Japanese Television Dramas are very common and are broadcast on Japanese television almost every day.
All of the major TV channels have their own dramas. There is great variety: there are love stories, humorous stories, and horror.
In Japan dramas are broadcast in a three-month cycle, a brand new drama going on air each time. They are mostly aired at night, usually around 9 or 10 o'clock. They are aired on a particular day of the week. Every day is a different drama, so the next episode of a drama will be a week later. On the other hand, there are morning and day dramas. These are usually broadcast every day. The same drama is aired every day, for a few months.
The casts of night dramas are usually people who are popular during that season. As they frequently affect the audience rating of the show, the casts are carefully selected. Especially in a love story, the choice of actors and actresses will affect the number of people that will watch the show. Casts of night dramas are usually very famous people that everyone is fond of. On the other hand, casts of morning and day dramas are not as famous as those of night dramas. But, they usually become famous from the morning and day shows, and become popular.
There are many images to dramas. Dramas broadcast from Fuji Television are the most popular, and people tend to like them. They use famous scriptwriters and the most popular actors of the season. The drama that airs from 9 o'clock on Mondays is said to be the most popular. They are usually love stories, which is the most popular genre. Dramas from Nihon Housou are not favored as much, since Nihon Housou puts more effort in variety programs rather than in dramas. Dramas that air during the September-to-December period have the most effort put in, since people stay at home more and watch more TV during the colder winter months.
