Things I noticed from Jdramas.

Talk about the culture and entertainment from Nihon.
auroragb
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Post by auroragb » Apr 14th, '06, 14:03

Deedlith wrote:you'll know what it means to enter a japanese enterprise. I think the only way to avoid being humiliated is to become a doctor or teacher. :scratch: :scratch:
Or you can be a gaijin guy :) you'll never be in the inner circle, but you won't be humiliated either

easilyboredguh
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Post by easilyboredguh » Apr 14th, '06, 21:09

One thing I've noticed is, you can be dirt poor/in debt, w/e but still be able to afford an awesome cell phone.

LauLau
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Post by LauLau » Apr 14th, '06, 21:24

wingsky wrote:Cell phone coverage in Japan is the best in the world i think, almost if not 100% coverage over the land!
Except if the situation is very very bad... In that case, the coverage, which was perfect 5 min ago, is cut.

.... Badly, it's exactly the same in real life :/

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Post by Gozen » Apr 14th, '06, 21:52

The things I've noticed the most:

they can't (or maybe won't) kiss properly. Even passionate kisses are chaste, sometimes it looks like their lips aren't even touching, never mind anything else! As there are so many good looking actors, I'd love to go and teach them how to do it properly.......Actually, I don't know if it's a cultural thing, that people don't want to see good kissing on their televisions, even though they are pretty easygoing about most sexual things. I don't really understand that at all.

It is incredibly rude and disgusting to blow your nose in public. So whenever the tears flow and the nose starts to run, they just sniff and sniff and sniff (which to me is even worse than a good quick nose blow). In some doramas there is so much crying and sniffing going on that you wonder they don't throw up.

Never, ever, ever expect anything to be what you think it's going to be. I keep starting out watching a dorama thinking I'm getting one thing, only to find it turning into something else. Take A Billion Falling Stars (a series that has a billion titles, too). I thought it was purely a murder/mystery type thing. How wrong. I love that about doramas, the unexpected and unpredictable, not like most western series at all (sometimes it like being in Lost land, sometimes it's just plain heart rending.)

Nobody does tragedy like the Japanese. Nobody makes you choke up in quite the same way, they never seem to overplay it and go all sentimental and mawkish.
I love doramas, I hardly watch any "normal" television anymore, I'm hooked on the pain, suffering, tragedy, mind-twists and incredibly good looking men.

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Post by Genmai_cha » Apr 14th, '06, 22:04

Toritorisan wrote:
aisu_kurimu wrote:
Pink is a color for both guys and girls.
I totally agree with this! Also, when I was back in Japan this past June, I learned that pink Barbie brand-name clothes for women (yes, for women) was a popular brand in Japan and available at most trendy department stores. I guess the concept is you can dress like Barbie!

And don't forget those pastel floral shirts for guys! My Japanese friend was shocked when I told her most guys in America shy away from that style!
Only straight men wear pink. :D Its just not every guy can pull it off. :lol

I only got 2 things to add to this not sure if I'm correct.

1) Carrying a suit case makes you smarter than ppl w/o

2) If you win in a fight say at a club, the loser buy you a drink. (can someone confirm if this is true?)

And as a reminder to myself to visit the hospital if I ever visit Japan. :roll :lol

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Post by auroragb » Apr 14th, '06, 22:17

Gozen wrote:The things I've noticed the most:

they can't (or maybe won't) kiss properly. Even passionate kisses are chaste, sometimes it looks like their lips aren't even touching, never mind anything else! As there are so many good looking actors, I'd love to go and teach them how to do it properly.......Actually, I don't know if it's a cultural thing, that people don't want to see good kissing on their televisions, even though they are pretty easygoing about most sexual things. I don't really understand that at all.
Maybe that's a new form of audience participation .... where they hook you by making you think that you can do better ;)
Gozen wrote:Nobody does tragedy like the Japanese. Nobody makes you choke up in quite the same way, they never seem to overplay it and go all sentimental and mawkish.
I love doramas, I hardly watch any "normal" television anymore, I'm hooked on the pain, suffering, tragedy, mind-twists and incredibly good looking men.
They do from time to time, but the best are the ones that manage to wring that tear out of you even tho you think you've gone dry :)

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Post by maneki_neko » Apr 14th, '06, 22:50

Since the kissing scenes are so awkward and characters always end up sleeping with each other within a day of their love confession, I wonder why they bother to kiss at all? :roll

auroragb
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Post by auroragb » Apr 14th, '06, 22:51

maneki_neko wrote:Since the kissing scenes are so awkward and characters always end up sleeping with each other within a day of their love confession, I wonder why they bother to kiss at all? :roll
hmmm... that could explain why they are so bad at it :lol

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Post by leo008 » Apr 15th, '06, 01:24

ahaha LMAO!!! I just read through all 11 pages of this quality thread. Very educational and incredibly hilarious :lol :cheers: :lol Keep it coming guys, not once did i get bored..

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Post by neme_chan » Apr 16th, '06, 23:52

not sure if anyone mentioned it before... but people in drama never lock their cars! they just run insanely while leaving the car open :D seems to work for Kdramas as well...

what's the use of locking your BMW SUV, right? ;)

this thread is fun. really.

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Post by Shindou » Apr 16th, '06, 23:58

1) they LUV IBM laptops

2) a fairly large number of characters in jdoramas seem to be employed in advertising

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Post by masaka___ » Apr 18th, '06, 15:10

Gozen wrote:The things I've noticed the most:

they can't (or maybe won't) kiss properly. Even passionate kisses are chaste, sometimes it looks like their lips aren't even touching, never mind anything else! As there are so many good looking actors, I'd love to go and teach them how to do it properly.......Actually, I don't know if it's a cultural thing, that people don't want to see good kissing on their televisions, even though they are pretty easygoing about most sexual things. I don't really understand that at all.
I agree that they can't kiss very well, and I find it disappointing. They really need to practice more. :D

lance8
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Post by lance8 » Apr 18th, '06, 15:29

all guys hair are cool 8)

and girls are pretty damn hot :)

muffin707
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Post by muffin707 » Apr 19th, '06, 05:41

I've only seen 7 series so far, but the things that stood out were,

- stalkers are treated lightly
- there's always one really evil character
- committing suicide by jumping off school building is a common way to go
- actor/ress are skinny compare to Korean actors

auroragb
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Post by auroragb » Apr 19th, '06, 13:54

muffin707 wrote:- actor/ress are skinny compare to Korean actors
part of that is that Japanese are generally shorter than Koreans ... Also, height is more important in k-ent industry to stand out. But height is rarely a consideration in j-ent (unless you're too TALL)

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Post by Gir » Apr 19th, '06, 16:33

auroragb wrote:
muffin707 wrote:- But height is rarely a consideration in j-ent (unless you're too TALL)
You mean like Abe Hiroshi in Trick?

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Post by c3p0 » Apr 20th, '06, 01:01

Their laptops are powerful enough to get wireless internet connection, even when you're in the middle of Mongolian desert. *coughAnegoEps10cough*

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 20th, '06, 01:11

Abe Hiroshi is the man! One of the better actors in J Dramas and not some popular singer who can't act. The guy is an actor.

