Japanese terrestrial TV (NHK, Nippon TV, TBS, Fuji, TV Asahi) remains powerful due to the kisha club (press club) system. Variety shows, not dramas, dominate primetime. These shows feature tarento (talents)—celebrities whose sole skill is reacting to absurd situations. The cultural logic: boke and tsukkomi (funny man and straight man) routines enforce social norms; the tsukkomi (straight man) verbally corrects the boke’s deviance, reinforcing consensus reality.
The industry is no longer domestically dependent. "Cool Japan" subsidies have successfully turned culture into a strategic export, though profitability remains concentrated among IP holders (Kodansha, Shueisha, Bandai Namco, Sony).
