New Winter 2007 Doramas

It's January and finally all new dramas (dorama in nipponese) on Japanese tele have appeared. It's a pretty rich season, in my opinion. Three of my favourite TV actresses are competing with one another in 3 dramas - Nakama Yukie (仲間由紀恵) in Erai Tokoro ni Totsuidde Shimatta!(エライところにと嫁いっでしまった！- ABC/TV Asahi), Shinohara Ryoko(篠原涼子) in Haken no Hinkaku(ハケンの品格 - NTV) and Yonekura Ryoko (米倉涼子) in Matsumoto Seicho's Warui Yatsura(松本清長のわるいやつら - ABC/TV Asahi) . There is the much talked about drama starring Kimura Takuya (of SMAP) but I don't really like him so no interest in watching that show at the moment (I'll stick to someone who can act, like Nijishima Hidetoshi, though he's been doing more cinematic works than TV). I am just too busy watching 3 shows without subtitles (because I can't wait for someone to translate them...) and I need to pay full attention to the show or I don't even get 1/4 of what it's about (especially with something like Warui Yatsura...the other two are comedies and I am quite used to the formula of Japanese comedies). Of course, sequel is also something they seem to make a lot lately on Japanese TV; there are Hana Yori Dango 2 and the Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi 3 (I think it's 3 but not sure; there've been some specials made in the past two years and they don't do S1E1 thing for this show so I get confused by the end..). They are fun to watch but again, already way too occupied. But there's still Xenos, adapted from comics (they are lacking creativity as well in Japan, just like everywhere else...) and produced by TV Tokyo for its Friday midnight slot. This slot (only half an hour) has been kind of criticised since it is able to put on more racy scenes (and coarse language? I don't think this really matters in Japan since swear words exist only if it's pronounced in the matter you want). But it's a slot for comics adaptation and the shows are fun to watch (sometimes really silly...like 2nd House, I liked the first one, Jyouou, but that's because Kaneko Noboru from Gaoranger was in it).

I suppose I have been watching ONLY Japanese dramas since I got back to Taiwan. I still don't really get into drama series in the States. Sitcoms don't get imported and I watched them when Will and Grace was still on air...). Other Asian dramas are a horror to watch (needless to say to appreciate). I seriously do not understand how Korean dramas get so popular (or Taiwanese dramas for that matter...they are almost the worst, with Singaporean dramas lagging behind). Why? The acting is horrible, the decor is horrible and the script is horrible (OK, the script is alright for Korean ones). Sets of certain Taiwanese dramas look like they never left the 90's. Although certain actors are OK, there's something unnatural about Taiwanese actors' interpretation skills which make the shows unbearable to watch. I know popular pop idols star in dramas all over the place but at least pop idols in other countries look like they are acting; those pop sensations in Taiwan look like they have speech difficulty. At least, that's how I feel.