, and natto and occasionally to look at magazines when I’m too lazy to trek all the way to Kinokuniya.
I always knew there had to be some NYers on this board!
Okay, I just watched that video. Jun does look much “darker.” I think he’s also since had some work done on his teeth. Interesting.
Marie I thought you lived in Manhattan! I pass through Jackson Heights all the time since I work out of LaGuardia (and JFK.) Small world.
I can never watch TV shows on computers, screen size is just too small to be able to appreciate them.
I used to live in Manhattan, but it really is too much money for what you get. I moved to Astoria, and now, finally to Jackson Heights.
I thought you were in Chicago? Anyway, that’s very funny that you are in the “neighborhood”!
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