NEO-TOKYO 2099
J!-ENT: Search the Dorama Database

NEO-TOKO 2099

J!-ENT: Celebrity Database

J!-ENT: Asunaro Karaoke Center


Long Vacation Dedication Page

Ongaku Cafe
Romantic Interlude - Web Drama

J!-ENT Radio



Nihon TV Stations
Fuji TV

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)

Nihon TV (NTV)

Television Asahi

TV TOKYO

NHK

KIKU TV

FUJI-TV

The International Channel
Dorama Related

Video Research Ltd.

J!-ENT DORAMA FAQ

J!-ENT Dorama Database Banners


J-ENT ML

Japanese Video Rental Stores

The Dorama ML

Why are Japanese dramas no longer subtitled in mainland USA?


JAPANESE DRAMA SITES

jdorama.com (English)
TV−DB (Japanese)

Dorama Fan Links

The Dorama ML

The Directory of Japanese Dorama Synopsis

Chip's Drama no Sekai

CJ Morikai's Japanese Dorama Page

Dorama BBS


DORAMATALK!

Pan'Dorama

The Japanese Dorama Lyrics Page

Japanese Dorama Trading Club Page

KIKU TV Message Board
KimuraMatsu Dorama Zone

Kira Kira Cafe

The New Japanese Drama Trading Club

Snowy's Japanese Drama Page

Terebi Dorama Database

JoJo's Japanese Drama Page

 

Click here to enter the Japanese Dorama Database

NOTE: We do not sell Japanese dramas,
nor are we distributors of Japanese dramas
.



Welcome to the J!-ENT Japanese Dorama Database.  The first English Japanese dorama database which was first created on Neo-Tokyo BBS in 1993 and extended to the Web in 1998.  The database is a collection of Japanese doramas which members of THE SPY! CREW and many fans of Japanese dramas have submitted over the years.  The majority of the dramas featured are "trendy" dramas which feature today's top actors and actresses and are on the main stations excluding NHK.  We apologize for not carrying NHK doramas but those tend to last more than 12 episodes per dorama. [Note: We use the Japanese phonetic and most common word "dorama" to describe Japanese doramas"]


NOTE: For over a decade, it has been a pleasure to give Japanese drama fans information they needed on the trendy dramas of Japan. But what worked well in the '90s and the early 2000's was fine for that time and since then, there have been others who have created their own drama databases.

J!-ENT has been a fan of the site jdorama.com since its beginning and from here on in, we recommend all J-drama fans to please support their site as they are the best Japanese drama site online.

We thank everyone for their support way back when we started and for many years after. We will continue to leave this site open, mainly for nostalgia and for those seeking info. for older dramas. Thanks again for supporting the J!-ENT Dorama Database and our website, J!-EN & NEO-TOKYO 2099.

   Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind
Please type in the Celebrity Name or the Dorama Name
 

