Japanese TV Drama in Taiwan and Audience』s Reflexivity on Personal Life
Rita

          The popularity of Japanese TV Drama in Taiwan has been an interesting phenomenon to investigate.  Local cable television stations have spent a great deal of money buying the overseas broadcast copyright of Japanese TV drama.  Each day, there are about ten Japanese TV dramas playing, and each episode is played at least twice a day so that the audience can still follow up the plot if they happen to miss one time of the showing.  As for other Japanese TV drama consumers who prefer to watch either longer or shorter amount of the drama according to one』s schedule or who are interested in collecting the whole piece, they can always purchase the complete collection of each drama in VCDs from certain record shops at a reasonable price.  TV stations in Japan are also aware of the profitable market in Taiwan and throughout Asia that they have started to cast in famous actors and actress in Taiwan and Hong Kong in some of the TV dramas, which is a breakthrough for the otherwise exclusive show business circle in Japan.  The popularity and localization of Japanese TV Drama in Taiwan can find its strongest prove in two of the TV dramas—Love in the Year Two Thousand (兩千年之戀) and Love from a Lie (弄假成真).  The leading roles in both of the dramas are 「foreign」 stars:  the former starring Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武), who is a mix blood of Taiwan and Japan, the latter starring Faye Wang (王菲), who is a famous singer throughout Asia.  Most important of all, different from most Japanese TV dramas that are shown overseas only after the completion of showing in Japan, these two dramas are played one episode a week in Taiwan, synchronically with the pace in Japan.  It strengthens formalistically the interaction between Japanese TV drama and audience in Taiwan.

          TV drama evolves from soap opera.  They share the same thematic centrality of love and relationships.  However, soap opera has often been labeled as a female genre like melodramatic films in the classical male- oriented Hollywood cinema.  It is often underestimated as a genre that focuses on the trivialities of women』s lives.  Early feminist critiques on soap opera focus on the hegemonic strategy of this genre and maintain that soap opera aims to keep women 「in their place, … in the home for middle- class women, where they can be better consumers」 (Brown 7).  They believe that soap opera naturalizes 「an eternal contradiction」 of people』s inner desire and the unsolvable dilemma of life that further asserts the subordination of women』s social position.  Laura Mulvey even points out that the function of melodrama is to allow female audience an escape into a day- dream by saying that it provides 「a chance to work through inescapable frustrations by positing an alternative ideal never seen as more than a momentary illusion」 (qtd. in Ang 160).  The reason why I am using the term 「TV drama」 instead of 「soap opera」 here is not only because it is the formal title for this kind of program in Japan, but also that Japanese TV drama has changed some of the basic characteristics of traditional soap opera.  For instance, it emphasizes city life as the setting and demonstrates a progressive work ethics.  Therefore, in this paper, I want to argue that Japanese TV drama, which shares its origin with soap opera, challenges the debasing escape discourse about soap opera viewing.  Furthermore, by promoting the awakening of self- awareness and female agency, Japanese TV drama has successfully risen above its devalued genre and motivates audience』s participation in believing and realizing their dreams. 

Japanese TV drama is also called 「trendy drama」 in Japan.  It is originated from Fuji TV station during 1990s to meet the audience』s request for dramas that would reflect the 「reality」 and tempo of modern life.  According to Tania Modleski』s observation of the early soap opera formula, soaps are usually situated 「in small town and involve two or three families intimately connected with one another」(38).  And even if the female characters are working as career women, 「most of everyone』s time is spent experiencing and discussing personal and domestic crisis」 (38).  Different from early soap opera』s depiction of interpersonal struggles among communities and aiming at housewives as the audience, Japanese TV drama centers upon the encountering of free individuals within a larger city space and tries to appeal to metropolitan dwellers.  Here, a significant change is shown in the rise of trendy drama, that is, audience no longer seek passively an escape from the imaginary world created in the soap opera; they demands that TV drama presents them with real life illustrations that they can look for possible solutions within the 「reality」 of modern life.

