BY MAC BRYAN N. BAUTISTA
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 13 May 6- 12, 2007
Filipino fans around the country are now going crazy over Asianovelas – a local colloquial term used to describe drama series imported from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of Asia. However, among the countries mentioned, the ones that come from Japan are quite in demand lately.
As this newfound form of entertainment continue to flourish, many otakus (Japanese animé and culture fans) find that dubbing these series, especially Japanese shows such as Gokusen, GTO, and Hana Yori Dango will alter what the actors are really saying in the scenes. They therefore resorted to buying subtitled versions of the said series. They would even surf the Net to view either the real version via video-sharing networks like YouTube, or just read the original scans of their manga (Japanese comics) counterparts. But what exactly are these shows anyway? And why is it that many fans are fascinated to watch them?
These shows are actually called by otakus as “Live Action Series” or popular Japanese shows that are based on original stories from the manga versions and altered depending on the storyline created by the production staff of the shows or originally made with a touch of animé feeling. There are other live action series that were created entirely out of the imagination of the crew, thus producing another set of series known as tokusatsu, super sentai and J-Dorama series.
The live action series is based on the original manga works by different companies and is meant to relive what is in the said comics to give it more life. Commonly, a manga-based live action series focuses on the manga containing the normal, everyday actions of different people, ranging from the busy life of a high school student to the things that a teacher can do for his or her students. Some live action shows, due to public demand, are based on manga versions with a fantasy theme like the hit movies Deathnote and Deathnote: The Last Name.
An example of a manga-based live action series is Gokusen (Extreme Teacher) – a story of a Yakuza princess named Kumiko Yamaguchi who became a high-school mathematics teacher. Her grandfather allowed her to do so in order for Kumiko to live a normal life. As a teacher, she was given her advisory class (Section 3-D) of Shirokin High School. This section, according to the faculty of the said school, is the most notorious among all of the sections. This did not hinder Kumiko (or Yankumi as called by her students) from doing her duties. As the days progressed, she made a strong bond with her students, and vice versa, to the point where she would do the most drastic of ways, and the most encouraging of words, for them to graduate. The live action series promotes the values of loyalty, trust, friendship and the courage to do what is right.
Super sentai
With regard to super sentai (pronounced as “supa sentai” or super task force), this live action series has been running for over 30 years now with its roots going back to 1975 with the birth of Himitsu Sentai GoRangers (Secret Task Force GoRangers). This live action series is about the world in danger of alien invasion, and only a group of people can save it – usually color coded from their sentai costumes to their standard uniforms. Basically, this was highly popularized by the shows Maskman, Jetman, Bioman, Goggle V, and Turborangers.
The sentai series released after Jetman like Zyurangers, Dairangers, and Kakurangers had American versions like the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. In 2006, the sentai franchise released the 30th anniversary sentai titled Gougou Sentai Boukenger (Rumbling Task Force Boukenger). Like any other superhero stories, the super sentai series focuses on saving the entire world from utter destruction, with the help of huge robots, state-of-the-art arsenal and facilities which cannot be complete without a supervising chief or two.
Tokusatsu
On the other hand, the tokusatsu series is much like the super sentai series. The difference is that the main character works alone, or with a little help from a partner or some unknown person with more or less the same fighting capabilities and or powers as that of the main hero. Who could forget the adventures of Shaider and Annie, Janperson and Ken Gibson, Jiban, Machine Man, Koseidon, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider?
Like the super sentai series, these men are equipped with powerful, futuristic weapons and facilities, special abilities and senses which surpass that of a normal human being, and are then given the task of protecting the world from supernatural beings – may it be from the world within, or from the outside invaders.
J-Dorama
The most common form of live-action series is the J-Dorama (Japanese Drama). This is similar to the local television primetime drama we watch at home like Mula sa Puso (From the Heart), Asian Treasures, and Pangako sa ‘Yo (Promise to You). There is the usual love story with conflicts between two lovers, the heroine against the leading man’s whole family, and other themes that could get the viewers’ attention.
We asked a couple of people about their insights about watching this kind of entertainment. Buyers from a popular animé shop in SM North EDSA said that they buy live-action discs with subtitles since they can better understand the story through the subtitles instead of depending on the translations provided by the television station that airs the imported shows. Another comment from a buyer who requested anonymity was that “by watching them in their original language, you can learn to speak their language.”
Japanese live action series has made a huge and overwhelming impact not just on the animé community but on Filipino culture. Other than being a new and exciting way of entertainment, subtitled versions greatly help in teaching its viewers how to speak another language. The drama, action, adventure and the comic relief that these shows have will be remembered in the years to come. (Bulatlat.com)
