A few weeks ago I commended to your attentions a selection of Japanese dramatic television programs. I know, in all likelihood, that nobody bothered to give them anything more than a moment's notice, if even that much. But that's okay. I remain unfazed, and in a triumph of enthusiasm over experience, present this second volume.
Even more than romance, comedy relies on the personal outlook and experiences of the audience to make its connections. We all expect more or less the same things from a romance, but humor knows few such commonalities. It has its conventions, but they can only go so far. To connect with an audience, you have to be funny in a particular way. In order to satisfy some, you have to neglect others.
Thus it is with that preamble, as a sort of warning, I now present the five best comedic Japanese television series you aren't watching. As always, your milage may vary.
The five shows are presented in no particular order, again without syllabi for the same reasons I outlined in Volume One. However, I can furnish a synopsis upon request, and am more than happy to answer any questions regarding the attainment or utilization of these works.
1. Odoru Daisousasen (Police investigation headquarters)
2. Great Teacher Onizuka
3. Dekichatta Kekkon (Shotgun Marriage)
4. Wedding Planner
5. Kisarazu Cats Eye
Honorable Mention:
101 kaime no puropozu (101st Proposal): This show requires a little more appreciation of Japanese character conventions. People unfamiliar with the show will find the main character pathetic (as intended) but may not find the humor.
Densha Otoko (Train Man): Not that I didn't find it funny, because I did, but the main character and the female lead are both a little too generic for me. It's like they took all the cliches and piled them into one show. Also, as with 101st proposal, the characters (especially the men) require some degree of acceptance of Japanese mores. Still, quite amusing.
Omiai Kekkon (Arranged Marriage): This show is very funny, but the unavailability of any copy even resembling adequate video quality with English subtitles relegates this series to the Honorable Mention category.
Gokusen: Because I already included one school show (Great Teacher Onizuka), I decided to skip this one. Personally, I think they are pretty much interchangeable, although I liked some of the film schticks and the soundtrack in Gokusen a lot.
Lunch no Joou (Lunch Queen): A little formulaic, this is one of those shows where everyone falls for the vulnerable yet fiercely independent female lead. However, the cast and the writing can usually keep you from noticing the cookie cutter outlines.
Sutaa no Koi (A Star's Love): Going from a little formuliac to out-right hackery, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and the rest of the San Marco Ham staff pull out such wonderful performances that you don't mind coming along.
Most of these shows can be downloaded for free, along with their subtitles, at D-Addicts, the rest from Japan-TV.
Showing posts with label JDrama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JDrama. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
The five best dramas you aren't watching, Vol 1: Romance
In my spare time, I help subtitle Japanese television shows into English with Japan-TV. Now, I don't actually speak Japanese (although I seem to be learning some through osmosis). What I do is take the rough translations and transform it into something resembling the King's English. It can be a difficult job at times. Much depends on the quality of the translator's work, but even with an excellent translation, the editor (me) still has a hard road ahead.
Always there is the balance between strict accuracy and elegance. If the subtitles are flat and unimpressive, that will weigh against the show, no matter how compelling the acting or setting. But at the same time, the desire to draft dialogue has to adhere to the responsibility to convey the original work as accurately as possible. Anything else would be disrespectful. it is a constant challenge, but an engaging one.
Like American television, most of these shows are mediocre at best. They adhere to their own conventions with all the slavish devotions to cliche and cheap laughs of a Friends or otherwise intellectually and artistically bankrupt sit-com. But, as also with American television, there are the gems too. The following are a list of five shows I heartily recommend to anyone.
Even if you aren't a fan of Japanese media, or if you aren't yet familiar with any of it (although an increasing number of people are becoming familiar at least with anime, in some cases even if they don't know it), these shows stand on their own merit. As is their custom, each of these shows comprise 10-12 one hour episodes, so the entire show can be seen with a relatively slight investment.
I have listed them in no particular order, and I have posted a link to where they can be found. I have not included a synopsis, partialy because I didn't like how any of the ones I drafted turned out (it's early here and I'm tired) and partialy because I'm lazy. I'll be happy to answer any questions about them though, including how to get them and how to play them. If anyone asks for a specific synopsis then at some point I'll try and write one up. You can find some descriptions at Japan-TV or Jdorama, but they are often very poorly written, especially the ones at Jdorama.
