Pinoy Community v. 18

[Imperium]

Well the difference is when you bring humans into the equation. With anime, they are just drawings so the quality is built upon the plot, dialogue, art and voice acting. It's different when its actual acting skills that are required ya know...

 

[baboysai]

trust me, man, japanese and koreans wouldn't think of manga plots and characters like that if they weren't like that in real life.

Ever wonder why anime hair and fashion can be so outrageous? coz they're like that in real life, lol.

They just bring a different kind of entertainment than when I'm watching say, American series. They rarely have second seasons, so all the action and development has to be condensed in one season- guaranteed to be concentrated and dripping with drama, twists, comedy/romance in 10 (Japanese) or 16 (Korean) episodes.

Japanese live action tend to be on the heavier side though- since they've been well over the cutesy romance stories for the past decade (their audience is getting bored with the stupid romances and want the more intelligent, closer-to-reality stories). Koreans are more slapstick comedy, over-the-top plot devices, brighter colors (yes), and cutesy fairytale plots.

 

[Imperium]

Yea the plot was my main point. I wanted to know if they are the equivalent (if we are comparing it to America) to Days of our Lives (a more condensed one season version) instead of a more serious drama like The West Wing for example. Which is the exact thing you mentioned above, so thanks. You said the japanese ones moved away from the romancy shtick, are there any gritty dark jdramas? Or ones dealing with more "serious" subjects (Politics, Crime, Poverty etc). Because what makes me kinda avoid the whole genre is that feeling that its all that cutesy romance stuff. Any japanese ones in that mold, to recommend?

 

[baboysai]

OMG in the 2011 "best recommended JDrama" alone all of them are fucking heavy. I had a hard time choosing because I got used to Kdrama haha.

Okay... time for recs! :(criteria being "not like Days of our Lives (or perhaps Sunset Beach lol))

1. Engine (2005)- about kids living together in a small orphanage, and each episode unfolds each child's story- Very heartwrenching but has a nice family-oriented theme of hope and love all through out the series.

2. Nodame Cantabile (2008)- based on the award-winning manga about an eccentric piano genius and her mysterious chemistry with other musicians. Romance, comedy, friendship, personal development etc. etc.

3. My Boss My Hero (2006)- SUPER FUNNY COMEDY about an idiot son vying for his father's approval as the next Yakuza head of their clan.

4. Last Friends (2008)- about a group of friends who are brought together by different circumstances- contains themes of homosexuality, bullying and physical abuse.

There are a lot of lawyer series, or politics themes, or mystery ones, just like in American Television, but it's just not my type. :/
As of late, like the 2011 highly rated dramas, most of them are pretty dark and more edgy (like Ooku- based on the somewhat feminist manga about an alternate history where the line of Tokugawa shoguns were actually female and the "concubines" residing in the inner chambers were actually men).

I'm in the middle of a 2011 drama Kaseifu no Mita which I will also recommend- about an eerily robotic housekeeper who does whatever she is told (say, kill somebody) as long as it's a work order, and she gets hired by a dysfunctional family trying to recover from the mother's sudden and mysterious death.


Bear in mind that Asian comedy is different from western sit-coms. Actually, when I watch an asian drama I sort of get into a zone similar to watching anime or reading manga. Except that live action comedy can be ten times better than in slice-of-life anime. And tear-jerking scenes can be also a lot more effective in live-action, IMO.

---------- Post added at 04:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:54 AM ----------

Simultaneously, I'm watching King 2 Hearts (Kdrama) and talk about POLITICAL! It involves a north Korean woman being married off to the King of South Korea (in 2012). It's funny and weird and you don't know if they're mocking the North or something, I'm not saying you should watch it because, it takes a while to appreciate Kdramas and take them at face value haha. I'm just sharing that this is, by far, one of the boldest themes I have encountered in a korean television series.

There is such animosity between the two countries, and they have this show portraying NorthK as a really backward country with very conservative people, although I can totally see the ulterior goal of inspiring peace, etc. etc. It's just really, um, treading on thin ice, I should think. Especially with recurring themes of war and territorial stuff that goes beyond the romance.

 

[Imperium]

The comedy thing seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of them. I am going to search for some more darker/thriller japanese stuff. There seems to be a lot of wiki's around. I might give My Boss My Hero a go though, that peaks my interest.

