Great answers and questions!! To add to the one about watching too many shows at the same time, I honestly don't…
I agree. I'm actually of the opinion that if you fastforward or skip entire scenes, or are simultaneously playing video games or surfing the web or whatever the entire time, sorry but you are NOT ACTUALLY WATCHING THAT DRAMA-- you're just watching scenes from it. If a show is so dull or irritating that you find yourself compelled to skip that much content, just drop it.
I really don't understand the reluctance to drop shows, tbh. A lot of them (esp. K-dramas in my experience, which imo are generally longer episode-wise than they need to be anyway) are just not worth the time invested if you're not really into it. Life's too short and if you're gonna spend it watching TV shows at least watch stuff you sincerely enjoy.
I liked the answer about how J-dramas may seem like they're more "cheaply" made. As the opposite side of that coin, whenever I watch a K-drama part of me is rolling her eyes about how no matter how "poor" a character is they generally live in a pretty nice apartment, have stylish clothes, the latest phone, etc. It seems to me there's definitely a lot more emphasis on material goods as status symbols in K-dramas & therefore more obvious product placement. So I'd say the sets and clothes, etc. in J-dramas tend to be more realistic rather than "cheap", and it's K-dramas that are unrealistically lavish in that regard.
I had been excited about this but then when I found out it wouldn't have the original couple back again I was like, "Why even bother?" Unless Dujun is playing an entirely different character (which I don't think is the case), to have Dae Young strike up a new romance with someone else is like retroactively crapping all over the original series. Suffice it to say, I'll pass.
I dropped this after forcing myself to finish at least the first episode, finding the male lead dull and the female…
In retrospect, I was probably sort of expecting something more subdued like last year's Secret Love Affair. I'm okay with comedy (usually prefer it to makjang-stuff actually) but I think what doomed the show for me is my feelings towards the female lead. I felt her character was just randomly "wacky" in a way that I can only assume the writer(s) thought would make her interesting but to me it came off as affected. And when I don't like the female lead of a show I just can't bring myself to keep watching.
Japanese boys are hotter than koreans imo, although Koreans tend to have more perfect faces. Idk what it is about…
I like that in J-entertainment (both genders) there's more... variety in the faces? Less emphasis on some perfect ideal? And I tend to find that more attractive because they seem more distinctive, more "real". I know it's not that the Korean people lack variety in appearance but I think their entertainment industry sort of tends to choose entertainers with that similar "look" and that's who we as the audience see.
They must really enjoy working together, huh? Not gonna complain because they're both excellent and a pleasure to watch. At least it seems like a family-oriented/fantasy story and not a gritty suspense/police drama this time though-- maybe they're planning to run through all the genres and next is a romantic comedy with them as the OTP? (I'd totally watch that, btw.)
I dropped this after forcing myself to finish at least the first episode, finding the male lead dull and the female lead... hmm, let's just say 'grating' and leave it at that. I did not believe that budding romance even 1%. It was interesting though to read such a vastly different reaction to the same show (not interesting enough for me to give it another chance, mind you, but still...).
If you want a good older woman younger man story, watch Renai Neet, Last Cinderella, Kimi wa Petto or even Majou…
I agree completely. Even though it's about the development of a romantic relationship, I didn't feel that the story itself was at all romantic, if that makes sense. It's like the most blandly perfect guy just fell in her lap, even though imo she's not a very interesting character, and what the show is actually about is her extreme self-doubt and borderline paranoia. And so far (I'm only 6 eps in but I may not bother finishing) Tamaki Hiroshi's talent is being wasted with this show. He's hardly been in most of the eps I've seen and when he is, the character isn't particularly charming at all (in fact I find him smug). As a romantic triangle and a romance in general I found this completely lacking.
I really enjoyed Platonic too, what I've seen of it at least (still waiting for the subs for that very last ep-- I know I could just watch it raw to find out the ending but I feel that's sort of missing the point when it comes to watching a show like this, so I've just resigned myself to waiting as long as it takes).
Regarding River’s Edge Okawabata Tanteisha: I was really excited initially because I loved Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi, and while I can kind of see a similarity in style between the two, I didn't find REOT to be anywhere near as charming as MBE. I think maybe I was expecting too much though.
As for Bitter Blood... I thought it was merely okay. It's one of those dramas where I just don't get why so many people have gone so crazy over it because I thought it was rather unremarkable, as a cop show and as a comedy. For me the best part of it was Gentle but even those brief moments were not really worth the time I invested in the show.
Yikes, that review! I fell head over heels in love with W last fall and tumbled headfirst into toku hell, following it up with OOO (which I also liked a lot, though to a lesser degree) and Fourze (which is sort of forgettable though fun). In other words, I'm working my way forward from W and I was actually looking forward to getting away from Fourze's school setting but this review is making me question my anticipation... I guess I'll find out for myself soon enough.
I skipped the ones where I didn't see at least more than one of the titles, which was actually most of the categories…
Fair enough-- of those you listed, 5 just didn't interest me in premise alone (not really a fan of suspense or business intrigue), and Gomen ne Seishun & Nobunaga Concerto I just haven't gotten around to yet. So for my tastes at least, this year's selections were meager. I did see a lot of good stuff, it just wasn't current.
I skipped the ones where I didn't see at least more than one of the titles, which was actually most of the categories (it makes me crazy when people who normally only watch K-dramas see like 1 or 2 of the streaming J-dramas and then come to the poll and automatically vote for that one show in every category, but I digress...). And unfortunately Bitter Blood didn't make the "Most Overrated" poll so I couldn't even vote for it there (its inclusion under "Best Thriller/Suspense" is a bit laughable, imo, but I guess it squeaks in under the "Action" flag). I thought about voting for Shitsuren Chocolatier in lieu of it, but since I dropped it after 1 ep. I didn't think it would be fair either. Kind of a bleh year, in retrospect. I guess the best stuff I watched this year was actually from previous years. Oh well, a new season's around the corner!
I only watched 5 K-dramas this year so I'll be abstaining from the vote (frankly, I wish people would do the same when they vote in the J-drama poll) but I'm interested in seeing the results and comparing them to what I've seen people fangirl over the most on tumblr. If I voted from my limited viewing, I would've given Let's Eat the Best Drama nod though... uh, which I see is not even an option, unfortunately. Well I guess I have no horse in this race anyway then.
I'd be a bit more excited if they'd cast someone besides Kuroki Meisa as Fujiko. She's really beautiful but I've never seen her in anything where I thought she was very good as an actress (see: Crows Zero, One Pound Gospel, and this year's dismally bad Time Spiral). Oh well, maybe this will be different. Guess I'll find out!
I really enjoyed Romantic Prelude (which I know as Oto-Na-Ri). Specifically I love how the main characters, though they haven't met, become intimately acquainted with each others' daily routines through the everyday noises they hear through their shared wall.
I really don't understand the reluctance to drop shows, tbh. A lot of them (esp. K-dramas in my experience, which imo are generally longer episode-wise than they need to be anyway) are just not worth the time invested if you're not really into it. Life's too short and if you're gonna spend it watching TV shows at least watch stuff you sincerely enjoy.
Regarding River’s Edge Okawabata Tanteisha: I was really excited initially because I loved Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi, and while I can kind of see a similarity in style between the two, I didn't find REOT to be anywhere near as charming as MBE. I think maybe I was expecting too much though.
As for Bitter Blood... I thought it was merely okay. It's one of those dramas where I just don't get why so many people have gone so crazy over it because I thought it was rather unremarkable, as a cop show and as a comedy. For me the best part of it was Gentle but even those brief moments were not really worth the time I invested in the show.