65) Japanese women are getting more and more attractive with each new season. Haven't figured out why, but I am doing research watching a lot of JDrama's.
66) How many people jump off of school buildings? You would think that alot of schools would think "Yeah, maybe we should put up a safety fence".
67) Even if you are a poor Japanese girl - you are still going to have the latest fashion cloths.
68) Need more "Glory Days" Japanese Dramas. The ending credits of that show although I couldn't understand what they were saying. I didn't care - it was pretty hot.
69) What is with the fascination with panty's or womens underwear. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to handle someones dirty underwear.
70) Everyone in Jdramas has a big kickass apartment in Tokyo, now from what I hear the apartments are really small. If they are big they are really big in price and alot of the character occupations couldn't afford the apartments that they live in.
71) Wouldn't it be kind of depressing starring out into Tokyo. I mean its not like a mountain or a beautiful nature scene. I wouldn't think it would be to beautiful or meaningful looking at smog.
72) O.K Tokyo and Japan in general looks really clean. So, does Japan have some type of secret army of Janitors or Street cleaners? I always look at a video of Tokyo and then I look at videos of New York and I am like what the hell? I mean Tokyo is one of the most congested cities in the world you would think it would get kind of dirty.
73) OK, what is with the white masks that I see people wearing. Is it some type of law in Japan that if you have a cold or are sick you have to wear a mask. Yet, you never seen any of the Drama charcters wearing them when they get sick.
74) Why do Japanese business men wear those huge glasses. Has the concept of contacts come to Japan yet or just smaller glasses.
75) Every Japanese Otaku (SP?) wears his pants up to his chest, collects dolls, has a fascination with the maid outfit (not such a bad thing), and has no confidence.

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Post by pwner4once » Apr 20th, '06, 01:45

diablonhn wrote:middle-aged japanese men date and sleep with underaged school girls
lol really? way back, i remember a drama involving some kind of japanese pornstar. but then the sub didn't finish. anyhow... it's really weird how some people do the weirdest thing I can ever think of. yet they laugh at it and seems like they are actually having "fun." :blink

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Post by auroragb » Apr 20th, '06, 02:53

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:67) Even if you are a poor Japanese girl - you are still going to have the latest fashion cloths.
This is where the middle aged men come in ;)
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:70) Everyone in Jdramas has a big kickass apartment in Tokyo, now from what I hear the apartments are really small. If they are big they are really big in price and alot of the character occupations couldn't afford the apartments that they live in.
It depends on the social position. i'd say that the "average" j-drama family might have bigger apartments than you'd find in real life. But, when they show poor singles, you can find that they live in tiny studios, this can be seen in many dramas
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:72) O.K Tokyo and Japan in general looks really clean. So, does Japan have some type of secret army of Janitors or Street cleaners? I always look at a video of Tokyo and then I look at videos of New York and I am like what the hell? I mean Tokyo is one of the most congested cities in the world you would think it would get kind of dirty.
Yes, they DO hire street cleaners, if you go out in street like ~5 in the morning, they are out there. Also there is a cultural thing against littering. NY has those sweeper trucks that do nothing except raise dust :(
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:73) OK, what is with the white masks that I see people wearing. Is it some type of law in Japan that if you have a cold or are sick you have to wear a mask. Yet, you never seen any of the Drama charcters wearing them when they get sick.
No, you definitely do, I saw it in 'What's wrong with Money' and a few others. I don't know when it started. But I noticed it since SARS.
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:74) Why do Japanese business men wear those huge glasses. Has the concept of contacts come to Japan yet or just smaller glasses.
The big eyeglass lobby clearly buys a lot of advertising in jDramas :lol
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:75) Every Japanese Otaku (SP?) wears his pants up to his chest, collects dolls, has a fascination with the maid outfit (not such a bad thing), and has no confidence.
Yay! Densha!

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Post by pwner4once » Apr 21st, '06, 04:50

lol reading this is really fun
i haven't been watching that much j drama lately. so not much from me. but is it true that japanese people in reality tend to steal partners from comrades?

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Post by pwner4once » Apr 21st, '06, 04:52

c3p0 wrote:Their laptops are powerful enough to get wireless internet connection, even when you're in the middle of Mongolian desert. *coughAnegoEps10cough*
sry about double post. but considering the size of japan, it's kind easy to have wireless access point all over the damn place. but it really should be that way since new technology are always born from japan and consider the landsize. it should be easy to impliment

edit: As someone already mentioned on the last page. The kissing of japanese people aren't that great. Everytime I see two characters kissing. the male are just there to force or to intrude while the female stands there with a lost gesture. not pushing back yet does nothing :blink :blink

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Re: Things I have learned

Post by jieey » Apr 24th, '06, 05:00

2)Once you are married I guess your life is set
----That explains why a lot of young Japanese celebrities are barely reported having relationships. Just getting a boy/girl friend is a really big issue...let alone getting married.

3) I really have a hard time determing a Japanese persons age. 21 looks like 15 and 30 look like 22
----well, it applies to most Asians. I didn't say ALL, but MOST.

5) Not alot of over weight people in Japan - might have something to do with all of that running :)
---- It's the diet and commuting everyday thing.

9) The Japanese really don't hind their feelings even to a stragner
---LOL. Imagine them really pissed off with you the first time you meet.

10) The Japanese seem to consume alot of alchohol.
----I see that in kdramas too.but maybe it's a tradition thingie.don't really know much about that part.
11) Smoking doesn't seem to be a major problem there
----in relation to number 10, it's not supposed to be done by minors.

13) The whole senior/Junior thing
----I've read about boys from Johnnys Jr. prefering older girls or having types on older girls..(hey I'm a Jr. fan here.)It's still a mystery why...also Kimi wa Petto

17) When you break up with your love one - its almost a certain guarantee its going to rain.
18) A umbrella can be a pimping tool, not just something to keep dry
--- :lol: At least have it when number 17 happens
21) Your most personal information is going to be know by your neighbors friends and entire family - a major lack or privacy.
----reminds me of the first eps of Boku Dake no Madonna

25) Nakama Yukie is far to beautiful its scary.
---I don't find her REALLY that beautiful though..my opinion only.

Thanks for putting this up. reallu informative. :cheers: :thumleft: :thumright:

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Post by jieey » Apr 24th, '06, 05:09

auroragb wrote:One thing I noticed from the HYD finale:
- If the situation calls for it, Dorama characters can outrun ANYTHING (cars, buses, airplanes, etc) :lol:
:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol I'm watching the ending all over again...yeah, can Mao really do that???

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Post by auroragb » Apr 24th, '06, 20:24

c3p0 wrote:Their laptops are powerful enough to get wireless internet connection, even when you're in the middle of Mongolian desert. *coughAnegoEps10cough*
It may surprise you, but i recall reading that inner Mongolia has near 100% cell coverage. It's really hard to get a land line, so having well placed cell towers gives Mongolians cell coverage about every where they go. So, having internet riding on top of the gprs network is quite possible :)

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Post by sadotsu » Apr 28th, '06, 06:50

^... Did you just say INNER Mongolia? I don't think the majority of Inner Mongolians even have cell phones...

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Post by Seghal » Apr 28th, '06, 07:38

Here's a map of the cell coverage of almost every country of the world: http://www.t-mobile.de/funkversorgung/ausland (use the hand to move the map).
As you can see there isn't even 10% cell coverage in Mongolia.

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Post by auroragb » Apr 28th, '06, 14:38

sadotsu wrote:^... Did you just say INNER Mongolia? I don't think the majority of Inner Mongolians even have cell phones...
This is true, but majority having cell phone is not required for coverage. US population had 80+% coverage when cell users was ~30% of the population. Currently, inner Mongolian cell users number ~6Million or ~25% of the population. This is pretty much in line with the avg cell usage penetration in China (~400M of 1.3b). There are more mobile users than landline users. Coverage is 100% of cities and highways and 83% of towns (src)

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Post by Gir » Apr 28th, '06, 19:15

Actually in some ways I would be more surprised that areas like that would not have cell phone coverage. In a rural spread out population area it would be allot quicker,easier, and cheaper to set up a network of a relatively few cell towers than to try to run and maintain land line phone cables across an area like that.