The 「reality」 of modern life in Japanese TV drama is demonstrated in its sincere and round characterization and a focused issue in each drama that reflects the characters』 struggles and growth under the circumstance.  Unlike popular series that plays season after season, each trendy drama is comprised of only ten to twelve episodes.  Therefore, each issue is fully explored with a problematic beginning and a possible solution in the end.  Among the various kinds of genres in Japanese TV drama, love genre is the most popular one.  A local novelist and playwright, Chuan- Chuan Yuan (袁瓊瓊) comments on love in Japanese TV drama, saying that 「it is really impressive how the meticulous writing of Japanese playwrights build up the story layer by layer, especially in depicting the devious, profoundness, and the power of love to elevate and destruct humanity」 (70).1  What is 「real」 about the love genre is that it tries to present exquisitely various kinds of romance that general soap operas tend to neglect.  Trendy drama tries to unravel these seldom- explored love stories that are taking place in society at any time.  For instance, Say that You Love Me (跟我說愛我) and Beautiful Life (美麗人生) talk about the romance between a 「normal」 person with a physically disabled, Senior High School Teacher (高校教師) and The Way to be a Witch (魔女的條件) talk about romance between a teacher and a student.  Along with that, the former also discusses the sensational social issue of incest, while the latter touches on the psychological aspect of Oedipal Complex.  Both of The Sweet Season (甜蜜的季節) and Paradise Lost (失樂園) present the issue of love affair.  However, the former illustrates the psychological struggles of a woman who is involved in the love affair, while she could not forgive her father for having love affair.  The latter focuses on the erotic life of middle- aged people.  In Long Vacation (長假), which is often rated as one of the classics by Japanese TV drama fans, it discusses the unsuccessful career of a young pianist and a single woman after thirty.  The popularity of this drama leads the fashion of coupling older women with younger men.  Love Generation (戀愛新世代) and Tokyo Love Story (東京愛情故事) have been recognized by many drama fans as best describe the emotional aspect of the hesitation and loveliness during the process of love.  In each drama, the reality of life is not only celebrated for its revelation of different kinds of love in society, but also its explicit depiction of the inner struggle and characterization that makes audience easy to identify with. 

The identification process in most Japanese TV drama is different from Tania Modleski』s observation of the early soap opera.  She maintains that since there are numerous characters within one soap opera, audience』s identification is divested into identifying different characters at various situations.  The 「multiple identification,」 she believes, 「results in the spectator being divested of power.  For the spectator is never permitted to identify with a character completing an entire action」 (37).  And it is also unlike what Ien Ang describes in 「Melodramatic Identifications」 that spectators tend to identify with problematic female characters because they represents the symbolic 「feminine subject position,」 which engages the viewer 「at the level of fantasy」 (162).  The charisma of characters in Japanese TV drama lies in his/ her crude banality.  The leading characters do not necessarily practice law or medicine or belong to some wealthy families, they can just be a hair stylist, a bus driver, a sales lady serving in the department store or a painter that you come across in the park near the neighborhood.  They are people that you would see on the street.  Audience』s identification with those common protagonists is based on the recognition that everyone exists in the urban space as free individuals and the drama, which presents the protagonist』s story, is also telling the general public』s story.  And audience are able to empower themselves with the characters who encounter the similar situation in life as themselves.  The example of audience identifying with the leading character in the drama through the association of personal experience is shown in one of the message on the discussion board.  She writes:

Watching Love Generation is like watching my personal experience of falling in love, like reviewing the old time when I dedicated selflessly for love.  Looking at what Liko does for Teppe, ….  Oh, I』ve done the same thing before! …When I watch Love Generation, I do not watch Liko and Teppe』s story as a spectator, I project all my feelings into it.  I seem to cry and feel the pain as them…at a time feeling very sick but soon recovering to health.  For me, it is the irreplaceable magic of Love Generation.2 

Another fan of Love Generation expresses on the board that he loves this drama simply for its common illustration of a love story.  He says, 「It』s a love story of ordinary people.  You can imagine it happening around us.  The more common- place it seems, the more people are touched and impressed by it」 (Ivan).3  From the popularity of trendy drama and the responses from its fans, we may conclude that the past soap opera formula of the sensational theme, which centers around villainess, deception of love and drastic revenge, can hardly appeal to today』s Taiwanese audience.  They look forward to dramas that would put them face to face with the current interpersonal relationship and practical problems about life that they can identify with and possibly, seek the solution to under the same living pressure. 

The problems in life shown in the dramas are usually about individual』s uncertainty of making the right choice, concerning one』s career and love.  Even though on the one hand, the audience demands to have a realistic portrayal of the characters』 social life; on the other hand, they enjoy seeing something sentimental during the working process of the characters』 endeavor.  On the Internet discussion board, many questions raised by the fans are revealing their eagerness to adopt a transcendent view at real life banality.  They often raise questions like 「Which Japanese TV drama touched you the most?」 「Which drama made you want to watch repeatedly?」 and 「Which drama moved you into tears?」  The idea of seeking a sense of romantic sentiment in the ordinary life seems contradictory at first glance and may conform to some feminists』 critiques that soap opera deepens individual』s fatalism to the circumstances; however, it can also be interpreted that the creativity of human beings try to adopt a romantic view to balance the materialistic aspect of life.  And it is not fatalistic as well, because the central theme of most Japanese TV drama is to achieve happiness—the ultimate goal of being alive.  The protagonists believe that through hard work and the awakening of self- awareness, he/ she can overcome obstacles in life and realize his/ her dream.

