It seems to me that too often one person’s critique of a drama reads as negative nit-picking to another person. I find that that’s more often the case when the second person likes the drama a lot. Perhaps people just want to bask in the afterglow of the drama and thus dismiss criticisms as nit-picking or perhaps they process criticism of the drama as criticism of their taste or judgment. (It’s usually not, people!) I am more bothered by the defensiveness and attacks that sometimes occur when people feel that their beloved dramas are under siege, than the critcisms themselves, no matter how nit-picking they appear. But then I happen to enjoy reading or listening to detailed critiques of a drama that I like. It makes me aware of things that I missed and it often deepens my understanding of the drama. It sometimes makes me realize that the drama wasn’t as great as I initially thought it was.

I also like reading reviews that make me laugh, regardless of how I feel about the drama. That includes snarky reviews. They don’t spoil the watch experience for me but instead add to my enjoyment and appreciation of a drama and are sometimes a bracing reminder that these are dramas, not real life. (For example, I watched the BBC’s Poldark series but the part I looked forward to the most was reading the reviews of each episode in The Guardian.) Plus snarky reviews sometimes add a much needed note of levity to overly sententious dramas.

By the way, thank you, Elaine Phua, for recommending AvenueX. She has some great videos!

I like your advice to not get into a negative nitpicking spiral. With dramas as with other things in life, adjust your expectations, or walk away for a while and get a different experience and perspective. Having said that, I do sometimes enjoy watching Avenue X rant videos if it’s of a series I’m definitely not going to watch. She points out such funny things like how this period hero dressed all in white saves the female lead from bandits, brings her to a cave (instead of helping her return to her family) and in the morning tells her he BURIED her dead horse (slain by the bandits), while still wearing the same spotless white clothes. Hilarious!

This is such a fantastic post with a great list of tips to maintain that drama love. Like you, I’ve been watching for quite a few years and still love my dramas. I utilize pretty much all of the tips on your list.

The biggest thing for me is that I watch dramas for entertainment, so I try not to take them too seriously. I find the right lens and am extremely forgiving of flaws as long as long I’m not bored. Of course, I do appreciate dramas tackling issues and important themes, but mostly I want to enjoy myself.

I also think your point about avoiding negativity is key too. I know most fans enjoy community watching, but I personally usually avoid talking about dramas I’m watching in depth with others because I find that people are looking for problems and bring things to my attention I might not have otherwise noticed. And that can put a damper on my viewing experience. I enjoy taking a drama in first and then hitting the forums and reviews afterwards. That allows me to enjoy myself while watching and then take a deeper look later.

Keeping things varied by frequently switching genres and going back to watch old dramas also helps a lot. There really are a lot of things to do that can help keep that drama love burning. Thank you for such a great list ,and I hope it helps a lot of other drama fans out there 🙂

Ah, those are all good points and I’m sure some or at least one of them may work when you find yourself interest vaning. Usually. I’m not sure how it’ll go for me though as I’m currently at point 10 and don’t seem to have any real interest in getting back on the saddle. When it comes to kdramas anyway. I do occasionally watch some cdramas that happen to catch my fancy, so I’m not completely dramaless at this point. 🙂

I don’t have any sage words to add but one thing is for sure, don’t force yourself to watch anything if you don’t feel like it. Been there, done that and it sure didn’t go well at all. I’ve since learned not to keep throwing myself against the wall in the hopes it’ll give way. It.never.does. A break (long or sort) is a much less ‘painfull’ option and you may well come out of it with your love for dramas still intact.^^

Dear kfg,

Thank you so much for taking up my question and penning your detailed thoughts. The last year has been overwhelming for me (just like for millions of others around the world). Spending so much time at home, I was watching back to back dramas for a major part of last year. I was soon falling into “Been there seen that” phase. I really must add new genres to my kdrama diet. Get a bit more adventurous.

Also, I love these words of yours, “I think it’s helpful to remember that not every show is going to sweep us off our feet, and that even if a show doesn’t have that magical x-factor that leaves you breathlessly wanting more, it can still be a solidly enjoyable watch.”

Thank you for your helpful insights as always and here’s to hoping that I rekindle my love for my fav drama world soon 🙂

Great question and great answer, kfangirl.

