What TV Show(s) Have You Watched Recently?

[Beelzebub]

Been having a Roseanne marathon lately, almost finished with the sixth season.

[Retroguy]

Yeah, I do that too. I'll marathon one show for awhile, then switch to a different show before I get tired of it. I really need to get back to The Practice before I forget what was going on.

[Gypsy]

The Blacklist. Got around to watching the pilot last night. Has potential, even if I know where it's going.

[b2p1mp]

Just finished Breaking Bad.

[Elin]

About three episodes into Hanzawa Naoki. Don't usually watch Japanese TV dramas, but this has been huuuuuge, to the point where pretty much everyone from Japan on my Facebook list has been talking about it and the lead character's catchphrase has started popping up all over the Japanese media, so I figured I'd watch it too. It's so ridiculously over-dramatic, but intentionally so, and kind of fun and compelling. Can see why it was a hit.

[Ikusagami]

It's so ridiculously over-dramatic, but intentionally so

Evidently the standard for Japanese TV. I'm seriously confused as to how the bar for cinema can be so drastically divergent from the bar for television.
I've only seen Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo and the first few episodes of Shinsengumi, and despite my usual tastes, I liked the first infinitely better because the genre ALLOWS for atrocious acting. The silliness added to it.
Shinsengumi makes the worst chanbara B-Movie seem like a Kurasawa masterpiece, yet it was evidently a big hit. . . I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish it.
Might give Hanzawa Naoki a chance though. . .

[Elin]

Evidently the standard for Japanese TV. I'm seriously confused as to how the bar for cinema can be so drastically divergent from the bar for television.
I've only seen Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo and the first few episodes of Shinsengumi, and despite my usual tastes, I liked the first infinitely better because the genre ALLOWS for atrocious acting. The silliness added to it.
Shinsengumi makes the worst chanbara B-Movie seem like a Kurasawa masterpiece, yet it was evidently a big hit. . . I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish it.
Might give Hanzawa Naoki a chance though. . .

I must confess that I have a bit of a soft spot for Japanese variety shows despite their trashiness, and manzai can actually be quite witty depending on who you watch, but I'm not a huge fan of Japanese TV dramas on the whole either. Always felt like they were basically like Japanese movies with more filler, worse acting and lower production values, and I'm just as baffled as you about how the gulf in quality between TV and film can be so huge in Japan. Trying to watch more now, though, as it's good practice. And Hanzawa Naoki is pretty fun! It still has some of the ropey acting, but the lead character's scenery chewing is entertaining and sort of endearing (I guess it helps that I think he's dreamy, too~!), and the plot is quite compelling. Interesting from a Japanese vocabulary point of view as well. Learning lots of banking terms, and suddenly finding it a whole lot easier to understand financial reports on Japanese TV.

And I never watched Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo. There's a good chance that I've seen even less TV drama than you have. :'D I read and liked the books, though! Actually, I've hung out with the author (who didn't seem particularly chuffed that the TV executives changed her, a small, timid, middle aged woman, into Riisa Naka... :'D) and artist behind the books, and some of my friends appear in them under pseudonyms. So it's a name that always makes me smile when it comes up.

[Ikusagami]

I'm just as baffled as you about how the gulf in quality between TV and film can be so huge in Japan.

What makes it even stranger is how high the Western standards for television acting have risen. I've seen interviews with the people from The Walking Dead. . . those aren't even their real voices! Hell, one of my favorite Japanese actors (Hiroyuki Sanada) was on Lost. I can only imagine how much he'd stand out in a Japanese sitcom.

Interesting from a Japanese vocabulary point of view as well. Learning lots of banking terms, and suddenly finding it a whole lot easier to understand financial reports on Japanese TV.

I'll definitely give it a try when I'm done with The Borgias then. My motivation for watching Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo was the educational aspect, and it wound up being delightfully entertaining, as well (and sometimes edgy in a way you don't see in Western television, like the girl who mistook a serial rapist for a ninja ). Shinsengumi though. . . ugh. Silliness and people who smile perpetually isn't something history books, Kenshin Himura and Daibosatsu Toge teach you to associate with the Wolves of Mibu.

Actually, I've hung out with the author (who didn't seem particularly chuffed that the TV executives changed her, a small, timid, middle aged woman, into Riisa Naka... :'D) and artist behind the books, and some of my friends appear in them under pseudonyms.

[Zaladane]

Welp I know I said I was gonna wait but oh well watched the last 2 episodes of SHIELD.

Still don't really know what I think about it. It's campy and silly but kind of addictive. The guy who plays Paul should probably hit the gym though because his action scenes are ridiculous. And I still can't stand the scientist chick and the engineer dude.

They really have to get some super powered people in this though. But given what happens at the end of episode 3 we might just see that at some point like maybe this guy

I mean there's a bunch of silly old villains and stuff the could bring in like Ze Leaper and Stilt Man

[deadlegion]

Been watching a few episodes of Seven Days (1998) on and off.
Had heard of this show before but never got around to watching it...never broadcast on tv here afaik, and I never saw it on pay tv when I had it years ago either (maybe it has been on pay here more recently, idk).

[LeftyGuitar]

I recently watched the new batch of Family Guy, American Dad and the Simpsons. The shows are somewhat running stale, but still are funny. Though the Simpsons is the stalest of them all in my opinion.

[Aeolus Aeneas]

Since I've decided to finally watch all of the first season of Power Rangers, I also tracked down Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger to get some actual context to the footage they used.

[Ikusagami]

Walking Dead spoiler

Spoiler warning:

HERSHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That episode just left me in a state of shock. I think that's the first time I've cared so much about a character when they die that it just really hit me.

Sad to see the Governor go too. He made for one hell of an antagonist; swine flu and mindless zombies can never fill his shoes. RIP Gov.

[Aeolus Aeneas]

Power Rangers Time Force, Mr. Bean, Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking and the first season of How the Universe Works.

Also running through Power Rangers Dino Thunder and The Tick (animated series).

[LeftyGuitar]

Watched a few episodes of Family Guy.