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Post by auroragb » Apr 28th, '06, 19:54

Gir wrote:Actually in some ways I would be more surprised that areas like that would not have cell phone coverage. In a rural spread out population area it would be allot quicker,easier, and cheaper to set up a network of a relatively few cell towers than to try to run and maintain land line phone cables across an area like that.
Indeed, number of mobile users have outstripped number of landline users in Inner Mongolia in 2004

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Post by ornamentsads » Apr 28th, '06, 20:57

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:36) The Japanese get a kick out of driving on the wrong side of the road. Its a practice that needs to STOP, it can be very dangerous. Also, they put the stearing wheel on the wrong side of the car.
37) Japan must have been a place of total and utter chaos before cell phones. Did Japan even exist before cell phones? I don't see how it could be possible.
38) Japan seems to be a place of old world meets new world or vise versa. You can see a person walking down the street in a kimono followed, by a woman in a business suit.
How is the steering wheel on the "wrong" side of the car? Just because it's not on the same side as American FORD doesn't mean that it's wrong.

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Post by Prince of Moles » Apr 28th, '06, 21:16

Japan and the UK are driving on the correct side of the road. The countries driving on the right are driving on the wrong side of the road. :P

If you go back to Roman times people walked on the left. In Edo Japan people walked on the left. This is because if you walk on the left you can draw your sword and protect yourself vs the oncoming traffic. (The majority of people being right handed.)

It's only after the French Revolution that people started to walk on the right as a protest against the sword bearing aristocrats who walked on the left.

Napoleon adopted this, and then spread it through his conquests. So until recently Sweden drove on the left. This is because Sweden was never conquered by Napoleon. Britain was never conquered by Napoleon and continues to drive on the correct side of the road.

Other countries began to adopt driving on the right later. The US naturally hated the British and loved the French after the Revolutionary War, and so adopted this French practice.

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Post by Genmai_cha » Apr 28th, '06, 21:23

It is normal for the men to wear makeup. :shocked:

:scratch: It would be scary if they wear more makeup than a typical woman.

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Post by sadotsu » Apr 28th, '06, 23:18

Prince of Moles wrote:Japan and the UK are driving on the correct side of the road.
Same with NZ :D .

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Post by Crazy Penguin » Apr 29th, '06, 04:52

Speaking of swords...

Have you ever noticed that, when 4 bad guys attack the hero... 3 get killed right away and the 4th lives (at least for a few more seconds). Same goes when there are 3 attackers, 2 die right away, 1 survives for a second. That doesn't happen just in series, but also in movies.

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Post by pwner4once » Apr 29th, '06, 14:34

Crazy Penguin wrote:Speaking of swords...

Have you ever noticed that, when 4 bad guys attack the hero... 3 get killed right away and the 4th lives (at least for a few more seconds). Same goes when there are 3 attackers, 2 die right away, 1 survives for a second. That doesn't happen just in series, but also in movies.
I guess it's that way just so the proganist will look more powerful and stronger than the others. but it's pretty lame. People should come up with more sporadic and less sequecious plots :whistling:

edit: However I do have to say I really appreciate the explaination of right or left side difference

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 29th, '06, 19:47

76) In a japanese court room the victim faces the accuser. If you are a victim of a violent crime that must be tough.
77) When filming a drama in Japan - when ever they do a street scene (which is alot) you can always see people walking by, staring at the camera, or laughing and giggling. It must be very difficult to film in Japan with all of the congestion.
78) Every old man is perverted in some way or another.
79) Any old house has a ghost or a ghost story.
80) When it comes to magic tricks the Japanese have to figure out how the trick was done. Instead of just enjoying the magic trick or show. They have to know how its done.
81) Alot of times - Love in Japan can start out with two people hating each other or finding each other really irratating - by the end of the drama they are married.
82) Japanese girls are fascinated with small toys or things that are cute and spend a ridiculus amount of money on them.
83) What are these clubs that man go to and the women are all over them. Its not a brothel or a strip club, but women are pouring drinks,laughing, and giggling even when old ugly perverted man hitting on them?
84) As someone who can easily lose his car in a 10 car parking lot. It seems to me that it can be very easy to get lost in the big cities of Japan. Not because of parking lots, but because of the shear volume of places and amounts. Is my hotel by the Dark Blue Ramen Shop or The Navy Blue Ramen Shop. It must be confusing.
85) Matsumoto Jun and Yamashita Tomohisa - These guys tick me off. Guys we need to be beat these guys up. LOL
86) Large groups of young girls perform kind of stupid daces in the street for no apparent reason.
87) Are their political shows (Hannity and Colmes, Lou Dobbs, Bill Oreily, Charlie Rose, Bill Maher, The Daily Show with John Stewart, The Colbert Report) Type shows. I don't see alot of controversial type of programing on Japanese TV. O.K none is uploading on this site. SMAPXSMAP is not controversial although I sometimes feel that a few of the guys really don't want to be their.

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Post by doink-chan » Apr 29th, '06, 21:11

88 ) Anime otaku collect doinkloads of figures and mecha figures and have them prominently displayed in their rooms. This is especially true if they live in Tokyo and thus can go to Akihabara to get them.
89) Just about any time there's a scene in the hospital with a major character, that usually means that said character is going to die.

And as for Keeper of Hell's "83" question, those kinds of places are called hostess bars. There are also host bars...those serve women rather than men. However, in most hostess/host bars, there's no...doinking going on, if you get what I mean ;)

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Post by groink » Apr 29th, '06, 21:33

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:87) Are their political shows (Hannity and Colmes, Lou Dobbs, Bill Oreily, Charlie Rose, Bill Maher, The Daily Show with John Stewart, The Colbert Report) Type shows.
Breaking this thought down, there are four levels of news-like programming in the US:

1. The news programs themselves, such as CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, etc.

2. Analysis shows, such as Special Report w/Brit Hume, or CNN with Wolf Blitzer.

3. "Unbalanced personal views" type of analysis shows, such as Crossfire, Hannity & Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, etc.

4. Comedic shows with political themes and agendas, such as The Daily Show, Reel Time with Bill Maher, etc.

So in comparison to the Japanese, what you're only going to see are #1 and #2. This is because in Japanese culture, criticizing "the hand that feeds you" isn't the politically correct thing to do. I don't think it's a bad thing to do - it's just that none of the TV networks want to really risk airing #3 and #4 and possibly stand the risk of affecting the ratings of all their other shows like their renzoku dramas. Criticizing and poking fun at their own government on TV is a right given to Americans. And, although the Japanese may have the same freedoms, they prefer not to practice them. Printed media and the Internet is a totally different matter, but I won't go there.

All the major TV networks have #1 and #2. I personally watch:

#1 - Fujisankei News
#1 - NHK News
#2 - TBS Sunday Morning with Sekigushi Hiroshi

If anyone is really interested in Japanese news media, check out:

http://www.japanmediareview.com/

--- groink

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 29th, '06, 22:18

Hmm, interesting. Moderation in the media - wow. I guess this is something which is totally different from the US. Its surprising really how similar Japan and America really are. (No the umbrella doesn't have the same effect). However, the media isn't one of them. In the US the more controversial and flamboiant you are the more successful you are. I mean you almost can't be successful in the US media if you are not controversial. Its a shame because The Daily Show, Bill Mauer, and The Colbert Report are really funny for people who follow politics. It would be interesting to see the Japanese equivalant.

