Every now and then, it happens that people start a conversation about the most recent American TV series and I have to admit that I haven’t even heard about it, let alone watched it. To deal with the confused look that then appears on their face, I explain that I mostly watch Japanese drama.

After this their face tends to brighten up as they start talking enthousiastically about anime, so I need to go about explaining that I’m talking about real serieses, with real actors. Once I’ve done that, the frown appears again and they ask me why I don’t simply watch American TV like everyone else.

For all the people who don’t understand, here is a little guide to know about & get started with JDrama.

Drama FAQ

1. What is JDrama?

JDrama is short for Japanese television drama and is the Japanese equivalent of a television series. This does mean a real TV series, with not necessarily any relation to manga or anime.

2. What is the difference with western TV?

Japanese drama is similar to western TV, with a few exceptions. The biggest one would be that dramas are much shorter than most western serieses. Japanese ones count about 9 to 12 episodes (Korean and Chinese dramas can be slightly longer). Often, JDramas also have interesting storylines which are different from what you would find in the west.

3. How do you watch it if it’s not on TV here?

There are many places online where you can either stream or download drama, for example D-Addicts (torrents) and chautanh.info (direct download). Dramas are mostly available in DVD quality, but the more recent ones can be downloaded in HD quality as well.

4. How can you understand what is being said?

That’s where the magic of fansubbing kicks in. For many dramas, bilingual fans will create subtitles so that everyone can enjoy them, even if their own Japanese is not good enough to understand what is going on otherwise. A few examples of fansubbing groups are SARS and TimeLesSub. A full overview of fansubbing groups can be found here.

5. Is there any relation with anime/manga?

Most of the time, dramas have nothing to do with anime/manga. However, sometimes the storyline is based on a manga. A few famous jdramas that are inspired by manga are Hana Yori Dango, GTO, Hana Kimi, Gokusen, Ace wo Nerae! and Kurosagi.

6. Are drama fansubs legal?

This is what Wikipedia says regarding fansubbing of JDrama:

“…However, since fansubbing is not limited to anime, the legal status of other fansubs, such as Tokusatsu or other live action Japanese series, is far less clear. It could be reasoned that since these shows will never be licensed outside of Japan, due to their nature, that these series are ethically fine to fansub.”

More information can be found at Wikipedia and the DramaWiki.

Examples of JDrama

Here are some descriptions of a few dramas. I kept it really short, just to give people new to dramas a quick idea. If anything catches your attention, a more complete description can be found on other websites such as DramaWiki.

1 Litre of Tears (１リットルの涙) [drama]

Based on a true story, this drama depicts the life of 15-year-old Ikeuchi Aya. Aya suffers from an incurable disease where the cerebellum of the brain gradually deteriorates to the point where the victim cannot walk, speak, write, or eat. 1 Litre of Tears aims to deliver her simple but strong message: “Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing.”

My Boss, My Hero (マイ★ボス マイ★ヒーロー) [comedy]

Sakaki Makio is the son of a maffia boss who controls the entire Kanto area. Being the heir, the future of the organization has been promised to Makio, but there’s one problem – he’s too stupid! So Makio gets sent to high school to get his diploma, and he has to adjust to his new life as a high school student.

Nobuta wo Produce (野ブタ。をプロデュース) [school drama]

Kiritani Shuuji is the most popular guy in his school, but deep down he is quiet and doesn’t open up to others. When Kotani Nobuko, a shy girl with gloomy looks transfers to Shuuji’s school, it doesn’t take long for her to be bullied.  Shuuji decides to team up with an eccentric classmate called Akira to “produce” Nobuko into the most popular girl in their school.

Orthros no Inu (オルトロスの犬) [mystery]

Ryuuzaki Shinji possesses the power to heal people by the touch of his hand, but he is in fact a dark introvert who does not reveal his true self to others. Aoi Ryosuke is able to kill a person just by touching him, but he is as kind and pure as an angel. When the two of them meet, a fatal battle begins…

Taiyou no Uta (タイヨウのうた) [romance, music]

Kaoru Amane is a street musician suffering from an incurable disease because of which she can’t be exposed to the sun. Fujishiro Kouji, a guy working at a nearby seaside inn, meets Kaoru and by seeing her making positive efforts to become a singer, he regains his long-forgotten passion for music.

Zettai Kareshi (絶対彼氏。) [romance]

Izawa Riko is a temp worker in search of a boyfriend, and she ends up in possession of a “robot” known as Night Tenjo, who is programmed to be the perfect boyfriend. However, this creates a love triangle with a distinguished young man at her company who has feelings for her.