  Site search Web search

There have been several books covering Japanese pop culture from films to Japanese dramas but I've found one book that literally I just didn't want to put down. "The Couch Potato's Guide to Japan" by Wm. Penn is the book that followers of Japanese entertainment have to read because it's full of information and tidbits of Japanese television which I didn't know about. Many people know Wm. Penn's work from her "televiews" columns for the Daily Yomiuri and pretty much bought a television in 1982 in Japan and what do you know, started writing about what's on television since 1987. What I enjoyed about this book the most is the connection it makes to the Japanese entertainment fan. For those in the United States or outside of Japan who have followed Japanese dramas, the variety shows, comedy shows, news shows really will get into this book.
Those little things we think about when we watch Japanese television, Wm. Penn does a good job covering them. Plot devices such as food. For example, in chapter 2 titled "Japanese TV Sociology 101", she talks about the importance of food in Japanese culture and how symbolic it is on television. She uses dramas as examples such as the 1996 series "Hakusen Nagashi" in a part of series when character, Sonoko is making obento for Wataru and his jealous ex-girlfriend confiscates the obento and destroys it. Another example is the drama "Campus Note" where Haruka (Uchida Yuki) attracted to a student who needs to pass a bar exam to become a lawyer decides not to bother him during his studies but her rival always visits him with a carefully wrapped obento. Who succeeds in getting the male student's attention? The book is not entirely about Japanese dramas, Wm. Penn also covers variety shows featuring comedians that many of us know about and enjoyed watching. From learning about Tamori-san (who we watch on "Waratte Itomo" or on "Music Station"). How she felt about Ninety Nine's "Mecha Mecha Ikitteru". There is also a chapter on news shows, variety shows and explaining shows like "Denpa Shonen" when duo Saruganseki, Drones and others did that hitchiking segment and my all time favorite feature on Denpa Shonen featuring Nasubi. Also, explaining who Monta Mino, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and Hiroshi Sekiguchi are. Wm. Penn also goes into Johnny's Jimuosho and Hello! Project talent such as SMAP and Morning Musume. Also chapters on Wide shows, TV Tourism, cooking shows and so much more. Also articles on American shows that did or didn't do well in Japan and reality shows like "Survivor" which didn't do so well in Japan. The final chapter goes into Websites and magazines to check out if you are into Japanese television and this book offers so much more. For those who are expecting negatives, I think there are a people who may be bummed that there are no photos in this book (and she goes into explaining that) and to tell you the truth, it doesn't really detract from reading the book because the book is truly fun to read.
There is no book like it (in English) that goes into Japanese entertainment like Wm. Penn does. This book is all about Televiews and Wm. Penn's observations of Japanese television that many of us Japanese entertainment fans will definitely understand. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend all Japanese entertainment fans to check this book out!


Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Stonebridge Press

This is the book that Japanese drama fans have been waiting for. As a fan and also a creator of the online J!-ENT Japanese Dorama Database, it is a real pleasure to see a book not only covering Japanese drama but also sentai and including anime references for the anime fans who have discovered Japanese dramas. Within the last five years, there has been a significant Japanese dorama boom in many countries thanks to the growing popularity of anime, Japanese music and Japanese/Asian entertainment. Although Japanese drama is not readily available as Japanese animation or Asian cinema on DVD, there is a growing fandom for dramas thanks to the International channels, Japanese rental stores, fan-trading/subbing, BT and VCD's. What I like about this book is that it has something for everyone. For fans looking for information on trendy Japanese dramas, the very long duration NHK and TBS dramas (especially those samurai/historical dramas), sentai and of course, dramas within the last fifty years, I was very impressed how the authors handled and included them in this book. What I worried about the most was the translation or the titles that would be used for the drama because what other countries have used as their English title for a Japanese drama has nothing to do with the translated title and thus, I was happy by the way this book handled that. One thing that also impressed me is the author and Stone Book Press's dedication to update the encyclopedia (there are dramas missing and a few errors but they are not as numerous and can be fixed in the next version especially with the input from readers). For a freshman book, it actually surpassed what I was expecting and I highly recommend the purchase of this book. So, may you be the trendy drama fan like me or the fan who just watched the live version of GTO or You're Under Arrest and are hooked and want more! This book is THE ONLY SOURCE that you will find this much information on Japanese dramas.-KNDY

Why Japanese dramas?

Japanese dramas or what fans like to use, the romanization: dorama.  Nihon dramas are far from the typical soap operas that you see on television in the US.  These are not permanent series that last for decades.  They tend to be 12-episodes and are the prime time episodes at night in Japan.  The stories are so riveting, many are well written that it will captivate your attention, it will win you over and convert you to a Japanese drama fan.  

Where do I get Japanese dramas?