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Post by groink » Apr 29th, '06, 22:43

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:Its a shame because The Daily Show, Bill Mauer, and The Colbert Report are really funny for people who follow politics. It would be interesting to see the Japanese equivalant.
Here's one hypothesis... In America, the artist carries the show and his reputation, and the TV network and his agency pretty much stays out of the picture. I.e. Pay-TV networks like HBO, the free TV networks, and the basic cable networks usually do not receive criticism for their choice of programming. Rare instances are:

1. Bill Maher being fired from ABC for his comments on Politically Incorrect.

2. Dan Rather's biased analysis on the controversial story in regards to GWB's service time spent with the Reserves.

among other instances. As for the Japanese, the geinokai is controlled by the talent agencies. Although the TV networks own the TV shows, in reality the talent agencies has the final say on how their talento will be taking part in these shows and the comments the artist makes. If an artist does or says anything controversial, it directly affects the talent agency. And at that point, the talent agency must apply jishuku (saving face/self restraint) on the artist which they would rather avoid doing.

I believe that's why you don't see the TV media going after political figures and addressing controversial issues like they do in America. In America, the buck stops at the artist, while in Japan the buck stops at the talent agency and then trickles down to the artist. For this to change, the "food chain" within the geinokai must change.

--- groink

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Post by pinkuonigiri » Apr 29th, '06, 22:44

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 85) Matsumoto Jun and Yamashita Tomohisa - These guys tick me off. Guys we need to be beat these guys up. LOL
for some reason I find this hilariously funny even though I’m a fan of both XD

*cough* but any way

I’m fairly familiar with alota of cultural details of japan so i usually don’t find my self asking "why do they do this" as much

I so notice just how tiny japanese homes are O_O; really makes you grateful to live in a decent sized house in america, seems when a pair of siblings have to share a room there’s only one simple room divider to split there space and thinks still seemed cramped

Think that’s why you see alota people hanging out on roofs, just for some kind of privacy

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Post by sadotsu » Apr 30th, '06, 00:42

pinkuonigiri wrote:
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 85) Matsumoto Jun and Yamashita Tomohisa - These guys tick me off. Guys we need to be beat these guys up. LOL
for some reason I find this hilariously funny even though I’m a fan of both XD
Lol me too, even though I'm still - -;; about Pi.
But I think you'd have a hard time beating Pi up now... lol.

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Post by 8thSin » Apr 30th, '06, 00:54

Yamashita Tomohisa seriously tick me off because he's ugly as hell, yet he's still popular as hell. He can't act, can't sing, and just have a godly hair stylist.

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 30th, '06, 16:37

Here's one hypothesis... In America, the artist carries the show and his reputation, and the TV network and his agency pretty much stays out of the picture. I.e. Pay-TV networks like HBO, the free TV networks, and the basic cable networks usually do not receive criticism for their choice of programming. Rare instances are:

1. Bill Maher being fired from ABC for his comments on Politically Incorrect.

2. Dan Rather's biased analysis on the controversial story in regards to GWB's service time spent with the Reserves.

among other instances. As for the Japanese, the geinokai is controlled by the talent agencies. Although the TV networks own the TV shows, in reality the talent agencies has the final say on how their talento will be taking part in these shows and the comments the artist makes. If an artist does or says anything controversial, it directly affects the talent agency. And at that point, the talent agency must apply jishuku (saving face/self restraint) on the artist which they would rather avoid doing.

I believe that's why you don't see the TV media going after political figures and addressing controversial issues like they do in America. In America, the buck stops at the artist, while in Japan the buck stops at the talent agency and then trickles down to the artist. For this to change, the "food chain" within the geinokai must change.



Well, this explains alot of things. I have always thought that alot of these shows steared clear from controversial issues, raising eye brows, or (this one especially) doing something different. I have felt that I am watching the same show over again alot of times. Its not the artist or the writer that determine a show, but the talent agency in reality? Sorry, but that is just sad. I guess this also explains why some of the top Japanese artists or talents are not even close to making what American artists make. If you got such a powerful middle man calling the shots you are not going to make alot of money.

I also take it that their is no way around the talent agency. Because the TV networks love the talent agencys. So if an artist wanted to start his own show or an actor wanted to get a part on T.V - would the TV network insist on a talent agency hiring them? I bet that they would. The one thing I don't understand is why the Talent Agency would recieve critisism for something the artist says or does? I guess the actors and actresses are not really "artists" they are just employees! Yuck

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 30th, '06, 18:57

88) Nose bleeds evertime someone thinks of something perverted
89) The head tilt. When someone is confused about somthing they tilt their head and then a noise is made.
90) Bycicles are stupid looking. You would think that the Japanese who care so much about appearances would trip out their bycicles. However, they all look like old lady bikes.
91) When high ranking Japanese business men mess up they may sometimes kill themselves for messing up. Kind of wish the exon mobil guys and the Enron guys would think about this.
92) The drop - When someone says something really stupid the person listening will either began to loose his or her balance or just drop straight down to the ground.
93) Sanitary problems when eating. When the Japanese eat out of one of those wualks or large pots with alot of ingredients they use their own chopsticks to take out the ingredients. So the chopsticks that touch your mouth are used to take out the ingredients out of the large pot. This goes for everyone else who is taking out ingredients and food out of the pot. Not to sanitary if you ask me.
94) Almost all commericials in Japan have something to do with skincare. Alot of skincare products must be sold in Japan.
95) The "alpha" male never gets the girl. Its always the skinny, small, not to good looking guy that gets the girl. That Otaku guy would never land that girl.
96) Magical Posion. Whenever someone in Japan takes poision blood comes out of the mouth and they drop dead right away. Not sure how poision works, but I am pretty sure this isn't how it works. No symptoms before hand?
97) Japanese people can handle alot from irratating and annoying people. Heck they can even let them live with them.
98) That Japanese writing all looks the same.
99) Some of the things these people eat.
100) Sweeping Generalization about Japanese Culture through knowledge gained from Japanese dramas is "probably" inaccurate and somewhat misleading. Just a thought. LOL

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Apr 30th, '06, 19:10

Heres my list from the entire thread. I am sure that everthing stated here is 100% accurate and correct as it pertains to Japanese Culture and life :D

