J-pop in Television

In the entertainment world, it is a known fact that music and television go hand in hand. However, in Japan, the two arts are brought together to form an even tighter bond through the help of Japanese dramas.

What are Japanese dramas?

Japanese dramas, sometimes spelled "doramas," are one of the most popular productions in Japanese television. Like most television shows, dramas span a variety of themes, the most popular being "ren'ai," which are romance dramas. Others include action, comedies, suspense, criminality, and a unique category often referred to as "human drama." This genre features storylines which almost anyone can relate to, and focus on subjects such as school life, work and home, friendship, financial burden and day-to-day difficulties.

Most Japanese dramas are classified as "renzoku" dramas, or "continuing" dramas. Renzoku dramas have storylines that are typically wrapped up in one season, are 11 to 12 episodes long and air once a week. While movie versions and special encore episodes are often made, the story is usually considered completed by the end of the last episode. However, in some cases, a well-received drama will span into a second season. The other popular type of dramas is "tanpatsu" dramas, which are also known as "one-shots." These are commonly two hours in length and the entire storyline is completed in one episode.

For some viewers this is very surprising, as in many western countries, television series span multiple seasons. This is not to say that Japan does not have long lasting drama series, but these dramas tend to be geared towards an older audience and often air all year. Japan features four seasons a year and each are three months. In a season, there are typically fifteen to twenty new dramas and a small handful that are continued series.

Musicians in Dramas

As dramas with short life spans are not a continual commitment, it opens the door for musical artists to demonstrate their many talents even with a busy schedule. It is not unusual for a musician to appear in several dramas in one year. While many will land lead roles in the dramas they participate in, this is not always the case, especially when they are just beginning their career.

Despite their existing stage personas, when most artists step onto a television set, it is hard to discern them from others. They are just as versatile as normal actors, and they adapt well to a multitude of roles and often change genres. However, for a music related drama, it is most common to see musical performers holding the leading roles. In these, the artist’s musical talent is often displayed. Some prime examples of this include "NANA," "Mukodono," "Nodame Cantabile," "Rockers" and "Taiyou no Uta."

The system created between Japanese pop artists and dramas works threefold by allowing fans to see their favorite performers in a new setting, boosting the ratings of the drama and in many cases, expanding the personal career and sales of the performer and the band they may be a part of. With this delicate balance, television viewers of all ages are exposed to both sides of the media and become familiar with not only the faces of their favorite actors, but Japan's rising musical stars.

Promotions are also tied into this efficient structure, as television channels and talent agencies can cash in on the popularity of performers through limited musical units created to promote an upcoming drama. Additionally, it is not unusual for a drama featuring a musical performer to use the music of that artist or band in the same agency for the theme songs. In instances where this occurs, actors often become guests on television talks shows where not only are selections from the drama previewed, but the musician may also be asked to perform.

Do musicians impact viewer ratings?

In many foreign countries, viewer ratings are geared for channels and production staff to analyze the popularity of a show. These ratings can often lead to the removal of programs mid-season and the change of plot lines to attract new watchers. In Japan, the ratings hold a similar importance but take on an entirely new task. Without a proper explanation of how to read the percentage ratings, for many viewers, these ratings can be very hard to interpret. However, once mastered, they become an essential tool to help viewers choose programs.

There are typically three types: Kanto, Kansai, and nationwide. The most commonly published is Kanto, which includes Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures. Each season is broken down into a chart that combines renzoku dramas and dramas that span daily and all year.

The first task for a viewer wanting to read the ratings is to separate the three styles of dramas and narrow down to only the ones they want. From there, a viewer will analyze the average for the series. A normal rating is 15-19%. Most ratings will rarely top 25%, but in some extreme cases, 30% can be found. Dramas below 10% are ones that in most cases aren't worth watching, but there are always exceptions to this. One example is "Kami no Shizuku" with an average rating of 6.1% that began airing in January 2009. Despite its low average the drama stole best actor and best drama at the Winter Grand Prix of 2008-2009.If a series is not completed yet, you can calculate the posted scores by adding together the current scores and dividing it by the number of episodes that have aired. Those with the highest ratings from the season will be the "winners" in terms of popularity. The higher the percentage, the more likely the show is to catch a viewer’s attention for the remainder of the season.

So this brings about a very important question: Do musicians impact viewer ratings?

The simple answer is yes.

Analyzing the ratings from 2005 to 2009 in the Kanto region, ratings in dramas that feature a cast with musicians have a significantly higher percentage of viewers than those that don’t. Additionally, musicians from Johnny’s entertainment also help to boost the ratings, often achieving further elevation in the score. In the 2005 to 2009 time frame, nine seasons of dramas with musical artists held all three top positions in the ratings for renzoku dramas, with another six seasons holding at least one top position.

