Japan has an incredible wealth of entertainment in their TV shows.
I highly reccomend KASSO!
Its ninja warrior but with skating they have English guests and translations on their YT channel.
Usually non US shows and Movies are alot better imho.
Another something you should not sleep on are UK TV shows.
Like: The Responder a show about a first responder who is struggling with mental illness and the pressure of his work.
So broaden your horizon, The industry is not as bad as you think
Am I honest opinion most things that come out of the United States are shit, so if you exclude the United States from your entertainment library you get left with some pretty good stuff.
Just stop watching from sources that reliably produce bad content
When it comes to Japanese entertainment the majority of “Foreigner friendly” shows are Anime.
But if that is not your cup of tea you have a few good game shows:
KASSO: Wipeout! but with skateboards, Has alot of western skaters too
EXIT!: Think of the SAW movies but with celebrities, Its really entertaining to watch them speed run death traps.
Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! (Comedians doing challenges and pulling pranks on eachother)
When it comes to gameshows the Japanese are leagues ahead of the west, Ive seen some batshit insane stuff come from these game shows.
If you are into overly absurt gore(Non Anime):
Grotesque: Literal torture porn
Tokyo gore police: This is just so insanely over the top
Good movies that arent gore(Non Anime):
Survive Style +5: Absolute cult classic very trippy movie, guy mentally turns into a pidgeon in the movie too very funny
Ichi the Killer: A yakuza enforce and a wanna be hero fight, it has gore but in moderation, is a cult classic the guy who played the yakuza enforcer is a legend
Fukushima Daiichi: A realistic movie replaying the events of the fukushima disaster, With the same actor that plays in Tokyo vice: This honestly is an amazing film as well, really takes you into the hopelessness of an natural disaster, Its the HBO Chernobyl of Japan basically
Must watch TV shows:
Tokyo vice: A western journalist moves to japan to work for the top news paper in japan but gets tied up with the yakuza
Honestly this has to be one of the best tv shows i have watched in a while, it is so well put together you have some good actors too like the guy from Fukuchima Daiichi movie.
Really takes you into both worlds, The police, Yakuza and Sallary man
Giri/Haji(Brittish show): But also has alot of scenes in Japan: Tokyo detective, travels to London in search of his brother, Yuto (Yōsuke Kubozuka), who was previously assumed to be dead. Yuto has been accused of murdering the nephew of a Yakuza member, which threatens to start a gang war in Tokyo
I could give you so many more good examples but i think such a wall of text would bore you and im not sure if this kind of stuff is your cup of tea 😅
But i hope this gives you some interesting material to look at c:
I’ve lived here for 20 years, bilingual, it isn’t a language thing. Am aware. But most of it is total trash. I mean- even your must-watch TV examples aren’t produced in Japan.
I used to enjoy watching Gaki no Tsukai with my father in law every new years- I decided to bow out when they decided to start doing blackface for chuckles.
However, you are correct about Survive Style 5. That movie rules. All-time top 10 for me.
I also appreciate that all of your examples are labeled “non-anime” 🤣 Obviously, on some level, you feel me.
Japan has an incredible wealth of entertainment in their TV shows. I highly reccomend KASSO! Its ninja warrior but with skating they have English guests and translations on their YT channel.
Usually non US shows and Movies are alot better imho. Another something you should not sleep on are UK TV shows. Like: The Responder a show about a first responder who is struggling with mental illness and the pressure of his work.
So broaden your horizon, The industry is not as bad as you think
That is a wild way to write “a few very bright spots in a vast sea of absolute garbage”
Am I honest opinion most things that come out of the United States are shit, so if you exclude the United States from your entertainment library you get left with some pretty good stuff. Just stop watching from sources that reliably produce bad content
I thought we were talking about Japanese entertainment
When it comes to Japanese entertainment the majority of “Foreigner friendly” shows are Anime. But if that is not your cup of tea you have a few good game shows:
If you are into overly absurt gore(Non Anime):
Good movies that arent gore(Non Anime):
Must watch TV shows:
I could give you so many more good examples but i think such a wall of text would bore you and im not sure if this kind of stuff is your cup of tea 😅 But i hope this gives you some interesting material to look at c:
I’ve lived here for 20 years, bilingual, it isn’t a language thing. Am aware. But most of it is total trash. I mean- even your must-watch TV examples aren’t produced in Japan.
I used to enjoy watching Gaki no Tsukai with my father in law every new years- I decided to bow out when they decided to start doing blackface for chuckles.
However, you are correct about Survive Style 5. That movie rules. All-time top 10 for me.
I also appreciate that all of your examples are labeled “non-anime” 🤣 Obviously, on some level, you feel me.