1) Hitting 30 years of age is a major deadline
2) Once you are married I guess your life is set
3) I really have a hard time determing a Japanese persons age. 21 looks like 15 and 30 look like 22
4) Yeah, I noticed the running thing two
5) Not alot of over weight people in Japan - might have something to do with all of that running
6) The Japanese are very fashionable
7) Class is a big issue in Japan
"I love you" is a pretty common phrase for someone you just met
9) The Japanese really don't hind their feelings even to a stragner
10) The Japanese seem to consume alot of alchohol.
11) Smoking doesn't seem to be a major problem there
12) When you are drunk you can get away with doing and saying alot.
13) The whole senior/Junior thing
14) Students actually all and do wear school uniforms (that must suck)
15) Japanese School Girls can be viscious.
16) Alot of bowing alot - it not just a formal thing.
17) When you break up with your love one - its almost a certain guarantee its going to rain.
18 A umbrella can be a pimping tool, not just something to keep dry
19) Out of a country 126 million people and conjestion you are magically going to meat a person at either the appriopiate or inapprioate time.
20) 700 yen isn't alot of money
21) Your most personal information is going to be know by your neighbors friends and entire family - a major lack or privacy.
22) Slurping the noddles is good manners
23) The love age gap can be pretty pretty big
24) Cross walks are lethal after a breakup
25) Nakama Yukie is far to beautiful its scary.
26 ) All love relationships in Japan will be resolved in a span of 11 (45 minute to an hours) episodes usually.
27 ) Their is always an problem causing friend, that likes to cause problems especially with relationships and is way to straight forward. Long Vacation for example
28 ) Kimura Takuya is in alot of Good Dramas (He plays the same character pretty much over and over, but he is good at it)
29 ) Japanese Actors and Actresses seem to be really "marketed out" to the public. I mean they blantantly market products to the public in Japan. I guess that works in Japan, but it doesn't work here in the U.S. with American actors and actress promoting something themselves. Its always done somewhat indirectly, to the public.
30 ) That TV show I think its TBS or something that runs these specials that we see on here from time to time. That shows clips from shows in order to promote them. They need to get rid of the box showing the people watching the clips, Its really irratating. Why do I need to see thier fascial expressions for?
31 ) Directors like to use the same shot over and over and over and over again. I mean how many times do we really need to see a bridge, a sign, river etc... to get it
32 ) Some Japanese Actresses look really really I mean really scary in the dark. However, I kind of like that
33) Japanese english pronouciation or wording can be pretty bad. Watching the drama good luck. The co pilot was making an announcement to the passengers and said in english. I hope you enjoy your fight. GOOD LUCK. I was laughing so loud. The last thing I want to hear on my plane ride is GOOD LUCK LOL. Why am I going to need it?
34) A stewardess is an ideal job in Japan for a women?
35) The Japanese in general seem to be very clean people. I mean everything seems to be really organized and well kept in their apartments etc... their is no what I call "Artistic Clutter" or as some people with lesser minds might say a mess LOL.
36) The Japanese get a kick out of driving on the wrong side of the road. Its a practice that needs to STOP, it can be very dangerous. Also, they put the stearing wheel on the wrong side of the car.
37) Japan must have been a place of total and utter chaos before cell phones. Did Japan even exist before cell phones? I don't see how it could be possible.
38 Japan seems to be a place of old world meets new world or vise versa. You can see a person walking down the street in a kimono followed, by a woman in a business suit.
39) Construction Jobs in Japan must pay very well! Seeing how when you get into debt its a forgone conclusion your going into the construction business. Go figure
40) Roof tops are places of spiritual enlightenment. And you can always access them.
41) The japanese take far far far to many pictures in order to preserve memories. I mean half of their vacation seem to be taking pictures of being on vacation. Its almost to the point where they take pictures of themselves taking pictures of them selves in order to perserve the memory of taking pictures
42) Arranged marriages? Marriage is almost like a life and death thing in Japan. To where arranged marriage is even an option.
43) The Japanese redifine the meaning of peer pressure.
44) Apparently their is no good doctors in Japan.
45) A dizzy spell equals a date with the grim reaper
46) Any love relationship equals at least one trip to the hospital, its a forgone conclusion.
47) The Japanese over estimate their height.
48 If you are walking down a street in Japan you will see a person getting beaten up. A person crying in front of everyone because they broke up with a loved one. You will also, see a person attempting suicide. You will see alot of people running. You will see a few people making a fool of themselves. Japanese streets must be a place of chaos.
49) It appears that the majority of Japanese life happens in either a Hospital or a Class room.
50) Japanese actors are all singers and all singers are Japanese actors. Some are pretty bad actors also.
51) The goofy contests that have no relevance to anything.
52) Some of these Japanese boys act pretty feminent.
52) Hair Hair Hair its all about the Hair. I swear some of the guys must use more hair care products then the girls.
52) Why are lunches such a big deal in the class rooms. They have these exotic lunches. When I was in Highschool I ate doritos and peanut butters sandwitches so their.
53) Apparently, getting your drivers licenese in Japan isn't a big deal as Highschool students are riding Bicycles. I think the age you can get your drivers license in Japan is alot higher then 16 if I am not mistaken.
54) Whenever I see an interview with a Japanese actress she is so polite and formal. Kind of makes me uncomfortable.
55) How many women have been saved from getting run over on Japanese streets. It could be a full time job with a 401K.
56) Not a heck of alot of studying takes place in Japanese drama class rooms.
57) I wouldn't feel safe if I ever got admitted to a Japanese Hospital. Alot of power grabbing and nurse seducing happening. I wonder how they would have time to treat me.
58 All I can say about Japanese teachers are that they are strange. Lawyer, Gangster, Killer, odd stranger, ecentric - etc....
59) Older Japanese 30 - 45 men wear cloths that are for 16 - 25 year olds. And its perfectly fashionable.
60) All foreigners in Japan are apparently body gaurds. Not one significant role for a foreigner in a Japanese Drama that I have seen. Not even as a 3rd string character.
61) The Japanese can text message really fast. I am always looking for what keys to hit. Its a little embarrassing.
62) Nakama Yukie is still far to beautiful. She really needs to do a modern love story though. No more period dramas. How about this! A modern love story with a foreigner. That foreigners name is keeper of hells gate2. Genius! However I can't sing their for I can't act nor do I wear alot of hair gel - damn.
63) The Japanese Tea Cermony makes me Nervous I feel like I am going to break something just watching it.
64) Fashion this and Fashion that. What the heck ever happened to a t shirt and jeans in Japan? I would look like a bum off of the street if I just wore a t shirt and jeans their.
65) Japanese women are getting more and more attractive with each new season. Haven't figured out why, but I am doing research watching a lot of JDrama's.
66) How many people jump off of school buildings? You would think that alot of schools would think "Yeah, maybe we should put up a safety fence".
67) Even if you are a poor Japanese girl - you are still going to have the latest fashion cloths.
68 Need more "Glory Days" Japanese Dramas. The ending credits of that show although I couldn't understand what they were saying. I didn't care - it was pretty hot.
69) What is with the fascination with panty's or womens underwear. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to handle someones dirty underwear.
70) Everyone in Jdramas has a big kickass apartment in Tokyo, now from what I hear the apartments are really small. If they are big they are really big in price and alot of the character occupations couldn't afford the apartments that they live in.
71) Wouldn't it be kind of depressing starring out into Tokyo. I mean its not like a mountain or a beautiful nature scene. I wouldn't think it would be to beautiful or meaningful looking at smog.
72) O.K Tokyo and Japan in general looks really clean. So, does Japan have some type of secret army of Janitors or Street cleaners? I always look at a video of Tokyo and then I look at videos of New York and I am like what the hell? I mean Tokyo is one of the most congested cities in the world you would think it would get kind of dirty.
73) OK, what is with the white masks that I see people wearing. Is it some type of law in Japan that if you have a cold or are sick you have to wear a mask. Yet, you never seen any of the Drama charcters wearing them when they get sick.
74) Why do Japanese business men wear those huge glasses. Has the concept of contacts come to Japan yet or just smaller glasses.
75) Every Japanese Otaku (SP?) wears his pants up to his chest, collects dolls, has a fascination with the maid outfit (not such a bad thing), and has no confidence.
76) In a japanese court room the victim faces the accuser. If you are a victim of a violent crime that must be tough.
77) When filming a drama in Japan - when ever they do a street scene (which is alot) you can always see people walking by, staring at the camera, or laughing and giggling. It must be very difficult to film in Japan with all of the congestion.
7 Every old man is perverted in some way or another.
79) Any old house has a ghost or a ghost story.
80) When it comes to magic tricks the Japanese have to figure out how the trick was done. Instead of just enjoying the magic trick or show. They have to know how its done.
81) Alot of times - Love in Japan can start out with two people hating each other or finding each other really irratating - by the end of the drama they are married.
82) Japanese girls are fascinated with small toys or things that are cute and spend a ridiculus amount of money on them.
83) What are these clubs that man go to and the women are all over them. Its not a brothel or a strip club, but women are pouring drinks,laughing, and giggling even when old ugly perverted man hitting on them?
84) As someone who can easily lose his car in a 10 car parking lot. It seems to me that it can be very easy to get lost in the big cities of Japan. Not because of parking lots, but because of the shear volume of places and amounts. Is my hotel by the Dark Blue Ramen Shop or The Navy Blue Ramen Shop. It must be confusing.
85) Matsumoto Jun and Yamashita Tomohisa - These guys tick me off. Guys we need to be beat these guys up. LOL
86) Large groups of young girls perform kind of stupid daces in the street for no apparent reason.
87) Are their political shows (Hannity and Colmes, Lou Dobbs, Bill Oreily, Charlie Rose, Bill Maher, The Daily Show with John Stewart, The Colbert Report) Type shows. I don't see alot of controversial type of programing on Japanese TV. O.K none is uploading on this site. SMAPXSMAP is not controversial although I sometimes feel that a few of the guys really don't want to be their.
88 Nose bleeds evertime someone thinks of something perverted
89) The head tilt. When someone is confused about somthing they tilt their head and then a noise is made.
90) Bycicles are stupid looking. You would think that the Japanese who care so much about appearances would trip out their bycicles. However, they all look like old lady bikes.
91) When high ranking Japanese business men mess up they may sometimes kill themselves for messing up. Kind of wish the exon mobil guys and the Enron guys would think about this.
92) The drop - When someone says something really stupid the person listening will either began to loose his or her balance or just drop straight down to the ground.
93) Sanitary problems when eating. When the Japanese eat out of one of those wualks or large pots with alot of ingredients they use their own chopsticks to take out the ingredients. So the chopsticks that touch your mouth are used to take out the ingredients out of the large pot. This goes for everyone else who is taking out ingredients and food out of the pot. Not to sanitary if you ask me.
94) Almost all commericials in Japan have something to do with skincare. Alot of skincare products must be sold in Japan.
95) The "alpha" male never gets the girl. Its always the skinny, small, not to good looking guy that gets the girl. That Otaku guy would never land that girl.
96) Magical Posion. Whenever someone in Japan takes poision blood comes out of the mouth and they drop dead right away. Not sure how poision works, but I am pretty sure this isn't how it works. No symptoms before hand?
97) Japanese people can handle alot from irratating and annoying people. Heck they can even let them live with them.
9 That Japanese writing all looks the same.
99) Some of the things these people eat.
100) Sweeping Generalization about Japanese Culture through knowledge gained from Japanese dramas is "probably" inaccurate and somewhat misleading. Just a thought. LOL

