Miniseries 'HodoBuzz' explores dark side of Japan's media industry

I'm surprised on how few comments there are on this subject. Japanese television has no purpose, from my viewpoint (and I've watched enough of it) other than to brainwash the masses into servitude, and subsequently dedication to the head lemmings.

Japan needs TV and media like this that goes against the grain and challenges the status quo. There's a complete absence of counter culture like this in Japan and it suffers for it.

Just a shame that this is an independent production being made outside Japan as no producer in Japan is brave enough to dare challenge the rotten and stale media establishment and hegemony.

Please bring up the problem of "kisha clubs" and their elitist and exclusive characters.

Ironically, the clubs are also responsible for ruining Japan's press freedom though they accuse the state officials of media control/censorship, especially when Japan is slipping down in RSF's World Press Freedom Index. Hypocrite.

Japanese tv is a joke anyway so just let them be.

Well it's a start, the stupidity of media in Japan is infantile, it's actually criminal the propensity of semi pedofile shows, if it's not a food program it's a teen age idol talking about things they have no idea about! Where are the investigation journalists? Where is Japans version of panorama? 60 minutes? That would scare the hell out of politicians. And educate the mass.

Japanese TV Is appalling, most of the programmes are the same, with the same faces over and over again. There is zero originally or thought. As others have said they are almost all infomercials pretending to be programming; where women are either young and “kawaii” and act and look like little girls or are older, shouty, battle-axe types pretending to be outraged. Men are almost all unfunny, shouty comedians or boring, ignorant talent. The only break you get from this dross is appalling wooden and cliched dramas with leaden acting and direction and dialogue from the phone book, or endless shows talking about celebrities. You can feel your IQ slipping as you watch. Thank god for satellite telly.

Hell is being forced to watch those programmes where someone walks around the street stopping to eat basic and average food items while shouting umai or oishii in an OTT manner. Don’t get me started about the total obsession with programmes “ranking” stuff.

@rcch

oh and making fun of foreigners by dubbing their voices in a completely ridiculous, over reacted way.

Nah, maybe one or two shows are OK. But the rest is just one big comercial and badly put product placement.

It's like Japanese people had no interest into art, into culture and rather let their IQ sink more and more watching same shows over and over

@Ego Sum Lux Mundi

You forgot anime sounds everywhere, especially when huge "subtitles" pops out with what someone has just said.

And the stickers, tabloids, pre-recorded "ooooh" sounds when showing some ordinary food in a badly placed product placement ("restaurant visit").

Japanese TV is getting worse and worse every day. If I compare Japanese TV 30 year ago, 20 and today, it just got noisier, NOISIER, comercials got longer and noisier. The main content remained the same, just shorter and noisier. TBH, I cannot even stand it and gave up on JP TV years ago. I'd rather pay for streaming services than watching more than 1 hour of JP TV.

@Robert Cikki

That’s exactly right. And we have the Japanese dub together with Japanese subtitles(!) - how “cool” is that? And people still wonder why Japanese can’t speak English.

There's already movie about that, The Journalist(2019) 新聞記者

https://www.netflix.com/jp/title/81258660

More movie or series about this issue will be good

Thanks for info. I watched the film, but didn't know about the Netflix version.

My point is, Japan's mainstream media groups have become establishments which also often resist serious reform programs. Broadcasters monopolize the radio frequency bands while kisha clubs control the conference rooms and processes (non-affiliated or freelancers are not granted access).

In fact, PM Suga is one of leading reformers on media. Unfortunately, his popularity has fallen to a record low and so has his clout over media largely diminished. Media establishments must grin now.

Japanese TV is terrible. The programs are usually just thinly-disguised "infomercials" for some restaurant, service or product, or cheesy recreated crime stories with tarentos emoting in the corner, and you get a 4 minute segment of that nonsense then followed by 3 minutes of inane commercials. It's unwatchable.

...

Japanese TV is getting worse and worse every day. If I compare Japanese TV 30 year ago, 20 and today, it just got noisier, NOISIER, comercials got longer and noisier. The main content remained the same, just shorter and noisier.

...

Japanese TV Is appalling, most of the programmes are the same, with the same faces over and over again. There is zero originally or thought.

( short version )

Japanese TV: “oishsooo” / “oishiii”, “kawaiii”, “kakkoiii”, “sugoooi”, “eeee?!”, “hahahahahah” ( most of the time it’s not even funny ).

Maybe they should make a show about how terrible Japanese TV is and why it wants to remain stuck in the same level of mediocrity.

Female announcers, known as joshi-ana in Japan, are versatile TV personalities who are expected to be more than just copy readers.

Then don't call them "announcers." Call them presenters or anchors, depending on their role.

