If there is a way to see Japanese drama and forget about it, then please do share it with me, I need it. I know there is ‘No Chance! In the blue Moon for me at least for that specific event. Every time, I see a series in Japanese, for the next two days, I cannot break-free from being obsessed with it. They score high on being highly philosophical, their dramas are great intellectual stimuli, their series are stacked with killer dialogue, and are intensely great-thought-provoking series. (Phew! It doesn’t stop there!!!!).
They take a trivial subject to intellectualise it, like it is no one’s business. I love Japanese movies and series Period! They set me thinking, KDrama moves emotionally, JDrama brings out human quirks. Their drama are extremely dramatic reaction based ones. But man, I am in love when I see it. In many ways Japanese drama are not only mind-benders; but also, leaves you wondering may be their new view can be accepted naturally! To achieve that level of acceptance of view is very difficult!
JDramas are often surrounded around office and life itself. Some series had office playing the major part, while sometimes it is vice versa. Be it either of them, I found them fascinating! But they are too artsy for my comfort. It more like Art Series not commercially viable options. These are the only available route for drama kinda restraint dramas. Japanese kind of appeal to my sick and sad mindset which brews to a roaring boil once in a while!
In many ways, I feel I must have been a Japanese in my previous birth and my last one is Indian! Yoo-hoo! Yeah whatever!!
I have been seeing this 10 episodes of Japanese TV Mini Series titled “I’m Taking A Day Off” I am reminded of our Indian HR team with their minions with shotguns of rustication at the mention of leave so, as to curb the urge to take days off from work.
So, when the well needed day-off to balance the employee’s health when not given, then, the smart employee arrive at work, be sick, spread their cold and other sick germs, generally pretending to be at work, indulging in galore of office gossip in the name of sacrificing their life for the company’s profit and in the face of their personal loss of health. Been there and know them all!
In India, there does not exist work-life balance. As for me, I enjoyed going to office even on my sick days not because I was interested in the company’s P&L statement; but that I am super crazy about writing and getting to know what’s next in writing and what else can I learn new. Nothing can beat that for my sincerity towards myself!
So, getting back to the series. Outside India a older woman marrying a younger man is accepted but I am sure the moviemakers know such story plot is best not to attempt. But then, I do know a movie from Chennai which showcased the actor Simbu in such a predicament when he falls for a younger looking older woman. Tamil movies have seen it all! But still there are some more angle left unseen as yet! My pride would be that south makes great movies and our southern actors are far more disciplined than our northern actors. A disciplined actor from south is often in the set before their assigned call sheet time, at least most of them do. Their work is more worship for them.
Brags apart, the spectrum of acting skills in the Japanese acting team would leave you surprised. It hard to understand the facial expressions of the Asian and vice versa western side too! So, Japanese tend to over exaggerate their reactions. It is more like watching Sivaji sir in action. But in his later days of acting he was far more refined and he had the skills that rocked you for knots!
If I give serious critic then understand that I really like the way certain things are done visually for me. I think the world of entertainment is changing with the boundaries are getting hazy. Subtle might be the in thing soon.
I am another continent viewer/audience who cannot help comparing her preferences from home with her international viewership experiences. This is making me more sensitive to issues which are common but sometimes overlooked in Indian communities.
The main stay of the Japanese drama was how a responsible, timid, innocent of relationship experience, mid-30’s woman feels towards being married, having a family and how it affects her decision about a live-in relationship and dreaming up a future together with a younger man. Now in a nutshell that is the story. This could be a plot for Indian movies too, but we wouldn’t dare to upscale market this in our dramas.
Leaving behind the Traditional stories and ‘going gol gol’ (translates as ‘going round and round’) around the same love stories are given in our movies (major social influencers) second by Serials (Longwinded dramas) on the networks, and last ones are the books. Of course, the books are more daring to experiment with something different while still being conservative.
My entire ideological view is shifting because of the Asian drama influences on my thought process. I’m getting to a point, where I don’t know for sure, who I am. So Rene Descartes thoughts are discounted when he said, “I think so, I am!” Now I feel “I think too much so, I am too much!” (;-) lol!)
I keep seeing KDrama and CDrama, but none of them make me begin writing about them at all. If I am super crazy I will write of course, but to inspire me to write I am sure that I need to see a JDrama. Then, it does the magic stuff on me with ease. So, it is about should entertainment take on responsibility towards viewerships/audience morale and directing new thoughts to new paths ahead socially. Collectively, I can hear, “we are here to entertain and nothing else madame!”. Hmmm….I need to gather my thoughts here! True!
There is still no Transgender serials, maybe talk shows but they seem stereotyped. At what point, is too much, is too much! We are slowly opening up our views, while the society in India, is trying to become more open towards those topics that were banned and taboo a few centuries back. But then, we are rooted in our traditions, and it will naturally take a long while for us to catch up with the advancing world.
Rating for the Japanese series “I’m Taking a Day Off” would be 4.3 of 5 stars. Watch once thumbs up, but twice if you are new to Japanese scene, as their average normal human being life story angle is unique.
Source for Watching series is the Netflix | This series is till 28th October 2023
Itinerant Storyteller 