Since the pleasure of watching soap opera is mediated through audience』s identification with the characters, they are easy to be influenced by any commercial activity implied in the program.  In associating capitalist consumer activity with soap opera audience, the traditional understanding is that soap opera audience are 「inferior to more prestigious audiences, morally questionable, and an enthusiastic consumer of the laundry detergents, dish- washing liquids, bath soaps, sanitary napkins, douches, hair- coloring agents, denture cleansers, and bladder- control products」 (Brown 48).  Moreover, it is believed that audience is subject to the ideology and fashion conveyed in the soap opera.  Mary Ellen Brown comments on the extravagance shown in the daytime soap opera wedding, 「with its emphasis on romance tied in with weddings, serves capitalism by helping to create an industry based on women』s fantasies of status and security built around marriage, symbolized in the wedding as a consumption practice」 (57).  Nonetheless, I am going to argue that through viewing Japanese TV drama, the audience is fully conscious of his/ her consumer』s activity that even though they are appealed to the material aspect, what they are longing to acquire is the active philosophy of life and the improvement of personal life style.

There is no doubt that Japanese TV drama has brought in a profitable income for the TV station and other related business.  Unlike traditional soap opera that aims at a small group of the population as consumers, such as housewives, Japanese TV drama attracts a greater amount of urban dwellers, who are working very hard during the day but somehow unsatisfied with their lives.  With the popularity of Japanese TV drama, fans have demonstrated their devotion by buying the soundtrack, novels and other peripheral products.  Many websites and discussion boards set up by drama fans are dedicated either to the drama or the stars in it.  Besides that, since most TV dramas are shot in real locations in Tokyo, numerous books are published to introduce the sites.  Many tour agencies in Taiwan have been holding package tours for drama fans to visit, for instance, the bridge that characters kiss for the first time, the restaurant where the characters eat fried dumplings and so on.  After the showing of Love Generation, the crystal apple designed and produced by Tiffany has attracted hundreds of buyers in Japan waiting in line before the store at Shibuya (涉谷).  In that drama, the crystal apple appears once in a while on the screen as a symbol for love.  Though on the surface, the audiences are buying the products, what they are really trying to buy is the accompanied value of romance that would help them see the original monotonous life from a lightened perspective.  Those audiences are willing to know more about the meaning of life and find out the motivation for them to go on living.  What they seek in drama is a romanticized view at modern life.  Therefore, they are enthralled by the effect that modern facility, such as mobile phone and fax machine, can play the mediating role in the story of Love Generation and Say that You Love Me.  And when they see one public telephone on the street, it might remind them of the deaf- mute painter in Say that You Love Me that he once stops before the telephone and wonders what the sound of the woman he loves would be like.  These romantic notions not only soften the mechanic urban life, but make the audience cherish the life they are leading now.

Nevertheless, the audiences are not unconscious buyers of everything promoted by Japanese TV drama.  On the contrary, many of them are fully aware that through watching those trendy dramas, what they earn most is the opportunity to reflect on personal lives and see if they have compromised too much with reality and become too coward to pursue their dream.  Among all the characters, audiences tend to identify with female roles, which are spirited and brave to pursue personal happiness.  They do not like female characters, who depend too much on men』s protection or indecisive about the inner feelings.  On the discussion board, fans talk about what they learn from watching TV drama.  One says, 「Japanese TV drama not only show us the reality of society, the way to get along with other people, it also emphasizes that we should be brave to pursue happiness and cherish the one we love.  Not to be afraid of working hard.  Dreams would all come true in the end!  I think it is good and inspiring」 (依依).4   Another fan, who constantly posts her articles on the web, writes:

We always envy characters that can live self- righteously.  No matter good or bad, it is a kind of happiness to be faithful to one』s own emotions and live each moment truly.  Whether there is this kind of possibility in real life, I think Japanese TV drama has offered us plenty of room to imagine and think upon. … I like Japanese TV drama.  Through writing down my responses, I am able to forget the tedious part of life and to save my imagination and creativity from being murdered!  And because of our shared interest in Japanese TV drama, we are able to meet at this spot.  Friends! This is another happiness that Japanese TV drama offers.5  (Naoki) 

Like what Mary Ellen Brown maintains, 「although many people may watch soap operas at home alone, the solitary viewing experience is not the end of their involvement」 (19).  Through the fans』 descriptions, we know that in some viewers』 experience the influence of watching Japanese TV drama has rise above the material consumerism and the traditional escape discourse.  In Naoki』s case, drama has motivated her to examine her own life and believe in her agency to look for happiness in real action.

