An Analysis of Japanese Audience Response to TV Drama : Does the Love Story Work For or Against Entertainment Education?

[出版社版]In the era of diversity, the idea of entertainment education (E-E) is worth considering in the context of the promotion of multicultural values such as tolerance for diversity in Japan, and impediments in inculcating these values must be identified and overcome. This study aims to provide a basis for the future development of E-E in Japan by investigating the audience response to a Japanese TV serial. The analysis of messages posted on the online bulletin board of a serial confirmed viewers’ selective attention and limited educational experience by excessive entertainment. However, it was also revealed that the younger generation achieved a good combination of entertainment with learning. It suggests that an optimal balance of entertainment and education requires the theme of drama not to be too realistic for a targeted audience; they cannot find entertainment in it when a drama is too realistic. This result contributes as a one case study demonstrating the orientation of responses by a Japanese audience