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Post by groink » Apr 30th, '06, 20:57

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote:Well, this explains alot of things. I have always thought that alot of these shows steared clear from controversial issues, raising eye brows, or (this one especially) doing something different. I have felt that I am watching the same show over again alot of times. Its not the artist or the writer that determine a show, but the talent agency in reality? Sorry, but that is just sad. I guess this also explains why some of the top Japanese artists or talents are not even close to making what American artists make. If you got such a powerful middle man calling the shots you are not going to make alot of money.

I also take it that their is no way around the talent agency. Because the TV networks love the talent agencys. So if an artist wanted to start his own show or an actor wanted to get a part on T.V - would the TV network insist on a talent agency hiring them? I bet that they would. The one thing I don't understand is why the Talent Agency would recieve critisism for something the artist says or does? I guess the actors and actresses are not really "artists" they are just employees! Yuck
Man, I wish I can split this topic and take your/my comments into a totally new topic. This is the kind of information everyone should understand. In summary:

1. YES, the talent agency runs the geinokai. It does, in fact, affect the artists' payroll.

2. YES, there is actually a monopoly in the geinokai. Johnny's Jimsho is the Microsoft of artist suppliers. In several instances I've read about in magazines and on-line, Johnny's will actually pull their "employees" out of a TV show if their competition is among the cast. And seeing their employees are on top of the popularity charts, the TV producers MUST obey by sending the competition off in exchange for the use of the Johnnys. And if they do not, Johnny will then add the TV producers and/or studios onto their blacklist. No more Johnnys' on your show, and you might as well pack up your bags and "go plant tomatoes" as one of my friends would put it. The strange thing is that the female artists do not enjoy the same kind of monopoly as the males (even Hello! Project or Stardust doesn't have the power that Johnny's Jimsho enjoy today.) So if you're a young male aspiring to be an artist, you MUST become a member of Johnny's. If you're not accepted by Johnny's, you might as well become a salaryman or sushi maker because in any other talent agency, your company will constantly be stomped all over by Johnny's.

3. And YES, the very large majority of artists are in fact employees of the talent agency - which is why if you read some of the bio's on-line, you'll see the "salary" they bring in each year. If you read articles written by David Spector, WM Penn, etc., they all criticize the Japanese for these issues.

Once you understand and accept this, then everything else is self-explanatory.

--- groink

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Post by sadotsu » May 1st, '06, 07:22

groink: How and when did this "monopoly" start happening? I've seen you talk about how you liked the geinokai before the 1980s (I think, or it might have been the 70s). So something must have happened to change it, right? And how is the present geinokai different from how it used to be?

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Post by groink » May 1st, '06, 08:11

sadotsu wrote:groink: How and when did this "monopoly" start happening? I've seen you talk about how you liked the geinokai before the 1980s (I think, or it might have been the 70s). So something must have happened to change it, right? And how is the present geinokai different from how it used to be?
Before the 1990's, most of the idols (both boys and girls) were developed purely for music, concerts, magazines and variety shows. Focus wasn't that heavy on TV dramas. Therefore, the talent agencies didn't carry any weight in the geinokai because most of the drama artists of the time didn't rely on talent agencies. Even today, most of the mature artists are either independant or they're associated with the less popular talent agencies. So for these artists, they can be obtained without all the politics (ex: NHK.)

The trendy drama craze of the late 1980's connected the idols with TV dramas. And that's when the talent agencies started to build up their power in television. Keep in mind that the idols of the 1980's and earlier didn't have that much talent, other than looks and a cute story behind them. But soon, demand for more skillful talent in television among the idols become a necessity. So in order for the talent agencies to offer the TV networks talent, they had to start boosting their employees' acting skills, along with the singing, dancing, etc.

Soon, fans started to enjoy the new trend of having their idols taking part in TV dramas. And as a result, the talent agencies not only had the products the TV networks needed, but the talent agencies could now call the shots on how their employees were utilized. The TV networks can't really do anything about it. The younger fans demand idols in everything they watch. With the convergance of idols and TV dramas, that's when Johnny Jimusho's monopoly began.

Johnny's Jimusho started their domination in 1991 where SMAP was their first product to really make an impact on TV dramas. The use of SMAP, along with TOKIO and V6 that followed soon after, earned Johnny the monopoly that he enjoys today.

As for females... There is no one talent agency that has total domination over the geinokai like Johnny's Jimusho. My only hypothesis over this is that males have a stronger presence in the idol industry, so it is possible that obtaining female talent for TV dramas isn't all that difficult for the TV networks. Hence the really lousy salaries that even the likes of Ueto Aya are making (she made about $600,000 in 2004, which is probably pennies compared to the amount of money Oscar Promotion made on all of her CMs and TV shows.)

