I'm not trying to say that other people always do better work, but can you tell me why two TV dramas, both about the feud between father and son, both focused on a particular industry, both about love relationships, can be so vastly different? Why is one drama more real, more enticing, more memorable and more compelling than the other; its characters meticulously carved out and so real that one does not need exaggerated facial expressions, desperate shouts or pouring tears to be tied to the characters' ups and downs; that one can't wait to see the next episode and will sigh when it has aired its final scene? This is the power of TV drama!

Not all Japanese dramas are so outstanding, but on average they are superior to those repetitive and mundane local productions which have to be improved in many respects, such as the reality of the scenes. For example, Japanese dramas are normally shot on sets which to a degree reflect genuine Japanese culture and society; but what about Hong Kong dramas? They seem to be restricted to 1,000 square foot sets for families, where each member has their own room. This is very misleading; a Taiwanese friend who loved to watch Hong Kong drama told me that at one time he genuinely believed that Hong Kong people lived in large apartments.

Japanese dramas also place much more emphasis on the script. For example, works by writers like Shinji Nojima and Kudo Kankuro are much sought after. But in Hong Kong screenwriters are just part of the TV station's production crew. These stations seldom see the training of writers as a development objective, and often scripting is done in group meetings, then broken down to different teams where each team pens part of the story. Under such an arrangement, it would be amazing if a character's personality remained consistent throughout. With limited creative resources, and as good creativity is not a guarantee of good ratings for a well-established TV company, it's not hard to understand why so many local TV dramas are repetitive in terms of storyline and character design. What’s more, Japan has a vast novel and comic market, with new works being published every week, so producers have plenty to work from.

Or perhaps, the real reason Japanese dramas are better is because there are simply so many different ones to choose from!

By Jan Mak