Hey everyone! I was on a podcast! Mark that one off the bucket list! LOL! My friend from book club hosts a lovely podcast all about the love of Hallmark movies (link to this Hallmarkies Podcast here!) and she thought it would be fun to have a little bonus episode about kdramas. I know their audience would totally love kdramas, so I jumped at this chance to talk them up! Here's hoping we drag in a few more fans!
Anyway, in preparation for the this, I asked a Facebook group I recently joined the question: Why do you like Kdramas, and what are some of your favorite tropes/themes? I thought it would be fun to share their responses:
Reasons We Love Kdramas:
- show a more innocent lighthearted view of the world
- short series... beginning, middle and end
- escape from reality
- dramatic and intense, but without gratuitous sex scenes
- complete story arcs
- amazing character growth
- awesome story telling
- so much content
- universal stories told through the view of another culture
- character and relationships are more part of the plot
- romantic and sexual tension
- like reading a book
- doesn't depend on a shock factor
- serious themes
- smaller industry, familiar with actors
- Korean culture
- so romantic
- original
- funny
- less foul language
- slow burn romance, leading up to the kiss
- men who wear their hearts on their sleeves
- amazing music
- 2 episodes each week
- minimal drug usage
- how to live well, or what it means to be human themes
- children connected to parents theme, family values
- beautiful actors
- great writing, poetic
- fun fashion
- crazy good talent
- still follow a moral code
- consequences for bad behavior, rewards for good
- positive and good outlook on life
- depth
- plot twists
- easy to watch with your family
- cinematography
Tropes, Themes and Genres We Love:
- piggy back rides
- enemies to lovers
- poor girl/rich boy
- wrist grabs
- accidental kisses
- evil mothers
- secret births and secret identities
- amnesia
- childhood sweethearts/fated love
- contract marriages
- white truck of doom
- wall push
- hide in a small space
- when the ML takes a bullet for the FL
- ghosts
- fantasy
- body swaps
- time travel
- genderbending
- love of books
- relationships
- clenched fists
- drunken confessions
- interfering parents
- orphaned characters
- going out to eat
- tender face touches
- treating wounds
- stress nose bleeds
- first love fate
- revenge plots
- rain and umbrellas
- strong fighting girls
- lawyer shows
- psychological thrillers
- hospital confessions
- love triangles
There you have it! Almost every drama has an element of things of these lists. And we as viewers look forward to them and expect them. It's part of the experience. And we absolutely love it!
If you are looking for recommendations on where to start, I made another list:
Kdrama Recs from ones available on Netflix
(Some I've seen and loved, some I haven't yet but have heard a lot of buzz about)
Rom Coms
Cinderella and the Four Knights
Boys Over Flowers
Because This Is My First Life
My Shy Boss
When the Camellia Blooms
My First First Love
Historicals
Rookie Historian
Mr. Sunshine
My Country
Kingdom
Chicago Typewriter
Suspense/Mystery/Crime Thrillers
Stranger
The K2
Black
Prison Playbook
Signal
Voice
Fantasy/Paranormal
A Korean Odyssey
Mystic Pop-up Bar
Memories of the Alhambra
Oh My Ghost
Drama
The King: Eternal Monarch
Itaewon Class
Crash Landing On You
Chocolate
Hospital Playlist
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
One Spring Night
And if you actually click and watch your very first drama, here are a few terms to get familiar with things. These are just a very few... this list could be huge if were to actually jump into teaching some Korean terms and words you'll hear. But this is a start!
Kdrama Terms and Korean Terms in Dramas
Sageuk: historical/period drama
OST: music from a drama
Noona romance: older girl/younger guy
CF: commercial film/advertisement
ML: male lead
FL: female lead
SL: second (male usually) lead
Second Lead Syndrome (SLS): having your heart break when the second lead doesn't get the girl
CCTV: Closed Captioned TV (always a factor in the crime dramas especially)
Oppa: what girls call their older brothers... and boyfriends
Noona: what boys call their older sisters
Hyung: what boys call their older brothers
Unni: what girls call their older sisters
Sunbae: senior
Hoobae: junior
...nim: what you stick on the end of a name or title to show respect, formal (like sir/mam)
...shi: what you stick on the end of a name to show respect, less formal (like Mr/Mrs/Ms)
...ah/ya: what you stick on the end of a name to show closeness and endearment
Omo: Oh my!
Aigoo: Oh dear
Hwaiting/Fighting: Let's do this! You got this! Good luck!
Hopefully, you'll be intrigued!
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