Japanese Drama Series vs Korean Drama Series

Its seems that Korean drama series have become more and more popular over these last few years. Japanese drama series on the other hand do not seem be doing as well. In Singapore for example, Korean drama series have become a prime time staple on free to air channels but there are hardly any Japanese drama serials during the same time belt... The last one that was shown during prime time was 'The Great White Tower' (which is a very good drama by the way). Korean drama serials and movies are so popular that there is a term for it: Hallyu or Korean Wave...

This is in contrast to the 90s when Japanese trendy drama series like Love Generation and Long Vacation were all the rage in East Asia and South East Asia. Perhaps Korean dramas with their more straightforward and dramatic storylines are more accessible to audiences than popular Japanese drama serials which are more subtle and complex - compare 'The Great White Tower' with 'Winter Sonata' or 'An Autumn's Tale'...

There is no telling how long the Korean Wave will last but I am defintely enjoying riding the wave while it lasts :-) I am sure Japanese trendy drama serials will make a resurgence in Asia one day although nobody knows when that will be...