Japanese TV is terrible. The programs are usually just thinly-disguised "infomercials" for some restaurant, service or product, or cheesy recreated crime stories with tarentos emoting in the corner, and you get a 4 minute segment of that nonsense then followed by 3 minutes of inane commercials. It's unwatchable.

As for the dramas, well they're usualy badly acted, badly written and delusional garbage (e.g. female doctors who look like models, are at the cutting edge of their profession, hip and cool, but conveniently go off the clock at 5:30pm to enjoy an evening of asobi at trendy bars and restaurants, discussing their love life with other girlfriends or sometimes dating a guy who is like a walking hairdo.

Lazarus KnowsToday  10:22 am JST I really want to watch this.

No you don't. It's horrible. I suffered through four episodes thinking that maybe it will settle in. It never got any better.

The one topic where most posters can join hands and agree; Japanese TV is terrible.

Where are the investigation journalists? Where is Japans version of panorama? 60 minutes? That would scare the hell out of politicians. And educate the mass.

In India there is a very popular program called. "What the Government Doesn't Want you to Know"

Now, there is a title that cuts to the chase.

I would love to see a program on police incompetence. Starting with missing the whole Om Shinrikou screw up.

Please bring up the problem of "kisha clubs" and their elitist and exclusive characters.

Ironically, the clubs are also responsible for ruining Japan's press freedom though they accuse the state officials of media control/censorship, especially when Japan is slipping down in RSF's World Press Freedom Index. Hypocrite.

There's already movie about that, The Journalist(2019) 新聞記者

https://www.netflix.com/jp/title/81258660

More movie or series about this issue will be good

In real life, there is a reporter Isoko Mochizuki that asked lot of question to Government anytime she got chance. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/13/national/politics-diplomacy/government-slammed-singling-problematic-tokyo-shimbun-reporter-warning-press-club/

"Sexism, harassment, a web of codependent relationships that hamper reporting -- the Japanese media industry is fraught with issues that are often skirted around or left under the carpet"

The opening sentence could be applied to the majority of business world in Japan. I, my wife, our friends have all seen or experienced it.

Where are the investigation journalists? Where is Japans version of panorama? 60 minutes? That would scare the hell out of politicians. And educate the mass.

Now THAT'S a program that I would watch. Finally, a program here of substance.

Japanese tv is a joke anyway so just let them be.

Yup! So be it. I tried to watch these shows to improve my Japanese skills, but I don't find much of anything worth learning, other than making a fool of yourself. I just usually tune out and watch Japanese language learning videos on YouTube and other Japanese cultural videos. Most of these variety shows are pretty much the same, with different weird talento (not that they have any real talent) with big text, and the corner host camera.

This is japan 2021. Not some hippie commune where citizens eat lentil soup and rescue beached whales!

Women: Sexual harassment is bad, and we don't want it.

Men: URGH why do you have to live in a fantasy world of unicorns?!

Usually, I don't really like anything that has the word Buzz in its' title, (Buzzfeed) but this show I will give a go.

But then again, Buzzfeed is the one promoting it the most... therefore I am still skeptical.

I suppose a dorama that tries to tackle serious issues is slightly better than a dorama that doesn't. The vehicle is still a dorama though, with garishly stylized characters acting out the same old trope-like set pieces with all the subtlety of Twitter messages written in Caps Lock.

The primary service that TVs provide is so that married couples do not have to talk to each other. Haven't you guys worked that one out yet?

I'm sorry to hear that your relationship is in difficulty. I hope it will pass.

Excuse me: it seems an earlier iteration from the 30th also exists.

The only time worth watching Japanese TV is late at nite... with anime !

On the contrary; our relationship has never been better. In fact, it is so good I may even pay NHK the full licence fee.

"I will follow the law" is an unusual marker of relationship satisfaction.

Today is February 1st. Is there any earlier?

This article was originally published yesterday, January 31st.

Anyone remember Kuniya Hiroko and 'Close up Gendai'?

Interesting ... how the English wiki read on her does not quite match the Japanese wiki read.

If any bother to read the above, I suspect some automatic 'kill the messenger' downvotes will be coming my way. Bring it.

is there any HodoBuzz in real live?

I really want to watch this.

What kind of name is HodoBuzz?

To someone without even a rudimentary understanding of Japanese? A bit silly sounding I suppose.

To anyone else, 「報道バズ」 fits the subject matter well enough.

Sexism, harassment, a web of codependent relationships that hamper reporting

This is japan 2021. Not some hippie commune where citizens eat lentil soup and rescue beached whales!

What kind of name is HodoBuzz?

It's not a bad one

Naru Hodo NewsBiz

This show sounds too woke for my taste.

No surprise it is foreign production that is peddling this.

a subtitled version was also made available on Amazon Prime Japan earlier this month.

Today is February 1st. Is there any earlier?

To be fair I think the prevalence of English proficiency in Singapore and Hong Kong compared to Japan is slightly affected by the legacy of British imperialism.