1. Slow Dance Download it at D-Addicts.
2. Long Vacation Download it at Japan-TV.
3. Beautiful Life Download it at Japan-TV.
4. Tokyo Love Story Download it at D-Addicts.
5. Meguri Ai Download it at D-Addicts.
Honorable Mention:
Kimi Wa Petto I contemplated including this with the top five, but it isn't really a romance per se, more a character study of people with emotional walls of varying difficulty. The premise is a little absurd, but it serves to allow for development that would otherwise be impossible. A good, strong show.
Orange Days I didn't like it quite as much as it seems others did. It was alright, but a little formulaic for me. In my opinion, the cast's popularity accounted for more of the show's success than its actual merits.
Moto Kare It has a good cast and a good premise, but it devolved quickly into one big cliche after another. The character of Makoto, and her portrayal by Hirosue Ryoko (Ryoko Hirosue) were the highpoints of the program. Worth a watch, but it starts slow and ends flat, with only a good middle to sustain it.
Anego Not so much a romance as a search for romance show, the main character was engaging, but there just wasn't enough going on to merit a true endorsement, and one of the sideplots was kinda dumb and took a long time to resolve.
Always there is the balance between strict accuracy and elegance. If the subtitles are flat and unimpressive, that will weigh against the show, no matter how compelling the acting or setting. But at the same time, the desire to draft dialogue has to adhere to the responsibility to convey the original work as accurately as possible. Anything else would be disrespectful. it is a constant challenge, but an engaging one.
Like American television, most of these shows are mediocre at best. They adhere to their own conventions with all the slavish devotions to cliche and cheap laughs of a Friends or otherwise intellectually and artistically bankrupt sit-com. But, as also with American television, there are the gems too. The following are a list of five shows I heartily recommend to anyone.
Even if you aren't a fan of Japanese media, or if you aren't yet familiar with any of it (although an increasing number of people are becoming familiar at least with anime, in some cases even if they don't know it), these shows stand on their own merit. As is their custom, each of these shows comprise 10-12 one hour episodes, so the entire show can be seen with a relatively slight investment.
I have listed them in no particular order, and I have posted a link to where they can be found. I have not included a synopsis, partialy because I didn't like how any of the ones I drafted turned out (it's early here and I'm tired) and partialy because I'm lazy. I'll be happy to answer any questions about them though, including how to get them and how to play them. If anyone asks for a specific synopsis then at some point I'll try and write one up. You can find some descriptions at Japan-TV or Jdorama, but they are often very poorly written, especially the ones at Jdorama.
1. Slow Dance Download it at D-Addicts.
2. Long Vacation Download it at Japan-TV.
3. Beautiful Life Download it at Japan-TV.
4. Tokyo Love Story Download it at D-Addicts.
5. Meguri Ai Download it at D-Addicts.
Honorable Mention:
Kimi Wa Petto I contemplated including this with the top five, but it isn't really a romance per se, more a character study of people with emotional walls of varying difficulty. The premise is a little absurd, but it serves to allow for development that would otherwise be impossible. A good, strong show.
Orange Days I didn't like it quite as much as it seems others did. It was alright, but a little formulaic for me. In my opinion, the cast's popularity accounted for more of the show's success than its actual merits.
Moto Kare It has a good cast and a good premise, but it devolved quickly into one big cliche after another. The character of Makoto, and her portrayal by Hirosue Ryoko (Ryoko Hirosue) were the highpoints of the program. Worth a watch, but it starts slow and ends flat, with only a good middle to sustain it.
Anego Not so much a romance as a search for romance show, the main character was engaging, but there just wasn't enough going on to merit a true endorsement, and one of the sideplots was kinda dumb and took a long time to resolve.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Pro Forma
Japanese dramas, like all formuliac television, relies on certain time honored precepts. Although when first encountered they appear somewhat unusual, eventually you become accustomed to them to the point where you expect them in domestic shows. Anyway, a short list is included below:
1. No Japanese woman is capable of running more than 100 feet in any direction before falling down. Why this is I'm not really sure. Of course, in many of these shows the female leads have fatal but visually undetectable diseases.
2. If you're a highschool student then either
A - Your parents live overseas
B - Your parents are dead
C - One of your parents died. The other has remarried and you now have a devistatingly attractive stepsibbling.
3. The female lead must be slapped at least once, and possibly many more times. It seems to still be en vogue to resort to a little light abuse in order to keep your woman in line. It really is somewhat curious how common slapping is in dramas. Watch for it, you'll see it every time.