The majority of the people in the United States and Canada view Japanese dramas in four ways. For hardcore drama fans who want to see the latest Japanese dramas they go to a Japanese video rental store which offers two episodes per tape. Usually, the viewer is three weeks behind in Japan since Hobankyou (the company formed by many Japanese TV stations to keep a close eye on Japanese video rental stores) and the stores have two episodes per tape. The second way is through the International channels on television. Some stations such as Hawaii and Los Angeles continue to have Japanese dramas in English subtitles but more and more stations are getting rid of the subtitles. The majority of these dramas are aired on the weekend. The third way is through trading with Japanese drama fans. The fourth way (which is how many East Asian viewers watch Japanese dramas) is via VCD. They are in Japanese with Chinese subtitles. The fifth way is a more expensive alternative but that's actually purchasing the Japanese video for sale.

The Challenges

As Japanese dramas are gaining in popularity, there have been obstacles on the roads in accessing Japanese dramas with the cancellation of subtitles on Japanese dramas and the Hobankyou situation, but as the genre starts to gain in popularity, we can only predict that big things are going to happen and all we can ask is get your friends tuned in to the passion that many of you love, Japanese dramas.

Japanese Dorama Questionnaire

At Neo-Tokyo 2099, we would like to see original Japanese drama releases outside of Japan in subtitled format may they be in two-episode VHS tapes or a four episode or more DVD release.  But the only way we can figure out if this is possible is by your help.  We need you to fill out the Japanese drama questionnaire and submit them to us.  Anime and sentai shows are not the only Japanese shows that are taking fans by storm, J-ENT specifically Japanese dramas are as well.  We hope one day the Japanese TV networks will realize that there is a market and many people outside of Japan would love to purchase a popular Japanese drama - subtitled and in very good video quality.  We'll see...

 

 
THIS SEASON'S JAPANESE DRAMA WEBSITES

* Click here for this season's FUJI TV dramas.

* Click here for this season's TBS dramas.

* Click here for this season's NTV dramas. Click here for YTV related.

* Click here for TV ASAHI programming.

* Click here for the latest NHK dramas.

THE SPY! CREW'S TOP TRENDY DRAMAS OF ALL TIME

1.  Tokyo Love Story (1991)
2.  Long Vacation (1996)
3.  Saikou no Kataomoi (1996)
4.  Asunaro Hakusho (1994)
5.  With Love (1998)
6.  Kori-no Sekai (1999)
7.  For You (1996)
8.  Hitotsu Yane no Shita (1993)
9.  Nemureru Mori (1997)
10.  Hakusen Nagashi (1996)
(tie) Futari (1997)

THE SPY! CREW'S TOP DARK DRAMAS OF ALL TIME

1.  Kono Yo No Hate / OUT
2.  Kou Kou Kyoushi / Seija no Kohnsin (1998)
3.  Akuma no Kiss (1993) / Eien no Ko (2000) / Ring (1999)
4.  Wakamono no Subete (1995) / Nemureru Mori (1998) / Wakaba no Koro (1996)
5.  Cheap Love (1999) / Hoshi no Kinka (1995)

THE SPY! CREW'S TOP DEPRESSING DORAMAS OF ALL TIME

1.  Tokyo Love Story
2.  PURE
3.  Futari
4.  Beautiful Life

THE SPY! CREW'S WORST DORAMA PICKS OF ALL TIME

1.  Stalker no Sasou Onna
2.  Kyousokyoku
3.  Ryakudatsu Ai * Abunai Onna
4.  Garasu no Kutsu
THE TELEVISION MAGAZINE MOST MEMORABLE DORAMAS OF ALL TIME POLL (12/00)
1.  Tokyo Love Story
2.  Long Vacation
3.  Beautiful Life
4.  3-Nen B-Gumi Kinpachi Sensei
5. Hitotsu Yane no Shita
6. Odoru Daisousassen
7. (tie) 101 Kai me no Propose & Furahata Ninsaburo
8. (tie) Oshin & Aishiteiru to itte kure
9. Kita no kuni kara
10. Love Generation
 
Copyright © 1993-2018 Japanese Dorama Database / Neo-Tokyo 2099
Produced by THE SPY! CREW