A (100) Yen for JDramas
I watched my first KDrama in May 2013, and had completed 100 K dramas seven months later in December of that year. I watched my first J drama in 2014, and it has taken me 11 years to complete 100. That reflects my own increased awareness of what works for me and what doesn't. The last eleven years have proved that overall JDramas resonate with me much better than dramas from China, Korea or Taiwan, as the following chart shows. The markedly higher average score and markedly lower drop rate reflects that the short, tight storytelling of JDramas is more appealing to me, as is the truly distinctive style and perspective of JDramas. The lower production values and the fact that both characters and storylines can seem somewhat surreal (often reflecting manga/anime roots) can be off-putting to many, but when they get it right, they are my Drama crack. I have scored ten of the 100 JDramas I've completed at 10/10 or higher, versus 17 of the 334 KDramas I've completed. ...