4. Despite the fact that Japan is an exceedingly homogenious society based, in large part, on communal precepts, the surest way to achieve ultimate success is to buck the system. Yeah, things will be rough at first, but then you'll find the one teacher/boss/client/boyfried/girlfriend who understands you and then it's just a few short episodes to becoming Prime Minister.
5. Ryoko Hirosue is gorgeous, especially with red hair*.
*= Of course, it's almost a given that Asian women with red hair are going to be irressitable.
1. No Japanese woman is capable of running more than 100 feet in any direction before falling down. Why this is I'm not really sure. Of course, in many of these shows the female leads have fatal but visually undetectable diseases.
2. If you're a highschool student then either
A - Your parents live overseas
B - Your parents are dead
C - One of your parents died. The other has remarried and you now have a devistatingly attractive stepsibbling.
3. The female lead must be slapped at least once, and possibly many more times. It seems to still be en vogue to resort to a little light abuse in order to keep your woman in line. It really is somewhat curious how common slapping is in dramas. Watch for it, you'll see it every time.
4. Despite the fact that Japan is an exceedingly homogenious society based, in large part, on communal precepts, the surest way to achieve ultimate success is to buck the system. Yeah, things will be rough at first, but then you'll find the one teacher/boss/client/boyfried/girlfriend who understands you and then it's just a few short episodes to becoming Prime Minister.
5. Ryoko Hirosue is gorgeous, especially with red hair*.
*= Of course, it's almost a given that Asian women with red hair are going to be irressitable.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Eat your heart out, Alan Smithee
For my part with Japan-TV I've managed to work on the following titles:
Japanese: Beautiful Life; Great Teacher Onizuka; Yanpapa; Koukou Kyoushi; Kimi wa Petto; Gokusen (done with SARS fansubs); Stand Up
Chinese: Monkey King; A Step into the Past; Take My Word for It
Of those, I can recommend BL, GTO, KwP, Gokusen, and Stand Up. They're all available for free download here, so check them out. If you find an error on something I've edited, let me know. Chances are I already know about it, but getting razzed for them is excellent motivation to avoid such mistakes in the future.
Japanese: Beautiful Life; Great Teacher Onizuka; Yanpapa; Koukou Kyoushi; Kimi wa Petto; Gokusen (done with SARS fansubs); Stand Up
Chinese: Monkey King; A Step into the Past; Take My Word for It
Of those, I can recommend BL, GTO, KwP, Gokusen, and Stand Up. They're all available for free download here, so check them out. If you find an error on something I've edited, let me know. Chances are I already know about it, but getting razzed for them is excellent motivation to avoid such mistakes in the future.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Struggling against SARS
We at Japan-TV had started subbing a show called Orange Days a few months ago. But then, as is somewhat common among volunteer organizations, personality disputes erupted into open warfare, and some members quit. They later teamed up with another small fansubbing organization and formed SARS. Most of the OD crew departed for SARS, leaving us with the equally difficult choices of essentially starting over or dropping the show entirely. We ultimately decided to persevere.
As you might expect, the program has become something of a bone of contention. We feel entitled to it because we were the ones who started it in the first place, while they feel justified in continuing because they were (in large part) the original subbing team assigned to it. Releases for Orange Days have taken on the characteristics of relay races, as both groups shepard the series through the subbing steps as fast as possible, motivated primarily by vanity and hurt feelings.
Personally, though I found some of the actions SARS members took when leaving Japan-TV, trivialities for the most part, but calculated to leave behind injured sentiments, distasteful, I have no particular hatred for them as a whole. This lack of vehemence has actually gotten me into a little bit of trouble with the rest of Japan-TV, some of whom feel genuinely hurt, and others simply revelling in the warm glow of antagonism. Still I remain committed to ambivelence, not only because I see little to gain from this petty war, but also because I happen to have been on passibly good terms with some of the SARS people otherwise uninvolved in the fighting.
As a loyal member of Japan-TV, I intend to do my best to see we beat SARS to the Orange Days finish line, and that we do so with a superior product too. Still, I wish them all the best they can get without taking any from us, and as they are the ones doing Gokusen, I'm sure they'll do alright.
As you might expect, the program has become something of a bone of contention. We feel entitled to it because we were the ones who started it in the first place, while they feel justified in continuing because they were (in large part) the original subbing team assigned to it. Releases for Orange Days have taken on the characteristics of relay races, as both groups shepard the series through the subbing steps as fast as possible, motivated primarily by vanity and hurt feelings.
