Beginner’s Guide to Discussing Movies & Television in Japanese

by | Jun 11, 2023 | Japanese

Learn to Talk about Movies & Television in Japanese

Register For the Online Japanese Event

When learning Japanese, being able to talk about popular culture like movies and TV shows is a great way to build your vocabulary and conversational skills.

In this article, we’ll go over important vocabulary, phrases, and expressions to help you discuss these topics in Japanese.

Talking About Movie and TV Genres

Vocabulary for Movie and TV Genres in Japanese

Let’s start with some key words for genres so you can talk about your favorite types of movies and shows!

Here are some common Japanese words for discussing genres:

  • Action – アクション (akushon)
  • Comedy – コメディ (komedi)
  • Horror – ホラー (horā)
  • Romance/romantic comedy – ラブストーリー (rabu sutōrī), ラブコメディ (rabu komedi)
  • Suspense/thriller – サスペンス (sasupensu)
  • Science fiction – SF (esu efu)
  • Period/historical – 歴史ドラマ (rekishi dorama)
  • Crime/detective – 犯罪ドラマ (hanzai dorama)
  • War – 戦争映画 (sensō eiga)

Example sentences:

  • I like comedies. I enjoy movies and shows that make me laugh. – コメディが好きです。笑える映画やドラマが好きです。(Komedi ga suki desu. Waraeru eiga ya dorama ga suki desu.)
  • I’m not very good with horror films. They scare me. – ホラー映画は余り得意ではありません。怖いからです。 (Horā eiga wa amari totemo dewa arimasen. Kowai kara desu.)
  • I heard she loves romantic dramas. I think she enjoys the romantic stories. – 彼女はラブストーリーのドラマが大好きだそうです。ロマンティックなストーリーが好きなんだと思います。(Kanojo wa rabu sutōrī no dorama ga daisuki da sō desu. Romantikku na sutōrī ga suki nan da to omoimasu.)

Describing Movie and TV Show Content

Describing Movie and TV Show Content in Japanese

Here are some useful phrases for talking about the content of films and shows:

  • Recommend – おすすめ (osusume)
  • Interesting – 面白い (omoshiroi)
  • Moving/emotional – 感動的な (kandō-teki na)
  • Funny – 笑える (waraeru)
  • Scary – 怖い (kowai)
  • Unpredictable ending – ラストが予想できない (rasuto ga yosō dekinai)
  • Well-written story/plot – ストーリー展開が上手い (sutōrī tenkai ga umaku i)

Examples:

  • I really recommend this drama. It was very moving and the ending was surprising. – このドラマはとてもおすすめです。感動的でラストが意外でした。(Kono dorama wa totemo osusume desu. Kandō-teki de rasuto ga igai deshita.)
  • That comedy movie was so funny. I want to show it to my friends. – そのコメディ映画は笑えてすごく面白かった。友達にも見せたい。(Sono komedi eiga wa waraete sugoku omoshirokatta. Tomodachi ni mo misetai.)
  • This horror film was scarier than I imagined. The ending plot twist shocked me. – このホラー映画は想像以上に怖かった。ラストの展開にはびっくりしました。(Kono horā eiga wa sōzō ijō ni kowakatta. Rasuto no tenkai ni wa bikkuri shimashita.)

Discussing Actors and Directors

Discussing about Actors and Directors in Japanese

Here are some useful words and phrases for talking about the cast and crew:

  • Famous – 有名な (yūmei na)
  • Popular – 人気がある (ninki ga aru)
  • Has many fans – ファンが多い (fan ga ōi)
  • Favorite – 好きな (suki na)
  • Active in films – 映画で活躍する (eiga de katsuyaku suru)
  • Has well-known works – 代表作がある (daihyōsaku ga aru)

Examples:

  • There are many famous actors in this movie. – この映画には有名な俳優がたくさん出演していますね。 (Kono eiga ni wa yūmei na haiyū ga takusan shusseki shite imasu ne.)
  • My favorite actor is Ryan. I love his acting. – 私の好きな俳優はRyanです。彼の演技が大好きです。(Watashi no suki na haiyū wa Ryan desu. Kare no engeki ga daisuki desu.)
  • Director Mark’s films always have good storytelling. He has many acclaimed works. – Mark監督の映画はいつもストーリーが上手くできている。代表作が多い監督です。(Mark kantoku no eiga wa itsumo sutōrī ga umaku dekite iru. Daihyōsaku ga ōi kantoku desu.)

