Japanese morning dramas, or asadora, broadcast daily at 8AM from Monday to Saturday on Japan’s national public broadcaster NHK and brings bursts of joy into your life. Asadora series have had amazing viewer ratings since 1961 and it’s definitely not due to luck.
Asadora:
asa (朝) = morning
dora (ドラマ) = dorama/drama(s)
Kodoku no Gurume (The Solitary Gourmet) appeals to the food-lover in all of us. It features food from real-life eateries all over Japan…BUT with a twist.
Other than the restaurants and their food, everything else is made-up—from the people to the stories—and establishes Kodoku‘s format as a Japanese drama. The director and screenwriters even control every movement of the eating scenes!
Why does Kodoku no Gurume take this unique approach to presenting food?
The simple reason: Kodoku is adapted from a manga series.
My take: the fictional set-up showcases food in the best way possible.
What do I mean by that? There’s a certain type of joy that can only come from watching a middle-aged man eat out alone and hearing his thoughts on delicious food.
CCTV New Year’s Gala, generally abbreviated as Chunwan (春晚), is an annual event that millions of people follow and I’m here to explain what it’s all about.
To sum it up: if you mash together an Olympic opening ceremony, Eurovision and whatever’s the most popular reality TV show at the moment—but take out all of the competitive elements—you would get Chunwan.
It’s the world’s most-watched TV program with 4.5 hours of supposedly-entertaining performances and Communist Party propaganda sprinkled in. Google’s top search results for Chunwan will tell you that it’s an integral part of Lunar New Year’s celebrations for the Chinese, but what does the actual viewing experience entail?
Korean cooking show Three Meals a Day has everything you want to see after an exhausting day: Mother Nature, a simple premise, good food, pleasant people and adorable animals. It’s my go-to when I want to unwind—and you should add this show to your life too.
Three Meals a Day (2014 – present) dumps celebrities in a remote rural location to live in a bare-bones house and cook every meal for themselves.
Sound boring, doesn’t it? BUT that ordinariness makes the show great. This Korean variety show doesn’t seek to entertain the audience, it comforts them.
Fans of Chinese, Japanese and Korean TV shows have all come across this problem before: something catches your eye, but you can only watch it through unofficial streaming sites, torrents or livestreams.
If you’re new to digging around for these user-uploaded content and “fansubs”, this is the guide. With a decade of experience under my belt, I’ll share with you where to find those shows that legitimate service providers don’t offer.
Looking for a J-drama your friend told you to watch? Found a clip of a Korean game show on Youtube that you want to find out more about?
Accessing East Asian TV online from overseas is easier than you think. From established streaming platforms to Youtube channels, there’s something for everyone.
Forget about visiting sketchy websites with questionable pop-ups—read this post to find links to user-friendly and legally-operating sites to experience new tv shows virus-free!
East Asian TV 