Entertainment Agencies

While there are dozens of successful and popular talent agencies active today, JaME highlights some of the most prolific agencies that work in both music and television which are leading the way in today’s entertainment in Japan.

To view artists under these companies, click on the agency name to be directed to JaME's list of recognized performers.

AMUSE: One of the best known talent agencies, Amuse was created in 1978, and decades later is thriving with eleven subsidiaries and two affiliates. The company is home to some of Japan’s most popular performers today and welcomes entertainment and business lovers worldwide with its comprehensive English website.

EVER GREEN Entertainment: Established in 2002, EVER GREEN Entertainment participates in music but focuses mainly on television production. Their main talents are female performers of many ages. They only have seven males produced by the growing company.

FLaMme: One of the tinier companies, FLaMme’s logo is "We will shine so bright with FLaMme," and shine they indeed do. Formed in 2000 and representing twelve talented female performers, FLaMme’s popularity is on the rise in the talent business.

HORIPRO: Horipro's vision is "Pioneering new avenues in culture and entertainment that inspire people," and they do just that. Formed in 1960, their success has risen in Japan through business and media avenues, producing dozens of talented people and becoming a valued company in Japan today.

Johnny & Associates: The Johnny's group was created in 1962, starting in music before expanding to television. The company who coined the term "Johnny type" is home to some of Japan's most famous idols and has become one of the country's most prominent talent agencies. To learn more about Johnny & Associates, see our article.

SONY: A household name today, Sony has branched out into nearly every aspect of media, including talent production. Formed jointly by Sony and CBS Records in 1968, the company has branches around the world and has helped create what Japanese entertainment is today.

SUN MUSIC PRODUCTION: Created in 2001, SUN MUSIC primarily produces female artists. However, it is also home to many popular male musical and television performers, including IZAM and Matsuda Satoshi.

Watanabe Productions: Watanabe Productions was formed in 1955 and has expanded to form many subsidiary companies in Japanese media today. Watanabe Productions is best known for the formation of D-Boys, which stands for "drama boys," and is one of the most influential talent agencies in Japan.


JaME’s Spotlight on Celebrated Musician Actors

While this is just a small compilation of the vast amount of artists who dabble in both music and television, JaME is proud to showcase some of today's most popular Japanese performers and those whose achievements have put their fame into entertainment history.

Amuse Group

Miura Haruma: Until his recent lead role in "Bloody Monday," Miura's talent had been somewhat over looked, but he now has the attention of the world. A vocalist for the trio BRASH BRATS, which has gone on hiatus, Miura has been focusing on his acting career and has been featured in several popular dramas, including "Koizora," "Crows Zero II," "Gokusen" and "Binbo Danshi." In 2007, he won best new actor at the 31st Japanese Academy Awards.

EVER GREEN Entertainment

Teppei Koike: Part of the pop duo WaT, Teppei began his acting career in 2002 and subsequently has been regularly featured in male actor popularity rankings. His most notable performance was in the movie "Lovely Complex" which was released in the USA. He has also appeared in "Gokusen 2" and "Waterboys 2." In 2007, Teppei released his first solo works.

FLaMme

Hirosue Ryoko: Beginning her career in acting in 1995 and singing in 1997, Hirosue's talent has flourished, and today she is regarded as one of Japan’s esteemed performers. To date, she has won 12 awards, including best actress and best supporting actress in the Television Drama Academy Awards. Hirosue has been featured in dozens of dramas, including "Summer Snow," "Himitsu," "Tokyo Tower," "Galileo," "Yasuko to Kenji" and "Triangle."

HORIPRO

Fukada Kyoko: Fukada started her career in acting before debuting in music in 1999. She has appeared in 40 dramas since 1997, including "Fighting Girl," "Strawberry on the Shortcake" and "Xmas Nante Daikiai." She was recognized for her talents at the 22nd Television Drama Academy Awards and 18th Television Drama Academy Awards where she won for best supporting actress in "To Heart" and "Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake." Her most recent work includes "Galileo" in 2007.

Tsumabuki Satoshi: The vocalist and bassist for basking lite, Tsumabuki has an extensive acting history which began in 1998 and features popular dramas such as "Lunch Queen,""69," "Ikebukuro West Gate Park," and "Kisarazu Cats Eye." He was awarded best actor in "Blackjack ni Yoroshiku" at the 37th Television Drama Academy Awards, and again at the 41st for his performance in "Orange Days."

Johnny & Associates

Akanishi Jin: One of the lead vocalists for the J-pop sensation KAT-TUN, Akanishi proved his talent in 2007 when he won the award for best actor at the 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for his leading role in the action drama, "Yukan Club." He has since held lead roles in almost all of the dramas he has appeared in, including "Anego," "Xmas Nante Daikirai" and "Gokusen."

