voice-overs in TV-dramas

[Birgit Kellner]

Once more, a TV-related question: 

How come that Japanese TV-dramas place so much emphasis on voice-over
narration? (Schoolgirl stares into the camera; voice-over: "Hiroko,
looking disappointed"; schoolgirl A walks away from schoolgirl B after a
brief conversation; voice-over "schoolgirl A, walking away; schoolgirl
B, watching schoolgirl A walking away", and so on, and so on.) One feels
tempted to explain this as a device to make up for bad acting or
directing, but perhaps there are other reasons. 

-- 
birgit kellner
department for indian philosophy
hiroshima university