Personally, though I found some of the actions SARS members took when leaving Japan-TV, trivialities for the most part, but calculated to leave behind injured sentiments, distasteful, I have no particular hatred for them as a whole. This lack of vehemence has actually gotten me into a little bit of trouble with the rest of Japan-TV, some of whom feel genuinely hurt, and others simply revelling in the warm glow of antagonism. Still I remain committed to ambivelence, not only because I see little to gain from this petty war, but also because I happen to have been on passibly good terms with some of the SARS people otherwise uninvolved in the fighting.
As a loyal member of Japan-TV, I intend to do my best to see we beat SARS to the Orange Days finish line, and that we do so with a superior product too. Still, I wish them all the best they can get without taking any from us, and as they are the ones doing Gokusen, I'm sure they'll do alright.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Moving on up
Well, I have fortunately escaped the clutches of the Monkey King. He is a crafty foe though, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have to edit another MK episode. God I hope not. At any rate, my current assignment is somewhat more enjoyable, as I am now working on a Japanese show called Gokusen.
Gokusen is about a school teacher who comes from a Yakuza family. She uses the lessons from her underworld upbringing to scare her trouble students into behaving. On some level it's pretty cheesy, just the standard "teacher overcomes obsticales, obtains trust of emotionally scarred and difficult students," but it offers enough comedic value to make it memorable. The show is often compared to an earlier program, Great Teacher Onizuka, which featured an ex-motorcycle gangster who gets a job at a local high school and uses unconventional methods to solve problems. Admittedly Gokusen is similar, but in my opinion it's superior to GTO.
Gokusen's musical score is an unqualified triumph, and the lighthearted tunes (J-pop free!) frame scenes perfectly. Her struggle to keep her mob connections secret, and the ensuing complications that arise, particularly in her romantic pursuit of a police detective, are another element that pushes it past GTO. For experienced Dorama viewers, Gokusen is a satisfying diversion. If nothing really new, it is at least all the old things that got you into it in the first place. For those new to Japanese dramas, Gokusen is an accessable beginning. It's comedy relies on the bumblings of misfit students, mistaken identities, and a troubled romance. It is available for download on animesuki, or you can wait for Japan-TV to release its version. Either way, I recommend the show.
Gokusen is about a school teacher who comes from a Yakuza family. She uses the lessons from her underworld upbringing to scare her trouble students into behaving. On some level it's pretty cheesy, just the standard "teacher overcomes obsticales, obtains trust of emotionally scarred and difficult students," but it offers enough comedic value to make it memorable. The show is often compared to an earlier program, Great Teacher Onizuka, which featured an ex-motorcycle gangster who gets a job at a local high school and uses unconventional methods to solve problems. Admittedly Gokusen is similar, but in my opinion it's superior to GTO.
Gokusen's musical score is an unqualified triumph, and the lighthearted tunes (J-pop free!) frame scenes perfectly. Her struggle to keep her mob connections secret, and the ensuing complications that arise, particularly in her romantic pursuit of a police detective, are another element that pushes it past GTO. For experienced Dorama viewers, Gokusen is a satisfying diversion. If nothing really new, it is at least all the old things that got you into it in the first place. For those new to Japanese dramas, Gokusen is an accessable beginning. It's comedy relies on the bumblings of misfit students, mistaken identities, and a troubled romance. It is available for download on animesuki, or you can wait for Japan-TV to release its version. Either way, I recommend the show.
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Gibberish
Recently I purchased the DVD set of a Japanese drama show on ebay. I knew the DVDs would come without English subtitles, but I bought them anyway. First of all, I figure that we (Japan-TV) might get around to subtitling it, if I can convince a team to take it on. But more than that, I had previously seen the first few episodes with English subs, and the rest of the series was never similarly released. I really wanted to know how the thing ended, so I bought the DVDs.
I knew going into it that I wouldn't be able to understand the dialoge, but I assumed that, armed with a basic understanding of the plot, I'd be able to gleam enough from tone, facial expressions, and body language to follow around. I haven't finished the show yet, but things have been working out well enough, considering the circumstances. There have been a few developments that I haven't been 100% clear on, but all-in-all I feel pretty good about the experience. I even discovered that I understood more Japanese than I thought I did.
