For this post, I'm going to talk about a movie and a drama which are both of the romance genre. As some of you might already know, Christmas in Japan is a time for couples. Unlike what we're probably used to, me being Filipino, our Christmas is usually spent with our families. In Japan however (and same with S. Korea), their Christmas is about spending time with your lover and just before Christmas is approaching, everyone (or most people) will be stressed in finding someone who could be their date for Christmas. Well, it's not far from what is usually happening here in the Philippines just before Christmas, where everyone will also be stressing out about being lonely for Christmas, with lonely meaning having no boyfriend or girlfriend to spend the rest of the Christmas season with, after spending enough time with your own family. However, Christmas here is really about getting together with the family (or even the clan), cooking Christmas eve dinner (Noche Buena), giving gifts to each other, and going to church together on Christmas day.
Going back to Japan, I've emphasized that Christmas is a time for couples to be all lovey-dovey and not be judged by other people. They're even envied by some "lonely" people on Christmas day. On Japanese media, I've also noticed some reflection of this practice. I saw "Christmas" on romance-themed shows, but I doubt that there really are movies of the Christmas genre about just the essence of Christmas itself, in Japanese movies or TV dramas. (but if there is though, please do inform me)
Tokyo tower illuminated in rainbow color for Christmas. (screenshot from the J-drama Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu)
After the Christmas "light down," a heart shaped light from Tokyo tower was seen, which is (by one of the character from the drama) said to be a "Christmas present for everybody who wants to be in love." (screenshot from the J-drama Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu)
I'm going to start with Christmas for these three ladies of Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu (The Reason I Can't Find My Love). I also did a blog post about this drama which is linked above. In the last episode of this drama, it was shown that it was the winter season in Japan, and that Christmas is approaching. These three ladies went out for dinner, just the three of them, celebrating their life and not stressing out about finding the love that they deserve. Maybe they've already found love, or maybe taking a break from falling in love, or maybe they're just happy with themselves that it is not a problem anymore whether they're dating or not. I think that this drama showed people that even if it's the Christmas season, finding love should not be rushed, even though the pressure of Christmas is there. It's more than enough to have people to spend it with.
Risa thought that she would be spending Christmas alone, with all of the couples and families spending their Christmas together around her. (screenshot from Lovely Complex live-action movie)
But then Otani shows up, and that made Risa happy and even grow feelings for her frenemy, Otani. (screenshot from Lovely Complex live-action movie)
Next is the movie Lovely Complex (live-action). This is the first Japanese romance live-action movie that I've ever watched, and it was when I was still in high school. In the movie, we see Risa going alone on a Christmas concert of her favorite singer, which is also Otani's favorite. She was supposed to go with Otani but then Risa insisted that Otani spend Christmas with his ex-girlfriend who had asked Otani to join her on a Christmas reunion party. However, Otani didn't attend the party and instead went to Risa just before the concert started. It was the cutest!
Now, I didn't know back then about how Christmas is in Japan, but I figured that it was not spent with the family because how could Risa be allowed by her parents to spend Christmas in a concert? I even thought that if I were Risa, I will not be allowed by my parents to go to a concert by myself, on Christmas! And why the hell is there a concert on Christmas anyway? And if that's so, then who will go to that concert? Christmas should be spent with the family, right? Will there be a family who loves that rapping guy (whom Otani and Risa loves) who apparently only few appreciates? Those were my questions back then. So that's when I knew that Christmas was celebrated differently in Japan, and I did a little internet research, so I found out what it's all about.
Even though Christmas in Japan is mostly about lovers, probably because only a small portion of their population are Christians and probably because Christmas is highly commercialized, we can't take the fact that it gives people cheer (except for those single people who feels lonely every time) and something to celebrate on a cold day.
Now, I didn't know back then about how Christmas is in Japan, but I figured that it was not spent with the family because how could Risa be allowed by her parents to spend Christmas in a concert? I even thought that if I were Risa, I will not be allowed by my parents to go to a concert by myself, on Christmas! And why the hell is there a concert on Christmas anyway? And if that's so, then who will go to that concert? Christmas should be spent with the family, right? Will there be a family who loves that rapping guy (whom Otani and Risa loves) who apparently only few appreciates? Those were my questions back then. So that's when I knew that Christmas was celebrated differently in Japan, and I did a little internet research, so I found out what it's all about.
Even though Christmas in Japan is mostly about lovers, probably because only a small portion of their population are Christians and probably because Christmas is highly commercialized, we can't take the fact that it gives people cheer (except for those single people who feels lonely every time) and something to celebrate on a cold day.
That's it for Christmas in Japanese Dramas and Movies. I hope I provided more insight as to how Christmas is spent in Japan as it's shown on TV and movies, and how it differs to a Filipino or even Western celebration.
A trivia though: Christmas food in Japan is usually fried chicken (KFC, usually) and cake, while Christmas food in the Philippines is puto bumbong, bibingka, fruit salad, and many more!
No comments :
Post a Comment