Why most of JP dramas and films feels they were filmed years ago

I have a question that has been bothering me for a while. Japan, a country known for its mastery of cameras, technology, and advanced equipment, still produces dramas that feel outdated.

I’m not talking about the script or the overall tone—rather, it's the camera work, editing, visuals, and overall production quality that make even newly released dramas feel like they were shot a decade ago.

For instance, a drama filmed and released in 2021 often looks as if it was made in 2010. I recently compared a 2005 series with one from 2021, and surprisingly, both felt like they belonged to the past. Despite Japan’s advancements in technology, their television productions still give off an '80s or '90s vibe, even in modern times.

I understand that the Japanese entertainment industry prioritizes anime, and most investments go into studios like Ghibli. But given their cutting-edge technology, it’s surprising that their dramas haven’t visually evolved at the same pace.

In contrast, South Korean dramas show a drastic improvement over the years. If you compare a K-drama from a decade ago to one produced today, the difference in production quality is like night and day—colors, visuals, camera work, and overall image quality have all improved significantly. However, this kind of evolution isn’t as apparent in Japanese dramas.

Does anyone else feel the same way? Can someone explain why this happens?

 Nauriya:

I am not talking about stories are old but the production, and technical part looks like from 80s

Sorry for asking, but have you seen any Jdrama from the 80's? LoL

In general, quality depends on what your brain tells you....unless you have seen many, it's a bit unfair to judge the production just from several Japanese dramas in my opinion...

I'm not saying you will find a Jdrama that look exactly like what you defined as "quality" in Kdrama, but Japanese do have their own style....if you watch many I believe you could see it...

The only problem is that, when a person is already get used to certain style of image presentation especially like in Kdramas (and maybe China and Taiwan)...there's a possibility that the brain will unconciously start to think anything that's not similar as inferior....I don't have scientific facts to back my statement though...haha

For technical aspects such as camera work, post production, etc ...I'm not qualified to talk about those...but as far as the final product goes I think Japanese is doing better (if not amazing) as compared to 10 years ago...let alone 40 years...but of course not to be compared to Kdramas because Japanese don't even seem to go into "that kind" of art direction except for some newer actors selection that might be more Korean-conforming-looked...

Feel the same.

I totally get what you mean. Compare any of the newer dramas made by TBS (Fermats Cuisine, Trillion Game, Riding a Unicorn, etc) to Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu Shohikigen!? or Shanai Marriage Honey and the difference is obvious. Those two look like they were filmed with modern cameras but at TBS I swear they are still using the same cameras they used to film Hana Yori Dango from 2005.

I prefer the older actresses, there have such charms. 

Young actors and actresses look too much like idols than actors 

 kretuzerwilhelmxiii:

because most of the time they literally are idols and singers recruited into acting 

Yes, that seems to be the case.. They can't act properly until they gain enough experience and by that time they are in their mid 30s.. 

Do you mean how they're shot to look more realistic? Korean dramas look unrealistic, whereas Korean films look more realistic. Same goes for makeup and hair - Japanese actors are good-looking, but aren't so done up. It's similar to how British shows are shot to look realistic than American ones, because there's more of a taste and tradition of social realism cinema and television (many of the famous British movies are "social realism", about realistic life). It seems like it's similar in Japan - there are more Japanese dramas about non-famous people, lower class people and a diverse range of human experiences. It's a stylistic choice of realism, in terms of cameras, lighting, clothing, hair and makeup. It feels more like you're in the room with them. If you mean something else like the cuts, then idk.