Romancing the everyday : Hong Kong women watching Japanese dorama
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Japanese Studies
Publication Date
2002
Volume
22
Issue
1
First Page
65
Last Page
75
Publisher
Carfax Publishing
Abstract
The reception of Japanese romance dorama across Asian cultures opens up a transnational dimension in this dynamic. Japanese TV dramas first appeared on Hong Kong television at the beginning of 1997 and had an immediate and overwhelming impact on audiences, soon becoming a much-debated cultural phenomenon. Among the varied narrative genres they involve, romance stories are the most frequent, and by far the most popular with Hong Kong audiences. Much of this popularity has to do with the fact that the heroes and heroines of the dramas are mostly played by young male ‘idols’ of Japanese pop music. As a result, the popularity of Japanese romance dramas has by far eclipsed that of local productions. While one might assume that the majority of their audiences is made up of teenage girls, the fans of these romance dramas come from a wide range of age groups, from 14 to over 40, and include males as well as females.
DOI
10.1080/103713902201436750
Print ISSN
10371397
E-ISSN
14699338
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2002 Japanese Studies Association of Australia. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Leung, L. Y. M. (2002). Romancing the everyday: Hong Kong women watching Japanese dorama. Japanese Studies, 22(1), 65-75. doi: 10.1080/103713902201436750