Why I Find South Koreanized Versions Of Japanese Shows Way Better Than Americanized Versions Of Japanese Shows

This is a pretty touchy topic especially if you think how there are some people with the U.S. is always better mentality. I thought I might write on why I think South Koreanized versions of Japanese shows are better than that of the Americanized version. This is pretty much going against a group of certain people who think everything American is better or that Americanized versions means "turning crap into legend". Let's get started shall we?

I don't deny some K-Drama are based on Japanese Manga, Anime or TV drama. But why do I like them better than the Americanized versions? I thought about why I prefer K-Drama versions of Japanese shows over the Americanized versions of Japanese shows? Let's take a comparison of how the localization is carried out by South Koreans and the American media. Looking at both sides of the coin should help explain.

The South Korean live TV versions of Japanese shows only localize the story but they never use any footage from the source. All they get is the plot and localize it for the South Korean audience. Everything is filmed from scratch. You don't see footage of City Hunter's Anime version getting used in the live version of City Hunter. What I find awkward about Power Rangers is the use of fight footage from Super Sentai. Although the fight footage used was licensed but doesn't it just feel awkward to do so especially with having to borrow the costumes from the Japanese company? Not to mention I like to repeat on how often the Power Rangers franchise mishandles itself with bad decisions one after the other. With that in mind I don't blame some people who end up walking out of the franchise.

What I could also mention is that the South Korean live TV versions of Japanese shows is the diligence put in by the crew. There's real work to make sure that the Manga or Anime they have adapted it from comes to life in a South Korean setting. From beginning to end they really do everything themselves. No costumes brought from the Japanese company, no reliance on footage and that alone makes it stand on solid ground. Just think if they wanted a Season 2 they could with the permission of the Japanese company. On the other hand, who can remember how VR Troopers got cancelled due to running out stock footage? That really explains how relying on the Japanese footage has such a huge downside.

As said, I'm open to other cultures giving an interpretation or to localization. The problem isn't about adjusting to cultures or which came first but how often a lot of Americanized versions tend to lack quality. It's all about delivering the best results. Pretty much, it's all about implementation to why certain localized versions of Japanese shows either deserve praise or severe criticism.