Many people would find watching a show in a language they didn't understand a frustrating experience, but I'm pretty used to it. When I was younger I used to watch Chinese shows with relatives, and they didn't have English subtitles and I don't understand Mandarin or Cantonese. I actually had a pretty good time. You can gleam a lot, even without understanding the words, and with some imagination you can even work out some kind of plot.
Anyway, if anyone gets a chance to check out Tokyo Love Story, preferably in a language they can understand, I recommend it.
I knew going into it that I wouldn't be able to understand the dialoge, but I assumed that, armed with a basic understanding of the plot, I'd be able to gleam enough from tone, facial expressions, and body language to follow around. I haven't finished the show yet, but things have been working out well enough, considering the circumstances. There have been a few developments that I haven't been 100% clear on, but all-in-all I feel pretty good about the experience. I even discovered that I understood more Japanese than I thought I did.
Many people would find watching a show in a language they didn't understand a frustrating experience, but I'm pretty used to it. When I was younger I used to watch Chinese shows with relatives, and they didn't have English subtitles and I don't understand Mandarin or Cantonese. I actually had a pretty good time. You can gleam a lot, even without understanding the words, and with some imagination you can even work out some kind of plot.
Anyway, if anyone gets a chance to check out Tokyo Love Story, preferably in a language they can understand, I recommend it.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Revenge of the Monkey King
Damnit! I've just recieved episode twenty to edit. I hate this stupid show so much.
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Suffering under the rule of the Monkey King
I'm an editor with Japan-TV. It's my job to write the text that actually appears as subtitles in an episode. I get a script from a translator, who drafts a rough and often literal version of the original speech into English. Then I take that, rewrite and polish it up, and it goes either to be timed or, if it has already been timed, to be encoded for release. At least, insofar as I understand the process. Japan-TV, as the name suggests, primarily concentrates on Japanese dramas, but we also do Korean and Chinese shows as well.
For whatever reason, it seems to be the case that Chinese translations are the worst. A script from a Chinese show usually requires at least half-again as much time to edit into understandable English as a Japanese program. Now, this could simply illustrative of a particular translator's skill, but since this seems to span more than one translator, I have my doubts. I suppose our entire Chinese translation staff could suck, but I really don't think so. At any rate, the additional difficulty is one reason why I don't like doing Chinese series, but it isn't the only reason.
I've only worked on two Chinese shows, A Step into the Past and Monkey King. I've only done one episode of Step, but I've done three for Monkey King. Both shows seemed extraordinarily stupid, and as I busily turn Engrish into English, I can't help but wonder how dumb someone has to be to actually watch then. Someone must, because people download them, but I can't for my life understand why. I once tried to watch an episode of Monkey King, because I like to see episodes I edit. Partially it's to look for errors and what not, but there's a certain element of satisfaction in it. After all, if I didn't feel that the work was, in some sense, a worthy achievement, then I wouldn't do it. In any case, I made it barely ten minutes in before I closed the stupid player. Three sittings later I finally finished the episode, and I haven't bothered with another one since.
If none of this made any sense to you, visit Japan-TV and download it for yourself. You can find the link listed on this page. Beware the Monkey King.
For whatever reason, it seems to be the case that Chinese translations are the worst. A script from a Chinese show usually requires at least half-again as much time to edit into understandable English as a Japanese program. Now, this could simply illustrative of a particular translator's skill, but since this seems to span more than one translator, I have my doubts. I suppose our entire Chinese translation staff could suck, but I really don't think so. At any rate, the additional difficulty is one reason why I don't like doing Chinese series, but it isn't the only reason.
I've only worked on two Chinese shows, A Step into the Past and Monkey King. I've only done one episode of Step, but I've done three for Monkey King. Both shows seemed extraordinarily stupid, and as I busily turn Engrish into English, I can't help but wonder how dumb someone has to be to actually watch then. Someone must, because people download them, but I can't for my life understand why. I once tried to watch an episode of Monkey King, because I like to see episodes I edit. Partially it's to look for errors and what not, but there's a certain element of satisfaction in it. After all, if I didn't feel that the work was, in some sense, a worthy achievement, then I wouldn't do it. In any case, I made it barely ten minutes in before I closed the stupid player. Three sittings later I finally finished the episode, and I haven't bothered with another one since.
If none of this made any sense to you, visit Japan-TV and download it for yourself. You can find the link listed on this page. Beware the Monkey King.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Dorama Personae
I'm a member of Japan-TV, a fansubbing group dedicated to subtitling Asian dramas. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of fansubbing, it's basically taking tv shows (or movies) from other countries and adding English subtitles. The work itself is time consuming and somewhat difficult, but it is an entertaining hobby.
