Watching J-Doramas and J-Pop and J-TV shows!

One thing about Japanese television is - you never get bored. Despite the fact that sometimes you have no idea what people are talking about, it is very comforting to have the TV on - esp.lly when you begin to feel the blues! The shows you will find at any time of the day are in this order -->

1. A show on food - the menus include anything that can swim,put down roots, fly or crawl on earth. The final dishes are so elegant looking that you feel like taking a few photos of it for the best photo of the year awards. And no matter what - you will always hear the most enthusiastic chorus of 'Umai' or 'Oishi' with million dollar smiles. On an average, you will find 2 or 3 shows happening simultaneously as you channel surf!
2. Game shows - these are the ones where the audiences are constantly laughing because the show hosts and the participants always seem to have a witty repartee to -well - everything!! And the games are very unique - so there is no chance that you will stumble upon the same feats on another program or the same channel again. This is one of the few times you will actually hear the Japanese making a commotion or laughing boisterously (the other 2 times being a J-pop concert and Friday night parties!!).
   
3. Dramas - or J-Doramas as they are known - they have just 12 episodes each, not like Indian TV sagas which can go on for years without an end (one example is Chandrakanta - after 2 or 3 years, both the serial makers and the audience forgot about who Chandrakanta was and why the story had begun - LOL!!). And mostly, the stories are different and interesting.
4. Variety shows - this is where talent companies sponsor and promote their talent groups. For instance, SMAP has it's decade old show SMAP * SMAP. In Japan, there is no distinction between, movie and television stars as well as music stars, you can easily find a prominent actor hosting a show on TV, acting in a J-Dorama or even singing a J-pop song to an enthusiastic crowd with his band.
5. Murder mysteries - with all the adventure, clues, guns and villains! Most of the time, the guy who you thought was the villain for the first 55 minutes of the show will turn up dead in the 56th minute and in the 57th minute, the real villain will have a pack of goons beat up the key witness. The 58th minute is for the detective hero to step in for a dishum dishum kung fu style. And at the 59.5th minute, the mystery is explained to the TV viewer! LOL!!