It’s true. I am hooked on Korean dramas. Every day I look forward to my time to unwind, eating my dinner and taking in the latest episode of my current Korean drama. Yes, they are soap operas, but not like American soaps. American shows go on and on for years and years, the story never ending and often so fantastic. On an American soap, just about anything you can imagine, believable or not, will happen. (Remember Luke and Laura and the Ice Princess? That one goes back a bit, but there have been plenty of similar crazy plots that have followed.)
Korean shows, on the other hand, are usually centered around families (often from contrasting social or economic status) who are in some way connected. The shows offer romance and comedy, as well as drama and adventure. The characters are easy to relate to; you can count on there being a disapproving mother-in-law in the mix 🙂 I also like that Korean dramas have a definite timeline. Most shows run for weeks or months, rather than 20 or 40 or so years. It’s enjoyable to follow a storyline and know that it will have a definite beginning, middle, and end. I loved Erica Kane, too, but following all her trials, tribulations, marriages, and divorces…I think she more than deserves some time off (I grew up with All My Children, so I was sorry to see that they went off the air, however, they did have a lengthy, great run).
Another thing I like about Korean dramas is listening to the language. Since I like learning languages, I enjoy picking up on Korean words. One thing I realized is that, while the shows are captioned in English, I still need to hear the actors delivering their lines. You get so much more from hearing the characters (even if you don’t understand the language) than if you just read the captioned lines. I also like that Korean dramas often present Korean culture and customs. So I have learned some things about Korean life, too.
Here is a link to the show I am watching currently:
http://www.dramafever.com/drama/3927/1/Sparkling/?ap=1
(So far) it has been an exciting and emotional rollercoaster ride, so I recommend it! The episodes are each one hour long and the site I watch it from has excellent streaming with an occasional 30-second commercial spot between segments. If you’re interested to explore Korean dramas, try this one – I think you’ll enjoy it and who knows, maybe you’ll get hooked like me!
Simple Pleasures 