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Taiwanese drama (Chinese:台灣電視劇;pinyin:Táiwān Diànshìjù, also known asT.W. drama) refer todramatic programming oftelevision programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hourepisodes. They are produced inTaiwan and have gained increasing popularity in theMandarin-speaking community internationally. The term "Taiwanese drama" is applied to Taiwanese miniseries in general, even including those with greater elements ofcomedy than ofdrama.
During the rapid development of theFour Asian Tigers, the success of the Hong Kong entertainment industry andits TV drama programming served as a major influence for television and entertainment programming in the other rapidly-industrializing Asian nations, most notablyTaiwan andSouth Korea.[1]
Many of these dramas have become popular throughoutEast Asia andSoutheast Asia. Most popular Taiwanese dramas are also popular inMainland China,Vietnam,Hong Kong andMacau,Japan,Thailand,Singapore,Malaysia,Indonesia andPhilippines.
Taiwanese dramas are also well known among expatriate/overseas Asian people. Fan clubs have appeared in other countries outside Taiwan dedicated to the appreciation of Taiwanese drama. Fan clubs also involved several countries in neighbouring Asian nations and elsewhere.
Taiwanese dramas are typically produced inMandarin. Less commonly, they may be produced inTaiwanese Hokkien. Commonly characters will speak predominantly in Mandarin, but pepper their speech with Taiwanese. Sometimes characters, usually those playing the parts of parents or relatives coming from more rural and poorer areas, will speak in Taiwanese-accented Mandarin.
Taiwanese dramas typically focus more on romance than other television dramas.[citation needed]Crime dramas,police dramas,lawyer dramas, anddoctor dramas are less common in Taiwan thanromantic dramas. Taiwanese dramas tend to have less violence and sexual content than many othersoap operas andprimetime dramas.
Popular Taiwanese dramas generally divided into “idol dramas" (偶像劇) and Taiwanese Minnan dramas (台語劇). "Idol dramas" use the most popular singers and actors or actresses in the Taiwanese entertainment industry, most of whom are in their late teens or 20s, regardless of actual acting experience. The idol dramas cater primarily to the teen or 20s age group. The phenomenon started with 2001'sMeteor Garden.
Typical subjects can include firstteenage experiences withdating.[citation needed] Characters often have some dark secret or painful past that makes it difficult for them to form lasting relationships, and the drama may show characters finding a way to work through their deep personal problems.[citation needed]Love triangles are a common feature.
Taiwanese idol dramas share many similarities in genre with bothJapanese dramas andKorean dramas, although they differ considerably in subject matter withChinese dramas. For example, dramas based on nationalist sentiment and politics are much less common. Mainland Chinese dramas also use far more actors and actresses of varying ages. In contrast, the male and female leads and supporting actors in "idol dramas" are all exclusively in their late teens or 20s.
Many popular Taiwanese dramas are based on Japanesemanga, usingshōjomanga in particular although someseinen manga have been made into dramas as well. Some examples includeMeteor Garden (based onHana Yori Dango),It Started with a Kiss (based onItazura na Kiss),Marmalade Boy,Peach Girl, andLove Buffet. In these adaptations, the characters' names are read as Chinese or are changed to more Chinese-sounding names, and of course, the setting is moved to Taiwan.
Furthermore, the popularity of Hong Kong dramas has resulted in the launch of aTVB affiliate network in the country,TVBS, with the network'sentertainment channel sometimes producing local adaptations of popular Hong Kong dramatic programs.
Most Taiwanese speak Mandarin but the second common languages are Hakka and Taiwanese Hokkien.
It is common for the actors and actresses in Taiwanese dramas, especially "idol dramas", to also bepop singers androck musicians.
Some notably popular Taiwanese drama actors includeAaron Yan,Marcus Chang,Lego Lee,Vanness Wu,George Hu,Roy Chiu,Mike He,Chris Wu,Wu Chun,Lan Cheng Lung,[2]Jiro Wang,Jasper Liu,Weber Yang, andMegan Lai.
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