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My top reasons I love Asian TV.
1. Beginning/Ending
2. Great music selections! The OSTs are so memorable.
3. 2 episodes (or more for some Chinese dramas) a week
4. Experiencing new cultures
5. Following actors/actresses/writers

Oh wow I love the way you laid it out esp. reason # 2 and more so the way you put it: “everything from a text, to a lingering gaze, to a phrase said in conversation, is given time and attention, often with a loving touch, to tease out the emotional journey of two people coming together.” That’s exactly how I feel watching K dramas yet can’t put it into words until I saw this post. ♥

I have an amusing thought though.. I wonder if K drama actors still have it in them to enjoy a K drama of their colleagues.. Haha! I can’t imagine Son Yejin binging on Healer and still enjoying it, or Ji Chang Wook going through the feels in CLOY.. Unless of course it’s research for their own projects.. LOL!

I definitely agree especially on the romantic emotional focus. A lot of Western dramas feel sometimes shallow because the show is based on Physical Intimacy rather than emotional intimacy. I’ve always been way more interested in emotional intimacy and so the characters and the ir situations tend to pull me in a lot more. Thanks for your post! I liked it! :]

I have many of the same reasons as you as to why I prefer kdramas over western shows 🙂 There are so many reasons of course, many of which you named, but I think the number one reason is the characters and relationships. Western shows just don’t do so well at crafting complex characters and relationships. I still watch some western shows, but they pale in comparison to kdramas for me. The production value and acting are great, but the actual storytelling usually isn’t and the characters feel shallow and one note. I find myself constantly thinking how a kdrama would do this scene or this relationship and make it better, hehe

And like you said, it really is a whole combination of things. As OST really draws out emotions and is a priority in kdramas whereas the music doesn’t stand out at all in western shows. It feels like romance doesn’t exist either where kdramas excel at it. But it really is those characters that allow me to watch a show that has a basic plot I’ve seen many times before and still enjoy it. because thought goes into them to make them relatable and to have a journey of growth to go on. That just never gets old 🙂

OMG! Almost 80 comments! This sure has been a popular topic. 😀 I’m kinda late to the party.

I’d say, initially all of the reasons you mentioned played at least some part in my journey into the kdrama rabbit hole. Number 1 certainly but the main one being that I had become very bored and disillusioned with western shows and just wanted something with less gratuitous sex and shallow relationships and more ‘story’ overall. Which to my great delight I discovered with kdramas and later on with shows from other Asian countries. After the western shows then, kdramas seemed so exciting, vibrant and full of life. I loved the use of well thought out OST/BGM (which sadly seems to be gone these days) to enhance the storytelling and e.g symbolism in colours and the way many scenes were filmed to give them that extra something. I was so thoroughly hooked that I watched a number of makjangy melos and soppy romances that aren’t usually my cup of tea at all. Everything was gloriously new and shiny. 🙂 I also fell in love with the Korean language, more so that with all The Pretty, ha.

Well, more than decade has passed and the question I seem to be asking these days is not really “why I like to watch kdramas” but rather “why am I STILL watching kdramas”. The lustre has certanly diminished considerably over the years and e.g many of the special ‘quirks’ and tropes that I found so charming before are now highly irritating. I’m far less likely to overlook things like glaring flaws in the writing, recycling of plots and The Stupid than I once was. As romance is not the main draw for me, it’s also a lot harder to find kdramas that hook me enough to even get past the first few episodes. So, why AM I still watching? To tell the truth, I don’t really know. Force of habit maybe? 🙂 Or perhaps the hope that among the dramas produced each year, there will still be a few that speak to me, that can still breath life to the magic that once was.

Ah, I’m so glad this question was asked and then answered so well! Those are definitely the highlights of these dramas for me. It’s always fun to put a lot of thought into why we like something so darn much, and it’s encouraging to see that the most outstanding qualities are largely perceived and appreciated by others.

