| an_apple | 2007-11-30 08:21 |
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Why the Japanese Wave Just Keeps on Coming Armadas of middle-aged Japanese women no longer chase Bae Yong-joon,the biggest star the Korean wave of the early millennium produced;instead, more and more Korean fans are now dying for a glimpse of theirfavorite Japanese stars. In Korea, some ofthe so-called J-drama maniacs watch Japanese soaps all night long, andthe growing popularity of Japanese novels here already outstrips anyenthusiasm for Korean writing. Obviously pleased with the reversal of fortunes, a Japanese moviemagazine hailed the Japanese boom in Korea, saying, “While the Koreanwave is on the wane, the Japanese wave is waxing.” Many critics agreethat while Korean Wave is receding, Japanese culture has been slowlyassimilated into the mainstream of Korean culture and has firmly takenroot there. So what are the strengths differentiating the JapaneseWave? The Chosun Ilbo asked experts for their views.  Blockbusters based on Japanese comics and novels. From above, “200 Pound Beauty.” “Battle Of Wits” and “Fly, Daddy, Fly.” ◆ Stars Korea only opened its door to Japanese movies and drama on Jan.2004, and ever since, the number of Japanese films shown in Korea hasbeen on a steady increase. This year there were a total of 81 so far,compared with 29 in 2004, 34 in 2005, and 51 in 2006. Big name Japanesestars such as Takuya Kimura, Jo Odagiri, the star of the popular J-film“Mezon Do Himiko”, and Satoshi Tsumabuki from “Josee, The Tiger and theFish” have all visited Korea to promote their new films. “It used to berare for Japanese stars to visit Korea, but now they see Korea as alucrative market,” said an insider with a company that distributesJapanese films here. Sustainability is one thing that sets the Japanese Wave apart fromthe Korean Wave, which effectively lasted only for two years from 2004to 2006. And while the Korean Wave managed to produce only a handful ofbig stars — headed by Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo — Japancontinuously delivers fresh stars to be adored. Starting with TakuyaKimura, whose popularity just keeps growing, actors like Jo Odagiri,Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Satoshi Tsumabuki all succeeded in capturing thehearts of Korean fans. Female stars are no exception with actresseslike Juri Ueno, Erika Sawajiri, Yuu Aoi and Aoi Miyazaki garnering morepopularity in Korea as the year goes by. And while Korean actors appearin only one to two movies a year, Japanese actors frequently shootseveral. ◆ Creative content Among the domestic films released this year, blockbusters like “200Pounds Beauty,” “Highway Star”, “Black House”, “Kidnapping Granny K”and “Lovers Behind” were all based on Japanese sources. Last year andthis year, as many as 21 films were produced in Korea using Japanesesource material, a significant rise compared to just five from 2001 to2005. In other words, Korea depends on Japan for its creative juice. The biggest strength of the Japanese Wave, then, is creativity. InJapan, popular comics or novels are often made into dramas and movies,creating a kind of a synergy effect. In Korea, hit dramas like “WinterSonata” and “Daejanggeum” rarely venture into other media. Japan alsoboasts a rich variety of material for its dramas and movies.Stereotypical Cinderella stories dominate Korean dramas but are almostnon-existent in Japan. Instead, bizarre yet brilliantly creativestories of ordinary individuals entertain Japanese viewers. “Japanese dramas and movies don’t just appeal to the sentimental,”says Yun Ji-won of the LG Electronics’ Life Soft Research Institute.“People don’t get easily bored with Japanese dramas because theyportray the life story of an individual in a serio-comical mannerunlike Korean dramas that are more or less the same as each other.” Written by Chosun Ilbo - Seoul,South Korea Sawajiri Erika China: http://sawajiri-erika.cn/2007/11/why-the-japanese-wave-just-continues-on-coming.html |
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