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| Horror Storyteller Junji Inagawa |
Today many websites, phone apps, and video-streaming channels exist that allow you to watch video clips or even full episodes, many with subtitles in various languages. If any of the programs, movies or dramas in this post interest you, look them up online and decide for yourself if they appeal to you. At the end of this post you'll find a list of websites to get started. First, Nagamimi's picks:
#1. TV Genre: Horror Story Telling
You may pronounce it 怪談 kaidan or else kwaidan (the latter is the way Koizumi Yagumo or Lafcadio Hearn spelled it). It means horror story-telling. Classic Japanese horror stories are, in my opinion, typically sad and peculiar rather than horrifying. Japanese horror stories are usually similar to "Twilight Zone" or "Hitchcock Theater," dealing with something strange rather than evil. Actually most non-Christian Japanese people do not really follow the concept of "evil" compared to those from other cultures. Evil may be a monster, that's how Japanese people understand it. When "The Exorcist" first came to Japan, people were scared of the scene when the girl's face turned all the way around, but not much else.
The performer in the photo above on the right is Junji Inagawa, a current wellknown horror story teller. If you are
in Japan during the summer time and watch TV, it is likely you will see him once
or twice. He originally was a product
designer working on making stage property used in TV shows. He gradually became
featured on TV as a pseudo-comedian character for his funny personality and engaging way of speaking.
His scary storytelling gradually developed into a popular program during the summer time. Other TV personalities also followed his pattern. They have a few TV shows telling scary stories during the summer which are often titled "ホントにあったこわい話" meaning "Scary Stories That Really Happened". He developed his own style of entertainment and has become well known as the king of horror story tellers. He dresses up for a horror story teller and now he has sound effects to accompany his story-telling, too. He has published quite a number of DVDs. If you are capable of understanding Japanese, and like scary stories, look for "稲川淳二" on YouTube.
#2. TV Genre: Entertainment / Comedy / Variety (and Horror too)
For years I have always been a huge fan of Takeshi - as a movie director he goes by his real name, Kitano Takeshi, and as a comedian he is called Beat Takeshi. I used to watch all his shows in Japan. So, if you wanna know about Takeshi, I probably have an answer for you :D
Inagawa (the horror story teller mentioned above) was a frequent guest on Takeshi's late night talk show. They talked about different things, mostly funny stories. Inagawa was one of the regular guests on Takeshi's TV shows. He would sit around and chat about humorous topics. Inagawa-san is actually a funny guy and had many hysterical stories to tell.
But one time, he told a story that was far different. Watching the TV alone, late at night, I didn't expect to hear a horror story. No one was prepared for it. I didn't know that would become a scary story until the very end. So original, no sound effect, just a pure episode which was not organized at all. It was terrifying! Takeshi and other people yelled at him, asking why he told such a scary story no one expected to hear! I was surprised and chilled. People gradually looked forward to Inagawa's horror stories, that was how the horror-story teller career developed with Inagawa.
Takeshi and Inagawa worked together on other projects, too. You might have seen one of the comedy game shows Takeshi and Inagawa were on, called Takeshi's Castle. I enjoyed this series better than his scary stories, though. (A few different titles in the US.) Here is a clip but I'm not sure if Inagawa-san is in it. Inagawa was the reporter, holding a microphone and wearing a safari suit. You may recognize who I'm talking about if you are a fan of the show.
#3. TV Genre: "Wide Show" Japanese Daytime TV - A Viewing Audience Favorite
Well, this is not what I like but it is definitely a phenomenon in Japanese TV shows. The format is similar to American morning shows. It shows some news reports, weather or current trends of all kinds, about food, health and diet, and gossip about celebrities, all in one show. I left Japan before this kind of show became popular but in the morning and during the day, if you watch TV in Japan, one of these shows will probably be on.
A main characteristic for these shows is the display of a very large board summarizing the major news and topics of the day behind the anchor or MC (as shown photo on the right); sometimes a table top-sized board is used. Catch phrases for each topic are covered up. The MC peels the cover off each catch phrase one by one as he talks about the topic. Actually, this "peeling off the cover from the board" technique seems to be very popular in Japanese TV shows.
The man pictured above is one of the most well known among the Wide Show MCs, equivalent of the US Jerry Springer, except that he has more shows. The difference is that this guy, Mino Monta, tells everything, about news, celebrities, current issues, health and food, everything the viewers need to know that day. He has assistants and reporters but mostly he is the presenter. So, every time I visit Japan, I feel I get so much everyday information through the filter of Mino... Only a limited number of people have time to watch TV during the daytime, but the people who do have are quite heavily influenced by Mino... that's my guess.
