[Nyororin]

I find Japanese dramas incredible corny, boring, and flat out laughable most of them time. Instead of actually looking at anything that might really be happening or that could occur - they tend to choose an insane plot device and then find the absolute WORST actors and actresses to make it even worse. Instead of making a story that is engrossing or interesting, they jump to latch on to anything that has gotten good ratings in the past and combine it with a new "fad".

Traditional high rating getters;
A character sick and going to die.
A character dead but "returning" in some way.
Ultra-popular working woman.
Super teacher/doctor changing their community.

Add any new technology or fad to one of those and you can hit most of the dramas.
A character sick and going to die, and the boyfriend/girlfriend works in a popular profession/has a very popular hobby.
A character died, but is communicating with family via the newest cell phone or laptop.
Ultra-popular working woman with 50 followers in her company is using one of the newest online services to get more work qualification certificates.
Super doctor is sent to small town in (insert area that has had recent interest), changing the lives of everyone around there.

Whenever there is a new drama coming out, if there is any sort of relationship scene in the commercial my husband will whisper 「死ぬにゃ～」... And 99% of the time the drama ends up being about one of them dying or having a terminal illness. This has to be THE number one plot device in Japanese dramas and movies. It`s EVERYWHERE.

US dramas, on the other hand, may start out with a great idea but as they don`t usually have a fixed run it seems like somewhere along the line turn into filler and "stretch this out so we can make more money" contrived bits.