日剧 (rìjù) hold a special place in modern Chinese culture. They were among the first waves of foreign popular media to gain a massive following in Mainland China during the 1990s and early 2000s, predating the global “Korean Wave.” Classic shows like *Tokyo Love Story* (东京爱情故事) influenced a generation of Chinese youth. Comparison with Western Concepts: In English, we might say “British comedy” or “Scandinavian noir” to denote a specific style, but the categories are not as rigid. In East Asia, the distinction between 日剧 (rìjù), 韩剧 (Hánjù - Korean drama), and 国产剧 (guóchǎn jù - domestic Chinese drama) is a fundamental part of media consumption and daily conversation. Each term comes with a set of cultural expectations and stereotypes:
Discussing which type of drama you prefer is a common icebreaker among young people in China.
日剧 is an informal, everyday term. You will hear it constantly among friends, see it all over social media sites like Weibo (微博) and Douban (豆瓣), and use it when talking about hobbies. It's a neutral term that simply categorizes a show by its country of origin. You'll often see it used with the verb 看 (kàn), which means “to watch.”
Another common verb is 追 (zhuī), which literally means “to chase,” but in this context means to follow a series avidly or to binge-watch it.