Now, here are Barbara's picks for favorite programs, which are under the category of TV dramas and real action movies made from manga.
# 1. Japanese TV Dramas
Years ago when she moved to Japan the first time, she started watching Japanese TV dramas because a friend told her you can improve your Japanese speaking ability faster by listening to how the characters talked and observing how things were said depending on the situation. It worked. She used to even take notes, writing down often used expressions such as "okagesama de" (thanks to you), "iko ka!" (let's go), and "gochisosama deshita" (it was a delicious meal). The Japanese dramas she liked were usually office dramas featuring the problems and ambitions of typical "salarimen" (salaried personnel, mostly men) and "OLs" or Office Ladies (young women in administrative roles), which mirrored staff members of many real life Japanese companies.
She also liked the dramas because she could learn about trendy soundtrack music by popular Japanese artists that would be featured at the beginning, end or in the background during the drama. There were no English subtitles though, since it was entertainment programming in Japan for the local audience. But it was good listening practice.
Today, there are many good TV dramas from Japan finding their way to international audiences. Subtitles seem to be available in many languages. Here is one example (shown at upper left) called "Umubore Deka."
#2. Japanese Movies Based on Manga
It is possible to watch many movies and dramatic series based on popular manga right now, whether you are in Japan or not, thanks to the internet and subscription television channels like Netflix and Roku (available in the USA). Most come with options to see subtitles and/or hear your own language dubbed in. Her favorites in the science fiction genre: "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", and the "Death Note" trilogy starring Kenichi Matsuyama. Barbara bought all three "Death Note" movies on DVD, thanks to EBay.
#3. Korean TV Dramas
Barbara has only discovered Korean dramas this year, but did you know where else they are extremely popular besides in Korea? All over the world. Many TV watchers seem to like dramas from Korea, whether historic period dramas or current day stories. Here are two of her favorites.
"Winter Sonata" (Funu no Sonata) is a Korean drama based on the Japanese anime. (see graphics from both versions pictured at left.) It is an excellent show, filled with interesting characters, good writing, and an engaging plot. The cinematography is remarkably high quality, too, in both versions.
It's amazing how closely the live action drama follows the anime version, right down to every detail with scenes and characters. This is another kind of storytelling at its best.
Another drama she likes is "Pasta" (pictured at right). While "Winter Sonata" is a love story with a more serious theme, "Pasta" is a lighter drama with a great storyline, humorous scenes, talented actors, clever writing and a happy ending.
You can view probably all of these programs online and many more just like them thanks to the following websites:
-- YouTube.com (free)
-- Crunchyroll.com (free but with ads - premium membership without ads requires subscription)
-- Viki.com (free but with ads)
-- DramaFever.com (free but with ads)
-- Hulu.com (free but with ads - premium membership without ads requires subscription)
-- Netflix.com (subscription required - $6.00 per month)
-- Roku.com (equipment required - approx. $79 but KDrama channel is free)
Many programs are also available on DVD and can be purchased by visiting such sites as Amazon.com and EBay.
His scary storytelling gradually developed into a popular program during the summer time. Other TV personalities also followed his pattern. They have a few TV shows telling scary stories during the summer which are often titled "ホントにあったこわい話" meaning "Scary Stories That Really Happened". He developed his own style of entertainment and has become well known as the king of horror story tellers. He dresses up for a horror story teller and now he has sound effects to accompany his story-telling, too. He has published quite a number of DVDs. If you are capable of understanding Japanese, and like scary stories, look for "稲川淳二" on YouTube.
#2. TV Genre: Entertainment / Comedy / Variety (and Horror too)
 |
| Beat or Kitano Takeshi |
Inagawa (the horror story teller mentioned above) was a frequent guest on Takeshi's late night talk show. They talked about different things, mostly funny stories. Inagawa was one of the regular guests on Takeshi's TV shows. He would sit around and chat about humorous topics. Inagawa-san is actually a funny guy and had many hysterical stories to tell.
But one time, he told a story that was far different. Watching the TV alone, late at night, I didn't expect to hear a horror story. No one was prepared for it. I didn't know that would become a scary story until the very end. So original, no sound effect, just a pure episode which was not organized at all. It was terrifying! Takeshi and other people yelled at him, asking why he told such a scary story no one expected to hear! I was surprised and chilled. People gradually looked forward to Inagawa's horror stories, that was how the horror-story teller career developed with Inagawa.