The duration is definitely a huge plus for for me, as I like complete stories that can be processed in a reasonable amount of time. I want them to be long enough that I can get lost in them, but not so long that they lose me. 🙂 While not every show sticks the landing, their finite structure at least gives the writers a fighting chance to make the arcs smooth and bring them together in a meaningful way. It’s the immersion and character bonding you can get from a sitcom or “regular” show, combined with the satisfaction and polish (usually) of a film.

The glimpse into another world was actually the inciting draw for me, and to your point, the presentation of that world goes a long way towards my continued enjoyment. Because romance is either the primary focus or at least heavily featured, we get to see a lot of the soft lighting and sun flares that create the dreamy, fantastical atmosphere. There are exceptions of course, but most of the shows coming to mind at the moment are rather bright and colorful with fun and/or polished work places and unique and/or cozy dwellings. I’m fairly certain the whole country (or even city for that matter) isn’t as stylish and vibrant as most of the settings we see our characters interact in, but that’s okay. Just as I like to drive through amazingly-landscaped housing developments with immense, picturesque estates just to bask in the opulence of it all, so too do I like feasting my eyes on the best and most enticing scenery other countries have to offer. (And as a bonus, the prevalence of those idealistic locations really enhances the contrast when a show like “My Mister” comes along that is more about the grit. Darker, colder tones really sink into my bones when I’ve been watching warm sparkles most of the time. 🙂

The factor I love the most though is your #2–a focus on the relationship. Can’t say enough about that, and you summed it up quite nicely. 🙂 I find that I’m most interested in how a relationship changes and progresses, and that’s almost always what gets cut short or sidelined in “normal” shows. Right when they’re getting to the good part, they either cut away and relegate the resolution to an ambiguous off-screen conversation, or they wrap it up prematurely with some ostensibly deep (but oftentimes hollow) line followed by physical intimacy.

It was such a welcome relief and surprise to actually see the scenes played out! These shows aren’t afraid of dialogue or explaining a character’s thoughts and motivations. Sometimes they go a little overboard with the soliloquies, but I’d rather that than just gloss over a transitional moment or epiphany.

And for me, that relational exploration ties into your #4 regarding the beautiful leads. I’ll admit, usually when I start watching a show, I’m not particularly enticed by the leading lady–particularly if its the first time I’ve seen her. There’s rarely an attempt to sexualize her–in fact, depending on her situation, they may be showing her in a rather comical or unflattering way. There’s nothing that says, “Behold, the lead! Isn’t she so desirable!?” She is, for all intents and purposes, presented just like any other gal. (That’s part of her appeal, in fact.) So, just like when I see a girl in real life, I notice her, but I’m not immediately drawn to her. But because the shows let things develop slowly over time, I get to know her personality. I get to see so many more sides of her character, including the “boring” day-to-day activities. I see her go grocery shopping, feed the cat, ride the bus, read a book. These are all things that often have to be sacrificed in other genres because they aren’t advancing the plot (or not doing it fast enough). But with relationally-focused stories, fleshing out characters IS advancing the plot.

Between moments created by the content, and a plethora of close-ups, I get to really “see” the character, and usually by the third or fourth episode, an attraction has developed. Sometimes it happens faster, and sometimes it is immediate, but typically she becomes endearing the more I see her. For example, I initially didn’t really think too much about Yoon Ji-ho in BTIOFL. I thought she was pleasant enough, but I wasn’t like, “Woah, she’s beautiful!” But around episode three, I remember thinking, “…Woah…she’s beautiful!” 😉 I don’t know if it’s the familiarity or what, but most of the time I feel like my attraction unfolds slowly just as the romance unfolds slowly. I’m not getting slapped with, “Check out this hottie in a bikini–aren’t you going to enjoy watching her for the next two hours?!”. I’m seeing a person come into focus gradually, and the more I see of her, the more I like ‘er.