I have to say I kinda feel disappointed after doing more reading on kdramas. Their cinema is excellent but the serious/dark/gritty plots and stories that it does excellent in dont seem to have translated onto the small screen. Maybe there is no regular appetite for it on Korean tv but people are willing to go see it if its a film. I suppose its the opposite to here, we have cant seem to translate the good tv we have into good films most of the time.

 

[hunter71485]

anyway:

It's expected none of you mentioned the recent wedding... what, too mainstream for you?

I don't like using my TV to watch local TV stations. I only use my TV as my PC monitor.

 

[kuroihikari]

Kdramas are trolls, I tell you.

I've seen quite a few of them where they have a real fun, fast-paced atmosphere for like 14 episodes, and then end up in tragedy on the last one. It reflects the Korean penchant for tragedy that reflects on their real-life.

JDramas on the other hand, are the opposite. A common trope with most of them is this character that's so depressing that you want to die with him/her, except that he/she seems to be the only one who wants to soldier on.

---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:32 PM ----------

I don't like using my TV to watch local TV stations. I only use my TV as my PC monitor.

I don't watch local TV either. I didn't even know the wedding already happened. And I still don't get what's so special about it. They were like... 90s stars.

 

[hunter71485]

Well, it was "special" because prior to Carmina and Rustom's separation, Carmina and Zoren were cohabitating together. And got twins for their trouble. And Rustom was more likely to go for Zoren than take back Carmina.

 

[baboysai]

I have to say I kinda feel disappointed after doing more reading on kdramas. Their cinema is excellent but the serious/dark/gritty plots and stories that it does excellent in dont seem to have translated onto the small screen. Maybe there is no regular appetite for it on Korean tv but people are willing to go see it if its a film. I suppose its the opposite to here, we have cant seem to translate the good tv we have into good films most of the time.

I actually happen to think that Korean Movies are also better than Japanese, but like you said, the Movie quality is different from television.

But I think it HAS to be the case. Movies and TV should be different, so that they can coexist.

Kdramas are trolls, I tell you.

I've seen quite a few of them where they have a real fun, fast-paced atmosphere for like 14 episodes, and then end up in tragedy on the last one. It reflects the Korean penchant for tragedy that reflects on their real-life.

JDramas on the other hand, are the opposite. A common trope with most of them is this character that's so depressing that you want to die with him/her, except that he/she seems to be the only one who wants to soldier on.

yep, I think nobody knows "depressing character/situation" like Japanese do lol.

I don't watch local TV either. I didn't even know the wedding already happened. And I still don't get what's so special about it. They were like... 90s stars.

I also didn't know until I saw FB posts and I got curious, decided to actually sit down on the couch in the Living room (which, I never do- I've never "lived" in that space) and look for the ABS channel (I don't even know what channel it's on).

 

[mangadictus]

hey hey hey hey. Naruto is being 'interesting' again.

 

[hunter71485]

heh. Bleach brought back forgettable characters.

But what takes the cake is One Piece's development - insane mastery of one's DF ability can bypass Color of Arms haki.

 

[kuroihikari]

Man I've got a long way to catch up with OP. Dropped it during that stupid prison arc, but all the new things seem to make it interesting again.

 

[baboysai]

prison arc? That's like, before the... and the... WHAT? NO! THAT'S WHEN...

I dropped it at the giant babies/ fire-ice island arc... I think that's still the current arc right? but about 20 chapters behind maybe?

 

[Imperium]

Yep. I agree with hunt though, the latest chapter was particularly good.

 

[kuroihikari]

There's a giant babies arc? WTF.

 

[Imperium]

Yea, whitebeard (remember that guy?) has many children and he freezes them (dont want to spoil you). They are then unfrozen in this arc, so they are giant babies and they go on a rampage. It ends upto luffy and co to stop them. There is more to it of course etc

 

[hunter71485]

I applaud your attempts to engage his attention, Imp.

 

[Imperium]

Well I tried to do it without giving too much away and spoiling it for him.

 

[hunter71485]

lol. Anyway I just figured out Crysis and Crysis: Warhead have a lot more difficult to kill AI than it's sequel, Crysis 2, which I pretty much knifed anything not named Ceph Pinger, Ceph Heavy and Ceph Gunship with cloaked stealth kill.

 

[kuroihikari]

I applaud your attempts to engage his attention, Imp.

At least it now makes sense. In an Oda way. There was an Okama land after all. Now that's 200+ chapters IF I finish this job before Christmas.