From the Gallery

J-Dramas in North America

The recent airing in Japan of live action versions of You're Under Arrest and the continuation of the new Lone Wolf and Cub, has reminded me of some recent issues.

I kinda got a chuckle at the beginning of 2002 when I first picked up volume one of the GTO anime series by TOKYOPOP. What made me laugh was the promo placed on the back of the DVD case. It said, "The finale of the live action version of GTO was the most watched TV program ever in Japan". Yes, what a great way to promote an anime...by spouting the success of the live action drama that was made before it. Something that as of this moment, there is no indication we'll ever officially see. Just keep in mind that although the GTO anime and GTO drama are based on the same premise, they are two different products.

So I started to think, wouldn't it be interesting to see a Japanese drama released here widely in the North American market? I wonder how would it do? Let's think about it.

Let me give a little background.

First of all let me make it clear once again that I am from Canada (the Toronto area to be exact). So I wouldn't know how international channels in the U.S. have treated Japanese TV dramas in the past. Actually, I can't really say I'd know what international channels in other parts of my native Canada have done either (especially out west).

Now if my memory serves me right, curiosity over Japanese dramas peaked here in Toronto in 1999 when our local multicultural TV station, Rogers-owned CFMT (Rogers is to Canada what Time Warner/AOL might be in the States), started showing the thirteen episode "Wedding Story" starring Takako Tokiwa. After its run ended, CFMT showed another 12-13 episode drama who's name I can't remember, but for some reason I could distinctly remember the Oscar award winning song "Alfie" as its theme. Funnily enough, these shows were shown on Saturday nights during the Cantonese lineup (usually after a HK movie). The shows were shown with Cantonese subtitles, no english...damn.

I do realize the fact that all I can speak for is my home area here in Southern Ontario. But I do believe that pockets of such situations exist across North America. With larger centres having seen more such shows than what I am noting here.

*Oh funny side story about other stuff I've seen on TV in the past. When I was 6 or 7, I could have sworn I saw one of the local stations air episodes of a classic Japanese TV drama called "Mito Kumon"...dubbed into English.*

Around the same time one of the local anime clubs decided to diversify its lineup and slotted in perhaps the most famous of the dramas at the time, a fansubbed version of "Long Vacation" starring Takuya Kimura, Tomoko Yamaguchi and Takako Matsu. From what I heard, it was a big hit too. It ended up attracting a fair number of Japanese speaking people as well as their regular membership.

After the runs of these shows ended, we never heard about Japanese dramas again, until recently. In late 2001, I was browsing through my local anime/comic book shop and I picked up a police comedy/drama feature called "Bayside Shakedown". The guys there told me they liked it because the cast reminded them of other motley groups of cops like those shown in Patlabor or You're Under Arrest. I bought it on their recommendation and honestly speaking, I liked it. But I was surprised to learn that the movie was actually the final piece of a hit TV series called "Odoru Daisosasen". Perhaps as a testament to the show's popularity, the Japanese club at my old school asked to borrow it for a movie night. One of my friends there actually has the TV series itself.

So here's a question for anime companies or budding entrepreneurs; what would the feasibility be on making such dramas available on DVD for the North American market?

I'd like to think that Japanese dramas in North America would work well. In many ways you already have a dedicated audience in many of the anime fans here, as the anime club example mentions. On top of that, the motivation for a lot of anime fans is an interest in Japanese high culture and pop culture. Companies such as Media Blasters, Tokyopop and CPM already have live action labels. In many ways this would be an extension or opportunity for them. Most of the talked about drama series aren't all that long; on average they would be about 12-13 one hour episodes (with the most popular ones spawning an extra special and maybe even a motion picture), so there wouldn't be too big a commitment in comparison to a long running anime series. In remote ways it would also be another way to start cashing in on the increasing popularity of Asian actors (specifically HK actors) in North America.

Of course the argument exists that live action Japanese TV shows would still be a hard sell. Japanese Anime and Manga in their original forms are a hard enough sell here in North America. Hollywood is still the dominant entertainment force in the world (forget just North America), so there is still a domestic industry to consider. In addition, for as much curiosity there would be in American shows and movies in Japan, you cannot say the same for Japanese stuff here in North America, at least to the same degree. In the end, the costs to license these shows, package and market them, and the likely consumer return might make it too much of a risk for any company to consider.

That doesn't mean I don't want someone to try though. As the old concept goes, a good title and some good marketing will make anyone who grows to love anything, be loyal in terms of its products. I tend to think a good way of starting off here is using a title based on a manga.

Oh, and remember that local club? Well they're just about to end another Japanese drama that they've been showing. The title? GTO, what else? I recently got my hands on some digi-subs of the TV series and have just completed the finale myself. If what I saw of the series is any indication, people will be cheering the end like I did myself. I can certainly see why the final episode might have been the highest rated TV show in Japanese history, it's really hard to stop watching.

Hey Tokyopop, you mentioned it, why don't you consider it? I think you might have a winner here. And while you're at it, why don't you consider the You're Under Arrest drama too? It even has a Mariah Carrey song as its closing...wait, forget I mentioned that, we're trying to sell the series here.

And look what I just found, a fansub of a live action version of the Kindaichi Case Files. Curious, anyone?

Cel or flesh and blood, what's your preference? okina_chair@hotmail.com