Not gonna lie, it helps that they are in fact portrayed by lovely actresses, and I have certainly found characters attractive despite them being horrible people in the story. But I’d say most of the time the beauty sinks in after a few episodes…and then of course I’ll seek out other shows the actress has played in. 🙂

The only aspect of these shows that I would add to the list is “whimsy”. I realized this after our discussion about the topic after your “Romance is a Bonus Book” review. One of the first things I noticed was that these shows have a wide variety of tones and approaches, and most of the time they let me know what I can expect by the degree and type of whimsy there is in the first couple episodes. Will it be a little quirky with a bit of slapstick SFX? Will it be really zany with cartoon bubbles and animated avatars? Will it be more subdued with stylized moments and some OTT acting? Or will it be non-existent, letting nothing detract from the sombre atmosphere?

I honestly think it could be this element that would address the other side of the question: Why DON’T people like kdramas? When I think about dramas I feel most comfortable recommending to people, it’s usually the ones with virtually no whimsy. This isn’t because I necessarily like them more, but because I’ve found that whimsy or fun or goofy elements confuse a lot of people. Not because they’re stupid, but because they weren’t coming to the drama for the reasons stated here. If they aren’t prepared for or wanting to see a whole different culture, or if they don’t crave a slower relational burn, then they aren’t in a position to embrace something that doesn’t align with their expectations.

They’re already having to adjust to reading subtitles (and having to decipher what is really being said due to occasional hiccups in the translation) and seeing unfamiliar aesthetics–if you add even a moderate dose of whimsy, it just throws the whole experience off. And again, since they aren’t already invested because of what the genre has to offer, they have no motivation to adapt to or understand–let alone appreciate–the surrealism, comical or otherwise.

Anywho, this post wasn’t about that. 🙂 I just wanted to say that one of the reasons I like kdramas is the whimsy. It’s the reason I enjoy shows like “Community”, “30 Rock”, “Scrubs”, and “The Good Place”. Those shows also have a nice dose of whimsy and self-awareness that I’ve always found refreshing. Probably 85% of the kdramas I’ve seen have a nice smattering of fanciful elements that bring levity, comedy and sometimes clarity to a scene. I certainly wouldn’t rank whimsy as high as the four factors discussed here, but I think it warrants an honorable mention. 🙂

Oo I love this post! I was actually thinking along these lines recently – I started watching american series House of Cards but I dropped it after maybe 7 or 8 episodes and went to Hospital Playlist. Granted they are two very very different shows – HP is such a gentle sweet slice of life and House of Cards is R21 for a reason!! but I was so taken aback and disrobed by the amount of sex, drugs, swear words, betrayals and all around bad behaviour. I was interested coz I enjoyed the cunning power plays but soon it devolved into straight out cheating and lying which didn’t sit right with me. Perhaps I am more traditional in values but it was just too much. So watching HP was so lovely, haha.

Having said that, I should caveat that I wasn’t really a TV watching person. I prefer reading and specific movies but all that changed when I stumbled upon Kdramas. Now Netflix and Viu are my best friends! 😂😂 In my 2-3 years watching Kdramas I think probably watched less than 5 “Western” TV dramas in these few years – House of Cards is one, The Good Place, Brooklyn 99, The Crown, that’s about it.

I absolutely agree with all the reasons in your post. For me, I love the fact that there’s a clear start and end (don’t even get me started on how much I hate Netflix’s season- approach to Kdramas!) I also love how Kdramas treat love and relationships – all of the feelzzzz that you don’t get in a western show perhaps. I also like that the miniseries format allows for greater exploration of a character growth and fleshing out of themes compared to a 2 hour movie, but it’s not so dragged out that plots cycle in place over multiple seasons. And on a shallower end, I realise I like the pretty boy look over the muscular strapping guy (so while half my office went crazy over Jason Momoa he did nothing for me!) so Korean actors are totally my style, lol. And perhaps Asian shows reflect timeless traditional Asian values – the family filial piety, respect for elders, emphasis on the sacredness of marriage (less casual sex or at least in a committed relationship!) etc. And most of all I watch shows to find comfort and enjoyment, so the thoughtful writing and emotional growth / relationship growth that the characters go through are some of the top things Kdramas do so well.

