Drama+Culture+NK

Drama Culture of East Asia

= **Overview** = = =

= =

** Korea **
Korean dramas can be categorized into many types, based on the length and the viewing time of the show. The primary types of Korean dramas are weekday soap operas, weekend soap operas, daily morning soap operas, daily evening soap operas, and mini-series. Soap opera, drama composed of a continuing story within a limited time, is the dominant type of drama in Korea. With the widespread popularity of soap operas, all soap operas, with the exception of those aired daily in the morning or evening, are aired at prime time (10-11PM) in Korea. The prime time of drama broadcasting well-reflects the culture of Korea. As it is common for a Korean worker to have a get-together dinner after work, many arrive home long after dinner time. As a result, 10 O’clock in the evening is often considered a common family gathering time. Weekday and weekend soap operas are broadcasted on consecutive days, either on a Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, or Saturday and Sunday. Korean soap operas typically last about an hour per episode and consist of a wide range of the number of episodes. Mini-Series typically consist of 16-20 episodes, with a younger target viewer. Viewer ratings is a significant factor in determining the success of a drama. With low, or high ratings, it is common for a drama to increase or decrease the number of episodes. Because Korean dramas are produced in such tight schedule, often shooting scenes on the day it is aired, some dramas end earlier due to low ratings, while some last longer due to high ratings and popular demand from viewers.

Japan


In Japan, most dramas are broadcasted quarterly with about 10 to 11 episodes, with each quarter lasting for approximately three months. The first quarter lasts from January to march, second quarter from April to June, third quarter from July to September, and the fourth quarter from October to December. With the exception of daily afternoon dramas, dramas are aired once a week for about 45 minutes excluding commercial breaks. The prime time for Japanese dramas is from 9 to 11 O’clock in the evening. What differentiates Japanese dramas from Korean Dramas is the system of seasons. While it is uncommon for a popular drama to continue in a series in Korea, the seasonal broadcasting system in Japan enables a drama series to last longer throughout many seasons. In Japan, television ratings is also arguably the most important factor for broadcasting companies to allow the production of a certain drama. Unlike Korean dramas, each episode of a Japanese drama is shot two or three weeks before it is aired. Thus, while viewer ratings essentially determines the popularity and the success of a show, it is rare for a drama show to end early or have extended episodes.

[[image:Screen_shot_2011-06-14_at_5.29.25_AM.png width="220" height="323" caption="Drama "Meteor Garden""]]
Chinese dramas are often categorized by the region in which it was produced, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. On one of the main Chinese channels CCTV-8, soap operas are shown all day. Each episode of a Chinese drama typically lasts about 70 minutes, and each series is composed of about 20 to 30 episodes. Unlike Korea and Japan where the media is separate from the administration, Chinese broadcasting programs and companies often face strict censorship by the Chinese government. As a result, Chinese dramas focus on elements that are easier to approach by the wide variety of audience, such as historical fiction, martial arts, and romance or family relationships. Without censorship from the government, Taiwanese drama was able to meet its rapid growth. Taiwanese dramas follow more liberal ideas, such as romance between teenagers. The most popular form of mainland Chinese dramas, the //Wu Xia// are dramas relating to martial arts. //Wu Xia//, or martial arts, usually begin in a historical period. //Wu Xia// dramas cover conflicts between minority groups, countries, or religions.

**Advertising in Dramas**

 * Korea**

In Korea, mentioning of specific brand names, or showing of logos is strictly prohibited. Actors or actresses can often be seen wearing a shirt from a famous brand with black tape covering its logo in a drama. People often slightly alter the name of the brands during conversations to hint the name of the brand. However, the most common form of advertising in dramas is the PPL, also known as Product in Placement. Throughout the drama, the characters either use or display the product in someway that appeals to the audience. The example below is a product in Placement for the brand “Vitamin Water” from the Coca-Cola company. In the Korean drama, “Best Love”, the main character and A-list star Dok-Ko-Jin hands his lover a vitamin water with him printed on, after she has been slapped on the face. After constant appearance on the drama, the sales of the purple color Vitamin Water grew 30%, according to the Coca-Cola Company .(Hangook Business) Advertisements for TV dramas are limited to before and after the show, for the main broadcasters MBC, SBS and KBS. Advertisements for prime-time TV dramas are usually filled with commercials from large companies, usually involving an actor or actress from that drama.

Just as in Korea, mentioning of brand names and products are forbidden in China. However, Chinese drama often have in-between commercial breaks. In nearly every 15 minutes, there are commercial breaks in between, mostly relating to the video shown.
 * China**

Dramas are free to make mention of product or brand names in Japan. In the first episode of the drama, //Hana Yori Dango//, students going to an elite high school carries designer brand bags and wears designer brand watches, which they specifically make mention of during the show. The culture of advertisements in dramas in Japan are similar to those in the United States. Just as the United States openly makes mention of brands throughout the dramas and have commercial breaks in between, Japanese dramas have one or two commercial breaks between the drama.
 * Japan**

= **Common Elements of Dramas** =

Korea (Self-Created Video)
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**Work Cited**
"Chinese television drama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2011. . "[유통라운지] '독고진 음료' 드라마 없었어도 떴다고?." //한국경제//. N.p., 12 June 2011. Web. 12 June 2011. . "Taiwanese drama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."//Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2011. . "Japanese television drama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap

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