Takeshi and Inagawa worked together on other projects, too. You might have seen one of the comedy game shows Takeshi and Inagawa were on, called Takeshi's Castle. I enjoyed this series better than his scary stories, though. (A few different titles in the US.) Here is a clip but I'm not sure if Inagawa-san is in it. Inagawa was the reporter, holding a microphone and wearing a safari suit. You may recognize who I'm talking about if you are a fan of the show.
#3. TV Genre: "Wide Show" Japanese Daytime TV - A Viewing Audience Favorite
Well, this is not what I like but it is definitely a phenomenon in Japanese TV shows. The format is similar to American morning shows. It shows some news reports, weather or current trends of all kinds, about food, health and diet, and gossip about celebrities, all in one show. I left Japan before this kind of show became popular but in the morning and during the day, if you watch TV in Japan, one of these shows will probably be on.A main characteristic for these shows is the display of a very large board summarizing the major news and topics of the day behind the anchor or MC (as shown photo on the right); sometimes a table top-sized board is used. Catch phrases for each topic are covered up. The MC peels the cover off each catch phrase one by one as he talks about the topic. Actually, this "peeling off the cover from the board" technique seems to be very popular in Japanese TV shows.
The man pictured above is one of the most well known among the Wide Show MCs, equivalent of the US Jerry Springer, except that he has more shows. The difference is that this guy, Mino Monta, tells everything, about news, celebrities, current issues, health and food, everything the viewers need to know that day. He has assistants and reporters but mostly he is the presenter. So, every time I visit Japan, I feel I get so much everyday information through the filter of Mino... Only a limited number of people have time to watch TV during the daytime, but the people who do have are quite heavily influenced by Mino... that's my guess.
Now, here are Barbara's picks for favorite programs, which are under the category of TV dramas and real action movies made from manga.
Years ago when she moved to Japan the first time, she started watching Japanese TV dramas because a friend told her you can improve your Japanese speaking ability faster by listening to how the characters talked and observing how things were said depending on the situation. It worked. She used to even take notes, writing down often used expressions such as "okagesama de" (thanks to you), "iko ka!" (let's go), and "gochisosama deshita" (it was a delicious meal). The Japanese dramas she liked were usually office dramas featuring the problems and ambitions of typical "salarimen" (salaried personnel, mostly men) and "OLs" or Office Ladies (young women in administrative roles), which mirrored staff members of many real life Japanese companies.
She also liked the dramas because she could learn about trendy soundtrack music by popular Japanese artists that would be featured at the beginning, end or in the background during the drama. There were no English subtitles though, since it was entertainment programming in Japan for the local audience. But it was good listening practice.
Today, there are many good TV dramas from Japan finding their way to international audiences. Subtitles seem to be available in many languages. Here is one example (shown at upper left) called "Umubore Deka."
It is possible to watch many movies and dramatic series based on popular manga right now, whether you are in Japan or not, thanks to the internet and subscription television channels like Netflix and Roku (available in the USA). Most come with options to see subtitles and/or hear your own language dubbed in. Her favorites in the science fiction genre: "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", and the "Death Note" trilogy starring Kenichi Matsuyama. Barbara bought all three "Death Note" movies on DVD, thanks to EBay.
#3. Korean TV Dramas
Barbara has only discovered Korean dramas this year, but did you know where else they are extremely popular besides in Korea? All over the world. Many TV watchers seem to like dramas from Korea, whether historic period dramas or current day stories. Here are two of her favorites.
"Winter Sonata" (Funu no Sonata) is a Korean drama based on the Japanese anime. (see graphics from both versions pictured at left.) It is an excellent show, filled with interesting characters, good writing, and an engaging plot. The cinematography is remarkably high quality, too, in both versions.
It's amazing how closely the live action drama follows the anime version, right down to every detail with scenes and characters. This is another kind of storytelling at its best.Another drama she likes is "Pasta" (pictured at right). While "Winter Sonata" is a love story with a more serious theme, "Pasta" is a lighter drama with a great storyline, humorous scenes, talented actors, clever writing and a happy ending.
You can view probably all of these programs online and many more just like them thanks to the following websites:
-- YouTube.com (free)
-- Crunchyroll.com (free but with ads - premium membership without ads requires subscription)
-- Viki.com (free but with ads)
-- DramaFever.com (free but with ads)
-- Hulu.com (free but with ads - premium membership without ads requires subscription)
-- Netflix.com (subscription required - $6.00 per month)
-- Roku.com (equipment required - approx. $79 but KDrama channel is free)
Many programs are also available on DVD and can be purchased by visiting such sites as Amazon.com and EBay.
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