Ok, I’m rambling. I really enjoyed this post and thanks so much for articulating how we all feel! ♥️♥️♥️

Ever since I started watching both Japanese and Korean shows, I’ve also been wondering why I preferred them over Western ones. (I don’t like calling them “dramas” because not all of them are emotionally heavy. 😉) The fact is I’m able to relate to the characters more, probably because our cultures are similar?

Also, American rom-coms just don’t have that fairytale-like romantic feel that makes my heart flutter. Their approach to love is more calculated and manipulating. They play mind games to get the guy or girl. Japanese and Korean shows portray love in a more innocent and straightforward manner. It’s like the love we all wish we had. But I’m not sure if I’m explaining it right. Haha! 😜

Nowadays I find myself picking up and enjoying kdramas with these 3 elements:

– Purposeful, concise storytelling
– Logical, consistent character development
– Artistic and societal value (Beautiful World, an underrated 2019 gem on school bullying and parenting culture comes to mind)

I’ve recently sampled Korean movies via the masterpieces Parasite and Kim Ji-young Born 1982 — brilliant, eye-opening critique on class and gender inequality, respectively. I’ll never look at rain the same way again.

Kfangurl, I have to think about this subject too! The little grey cells are starting to short circuit 😜 Personally, I don’t mind how long a show is. Yes, it’s true for many western serials, they do nose dive after a while. There are a number of exceptions though. I do find, as much as I enjoy kdramas and the like, due to their short run, often the ending is the weakest element. That doesn’t mean they end up with a stronger ending just because they might add in a few extra episodes either. We have certainly seen where that hasn’t worked.

So, why do I like kdramas, cdramas, jdramas, hkdramas, tdramas and thai dramas (not all thai dramas are lakorns – thank goodness)? I’m not really sure, but I can say many are refreshing, well made, are in fact relatable and are thought provoking. I find many cdramas crash and burn. They start of well, then go through this blip and then plummet into the blackhole of no return.

I think I have said this before, many of the kdrama actresses appear to have a much better acting range, skill and ability than many of the male actors out there (I won’t mention the exceptions will I 😂?). A number of the key kdrama actresses also teach drama and so hold professorships in this area.

I do look for the relationships in any drama. Again, it is about the level of connection that people have that makes the world go round. And that intrigues me. I always find the over achieving and over promising an interesting dynamic in any story and following on from that how fallible our characters are. When it’s all said and done, each year throws up a number of amazing stares and so I keep watching in the hope there will always be another, fantastic, beautiful and relatable story 🤗

So true! For me No.1 is the main point but all others count too. I can’t understand when people are demanding 2nd seasons since in 99% the story is told. What do you want more? Want to ride the horse until it is dead? Even when I don’t like the ending I always can make up an own in my mind or when it is popular enough, read fanfictions. Normally the authors irk the same as me.
About No.4 I noticed that I find other actors/actresses attractive than most but I don’t mind them being in the backround as long they are there :P.

I love this post! This has been something I had often wondered about for myself. I haven’t always been a huge fan of K-dramas (more into C-dramas and TW-dramas) but US TV has never got me as hooked as it did with Asian dramas. My theory (for me anyway) is that US dramas tend to focus more on plot, suspense and the shock factor and less on character development or relationships. Which makes me lose interest really, really quickly since who cares about plot? (not me) HAHA

Also, the amount of sex in US TV is so annoying and cheap. Huge turnoff. And the way relationships just pop out of nowhere in the middle of the season and next you know they break up and a new relationship pops up. Although when it comes to humour, I definitely appreciate US comedies more than Asian dramas.