Domoto Koichi: One of the KinKi Kid "brothers," Koichi began his acting career in 1994 with "Ningen Shikkaku." In 2003 he won best supporting actor in "Remote" at both the 6th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix and the 35th Television Drama Academy Awards. Juggling acting with singing, Koichi has starred in nearly twenty dramas, including "Mukodono 2003," "Sushi Oji!" and "To Heart."

Domoto Tsuyoshi: Also from KinKi Kids, Tsuyoshi began acting in 1994 with Koichi in "Ningen Shikkaku," where he won best newcomer at the 2nd Television Drama Academy Awards. He has been featured in a wide variety of dramas since then, including "mukodono 2003" and "Second Chance." In 1998, he won awards for best actor in "To Heart" and "Ao no Jidai," and by 2000, he captured the award again for his role in "Summer Snow."

Kamenashi Kazuya: As the second lead vocalist for KAT-TUN, Kamenashi got a head start on his acting career, which began in 1999, and has been flourishing ever since. He won two awards for his 2004 performance in "Gokusen" including best supporting actor, and in 2005 he won best actor at the 47th Television Drama Academy Awards for his leading role in "Nobuta wo Produce." Some of Kamenashi's recent performances include "Tatta Hitotsu no Koi" and "One Pound Gospel." At the Winter Grand Prix Kamenashi won best actor for his part in the drama “Kami ni Shizuku.”

Katori Shingo: Also known as Shingo Mama, Katori is a member of SMAP. His first roles included hits such as "Hito ni Yasashiku," and he has continued on to dramas such as "Galileo" and "Star no Koi." In 2005, Katori landed best actor for "Shinsengumi" at both the 43rd Television Drama Academy Awards and the 8th Nikkan Sports Drama Awards. His most recent drama "Robe no Taiyou" will air in 2009.

Kimura Takuya: Despite his busy life with SMAP, Kimura began acting in 1990 and has proved his talent in television through nearly forty drama appearances. In his career he has won 17 awards, starting with best actor for "Long Vacation" in 1996. He did not stop there, landing two awards for best actor in "Love Generation." Since 1998, he has won best actor at the Television Drama Academy Awards five times with dramas such as "Beautiful Life," "Hero" and "Nemureru Mori." In 2007, he won the 2nd Seoul Drama Awards for best actor in "Karei Naru Ichizoku." His most recent award came in 2008 for his role in "CHANGE."

Matsumoto Jun: Best known for his role in "Hana Yori Dango," Matsumoto of Arashi handles both of his entertainment careers well, never straying too far from either scene. He's held many lead roles, including "Gokusen," for which he won best supporting actor in 2002, "Kimi wa petto" and "Bambino!," which landed him best actor in 2007. His popularity in "Hana Yori Dango" did not go unnoticed as he won best supporting actor for each season in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

Ninomiya Kazunari: Ninomiya's acting career took off after winning the award for best actor in "STAND UP!" Juggling his career with Arashi, he has held lead roles in several dramas, including "Ryuusei no Kizuna," for which he won two awards for best actor in 2008. Between 2004 and 2007 he won five awards for best supporting actor and lead role and has appeared in other dramas such as "Chichiue-sama," "Yamada Taro Monogatari," "Yasashii Jikan," and "Maou."

Nishikido Ryo: Nishikido began his career less than five years ago but has blossomed in that time, winning a handful of awards, from best supporting actor to best newcomer. His impressive main roles in "Last Friends," "Ryusei no Kizuna" and "One Litre of Tears" shows the variety in his skills and as a result, this member of NEWS is one that everyone currently has their eyes on, watching for what he will do next.

Taguchi Junnosuke: Still fairly new to acting, Taguchi of KAT-TUN has shown the world his talent and stole the award for best supporting actor in the comedy "Yukan Club" during the 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix. He has since acted in "Hanayome to Pama" and "Ganbatte Ikimasshoi."

Takizawa Hideaki: Beginning his career in 1995, Takizawa from the famous group Tackey & Tsubasa has been featured in dramas each year since his debut. He has been recognized at both the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix and the Television Drama Academy Awards on five occasions for best actor and best supporting actor in dramas such as "Taiyou wa Shizumanai," "Antique" and "Yoshitsune." Takizawa’s most recent roles include "Yukinojo Henge" and "Kokuchi Sezu," which aired in 2008.

Tanaka Koki: While Tanaka began acting in 2000 with "Tenshi ga Kieta Machi," it wasn't until 2006 that his career took off, with most of his time devoted to KAT-TUN. That same year he won the award for best supporting actor in "My Boss, My Hero" at the 50th Television Drama Academy Awards. He has since been in several dramas such as "Tatta Hitotsu no Koi," "Neverland" and "Tokkyu Tanaka San Go," in which he held a leading role.

