It is undeniable that Asian cinema has become popular in recent times. The global audience is particularly hooked on Korean series, their exciting characters and stories. The success of Korean drama has paved the way for drama from other countries, such as Japanese series, which are considered as attractive as Korean drama.

Subject and Gender

Japanese drama deals with topics that are considered taboo in the K series. Japanese drama is more revolutionary in its themes; their stories may involve a woman having sex with multiple partners, a man and a woman having sex because their real lovers don’t provide the “comfort,” and many more.

Korean drama is restricted to three genres: historical, family, and romantic, which can be attributed to Koreans’ historical pride in their history and their desire to educate Asians and ultimately the world about Korean culture. However, Korean drama is driven by romance. Even in non-romantic genres, there is an element of romance to the story. Manga is the source of Japanese series, which are humorous and light-hearted. There will be no romantic elements in a Japanese series unless the series is in the romance genre. The most common Japanese series genres are detective, mystery and crime.

Korean series have a utopian, fairy tale-like setting that resonates with the audience. However, a Japanese drama has a more realistic setting. Some characters in a Japanese series are considered outcasts because of their intelligence or appearance. The Japanese drama seeks to educate the global audience about the Japanese social scene and create a specific image of Japan.

Actors

Actors in Korean series have an advantage over actors in Japanese dramas as the actor trains for years before appearing. However, the Japanese actors put on an impressive performance and make faces look funny and connect with the audience, making their performances more interesting.

Argument

The Korean series focuses more on the romantic element of the story than the story itself. For example, it is possible to see two doctors falling in love in a hospital in a Korean series. This series emphasizes a romantic angle more than is required. The moral of a Korean series is realized at the end of the story as they are full of twists and turns that keep the audience hooked.

A Japanese series focuses on the story and does not let deviations dominate. The series can continue without the introduction of another genre in the story. Just like Korean series, Japanese series are also unpredictable and have interesting twists. The moral story of each episode drives its message, and each story or episode has a lesson on family, relationships, and more. Today, Japanese series are beginning to resemble Korean series.

Duration

A Korean series takes 16 to 20 episodes per season with some filler episodes, each lasting 40 minutes to an hour. However, the series does not stop hooking the viewer. Japanese series, however, run only for 10-12 episodes per season without compromising the quality of the action. Each episode of a Japanese series lasts from 30 minutes to an hour.