I love this post. I hope that the kdrama industry reads it too and stays true to its root. I really was fed up with the toxic masculinity and over sexualization of female characters in Western dramas. Even in kdramas that are problematic like Boys over Flowers, I appreciated scenes like where Yoon Ji Hoo cries and the Grand Pa consoles him after Geum Jan Di says no to his proposal. How many western shows ever show a man crying and that too for being rejected? I literally cannot think of one. I really love that scene and it got me hooked on kdramas. Pretty much every kdrama will show male character crying at some tough point. I so appreciate that they show crying is okay. Even the chaebol jerk changing into a nicer guy is something refreshing to me. There are way too many western shows where the girl is uptight and spoiled and the guy is fun and finally gets the girl to have fun. I love how it is the male character in kdramas that has to grow and change.
I was apprehensive to watch Touch Your Heart as I thought it would be about a spoiled actress who needs to learn how to behave nicely. Imagine my surprise when it turns out that not only is Oh Jin Shim is not spoiled but actually really wants to be a good secretary. She may be naive but her heart is in the right place.
Another thing is I am always surprised by how much I end up loving the secondary characters. Even in crash landing into you, I was very much emotionally vested in the Ahjummas and the NK soldier group, Healer where I love the hacker ahjumma, in Suspicious Partners, the lawyer group and their meetings were hilarious. The list is pretty endless.
Also your blog plays a role too. I love watching a show and then reading your reviews to see how much we agreed. I feel like I may have avoided many bad kdrmas and only have watched the best ones, thanks to you. I recently finished Healer which ordinary might not have stood out to me but I know you love it and it really was awesome show. Thank you 🙂

I appreciate how this post is solely populated with CLOY photos! That show is the epitome of all that works about k dramas.

As a fan myself, I would qualify my comments by saying, I am not into all K Drama, which by its very bulk contains series that are as ho hum to me as anything produced anywhere. And I do not limit my taste to K Dramas. For example, I have preferred the Amazon detective series Bosch to any I have seen serialized in K Drama, the best of which I have seen would be Stranger. And recently PBS aired a simply terrific World War 2, European Front, series, World on Fire, which contained many of the virtues of great K Drama series, beginning with an ensemble of terrific actors, lead and support. And I would start there with my love of some K Drama. The size and quality of the ensembles. One of the things I love best the really great acting in K Drama is how the actors inhabit their roles, both individually and in relation to one another. And this is as true for character actors as it is for the leads, maybe even moreso. Add that to the range of some of these actors. One thinks one has a handle on one actor until one sees her or him in a number of roles, and then, simply wow–these folks know how to act. There should be drama courses based on some of these performances, and I would since so many of them are trained via their educations, a willingness to have Korean drama instructors hired in the US and Europe.
The second thing I really like is the encyclopedic repertoires of plotting and plot devices used by the story runners. While not every series is able to finish that well, and the ones that do, for me anyway, differentiate the A and A+ dramas from the B levels, really to watch a good K Drama is to marvel at plot complication and device–they hold one’s attention over the course of a long series and from one episode to the next. In line with that I like the meaty length of each episode. A good K Drama is one in which whereever one started at the beginning of one episode, one has matriculated several levels by the end of that episode.
I like how they are entertainments, and like some Shakespearean drama, comedy and tragedy, tragedy and comedy exist side by side seamlessly. And I must say, I like how the very best K Dramas do not compromise when a hard ending is called for. This seems to be a somewhat diminishing phenomenon, unfortunately, but I like how some writers and directors can do the math and have the courage to follow through.
I like how literary and intelligent K Dramas are. Here is something often lacking in drama from elsewhere, but most especially the US. I have tried to eschew specific examples in this, but with regard to this, I cannot help but think of Bad Papa, a Jang Hyuk vehicle, in which he plays a mixed boxing/martial art fighter, an extremely seedy scene, and somehow the whole thing is contextualized by a novel by Doestoevsky. Simply amazing. Poetry, classical music, art is fair game in K Drama.
Finally, I really like well done sageuks. Other countries produce historical and period piece epics, but the Koreans really know how to do it. And the ability to interweave profound meditations on class and political power, greed, desire, while providing magnetic and well choreographed action scenes borders on the amazing. What one usually sees elsewhere is either stodgy philosophical story telling or boring wham bam thank you m’am action, tut the best K Drama sageuks, like Deep Rooted Tree, can have one thinking long after viewing about history and power and class from its wonderfully presented debate duels or simply astounded by the choreography of its fight scenes. That is as with the willingness to present fine art influences in popular drama, there is also a willingness to challenge a popular artist with the intelligence of the writers.

