Japanese Drama Freak

I interviewed a few people regarding the following questions 

Do you think we can learn something from dramas?

Have you ever learned something by watching Japanese dramas?

Can you describe a scene from a drama and tell me what you learned from it?

If not, can you watch one of the three following clips and give me your thoughts about it?

1.)  http://www.dramacool.com/boku-no-ita-jikan-episode-6.html (31:10-33:20)

2.)  http://www.gooddrama.net/japanese-drama/proposal-daisakusen-episode-11/1-3 (Playlist 1 Part 3 13:29-15:03)

3.)  http://www.dramacool.com/boku-no-ita-jikan-episode-8.html (33:05-38:02)

1st Person: AL

Do you think we can learn something from dramas?

I think it depends on the type of drama. A lot of dramas are historical and some are based on stories that people have created from their own feelings. I think you can learn something from both dramas and also be a little mislead by them as dramas only show a particular portion, the interesing parts, of the character's life.

Have you ever learned something by watching Japanese dramas?

Yes, I am unsure about how accurate the information, but they give me a general idea of what school life is like in Japan. Obviously I had some reservations as many characterization are generalized and stereotypical, but it does give me insight on a different culture. I also learned a lot abut how differently people deal with certain problems. I have also learned a lot about relationships through dramas. Some information is more accurate than others though.

Can you describe a scene from a drama and tell me what you learned from it?

In the show Koizora, one of the characters Hiro has cancer, but in order to protect his girlfriend, he doesn't tell her, allowing her to move on. As a result, he goes through the majority of his treatment alone. He is satisfied, however, because he believes that his girlfriend is happy. This really taught me about the selfless nature of love, especially at such a young age, and has brought me to form the opinion that putting the wellbeing of the people you love does not always involve you being part of their happy lives. 

2nd Person: CG

Do you think we can learn something from dramas?

Yes, I think people can learn something from watching dramas since dramas reflect on the reality and always depict the real society that we live in.

Have you ever learned something by watching a Japanese drama?

Yes, I learned about the value of friendship by watching "Dear Friends."

Can you describe a scene from a drama and tell me what you learned from it?

A high school girl in "Dear Friends" finds out that she got breast cancer and therefore tries to end her life several times. However, her best friend helps her throughout her difficult times and encourages her not to end her life. I learned about the importance and value of friendship. Having one or two best friends can mean a lot to us. True friends are those who will never go away an those who will always help us and stand on our sides during the most difficult times and circumstances.

3rd person: KS

Do you think we can learn something from dramas?

I think it is very possible that you can learn something from watching dramas. A lot of movies, TV shows have morals in them that we can take from. But whether we recognize it, is a different story.

Have you ever learned something by watching a Japanese drama?

I don't really wach Japanese dramas. I remember watching Totoro if that counts. I definitely think I learned some lessons from it but I can't remember specific examples.

2.)  http://www.gooddrama.net/japanese-drama/proposal-daisakusen-episode-11/1-3 (Playlist 1 Part 3 13:29-15:03)

I really enjoyed watching that because of the message it was sending. People always reminisce about the past and what they could have done better. But it's all about changing your ways to affect the future. I've certainly heard this lesson being taught before but I think it's a really effective way to teach our generation life lessons as we are constantly staring at screens all day. :)

4th person: EC

Do you think we can learn something from dramas?

YES!

Have you ever learned something by watching a Japanese drama?

YES!

Can you describe a scene from a drama and tell me what you learned from it?

The protagonist is at his childhood friend's wedding. However, he still loves her and regrets not confessing his feelings to her. A fairy appears ad lets him travel ack in time and try one one ore time to get the girl's heart. It taught me to work hard at present time so that I will never regret the future.

 ____

Despite the positive respects I got back, the other point of view certainly exists.

A lot of people also believe that dramas are not meant to teach their viewers since they are not necessarily regarded as a "serious" form of communication. Many also hold the belief that all dramas are mindless and gives a false impression about life. There is also the common understanding that dramas give their viewers false impression about relationships. I agree with this viewpoint since the couples protrayed are overly perfect in dramas.

Dramas, however, do affect their viewers and thus can potentially be used as a convenient communication tool. Based on the cultivation theory developed by George Berbner and Larry Gross from University of Pennslyvania, the more people watch television the more they belief that the "reality" present in television is "real." Television shows are able to change their viewers' beliefe and attitude about different subject matters. This can be both good and bad. If used wisely, TV shows such as dramas can impact their viewers positively like people I interviewed. A group of researchers in USC conducted a research by showing people a mini series about an African-American teen being diagnosed with hypertention and is advised to live a healthy lifestyle. As a result, they found that 65% of the viewers changes their behavior positively. On the other hand, it can also create false expectations such as leading young girls into believing the falsely perfect partner exists.

As Professor Valente pointed out, "People get their information from entertainment. It's not a magic bullet. It's a small piece of the puzzle, but we'd be silly to ignore its potential."

Lewit, Meghan. "TV Drama Impacts Viewers' Health Behavior." USC News. Web. 19 September 2007. 24 May 2014. No Print Version.

Vitelli, Romeo. "Is There a "Snooki Effect"?. Psychology Today. Web. 28 October 2013. 24 May 2014. No Print Version.