Characters Suffer from Amnesia in April Drama 5 Works with Overlapping Settings Shows Circumstances of Industry and Viewers Respectively

In this April season, there were five dramas broadcasted where characters suffer from amnesia, which has become a concern in the drama industry.

“Due to the establishment of catch-up streaming, dramas have become easily monetizable content, and it’s well known that broadcast slots have increased. However, due to budget and direction constraints, inevitably, there tends to be overlap in safe settings,” stated a key network producer.

In the July season, dramas such as “The Beginning of the Sea” (Fuji TV) starring Meguro Ren (27) of Snow Man and “Saionji-san wa Kaji wo Shinai” (TBS) featuring Matsumura Hokuto (29) of SixTONES, both share the setting of being single fathers.

“‘Saionji-san wa Kaji wo Shinai’ is based on a popular manga of the same name, making it difficult to change the setting. However, ‘The Beginning of the Sea’ has an original script. It should have been possible to create innovative settings, but in the drama industry, you need to persuade sponsors and upper management at the network for a project to be approved. Consequently, dramas often end up with familiar, safe settings that seem somewhat derivative,” explained a production company director.

A senior entertainment industry executive says that terrestrial TV dramas being produced with casting as a priority is also one of the reasons for overlapping settings.

“Lately, gathering sponsors has also become difficult. It’s important to cast actors who appear in commercials of companies sponsoring the broadcast slots, or to secure popular actors who can guarantee ratings. Often, after deciding on the actors, there are many cases where they search for original works that suit them or commission original scripts. When using actors from commercials, there are restrictions on direction due to contracts with sponsors. Therefore, dramas inevitably end up with safe settings like romance or occupational themes.”

The aforementioned key network producer sees recent changes in viewing habits as exacerbating the issue of overlapping settings.

“There has been an increase in viewers who decide whether to watch within the first ten minutes. As a result, even talented actors without much fame or stories with slow developments are often dismissed. Therefore, casts tend to look similar, and straightforward settings like amnesia are highly valued.”

In the case of “Sexy Tanaka-san,” based on the manga of the same name (NTV), there was a significant issue when the author’s intentions were disregarded during its adaptation into a drama. The producer warns, “The same tragedy could happen again.”

“Terrestrial TV dramas often rely on ‘casual viewing’ scenarios, such as watching while preparing dinner, where flamboyance or clarity is necessary to capture attention. Scenes that may hold significant meaning in the original work can be cut or treated hastily if they are quiet or lack movement. In the future, hasty adaptations of original works are likely to continue.”

“The issue of overlapping settings also troubles talent agencies,” lamented the aforementioned entertainment industry executive.

“During the offer stage, only a rough plot is typically decided, and details about the setting are often learned just before filming begins. It’s not uncommon to discover overlapping settings between actors from the same agency once production starts.”

Ceasing slapdash productions could ultimately save the industry, it seems.

From theJuly5 and 12, 2024 issues of FRIDAY