          There are numerous critiques and theories on the relationship between audience and soap opera.  In the past, feminists focus on how the ruling ideology of capitalism and patriarchy has confined female audience to the family by using fantasies and illusions in the story to solidify the belief that women are attracted to trivial events and commodities, such as detergents and other housing equipment.  However, with the change of women』s position in society, some recent soap opera has reflected it in its representation, and Japanese TV drama is one of them.  In its portrayal of theme and characterization, it is usually about the awakening of female self- awareness and the assertion of their right to pursue happiness and live without regret.  And the background has moved from the confining small town to the urban space, where characters are confronted with 「bigger」 problems of survival, such as breaking through obstacles in one』s job and affirming one』s individuality.  The way Japanese TV drama chooses to deal with those issues is by holding a romantic and sentimental view at them; however, it does not mean to escape, but to assert the mental power of the individual to face problems.  As a result, owing to the identification with Japanese TV drama, audiences begin to reflect on their own life and learn from the characters to believe in their ability in fulfilling their dreams.

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1 Original：「關於愛情的迂迴、深沈，對人性的提升和破壞力，日本編劇的處理細膩，有轉折，富層次，令人歎為觀止。」

2 Original：「看著LG…就像在看自己曾經的戀愛過程一樣，就像在追憶那為愛奉獻為愛付出的似水年華一樣。看著理子一股腦兒的對哲平付出…阿～我也曾做過這種事ㄚ！…當我看著LG時…我不是站在一個旁觀者的角色去看著哲平和理子的故事..我早已把所有自身的喜怒哀樂都溶入在劇中了； 我似乎也跟哲平和理子一起痛過哭過..大病一場又恢復了健康。對我來說...這就是永遠無可取代的LG魔力...」

3 Original：「因這是一個關於平凡人的愛情故事，可以發生在我們身邊的愛情故事。 越平凡，越感動，印象越深。」

4 Original：「日劇不僅告訴人們社會的現實、做人的道理，也強調出要勇敢去追求幸福，珍惜所愛，不怕辛苦認真的工作，夢想終會實現！我覺得實在是好看又發人省思。」

5 Original：「我們總羨慕著活的理直氣壯的角色，不論好壞，忠於自己的喜怒哀樂，安身立命真實的活下去，也就是一種幸福！現實生活終究竟有沒有這種可能？我想日劇都提供了很好的想像與省思的空間。……而我，因為喜歡日劇，藉由寫寫心情筆記來忘卻每日繁瑣的日子，好讓將被謀殺了的想像力與創造力獲得解救！又因為喜歡日劇，讓我們成為緣繫千里，惺惺相惜的朋友！這是日劇所帶給我們的另一種幸福。」

  

Works Cited

Ang, Ien.  「Melodramatic Identifications:  Television Fiction and Women』s Fantasy.」  Feminist Television Criticism:  A Reader.  Ed. Charlotte  Brunsdon, Julie D』Acci and Lynn Spigel.  Oxford:  Clarendon Press, 1997.

Brown, Mary Ellen.  Soap Opera and Women』s Talk:  The Pleasure of Resistance.      Thousand Oaks:  Sage Publications, 1994.

Modleski, Tania.  「The Search for Tomorrow in Today』s Soap Operas.」  Feminist  Television Criticism:  A Reader.  Ed. Charlotte Brunsdon, Julie D』Acci and  Lynn Spigel.  Oxford:  Clarendon Press, 1997.

Yuan, Chuan- Chuan (袁瓊瓊).  「Looking at Japanese Idol Drama〈我看日本偶像劇〉.」  Yu- Shi Wen I (幼獅文藝) Sep. 1999:  68-71.

Ivan.  「印象最深的日劇.」  19 June 2001.  Online posting.  日本偶像劇場，日劇討論區.  29 June 2001.

Naoki.  「從東京愛情故事到戀愛新世代.」  18 Apr. 2001.  Online posting.  日本偶像劇場，日劇討論區.  29 June 2001.