I just went to watch an episode of Upcoming (a Japanese music show) and much to my dismay not one but BOTH of the only Japanese music shows are now gone from viki. not only am I not getting my “reboot” of Japanese dramas but they keep disappearing from the site . I lost my favorite jdrama, second to last love, and now this. tell me again why a jdrama fan should pay for a subscription to a JAPANESE company to watch jdrama? I guess Netflix will keep getting my money as they seem to put out more jdramas (and reality tv shows) than a company that is supposed to be a website for Asian dramas. at this rate the Japanese tab at the top will someday just go away too. this is like a giant F U to all jdrama fans.
I can’t blame you, what you say is exactly right.
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Thank you, Dale, for raising this issue again. You would think that Rakuten, of all companies, would have the clout to license more Japanese programming. On a positive note, I just checked Second to Last Love - which is also one of my favorites - and found that it’s still there. Have you also watched Second to Last Love 2? Unlike some sequels, it’s as good, if not better, than the original.
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my search only shows the Korean crappy remake (why do Koreans need to put a traumatic event in every drama?). so if you have it then you must be in a different region than I am. and yes I have seen both seasons they are both very good…no extra fire drama needed…
I’m in the US.
I’m in Canada and I can’t see it. It’s a little disappointing to me that the Japanese reboot was what? 2 TV shows and a movie that were released years ago with nothing major since?
I’m not too broken up about it although it would have been nice to see an actual reboot and not 3 shows before giving up. Japanese TV is probably the weakest out of China/Japan/South Korea right now.
China and South Korea usually mask a weak plot with romance but that’s rarely the case with Japanese shows. The stiff acting, the lack of direction and character growth is usually not hidden by anything. Anyways that’s my opinion.
after having watched Korean dramas now for a just over a year (comapred to the many years of watching jdramas and anime) I do take issue with the fact that Japanese dramas or stories are the weakest. consider the fact that so many Korean and Taiwanese dramas are weak copies of Japanese dramas as well as poor imitations of Japanese mangas and animes. if the Japanese are so weak why do Korean and Chinese companies insist on copying them? Japanese have always been good at story telling. I have watched enough Korean dramas to pretty much predict everything that will happen next due to the OVERUSE of tropes in Korean dramas (why do they always give piggyback rides to the hospitals?)why does every main character have some childhood trauma? etc)… koreans are better at the visual aspect of film making but I am more interested in a good story than I am the graphics or visual effects. and Taiwanese are just plain sappy.and the idea that hiding a weak plot in romance is better how? that’s called lazy writing done by the Chinese and Korean writer when they know they have written crap and just try to cover it up with someone kissing. I was watching yet another copy of Japanese work when the new meteor garden came out from china in which they completely butchered the original story and added another plot that wasn’t even in the original story making the show even worse than the first time they tried it years earlier. I will agree that Koreans make a prettier show but I disagree that Japanese shows are the weakest out there since its usually the other countries copying them and not the other way around. when was the last time japan did a drama based on Korean story? here let me help you…….never. anyway that’s my opinion.
Rakuten keeps becoming more and more prominent in the logo despite nothing major to announce in terms of Japanese content.
It’s kind of funny to watch. And no, a bunch of Korean actors/singers taking pictures and video in Tokyo doesn’t qualify as Japanese TV.
Edit: By more prominent the V on my bookmarks bar has now become a Rakuten R with an underline.