Hi there Fangurl – Here is a time when I really wish that I was the kind of writer that you, Sean and Jesse are!

I predict a lot of responses on this post as for many of us, KDrama holds such a very special place in our hearts. There are many reasons why, beside a few BBC productions, my viewing is solely K and C Dramas.

There are exceptions to every rule but for the most part here are my reasons for watching. First, KDrama has soul! Western (US) media has lost its soul. Second, in most dramas we clearly see who the bad guy is. This is important to me. Third, love and intimacy are special and KDrama treats these with respect. Fourth, violence in US shows is getting more and more disturbing. I hope and pray that KDramas steer clear of this. I have noticed lately a surge of serial killer dramas which I hope dissipates soon. Fifth, I love the Korean’s view on respecting their ancestors, respecting their elders and the usage of the phrase “You must have saved the country in your previous life”. I just love this saying. Sixth, I love the way the family is portrayed and how beautiful some of the family dramas are.

In short KDramas are a veritable feast for the soul and I will never get tired of this soul food! And speaking of food, the introduction of Korean, Thai and Chinese dishes to my family’s table has broadened our horizons. It has also allowed us to learn more about Korean and Chinese history, language and culture. It is a win-win!

What a great post. The frustration is real that no one in my life gets it. I started watching about 8 yrs ago. got hooked immediately doing the “just 1 more episode…” til 3 in the morning thing. At that time I could share my fatigue at work with a few coworkers who had also stayed up til dawn watching something. They left and I took a years long break. But for the past 2 1/2 yrs I have watched Kdramas and a few Taiwanese dramas exclusively.

I have thought alot about why. I agree with all your points. The number one factor for me is something I didn’t even know had a name until I read the book The Power Of Nunchi by Euny Hong. Nunchi, that Korean manifestation of emotional intelligence that is at the heart of all the unspoken communication between characters: the “mind reading”, the glances, the held togues, the reluctance to barge in on someone having an emotional moment… all the subtle factors that drive storylines in kdramas. It is beyond fascinating!

Another thing I find fascinating is the seeming contradiction of a very masculine culture being so okay with men who cry. Never have I seen male characters portrayed with such a wide range of emotions. Yes there is anger and bravado, arrogance and stubbornness but the same characters also show grief and sadness and longing, shame, loneliness, courage, appreciation. sensitivity, and on and on. I think these other emotions can take center stage because the Confiucian ideal of reining in your lust makes space in a way western drama can’t.

These cultural qualities had me so intrigued I began watching variety shows. Shows like Master in the House and Let’s eat together and Life bar .. bring out another social phenomenon I find fascinating: the seeming paradox of a society that values saving face AND baring their souls publicly. I am astounded by the emotional honesty people on variety shows display.

These elements of character driven storylines, combined with a relatively small pool of actors that allows viewers to watch the artistic development of favorite actors over a short amount of time, plus the opportunities to see actors in a range if variety shows to get their backstory has created an endless rabbit hole this avowedly non-starstruck viewer has no desire to get out of!

I never would have imagined myself in this place. I so appreciate your excellent critiques of shows because it is a depth of analysis I cannot do alone. It brings me commraderie in my delightful, but solitary, pastime.

As an Asian woman, one of the main reasons (personally) is that it is closer to home. The culture while may differ in some aspect is not far from where I grew up with. I love certain western dramas to death I do, but I never fully relate to most of it. For the sake of comparison, I noticed most western shows depict very realistic narratives, and we don’t need that most of the time, we love our fictions and fantasies lol. This is not to say that korean dramas are all about JUST that. Having been a kdrama fan since god-knows-when, I’ve seen brave and outta box dramas and they did not disappoint. Sure, there are familiar patterns with korean dramas, but it’s one of its charms. You know how it’s gonna be played out but there’s no way to tell how emotionally you’ll be swept.

