Sixty years has
passed since television broadcasting started in Japan. Now, most people think
television has lost the power due to decrease of an audience rating. However I
don’t think so. Today, I choose dramas from various types of television
programs. In my opinion, Japanese television dramas are as popular today as they
have ever been. There are two main reasons
for this. First, because the style of watching television has been changing, we
can’t accurate survey popularity due to an audience rating.
Second, some present popular dramas take over particularities same as past
popular dramas.
First, because the style of watching television has
been changing, we can’t accurate survey popularity due to an audience rating. There are two changes. First, people came to record dramas.
According to an article from the Asahi newspaper entitled “dorama ha rokuga kukkiri”[i],
dramas was obviously recorded and watched later more than other types of
programs. It says in some program, percentage of people recording and watching
later was higher than percentage of people watching on time. From this result,
we know that many people want to spend time to watch dramas. Second, people came to talk about drama on the
Internet. The writer of an
article from AERA entitled “seizyuku SNS
de sinbiziness“[ii], wrote
about a running commentary of drama on SNS. It says “In Tairano kiyomori which recorded the lowest audience rating of long-running historical drama series on NHK, a running
commentary on Twitter livened up.” This example indicates people want to share
impressions of dramas with others and love dramas more.
Second, some present popular dramas take over
particularities same as past popular dramas. Some
dramas get high audience rating as popular today as have ever been even if we can’t accurate survey popularity due to an audience rating. These dramas have same
particularities which past popular dramas had. Lately, there was a drama which
got one of the highest audience ratings in history. It was “Kaseihu no Mita” broadcasted in autumn 2011. Its first episode got
19.5%, then gradually raised, the final episode got 40.0% as same as third of the
highest audience ratings in genre of ordinary drama[iii]
[iv].
Mita has two particularities for
popularity which is word of mouth and particular phrase same as past popular
dramas. First particularity is word of mouth. Today, our interesting branch off
various things, so chances to recommend other person something decrease.
However, about Mita, most audience
said “It is very interesting! You should watch it!” Second, it had particular
phrase. A cleaning lady Mita: heroine said “Certainly” to all wish, in Japanese
“syouchisimasita”. This phrase made a boom that day and has been remembered. These
two particularities are same as past popular dramas, “101times propose”,
“GOODLUCK”,”Kids war”.
To conclude, Japanese television dramas are as
popular today as they have ever been. Now, the style of watching television has been changing, we can’t survey
correct popularity due to an audience rating. Furthermore, some present popular
dramas take over particularities same as past popular dramas. I believe however the style of watching television has been changing, drama’s contents
which people want to watch and actually drama’s content hasn’t changed. I think an audience rating is important measure
of popularity, but new measure which accord to present condition is need.
[ii] February 18, 2013, “AERA”, 27-29
[iv] Video Research Ltd. “ドラマ高世帯視聴率番組30”,
December 28th 2011.Retrieved February 15, 2013 website :http://www.videor.co.jp/data/ratedata/junre/01drama.html