Tomoya Nagase: Tomoya has proved himself not only as a skilled musician from TOKIO but as an actor. In 2001, he was awarded for best actor in the rock-star comedy drama "Mukodono!" and he went on in the next three years to win best new actor for "Seoul” and “Tiger & Dragon" at the 45th Television Drama Academy Awards and the Nikkan Sports Film Awards. Tomoya has held lead roles in many other successful dramas, including "Ikebukuro West Gate Park" and "My Boss, My Hero."

Yamada Ryosuke: While still a very young performer, Yamada of Hey!Say!JUMP is rapidly moving up the drama chain. In both 2007 and 2008 he was voted most popular actor and has been in a variety of dramas, including "One Pound Gospel," "Scrap Teacher" and "Sensei wa Erai."

Yamashita Tomohisa: Also known as Yamapi, the leader for NEWS quickly rose to fame in the drama world after winning best newcomer for his role in "Ikebukuro West Gate Park" just two years after his debut. His popularity continued to grow and by 2005, Yamashita won best actor for "Nobuta wo Produce," the series in which he debuted the promotional band Shuji to Akira with Kamenashi Kazuya of KAT-TUN. By 2007, he again won best actor for his role in the love comedy "Proposal Daisakusen." Yamashita's most recent leading roles were in the dramas "Code Blue" and "Kurosagi," the latter of which featured music from his only solo single.

SONY MUSIC

Nakashima Mika: Exploding in popularity in recent years, Nakashima's talent shone in her leading roles in "NANA" and "NANA 2," where she won the award for best newcomer at the 29th Japan Academy Awards in 2006. Since then, she has performed in "Kizudarake no Love Song" and most recently, "Ryusei no Kizuna."

Sun Music Production

Tsukamoto Takashi: With his career beginning in 1997, Tsukamoto has been in nearly eighty dramas since his start. He began a career as a solo musician in 2003, producing an album and several singles since then. Some of his most notable work include his roles in "Taiyou no Uta," "Battle Royale," "Kisarazu Cats Eye," "Tokkyu Tanaka San Go" and "STAND UP!"

Watanabe Productions

Seto Koji: A young actor who is quickly gaining recognition, Seto launched his career in 2005 and was highly acclaimed for his recent performance in the 2008 drama "Koizora," in which he performed Bump of Chicken's song Namida no Furusato. Holding a leading role in the drama "Kamen Rider," Seto is the vocalist for the drama's promotional rock band, TETRA-FANG. While still new to his acting career, Seto has appeared in "Rocket Boys" and "Happy Boys" and will be in "Atashinchi no Danshi," airing in 2009.

Miscellaneous Artists

HYDE: Vocalist of the popular band L'Arc~en~Ciel, HYDE has focused mostly on his music career but has appeared on the big screen twice. He co-starred in "Moon Child" with Gackt and held a leading role in "Kagen no Tsuki: Last Quarter."

Gackt: One of the best known J-pop artists in the world, Gackt has amazed audiences through music, television and film. He has appeared in two dramas and starred in the movie "Moon Child," which he wrote. His most recent appearance in film is in the Hollywood movie "Bunraku," scheduled to hit the big screen in summer 2009.

Takahiro Nishikawa: One of many vocalists from the J-pop band AAA, Takahiro has participated in the television industry only a few times, but was well received by fans around the world. Some of his most notable performances include "Ghost Friends," "Mirai Seiki Shakespeare" and "Delicious Gakuin." He also appeared in the movie "Ai no Mukidashi."

Takanori Nishikawa: Takanori, also known as T.M. Revolution, is a popular J-pop solo artist who has appeared in various dramas throughout his career. One of his best-known performances was in the Japanese production of "Little Shop of Horrors." He has also appeared in the drama "Beautiful Life" and "Corazon de Melon," as well as in musicals.

Tamaki Hiroshi: A popular solo artist with AVEX, Tamaki's career began in the early 90's, but he did not receive recognition until recent years, winning his first award in 2008 for the drama "Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi." Best known for his leading role in the music comedy "Nodame Cantabile," Tamaki has appeared in other dramas such as "Waterboys," "Rockers," "Aoi Haru" and "Great Teacher Onizuka." His most recent role was in the drama "Love Shuffle," which began airing in January 2009.

Tsuchiya Anna: A popular solo artist, Tsuchiya made her acting debut with "Kamikaze Girls" in 2004, which was later released in America by Viz Video. She has been featured in other movies that were released both in America and Japan such as "The Taste of Tea," "Sakuran" and "Dororo." In 2004, she won best new actress at the Kinema Junpo, Mainichi Film and Houchi Film awards. Within a year, she was back at the ceremonies, having won best new actress at the 26th Yokohama Film Festival and the 28th Japan Academy Prize.