“ … ever since I got into KDramas, I honestly can’t watch anything else, I still watch some western shows but it’s not the same, I’m not as drawn in.”

This was me exactly 7 years ago when I discovered KDramas. I was already disillusioned with Western television 2 years prior for reasons KFangirl listed. I was getting tired of attaching myself to shows that abruptly had the rug pulled out from under them. All of the long-term shows I’d loved had come to an end. And at that time, Western TV had hit this terrible glut of reality shows, which I can’t stand. First, I attached myself to the retro Western shows I loved and missed growing up and watched a lot of those with fresh adult eyes.



I love the KDrama short story format from beginning to end. I also love the slow relationship build-up despite the short length, and the clean focus on the character’s journey. Thought Kfangurl will tell you, I enjoy more natural closeness, hugs, and all around closeness than the 10 hour buildup to hand-holding. And don’t get me started on the standing 6 feet apart. Kdramas were “social distancing” before it was mandatory.

I appreciate the higher moral standards applied to Dramas. They’re like watching beloved shows from the 80s and 90s. Watching Dramas is probably as close to Korea as I’ll ever get so I enjoy learning all the aspects of the culture, from language, to fashion to food and table manners. 

 I have never been more giggly and attracted to TV stars than I have been in KDramas! They’re beautiful, (Yes, “work” done or not) and we get to see our favorites in a variety of roles and character types, sometimes up to 3 times a year! I’ve had instances where I didn’t care much for an actor’s performances, but then saw them in a different role, and light, and suddenly they click with me and I became a big fan.

The super variety of genres really attracts me, there’s something to watch for every mood. I’m not a huge rom-com person, it depends. The fact that crime/mystery dramas are killing it (pun intended) right now thrills me. But I have to agree with a comment above that the violence has increased a little too much.

I find KDramas to be reliable best friends. I’ve gone through my ups and downs where I don’t watch at all. This time, the fix of switching Drama countries, which I usually recommend, hasn’t worked. I’m currently in a long period of “down” that’s hard to shake. It could be with all that’s going on the world and some personal issues that I lost the motivation or brain power to concentrate. I’m finding it hard to relate to a bubbly cute fantasy world while the real one is full of fear, and illness. I can still watch the crime dramas, but I’ve also developed severe “Internet brain,” and I can’t focus on one episode when I used to watch 3-4 in a row sometimes! I used to watch multiple dramas at the same time too. I could blame age creeping up on me, but I mainly think it’s Internet Brain and I’m working to fix it.

We get so used to being handed little bits and chunks of information all day, every day, or getting distracted by Social Media and this and that shiny new app that our full attention spans get shot to pieces. It takes a lot of energy to watch a drama to get invested in the story and make sense of it through reading subtitles.

My TV and Roku have been collecting dust, but I want to deep dive in again. I really miss the Asian dramas.

Your number one for me is the very fundamental point of what attracts me to kdrama.

Having an definite start and end point is a definite plus. The length is also just right. Its significantly longer than a movie so that you can explore the story further and grow more attachment to the characters. You dont get drag into multi seasons (years!) commitment to get to the end of the story. 12 to 16 episodes hit the right spot for me. I find it harder to get into 50+ episodes hence why I don’t check out cdrama much. Jdrama and Tdrama fit the criteria and i do check them out once and a while, but i just don’t have much access to them.

Beyond the definite start and ending tho, i think this type of format really foster kdrama industry to be rich and diverse. A successful actor/writer/director get more options to hone their skills and try different things in relatively short span of time. In successful western tv, the actor will have to act the same character years after years. Kelsey Grammer played Frasier for 20years! One of my fave thing in kdrama is checking out new things from my fave actors/ writers/ directors, and theres always something new. This i never get to do with western tv.