I have surprised myself lately by suddenly breaking off every kdrama I was watching with a kind of “been there, seen that” feeling and starting with cdrama The Sword and the Brocade. Quite enjoying it. I’m sure it also has well-worn tropes, but since they’re new to me I don’t mind. It’s also easy on the eye, the interiors are far more inviting than their Korean counterparts and the actors, although good looking, not as aggressively attractive as their kdrama colleagues. The writing is a bit clumsy at times, people keep telling each other what has already been said and the pace can be slow, but I’m ready to forgive that for the overall meticulous and beautiful scenesetting.

So that’s a longwinded way of saying I was a bit tired of kdrama, too, after one year of watching it exclusively. So I’ll be taking a short break, The Queen’s Gambit is on my list, too, and not watching anything at all, and I guess things won’t be quite the same when I come back. Promises to be interesting.

Yes, Vaish is not alone with such a question!

The stand out kdrama right now, for me at least, is Vincenzo. It is something old, something new and something borrowed and working to a true operatic vision and scale.

I like your list of 10 things that work for you, kfangurl. It’s a very good framework as I find more than one item in your list is generally applicable to this situation, or even to a particular show.

Perhaps, number 10 is the one I use most of all. This is when I go off and find that rare gem somewhere else, and I find myself also conducting further research regarding such a gem, because it turns out to be that good. Mind you, I also find a fair number of turkeys too 😂

Even though there is a dearth of kdramas at the moment, not all of them have caught my attention, so I have gone off to track down other shows. This is when I find a cdrama or two, jdrama, tdrama, hkdrama or even a Thai drama (yes, I know, but every now and then there is a real gem from there, with no screaming or unsavoury subject matter. Some are becoming more like a kdrama – such as Voice in the Rain, and the characters always have great names).

So, of late I have trawled through quite a few cdramas yet again and found a number of good ones. Of these, The Sword and the Brocade is delightful. On the other hand, Palace of Devotion is intriguing. Here is a drama that was 100 episodes long. Then it was chopped down to 80 episodes and then truncated to 61. Viewers have complained of the extensive editing – the cause, the government censor. No one knows the reason why, though. It is a lavish production. Despite the initial heavy editing, there is a good story underneath it all.

That being said, we rewatched the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. There isn’t a better written or acted production out there.

Ignoring others comments is exceptional advice, too. I find it’s a hard one to abide by, though. However, every now and then I have success with it. My gut instinct tells me to ignore the comments and watch it. Oh My Ladylord (My Master) is a case in point. There are many complaints it is old fashioned, but I think it’s great and Nana, yet again, is a real delight.

Adjusting ones lens is a very, very good method. It worked with Palace of Devotion. With Sisyphus though, I haven’t had to adjust my lens at all as it pays homage to some of the great sci-fi stories, and does it well. The scenes in the future are very interesting and so what if our heroine likes pink – that would be expected in my household 🤣

On a parallel issue, we are quickly seeing that disclaimers at the start of an episode no longer “work.” With Joseon Exorcist’s cancellation after two episodes ($28M production?) re historical accuracy and the change in actor and complaints of historical accuracy on River Where the Moon Rises (and as it turns out, is historically accurate, culture wise), we have another more complex issue emerging re “viewer censorship” (or is it cancel culture at the extreme end?) where the reaction of the producers has not only been swift, but decisive. With JE, the result has been outright cancellation after two episodes. With River, they have decided to re-film the first six episodes in any case. Both of these examples are very complex and require a very personal judgement regarding how one feels about it all.

When all else fails, one thing I can always fall back on, if need be, is a book. Then again, I have to keep sorting out a music playlist and write some material as well 😉

Managing my expectation is key for me. Whether that’s expecting great things because of an actor I’ve loved in something else, or because I’ve seen rave comments from others – or, as you say, harsher critiques – or because I enjoyed the first series. It took me six episodes of watching the second series of Stranger before I felt a similar compulsive need to know what happens next after adoring the first series. My expectations, I think, were too high and I felt a kind of weird grief that the cast weren’t together in the same way.