Anyone who has not seen a Japanese drama, or dorama, is really missing out. Doramas are structured very different from American television. Series are drafted and produced to run only a single season, typically with twelve forty-five minute episodes. The shows typically center around a primary plot and a number of associated secondary plots. Fans of anime will recognize this format, but it does represent something of an oddity to people new to the genre. Second seasons are very rare, and indeed, many shows end in such a way as to make continuation difficult. The death of one, several, or all of the main characters is not unusual. Remakes are far more common than continuations, but even then the remake often diverges from the original story, sometimes in quite dramatic fashion.
One of the most interesting aspects of foreign television is the opportunity for cultural observation. Television, it must be remembered, is a highly sophisticated communications medium. Fiction represents a culture, not necessarily how it is, but how it would have itself seen. Of course, it is always dangerous to read too much into any form of entertainment, nevertheless, the fiction a culture produces is a commentary on that society.
The term "dramas" actually covers works of all genres. Below are a few suggested titles for new viewers.
Comedy
Gokusen: The granddaugher of a yakuza (Japanese mafia) boss becomes a highschool teacher and is assigned to teach the troubled class.
Wedding Planner: A groom left at the alter is promoted to head a wedding planner agency. His staff hates him, his colleagues mock him, and his life is going nowhere fast.
Romance
Refrain: Shuji and Eri were a couple in college, but they had a huge fight and broke up. Eri went to New York to study dance, but she is injured in a car accident and forced to give up her dreams of performing. The two reunite a few years later in Tokyo, but each is involved with someone else.
Beautiful Life: Kyoko is a handicapped librarian confined to a wheelchair by an illness that is fatal in thirteen of forty-three cases. Shuji is an up and coming hair stylist who initially exploits Kyoko's disability by using her in a photospread, but later comes to admire her perseverance.
You can find out more about doramas at:
JDorama
D-Addicts
Japan-TV
Also, you can visit us on mIRC at #Japan-TV @ Aniverse. Doramas are widely available by bittorrent and off of mIRC fservs. For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'll be hosting the Dorama fan panel at the Fanime convention on Friday, May 28th, at 1:00 p.m.
Anyone who has not seen a Japanese drama, or dorama, is really missing out. Doramas are structured very different from American television. Series are drafted and produced to run only a single season, typically with twelve forty-five minute episodes. The shows typically center around a primary plot and a number of associated secondary plots. Fans of anime will recognize this format, but it does represent something of an oddity to people new to the genre. Second seasons are very rare, and indeed, many shows end in such a way as to make continuation difficult. The death of one, several, or all of the main characters is not unusual. Remakes are far more common than continuations, but even then the remake often diverges from the original story, sometimes in quite dramatic fashion.
One of the most interesting aspects of foreign television is the opportunity for cultural observation. Television, it must be remembered, is a highly sophisticated communications medium. Fiction represents a culture, not necessarily how it is, but how it would have itself seen. Of course, it is always dangerous to read too much into any form of entertainment, nevertheless, the fiction a culture produces is a commentary on that society.
The term "dramas" actually covers works of all genres. Below are a few suggested titles for new viewers.
Comedy
Gokusen: The granddaugher of a yakuza (Japanese mafia) boss becomes a highschool teacher and is assigned to teach the troubled class.
Wedding Planner: A groom left at the alter is promoted to head a wedding planner agency. His staff hates him, his colleagues mock him, and his life is going nowhere fast.
Romance
Refrain: Shuji and Eri were a couple in college, but they had a huge fight and broke up. Eri went to New York to study dance, but she is injured in a car accident and forced to give up her dreams of performing. The two reunite a few years later in Tokyo, but each is involved with someone else.
Beautiful Life: Kyoko is a handicapped librarian confined to a wheelchair by an illness that is fatal in thirteen of forty-three cases. Shuji is an up and coming hair stylist who initially exploits Kyoko's disability by using her in a photospread, but later comes to admire her perseverance.
You can find out more about doramas at:
JDorama
D-Addicts
Japan-TV
Also, you can visit us on mIRC at #Japan-TV @ Aniverse. Doramas are widely available by bittorrent and off of mIRC fservs. For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'll be hosting the Dorama fan panel at the Fanime convention on Friday, May 28th, at 1:00 p.m.