--- groink

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Post by neme_chan » May 1st, '06, 17:10

groink: I've noticed you know an awful lot about the genoukai system. Can you point me to some resources for information about the system itself, its origins and development, and such?

It doesn't have to be anything big, maybe just an article or essay that can lead to others. I'm planning to use the genoukai as the main topic in a project for my masters in media studies, so any help would be appreciated :)

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Post by EMTQueen » May 3rd, '06, 03:13

I've noticed the salary discrepancy between Japan and America. Here in America, our big female artists are getting paid in 8-figure incomes. Meanwhile in Japan, Kou Shibasaki, who's one of the biggest stars in East Asia, is paid around $800,000 a year. Her American equivalent would be getting at least $5 million.

I guess I now know why. It's really interesting to learn that.

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Post by Crazy Penguin » May 3rd, '06, 04:47

On the other hand, in the US they get the huge sums for really bad work (I heard that Lucy Liu got 4 million USD for Charlie's Angles 2, an absolutely ridiculous ammount for a really bad movie); and most make what? 1 movie per year? Not really impressing. Or take what Sutherland (who's not really an outstanding actor) gets for the next 3 years of "24". So it's not just a salary discrepancy, but also a workload discrepancy. Besides, I think quality of actors has dropped a lot. I was watching an old movie the other day, I think it had Erol Flynn in it, that guy could act, fence, ride, etc... Today? Orlando Bloom in LOTR couldn't even ride decently.

Problem that results from that is also simple. They treat actors like kings in Hollywood. Bad idea. Very bad idea. That way people get all high and mighty and end up pulling all sorts of crap (take Whitney Houston (I've seen a photo of her just a few days ago and I was shocked to see what drugs did to her) or Wynona Ryder (got snatched by the cops for theft if I remember it correctly)). You won't hear stuff like that from an Ueto Aya or a Shibasaki Kou. And if something happens, the agencies quickly punish them, another thing I have yet to hear from the US. Just take what Britney Spears pulled last year. Transported her little kid pretty much unsecured on the front seat of her car. Did anything happen to her? No, not that I remember. If, let's say, Hirosue Ryoko would do that with little Hiroshi, her agency would bite her head off and I think she'd have to make a public apology.

Frankly, I have no problem with seeing an actor as a regular employer. I can only comment from my experience at the "Volkstheater" when I was working there years ago. Actors get a contract, just like the guy who works with the props (agreed, it's a different contract, etc, but the basic idea is the same). So I don't see why they should be seen differently.

I always like using Maeda Aki for this little calculation. I have no idea what she makes per year, but her workload is impressive and I'm amazed how she pulls this stuff off (with university breathing down her neck)... In the last year she had 5 movies in the cinemas, she had lead roles in 4 of those (starting with Linda Linda Linda last year, Harami, Saikano, and finally Mizunisumuhana in a few weeks) , 3 bigger TV roles, several PR events for her movies (mainly for Saikano), plus spending the last winter semester in Boston as part of her academic work (from where she visited the Saikano world premiere at the TIFF, which was on a Saturday; so she flew from Boston to Tokyo right after university, arrived on Saturday morning (timezones), had to stay awake during the whole premiere, finally saw her older sister again after several weeks, and then was shipped back to Boston on Sunday). I can't think of any western actor who'd pull something like that.

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Re: Things I have learned

Post by steven1973sg » May 3rd, '06, 06:08

Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 14) Students actually all and do wear school uniforms (that must suck)
Hayashi_kun wrote: not when the uniforms are so cool! they look so gd in them (both guys n girls) (no fetish here)
Agree with Hayashi Kun. I think their uniforms look good and they make the students look cool.
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 19) Out of a country 126 million people and conjestion you are magically going to meat a person at either the appriopiate or inapprioate time.
Happens in many movies from other countries all over the world, so it's not a Japanese thingy.
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 22) Slurping the noddles is good manners
Hayashi_kun wrote: only when eating udon, ramen as an appreciation of how delicious they are.
a no no when eating pasta.
Again I agree with Hayashi Kun.
littlemissfab wrote: 2) Women who wear kimonos are really hot. Which I find weird because it doesn't show any patch of skin from the neck to the ankles.
I don't understand why you find it weird. Women look sexier when they cover up. Too much skin makes them look slutty and cheap.
Jeshka wrote: 5. Japanese high school boys love each other. A lot.
I think that only happens in Japan. I watched an anime called "Honey & Clover" and the guys practically adore each other!
Em_mie wrote: EVERYBODY'S UNIFORM LOOKS BRANDNEW
--seriously...im guessing if you wear something almost everyday for a year, it should be a little bit worn out
It's quite normal because they have many pieces of the same uniform. I had 3-4 pieces of the same uniform myself when I was studying. Tough on the laundry part.. :-)
Em_mie wrote: PARENTS DON'T GET INVOLVED OVERMUCH WITH THEIR KIDS' LIVES
--not even a how was school today...
So do parents in other countries.
meiohsetsuna wrote: 6) There are no specific visiting hours in a Japanese hospital. You can come and go as you please.
This is quite common in Asia. I don't know about the other parts of the world.
baoi wrote: 4. They say Sumimasen instead of Gomenasai a lot..
"Sumimasen" is the correct phrase because it roughly means "Excuse me" while "Gomennasai" means "I'm sorry".
Keeper of hells gate2 wrote: 38) Japan seems to be a place of old world meets new world or vise versa. You can see a person walking down the street in a kimono followed, by a woman in a business suit.
That's the beauty of Japan. :-D

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EMTQueen
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Post by EMTQueen » May 3rd, '06, 09:02

Crazy Penguin wrote:On the other hand, in the US they get the huge sums for really bad work (I heard that Lucy Liu got 4 million USD for Charlie's Angles 2, an absolutely ridiculous ammount for a really bad movie); and most make what? 1 movie per year? Not really impressing. Or take what Sutherland (who's not really an outstanding actor) gets for the next 3 years of "24". So it's not just a salary discrepancy, but also a workload discrepancy. Besides, I think quality of actors has dropped a lot. I was watching an old movie the other day, I think it had Erol Flynn in it, that guy could act, fence, ride, etc... Today? Orlando Bloom in LOTR couldn't even ride decently.

Problem that results from that is also simple. They treat actors like kings in Hollywood. Bad idea. Very bad idea. That way people get all high and mighty and end up pulling all sorts of crap (take Whitney Houston (I've seen a photo of her just a few days ago and I was shocked to see what drugs did to her) or Wynona Ryder (got snatched by the cops for theft if I remember it correctly)). You won't hear stuff like that from an Ueto Aya or a Shibasaki Kou. And if something happens, the agencies quickly punish them, another thing I have yet to hear from the US. Just take what Britney Spears pulled last year. Transported her little kid pretty much unsecured on the front seat of her car. Did anything happen to her? No, not that I remember. If, let's say, Hirosue Ryoko would do that with little Hiroshi, her agency would bite her head off and I think she'd have to make a public apology.

Frankly, I have no problem with seeing an actor as a regular employer. I can only comment from my experience at the "Volkstheater" when I was working there years ago. Actors get a contract, just like the guy who works with the props (agreed, it's a different contract, etc, but the basic idea is the same). So I don't see why they should be seen differently.

