Armadas of middle-aged Japanese women no longer chase Bae Yong-joon, the biggest star the Korean wave of the early millennium produced; instead, more and more Korean fans are now dying for a glimpse of their favorite Japanese stars. In Korea, some of the so-called J-drama maniacs watch Japanese soaps all night long, and the growing popularity of Japanese novels here already outstrips any enthusiasm for Korean writing. Obviously pleased with the reversal of fortunes, a Japanese movie magazine hailed the Japanese boom in Korea, saying, “While the Korean wave is on the wane, the Japanese wave is waxing.” Many critics agree that while Korean Wave is receding, Japanese culture has been slowly assimilated into the mainstream of Korean culture and has firmly taken root there. So what are the strengths differentiating the Japanese Wave? The Chosun Ilbo asked experts for their views.
The biggest strength of the Japanese Wave, then, is creativity. In Japan, popular comics or novels are often made into dramas and movies, creating a kind of a synergy effect. In Korea, hit dramas like “Winter Sonata” and “Daejanggeum” rarely venture into other media. Japan also boasts a rich variety of material for its dramas and movies. Stereotypical Cinderella stories dominate Korean dramas but are almost non-existent in Japan. Instead, bizarre yet brilliantly creative stories of ordinary individuals entertain Japanese viewers.
“Japanese dramas and movies don’t just appeal to the sentimental,” says Yun Ji-won of the LG Electronics’ Life Soft Research Institute. “People don’t get easily bored with Japanese dramas because they portray the life story of an individual in a serio-comical manner unlike Korean dramas that are more or less the same as each other.
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That's the problem with waves; it fizzles out at the end. To expect otherwise is ludicrous. The Koreans are also to blame for shooting themselves in the foot as I will point out later.
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