LJ ranting, Itoshi Kimi e, Yukan Club, KAT-TUN & Kame, random photographs

[winterspel]

Ordinarily I like to take care of housekeeping first before I post, but I've realized that it's probably going to take me a lot longer to sort out my tags issue, so I might as well just post and tags be damned for the time being.

Comments

[ginzarhapsody]

I had the exact same reaction to Yuukan Club. So many problems with Mike He playing an Arabian Pprince. And the "stereotypes" get worse. But the plot still manages to have fun in the end. :)

[winterspel]

I had the exact same reaction to Yuukan Club.

You're like my drama-taste twin! :D I kept thinking, why does he have to be an Arab prince? Couldn't they have invented some Asian state that doesn't have vending machines or noodle stands and lacks civil liberties? Either that, or avoid stunt casting Mike He and actually hire someone who could actually pass for an Arab prince!

Of course, I complain about similar things in Western television, too.

But the plot still manages to have fun in the end. :)

Which is why I am definitely looking forward to the conclusion - somehow, they've managed to pull it off thus far...

ETA: by any chance do you have any insight to offer for concerns with Itoshi Kimi e? I had hoped you, in particular, might be able to enlighten me if there's something I'm missing in Japanese culture.

[ginzarhapsody]

I don't really think you were missing anything from your understanding of Itoshi Kimi e really. The idea of obligations is quite important.

However, there is the idea that once a woman marries, she usually quits whatever job she is doing anyway to become the devoted housewife. There is a saying in Japanese, "ryousai kenbo", which means "good wife and wise mother", thus emphasizing the domestic role of the woman. So a woman having to choose between the outside world and work and the domestric life and family when she marries is understood as normal. So everyone telling Shiki that she'd have to quit being a doctor to take care of Shunsuke is partly them saying, "Once you marry him, his household is your life." Maybe this is what you were looking for in terms of cultural explanation?

[winterspel]

I'm familiar with both: the idea of obligations, and also the idea that a woman would not work once she marries and would devote herself to her household/family. The reason this bothered me is because the reasoning for her quitting as a doctor is consistently tied to his illness (because he will need so much help), not to them marrying

[ginzarhapsody]

it seems rather pointless for a woman to spend all that time and effort (not to mention money) on becoming a doctor when society expect you to stop being a doctor once you marry, and ideally you're supposed to marry before you turn 30. It seems like a huge waste - and from what I've read lately, it's a waste that Japan can't really afford when they actually need qualified employees as the population increasingly retires.I think you've hit it on the head - the collision between the traditional values and the needs of the modern today. But since this is a romance drama and not social commentary, it doesn't really go too far into it

[ina]

I think I don't have that many problems with it, since Junno is playing a half Swedish guy with a so non-Swedish name and the prince storyline is a least an original Yukan Club manga plot.

In general I have to say that I find the foreign stereotypes in Hana Yori Dango worse, since in Yukan Club the stereotypes are at least equally spread over the whole cast (hello, what kind of police and school principals are that?) and the whole drama is so absurd that it just doesn't have a grounding in reality. Hana Yori Dango has the silly stuff too, but is by far not that absurd.

[ginzarhapsody]

You make a great point about the stereotypes ina!

I think if anything, I was more tolerating of the foreign stereotypes in Hana Yori Dango (ultimately just American ones) because I'm American. And so that clouded my viewing of it. But at least, Americans were playing Americans in that case. In Yuukan Club, while Junno's playing a character that is a quarter-Swedish, he's still Japanese and was raised Japanese and so for Junno to be playing him is not so terrible. But Mike He is Taiwanese playing an Arabian prince. I feel like the stretch is too great and the only common factor between Mike He and his character are that they are both foreigners. But if anything, it's probably much easier to take Yuukan Club lightly over Hana Yori Dango and perhaps more acceptable that Yuukan Club plays ridiculously with the stereotypes.

[ina]

I don't like foreign stereotypes either and I was apprehensive about the episode before I watched it, but it didn't really bother me. Which did surprise me a bit, so that's the explanation that makes sense for me.
And since they made his kingdom up anyway I can live with a Taiwanese playing him. Here is the summary of chapter 13 btw, which is the storyline from episode 7 and they seem to have followed that quite a bit. (for chapters 12 and 14 as well, so a spoiler warning might be needed). I also think the manga is showing its age and since they followed that, I don't think the drama can be blamed for the faults of the manga.

But I think I would be less tolerant of a German stereotype, I only watched episode one of Nodame, but found the character Stresemann terrible. So I am surprised you are more tolerant of American ones.

[winterspel]

Your point about the drama following the manga is a good one, so I can make allowances for that (although a good writer could have maybe updated the plot point?). :)

[acchikocchi]

Darting in quickly - as far as American stereotypes go, what about the common occurence of hiring any non-Asian actor or actress to play Americans, or at least English speakers? So many times the actor is clearly of European or other descent, yet apparently anyone with pale skin is American. I know many times Japanese assume that if you look Caucasian you speak English, but I could go on for ages about that one... *g* The point is, obviously the discrepancy between a Taiwanese actor and an Arab prince more immediately noticeable to us, but is it really <>that much better than casting a Russian actress, say, as an American heiress

[ginzarhapsody]

I know many times Japanese assume that if you look Caucasian you speak English, but I could go on for ages about that one... *g*

Once, I was attacked by a middle!aged!sarariiman in Shibuya because he wanted me to speak English to him. And I'm not Caucasian. I dunno. I just felt like sharing that. *giggle*

Hana Yori Dango 2 didn't miscast Americans because they actually USED Americans when they were in New York, but they did "hype up" some stereotypes.

I agree with your points about how Japanese dramas tend to miscast Americans as well, but I think I had qualms with Mike He because well, he's MIKE HE. He's a huge star in Taiwan and stuffs (and I don't know about his fanbase in Japan, but I'm sure he has one) and so it was like, "OOH! BIG STAR! Let's stick him HERE!" as it always tends to be with Johnny's. ;) So like you pointed out, the fact that perhaps a little less thought than should have gone into the casting process added onto the ridiculousness of it all, bothered me. But I still liked the episode for Jingrish. :D :D

[acchikocchi]

Hee! Despite standing out about as much as I possibly could (red hair, very pale skin), I have to say random approaches didn't happen much in Nagasaki! I guess they're shyer in the country. ;D I got all the little kids saying "Haro," though. *g*

Anyway, just wanted to clear one more thing up! I hope I didn't sound like I was huffy over other nationalities portraying Americans and, I don't know, getting it wrong or something - I was thinking of more of how irritating it might be for people from other countries, actors or otherwise, to be constantly pushed in the American/English speaker pinhole regardless of where they are from. I mean, if for example one was a French visitor to Japan who spoke excellent Japanese and so-so English, how frustrating it must be to be constantly approached in English.

Of course I adored the Jingrish. His West Coast accent! *giggles* Oh, Jin! ♥

[ginzarhapsody]

I hope I didn't sound like I was huffy over other nationalities portraying Americans and, I don't know, getting it wrong or something - I was thinking of more of how irritating it might be for people from other countries, actors or otherwise, to be constantly pushed in the American/English speaker pinhole regardless of where they are from.

No, you're totally right. That WOULD suck. I mean, it's bad enough that some Japanese will refuse to talk to you in Japanese despite your ability to communicate it. The conversations get all gocha gocha and it's just weird. o.o

AND YES. <3 It sort made me stupidly proud that he managed to adopt the Southern Californian accent. Despite being from Northern California myself. *giggle*