The situation for TV stations in Japan seems get more serious season after season. Dropping advertising revenues and a rapidly declining number of viewers force them to reduce the costs at all ends and doramas are no exception.
You might have already noticed that this upcoming fall season there are going to be a a couple more sequels than usual with doramas such as "Liar Game 2", "Sono Otoko, Fuku-Shocho 3" or "Koshonin 2". The magazine Shukan Josei now reports that we will continue to see this trend towards sequels of popular older doramas instead of putting a lot of money into new projects and the new sets that would come with them throughout the next seasons.
The most surprising sequel that is already expected to start in January is "Code Blue 2" starring Yamashita Tomohisa. It’s still just a rumor, but there are a lot of sources telling the same information. If this holds to be true, then we would see one of the fastest sequels. After all the original "Code Blue" only aired about 1 year ago. Another trend is to save costs by producing movies based on doramas or the other way around. This upcoming season we have "Real Clothes" as a nice example, but next year we are also going to see a 2nd movie based on the "Koshonin" series and the first one of the "Liar Game" series.
Of course, we still have original projects such as "Tokyo DOGS" starring Oguri Shun, but don’t be surprised to find out that Fuji TV actually saved a lot of money on this one as well. Apparently they are going to put a lot of money into Oguri’s directorial debut that’s going to release next year and in return he had(!) to appear in their Monday-09pm dorama slot, hoping that he could boost up their ratings again. Whether he even had to do it for less money is not known, but it wouldn’t be that surprising anymore. Of course Fuji TV is denying those rumors, "We’ve never heard anything about such a deal. We have a high opinion in the dorama’s content and in Oguri’s abilities as an actor."
Okay so what can we look forward to in 2010? It seems like there will be a lot of sequels, at least if you believe those rumors floating around the backs of those major TV stations. By the way, it’s not just Fuji TV and their "Code Blue" rumor. A "Bloody Monday 2" starring Miura Haruma in 2010 seems to be pretty much a done deal for TBS, too. Another of those really fast sequels. Both of them have been nice doramas with good ratings, so can you really blame the TV stations for playing safe?
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Written by: www.kawaii-joyuu.com
Sources: Shukan Josei and others
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Both of them have been nice doramas with good ratings, so can you really blame the TV stations for playing safe?
Word. XD Code Blue was a proper mix of medical+human+trendy drama, and Bloody Monday was a hip and savvy (although also bloody, pun intended) mixture of youthful kids and adult/mature script. (And when I say adult it is in no way connected to the slightest ecchi tendency). Though of course, the success of sequels would still depend on how different yet same the scripts would be in relation to the first season.
What I’d love to see though would be a sequel of Maou; then again it’d be pointless since both Ohno and Toma’s character have died in the drama. TBS has more conclusive dramas IMHO, not exactly leaving much to be desired to even have a season 2 (which to me leaves me satisfied), while FujiTV is more keen on producing ‘milk it until bleeds dry’ productions. There are pros and cons to each though.
I’d vouch for a BOSS season 2, Ninkyou Helper season 2, a ROOKIES season 2 and a TQS Season 3 that can top the second season.
And the ever-present mange/anime-turned-live-action stories. ^^ Though personally I would like a HanaKimi season 2.
On a side note, anyone up for a Death Note live-action drama? LOLOLOL. XD
Well, I can certainly live with the proposed sequels you mentioned, HP – and with the rumored ones, too. As long as they feature actresses that I like
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And there are quite a few doramas I’d love to see continued.
With that being said, I doubt that it’ll be all sequels (if that were even possible). And I definitely want my “new” doramas like, for example, Aishiteru or Proposal Daisakusen.
Even with many sequels Japanese doramas are still way more interesting than the bland stuff on German TV – at least IMHO.
uhm, I hope that the code blue 2 rumors will became true but I still really prefer on proposal daisakusen 2 or maybe a movie still not satisfied on the SP’s wedding proposal and I’m still holdin on to the fairy’s last words to ken that come to Spain for your wedding I still need a plain ending for my fav drama
More than a sequel tp ProDai I want something, anything from Masami as far as dramas are concerned. I’m getting a tad anxious with no calendar for 2010, no new drama except that Fuji one next year and only Magare: Spoon coming up. Masami doesn’t make any news at all at the moment, and that’s not good, IMHO.
your right I’m really on panic mode right now about masami not yet havin a pictorial of her calendar damn can’t start my year without her calendar:P
I’m reading some blogs these past few days and now she’s being called a johnnys killer WTF! she doesn’t deserve that kind of call.
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