Discussing Where You Watch

Here are some ways to talk about where you watch movies and shows:

  • Watch at the movie theater – 映画館で見る (eigakan de miru)
  • Watch on TV – テレビで見る (terebi de miru)
  • Watch/stream online – インターネットで視聴する (intānetto de shichō suru)
  • Latest episode – 最新のエピソード (saishin no episōdo)
  • New season – 新しいシーズン (atarashii shīzun)
  • Record – 録画する (roku ga suru)

Examples:

  • I saw that movie at the theater. It was fun to watch it on the big screen. – その映画は映画館で見ました。大画面で見ることができて楽しかった。(Sono eiga wa eigakan de mimashita. Ōgamen de miru koto ga dekite tanoshikatta.)
  • I haven’t seen the latest episode of that drama yet. I’m going to record it to watch later. – あのドラマの最新エピソードはまだ見ていない。録画して今度見ようと思う。(Ano dorama no saishin episōdo wa madamiteinai. Roku ga shite kondo miyō to omou.)
  • It looks like I can stream that movie on Netflix. I’ll watch it online this weekend. – Netflixでその映画が視聴できるようだ。今週末インターネットで見てみよう。 (Nettflix de sono eiga ga shichō dekiru yōda. Konshūmatsu intānetto de mitemiyō.)

Learning Japanese with Movies and TV shows

Japanese movies and TV shows offer a fantastic opportunity to learn about the country’s rich culture, history, and language.

They offer a unique and engaging way to learn the language. By immersing yourself in the captivating world of films, you can enhance your language skills while enjoying entertaining stories.

More Useful Phrases in Japanese

一番好きなテレビシリーズか映画を紹介してください。- Ichiban suki na terebi shiriizu ka eiga o shoukai shite kudasai. (Please share your favorite T.V. show or movie.)

テレビを見るのは好きですか？- Terebi o miru no  wa suki  desuka? – Do you like to watch T.V.?

毎日何時間ぐらい見ますか？- Mainichi nanijikan gurai mimasuka? – How many hours per day do you watch?

好きなテレビシリーズのジャンルは何ですか？- Suki na terebi no janru wa nandesuka? – What is your favorite genre of T.V. show? 

動画配信サービスを使っていますか？- Dougahaishin saabisu o tsukatteimasuka? – Do you use a video streaming service? (netflix, amazon prime, etc…)

映画は好きですか？- Eiga wa suki desuka? – Do you like movies?

映画とテレビシリーズと、どっちが好きですか？- Eiga to terebi shiriizu to docchi ga suki desuka? – Do you prefer movies or T.V. shows?

映画館にはよく行きますか？- Eigakan ni wa yoku ikimasuka? – Do you go to the movie theater often?

好きな映画のジャンルは何ですか？- Suki na eiga no janru wa nandesuka? – What’s your favorite movie genre?

日本のテレビや映画は見ますか？- Nihon no terebi ya eiga, wa mimasuka? – Do you watch Japanese T.V. or movies?

好きな俳優はいますか？- Suki na haiyuu wa imasu ka? – Do you have a favorite actor/actress?

＿＿＿＿さんの国で一番有名な映画は何ですか？- (NAME) san no kuni de ichiban yuumei na eiga wa nandesuka? – What is the most famous movie in your country?

子供の頃どんなテレビシリーズを見ましたか？ – Kodomo no koro donna terebishiriizu o mimashita ka? – What kinds of T.V. shows did you watch as a child?

アニメは好きですか？- Anime wa suki desuka? – Do you like anime?

一番最近見たテレビシリーズまたは映画は何でしたか？- Ichiban saikin mita terebi shiriizu matawa eiga wa nandeshita ka? – What was the most recent T.V. show or movie that you saw?

(insert genre)映画は好きですか？- (insert genre) eiga wa suki desuka? – Do you like _____ movies?

嫌いなテレビシリーズまたは映画はありますか？- Kirai na terebi shiriizu matawa eiga wa arimasuka? – Do you have a T.V. show or movie you don’t like?

Conclusion

Movies provide a rich audiovisual experience that helps you improve your listening comprehension, expand your vocabulary, and grasp colloquial expressions.

Additionally, watching movies allows you to observe native speakers’ pronunciation and intonation, aiding in improving your speaking abilities.

So grab some popcorn, sit back, and embark on a language learning journey through the magic of movies.

By learning some basic vocabulary words and phrases, you can start to have simple conversations about genres, plots, actors, and where you watch movies and TV in Japanese.

With practice, you’ll be able to discuss these entertainment topics more fluently. Ganbatte in your Japanese learning!