I also find korean actors quality to be top notch, even the kids actors. There’s a lot of focus on facial expressions, maybe because it really wants to highlight human relationship that you mentioned? For example, crying is taken into a whole different in kdrama. Theres the full on wailing body shaking type, the single teardrop sneaking in, the eyes brimming with tears… all in full closeup. And my gosh do these actors cry well…

The cinematography style is also different. There’s a lot of focus in dreamy beautiful shot while western drama is more realistic. It does annoy me that blood, dirts and wounds on people rarely look real. But the shot… the sceneries… the beautiful couples… it just making it easier to transport you into lalaland.

When I was growing up, the TV in my country showed mostly miniseries – French, Italian, Russian, British, Australian, Latin American etc. Many of these were TV versions of classic or popular books. The shows were either dubbed or subtitled. I preferred subtitles, because I liked listening to unfamiliar languages and picking up words and expressions. Even live action shows for children followed the miniseries format. I still have fond memories of Czech and Polish children’s shows, full of humor, magic, and adventure. In short, I was unfamiliar with the episodic format popular in US shows.

In my late teens and college years, many US shows found their way in my country. I liked the acting and the high production values, but thought that the storytelling was kind of lame. I did not like that every episode was independent and there was not a big story to tell. Since then, many American shows have embraced the more serialized approach to storytelling, and some of these shows are among my favorites, like Lost or Better Call Saul. I agree that US shows don’t have romance as a central theme, and that’s a shame!

So when I discovered kdramas, I thought I was in TV heaven! I like the length, it is perfect for telling a longer story without missing on the details. Each episode is like a chapter from a book. I love the cliffhangers, because they make me want to see more. And I know that I am going to get an ending. Whether kdrama endings are always satisfying is a topic for another Dear Kfangurl post.

Lastly, eye candy is not something to be ignored. But I have to say that I have been seriously impressed by the quality of acting in kdramas.

I totally agree with everything you said, Kfangurl! I am very happy that kdramas exist and that there are many people around the world who enjoy them.

This is a nice one to think about, especially since only being into the kdrama scene for about 8 months myself. Addicted now though…

It started for me with discovering Man to Man on Netflix; it sounded interesting and I wanted to try our something else. I remember liking it very much and followed it up with What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and The Master’s Sun. Things are blurry after that, especially after discovering this blog; so much to choose from…
For me the looks of the leads never played that big a role really (probably a male thing), it was the overall story and the character interaction, the red thread.
I can enjoy a romance just fine but it’s not a must per se and I do like that kdrama takes the time for the overall story.
By now I’ve watched a lot of them and I do admit sometimes looking up an actor/actress to see what else they played in, but more for the fact of hoping to enjoy their characters as much as I did in another series. The other reasons you mentioned do factor in though.

I still enjoy western series (action, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, for example), but my heart is big enough to give kdrama a place also.
Delved more into Chinese and Japanese drama also due to this. Found some good ones, but, I noticed I prefer more Japanese than Chinese drama.

Every drama has its tropes of course (still not like the ever present love triangles in kdrama that much if I’m honest; a good romance build up story without annoying rivals is nice at times), but I like that in general the characters and the story in Japanese drama is more down to earth/relatable for me while still capable of packing a punch. Chinese drama’s tend to be more fluffy, also, the fact that everyone goes to bed with full make-up on, it’s just… Kind of refreshing to not see this then in for example The Wonder Woman, which I’m enjoying currently.
Anyway, going off-topic now…

I had a great read on this one 🙂
I think the points on why people like kdramas are endless.
But I have to agree with pretty much everything you said. It is a lot faster, more feely touchy stuff and of course the pretty leads :DDD I guess your list of hot dudes is also endless ^^

“Many viewers have become fatigued from the sex and violence which Western networks seem convinced will sell the shows to audiences, and find the purity and emotional focus in kdrama romances a refreshing change.” – You may be right about that but I feel like the sexy parts also slowly increase in Kdramas and I have to say I see more violence in kdramas than in western shows at least that is my experince from what I watched.

For me its like this. If I want to watch romance/comedy/melo or anything remotely with feelings I prefer Kdramas but if I want to see action/fantasy or a thriller I prefer western shows. I don’t know maybe because it looks better because of the insane high budgets compared to dramas but I am not even sure.