I also often have to, as you say, adjust my lens with regards to the ‘comic’ light relief characters. Lots of times, I find I don’t get these characters and actively dislike them. For example, I’m watching Vincenzo at the moment and while I’m completely captivated by Song Joong-ki’s Vincenzo and the great Yoo Jae-myung, both playing everything straight and heartfelt, I could hardly bear Jeon Yeo-been’s garish interruptions and ugly character. I’ve had to force myself to smudge my lens and go with it so that it doesn’t hurt the rest of my viewing pleasure.

But agree with BE that sometimes shows just aren’t for you. And that’s OK – even if other people rave about it. I could list plenty from all around the world that haven’t got me. But there’s so much good stuff in kdramaland, and beyond, that I guess if you feel jaded by one country’s output you could dip your toe in another – though, of course, you’d have to then find someone of kfangurl’s calibre to guide you through it!

It’s possible that the older you get, your taste is somewhat change, we’ve experienced more in life and that’s makes you more critical. Your priorities in life and how you see life is different now that you’re mature, what matters in the past seem trivial now in your present 😊

The purpose to watch these is to be in some way entertained, and sometimes enriched. K Drama is a popular art form, and like all popular art forms, it will inevitably have its shelf life. There was a period in the states when HBO serial productions were gold, one series after another. That cannot be said to be the case today. I guess because I am older and have had a lot of popular passions over the course of my life, I have experienced hey days and their aftermaths, and so I expect it. With K Drama I came into so late in the game, that I missed initial viewings of a lot of great dramas from previous years, so even though I will come across shows now that do not meet my snuffs so to speak, I tend to drop them in favor of others that make me happy.
Now I hate being snarky myself, but there is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with expressing displeasure with a piece that you know good and well could have been done better, let alone finding fault and picking nits. To extrapolate into HBO drama, folks invested years of 13 consecutive Sunday seasons to Game of Thrones. The reaction to the final two seasons, which still had many good qualities, what can one say, showrunners could have done a better job bringing it to a close, and it is too bad they did not.
However, it’s just with so much quality out there, why bother sticking with things with which one finds antipathy. Most people will not listen to music they do not like more than once or twice, the same goes with K Drama. I can think of a number of musicians I could snark about till the cows come home, but in fact I just do not listen to them. Isn’t that generally the case? Taste goes in every direction. I like things others do not, and do not care for things others really like.
And another reason people get jaded is because they have seen so much quality work. It took me about three months after seeing My Mister to be able to watch a contemporary K Drama and think a whole bunch of any of them. If a show comes on with actors I have really appreciated in other dramas and see them in one where the writing is not equal to their talents, it is not exactly being jaded to note that, but rather giving voice in public fora that one wants folks to produce work equal to its potential.
For me, however, also, I believe one should not rely on any single source of such. Don’t watch HBO series much any more, but I saw their documentary on Tina Turner tonight, and it completely shredded me. I cannot recommend it more highly.
Not finding anything on K Drama for awhile, I caught Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox on Netflix, both terrific. There are literally millions of shows out in streaming land, and no logical reason on earth why anything more than a small portion should hit home with anyone. That said, I believe right now K Drama has struck a vein in which there are several smaller niches, so rich with talent and interest and that particular South Korean flavor that should make anyone confident that even if many get too tropey, or have cliched holes in their narratives, the cream will rise quite naturally, and at least a few times every year you are gonna see show that’s pure butter.

I really loved this post, as i’ve been going through Drama “Jadism” on and off for the last 5 years. Your suggestions put a lot into perspective. One of the biggest concepts I’ve learned to embrace from you is the Drama viewing Lens and how we must continually shift and change it with each new drama if we want to try and enjoy it. It DOES work, though I admit i haven’t mastered it and can get frustrated or bored easily when things don’t go “my way” in a drama or characters react in a certain unappealing, childish, or frustrating manner. I was at my worst when something as simple as a bad haircut or pants turned me off to a show. haha. (As if i am some fashionista! Yes, I am, Pajama and messy bun chic! lol)

I like what you said about snarky reviews, i became jaded by most things snarky a few years ago, though i still have my one sarcasm streak. lol. Just give me a brief plot summary, no major spoilers, serious thoughts on the concepts and themes, and what you loved and didn’t love about the show or movie, that’s all i ask. You always deliver with your posts in that regard.