I always like using Maeda Aki for this little calculation. I have no idea what she makes per year, but her workload is impressive and I'm amazed how she pulls this stuff off (with university breathing down her neck)... In the last year she had 5 movies in the cinemas, she had lead roles in 4 of those (starting with Linda Linda Linda last year, Harami, Saikano, and finally Mizunisumuhana in a few weeks) , 3 bigger TV roles, several PR events for her movies (mainly for Saikano), plus spending the last winter semester in Boston as part of her academic work (from where she visited the Saikano world premiere at the TIFF, which was on a Saturday; so she flew from Boston to Tokyo right after university, arrived on Saturday morning (timezones), had to stay awake during the whole premiere, finally saw her older sister again after several weeks, and then was shipped back to Boston on Sunday). I can't think of any western actor who'd pull something like that.
I agree that America tends to view those in the entertainment field as royalty and I have always said that Hollywood is a vastly overpaid job when there are people who have more worthy occupations and their pay is beans, like teachers and doctors.

And I had no idea that Maeda Aki was that busy! Wow.

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Post by Wolfsbane68 » May 5th, '06, 10:50

Would something like Britney Spears "incident" even be reported in Japan? it wasn't as if something happened *shrug* It's *her* kid, a small-scale civil war in Africa puts a hell of a lot more kids in real danger, anyone get their panties in a bunch over that? And let just remember, when big companies wanted to make big bucks out of their baby formulas they had no problem finding doctors to say only bad mothers breastfed their children. Could be, someone's eager to profit on childseats?

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Post by meiji_ » Jul 10th, '06, 23:01

I dunno if this was mentioned or not... but you always carry a handkerchief.

Also, the first thing you do when someone cries is immediately give them your handkerchief. :lol

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Post by mizune » Jul 11th, '06, 07:15

meiji_ wrote:I dunno if this was mentioned or not... but you always carry a handkerchief.

Also, the first thing you do when someone cries is immediately give them your handkerchief. :lol
this is b/c paper towels for drying hands isn't normal in Japan...
so you gotta have a little handkerchief to dry your hands after washing up... ^_^

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Post by auroragb » Jul 11th, '06, 07:15

Ah... I miss this thread, I was looking for this thread last week and couldn't find it. I wish it could be a sticky.

I wonder if the handkerchief thing is adopted from European culture? I don't really remember samurai carrying handkerchief, it's more of a woman thing, no?

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Japanese Entertainment Clichés and Stereotypes

Post by sahansah » Feb 28th, '08, 20:46

Well I was just wondering if people can identify any common Japanese Dorama Clichés and or any stereotypes. Basically things that are similar between J-Doramas. Things that are overused between J-doramas of the same genre.

Like as I was sayng in the Hana Kimi thread how at the end when Maki was leaving she ended up surrounded by the many people in the dorama all saying goodbye to her. I believe the same thing happened in Gokusen and My Boss My Hero :scratch: and some others...

It doesn't have to be limited to just J-doramas but also Anime and the Japanese Entertainment in general.

cam169
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Post by cam169 » Feb 28th, '08, 23:14

Also (now this is only between friends in a dorama), when someone is hiding something from a (best) friend and when it's discovered after wards, everybody (all friends) see it as a kind of betrayal...for not telling the truth right from the start, even when it is about a minor subject/lie that people would actually ignore and not judge rigidly.
Well, I think it's a very common (and popular) aspect in many doramas imo....but I'm not sure if that's what you mean by clichés :/ XD
Last edited by cam169 on Feb 29th, '08, 00:06, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Noi » Feb 28th, '08, 23:21

...piggyback rides :P

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Post by Elien » Feb 28th, '08, 23:21

When it´s raining and some guy gets wet it always ends with cold, fever and colapsing...

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Post by Gir » Feb 28th, '08, 23:30

How about when someone has been a certain way for along time, and then suddenly changes. Lets say the"bad guy" has been evil and plotting something for years, then the "good guy" comes along and says something like, "That's not nice." and suddenly the bad guy just changes out of the blue and thanks the good guy for showing him the truth of how he was acting.

Also, in sports shows and some others, when the main character has practicing for years and still can't play at even a beginners level and then a new coach shows up and only gives them some corny you can do it speech and in week they can beat the worlds champion. But first they have to get so far behind that it's "impossible" for them to win, but a the last moment they pull ahead and win. There's never a gradual improvement process, it's just from terrible to the best overnight.

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Post by cam169 » Feb 28th, '08, 23:33

The piggy back rides are sooo true XD

And the kiss scenes are rather lip to lip-scenes, like in every dorama (except First Kiss)( even though I still enjoy them ;P )

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Post by Star-Bolt » Feb 29th, '08, 00:31

When someone have cought, it means someone else is talking about him

In a school dorama, the main characters almost always know eachother by accident before realizing they are in the same class




OFF TOPIC

I used to hate a cliche on argentinian novelas... When two people are talking about a third person (X) and they say something like
"X dont have to know about this"

Then X appears opening energetically the door and say
"What I dont have to know?"

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Post by ruisu » Feb 29th, '08, 01:13

oops. I think this is what the thumbs down button is for.
Last edited by ruisu on Feb 29th, '08, 01:16, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by ruisu » Feb 29th, '08, 01:15

Guy confesses love for girl. You think he's gonna go in for the kiss...hugs her really hard instead. Girl looks confused. "Guy-san..."
Elien wrote:When it´s raining and some guy gets wet it always ends with cold, fever and colapsing...
Lol...yeah I've noticed that too but with girls as well.

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Post by lilswtangel » Feb 29th, '08, 01:21

*when someone collapses, he/she ends up going to the hospital only to find out that he/she has contracted an incurable and/or terminal illness~

*whenever there is an argument and one of the character so happens to run outside in the heat of the moment., it's the middle of the night.....and we all know how dangerous that is. that or either it's already pouring outside or suddenly starts pouring as said character walks alone w/o umbrella thus resulting in the above cliche with the sickness.

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Post by Egg-chan » Feb 29th, '08, 03:31

Main love interest #1 hates Main love interest #2 with a passion, but for some reason, they get stuck together all the time. Then, when one of the main love interests leaves, the other finally realizes how much they want them to stay by their side and they are in love with them. (I happen to like these cliches sometimes actually :whistling:)

This could coincide with the getting a sickness one, cuz if one main love interest runs away in the pouring rain "never to be seen again", then the other runs after them, catches them and then catches a cold due to not wearing a coat or umbrella... lol..

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Post by Kazuya_ » Feb 29th, '08, 05:21

There are so many of these regardless of genre.

But one that doesn't ever make sense to me is when two people ( or more ) are talking ( in normal speech and not yelling ) about a third person, that person is usually in the next room or outside a closed door when the conversation is taking place. This usually involves some kind of betrayal or hidden agenda. Did I mention that the door was closed? And there's a wall separating them! And yet the entire conversation is clear as a bell.

Along the same lines, if two people are talking about something, a third person will come along from nowhere within earshot and join in the conversation even though they couldn't possibly hear the beginning of it and was at least 20 yards away.

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Post by marriedtomisaki » Feb 29th, '08, 05:47

Yeah Ease Dropping. I agree sooo much of it

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Post by lunargen » Feb 29th, '08, 05:53

Main guy is always running after the girl. LITERALLY.

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Post by cam169 » Feb 29th, '08, 11:50

lunargen wrote:Main guy is always running after the girl. LITERALLY.
Not only that! They (girl and boy) always run for everything instead of taking a cab or a bus or something..

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Post by Shadow Hexagram » Feb 29th, '08, 21:35

A sound effect cliché: the sound of a helicopter to give some dramatic intensity.

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