TARDIS Tales: Doctor Who Finds its Niche in Japan
By Doctor Who Online |
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For more than five decades, Doctor Who has captivated the hearts of
British fans and quickly spread to an international audience. The first
episode aired on the BBC Television Service on the 23rd of November
1963, at 17:16 GMT. And from that point on, the show turned into a
global phenomenon that left no continent untouched. At the time, BBC’s
head of drama, Sydney Newman, was mainly responsible for developing the
immensely successful program, helped by Newman as the main writer,
Donald Wilson, and C.E. Webber. Although the team had high hopes for the
daring science fiction television series, they could’ve never imagined
that the show would even come to conquer Japan and Asia altogether.
The Japanese have adopted many aspects of Western culture, such as
clothing, film, art, and online casinos for Japanese speakers, and
blended it with their traditional culture, including Doctor Who. Our
article follows the success of Dr. Who in Japan and how the Whovians
from the “Land of the Rising Sun” celebrate their favorite show,
characters, and plot.
What Makes Doctor Who So Popular in Japan?
To properly understand why Doctor Who was so quickly embraced by
Japanese fans, we must delve into their culture. Some of you may already
be familiar with the tokusatsu genre that’s been booming for quite some
time all across Asia, especially in Japan.
If this is your first interaction with the tokusatsu term, it’s a show
that uses heavy special effects, so pretty much any sci-fi or fantasy TV
Show with this theme. You may already start figuring out why Doctor Who
fits the topic: the special effects are there, the sci-fi theme is also
there, and not to mention the monsters and weird creatures.
There are two subgenres for Tokusatsu - Kaju and Henshin. The first
refers to movies with huge monsters such as Godzilla, while the latter
is mostly based around masked heroes - Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Super
Sentai. In case you missed it, Super Sentai is the Japanese name for
Power Rangers. Why they adapted it to Power Rangers for international
viewers is easy to understand.
Doctor Who from the Tokusatsu Perspective
It’s now time to look at Doctor Who and analyze it from the perspective
of the popular Japanese genre. This will immediately help any reader,
whether a Whovian or not, see the show's mesmerizing effect on the Asian
scene.
So, we have a costumed alien hero, The Doctor, who travels through time,
battling numerous villains and monsters alongside his companions. Then,
like many other Tokusatsu, the show’s budget forced the production to
rely on heavy practical effects, especially in the Classic Series. The
monsters were stuntmen with odd masks and weird rubber suits, up to the
point one monster was simply a guy covered in green bubble wrap.
Continuing the similarities between Tousatsu and Doctor Who, you have
the acting mainly on the exaggerated side, with the Doctor and his foes
always trying to outwit each other. The list can go on with the crazy,
snazzy soundtracks and their unsimulated appetite for violence.
Furthermore, the show is conveniently split into Classic and Modern
eras, which pretty much coincide with the Showa and Heises eras of
Tokusatsu.
Doctor Who’s Influence in Japan Goes Beyond the TV Screen
One thing that greatly influenced the show’s spread in Japan is its
accessibility on platforms like AXN Mystery, Netflix, or NHK, which
offered easy access to local enthusiasts to the Doctor's enigmatic
universe.
However, we all know that when the Japanese like something, they rarely
stop watching it. Over 7 years ago, Doctor Who fans in Japan held their
first major event. Despite the remnants of a typhoon still raging,
thousands of Doctor Who fans gathered in Akihabara to celebrate their
favorite show.
Doctor Who fandom in Japan has burgeoned entirely on its own, driven by
an obvious and clear fascination with the series and the lore behind it.
Obviously, many were wearing all sorts of merch, from t-shirts and all
the way to a Tardis dress. It goes without saying that the amount of
sonic screwdrivers was off the charts.
And if you’re familiar with the Japanese fandom, you know they like good
cosplay. The convention had a full-blown Tenth Doctor cosplay that was
deemed brilliant. Furthermore, the passion of these fans was so massive
that most of them already visited the UK to enjoy the Doctor Who
Experience in Cardiff and other
Doctor Who events. If traveling
thousands of miles to enjoy such an experience isn’t a sign of
dedication, we don’t know what is.
Final Thoughts
For die-hard Whovians across the globe, the appeal of Doctor Who is a
journey beyond time and space. While Doctor Who may not have attained
the same level of mainstream fame in Japan as
iconic franchises like
Pokémon or Dragon Ball, it has undoubtedly carved a special niche in the
hearts of Japanese fans. In a culture where the sci-fi genre seamlessly
intersects with traditional themes, Doctor Who's appeal transcends time
and space, creating an enduring bond with Whovians worldwide.
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Copyright Doctor Who Online, 2023. |
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Added:
10/10/2023
Written by:
Doctor Who Online |
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