So. Tired. 💤
So, full disclosure, you guys. This wasn’t actually submitted as a Dear kfangurl question.
What happened was, I had written very enthusiastic episode notes for episode 1 of Twenty Five, Twenty One, over on Patreon, and Natalia had commented in response:
“Oh no. Such a great recap but it only makes even clearer what I have suspected for a while: I suffer from KDrama fatigue! I don’t feel like watching anything? Is it serious, doctor??”
..Which made me think, Hey, that would make a pretty good topic for a Dear kfangurl post!
And so, here we are. If you, or people you know, are suffering from drama fatigue, I hope this post will be at least a little bit helpful. ❤️
Let me offer you a helping hand! ❤️
Dear Natalia,
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling some drama fatigue. I’ve definitely been there myself, which is why I thought I’d write this post, to share the various strategies I use, to overcome drama fatigue.
At the same time, you might also find this Dear KFG post, on how to avoid becoming jaded with dramas, and this Musings post, where I talk about the various stages of evolution of a drama viewer, tangentially useful as well.
Everyone, as always, please feel free to chime in with your own thoughts, insights and stories in the comments! 🥰
Also, you may have already noticed this, but I’m taking this opportunity to spam you all with (at least somewhat relevant) screenshots from Our Beloved Summer, because I enjoyed it a great deal, and I hope you’ll check it out, if you haven’t yet!
What I do, when I feel drama fatigue coming on
1. Do a drama litmus test
Lemme take a good look at ya..
One of the things that I always do, when I think I might be suffering from drama fatigue, is conduct a litmus test. Meaning, I figure out whether it’s me, or the drama in front of me, that’s the problem.
To test this, all I do is put on a firm drama favorite of mine, that I know I’ve loved in the past, to see if it still brings out the thrills and feels, for me.
I’ve done this before with Coffee Prince, a show which I love, more than a few times. When I’d felt like nothing was tickling my drama fancy, I’d put on Coffee Prince as a test, and every time, without fail, just the first few minutes of Coffee Prince, would have me perking up with engagement and interest.
That was enough to tell me, that it wasn’t me that was the problem; I just wasn’t watching the right shows, is all. 😁
Of course, you may not love Coffee Prince the way I love Coffee Prince. Just use whatever drama you know you love, and this litmus test should work just the same, whether you’re using Crash Landing On You, Misaeng, My Mister, or Stranger.
2. Rewatch a firm favorite
Let’s recreate them feels, shall we..? 🥰
If none of the currently airing dramas are hitting that sweet drama spot for me, one thing that’s worked for me many times, is to rewatch a firm favorite.
Who needs to keep abreast of what’s up in Dramaland, if we’re not feeling the feels, right?
Some shows that I’ve rewatched, for the lovely drama feels, include: Coffee Prince, Goong, Save Your Last Dance For Me, Queen In-hyun’s Man and Healer.
Of course, your firm favorites may be completely different from my firm favorites. The point is, pick something that you know you love, and watch that. It’s more than likely that all the great feels that made you love the show in the first place, will come flooding back. 🥰
3. Ask for recommendations from friends
Tell me about me, chingu~
If you’re feeling game to watch something new, and just feel jaded with the shows that you’ve been sampling, I’d suggest asking your friends for drama recommendations. Sometimes, our friends know us better than we know ourselves, when it comes to our drama tastes.
I’ve definitely watched some shows based purely on friends’ recommendations, and found some surprising gems to love.
Like My Mister, which I would’ve never attempted, because of the dreary looking posters, and the equally dreary-sounding premise, if so many of you guys hadn’t taken the time to assure me that I would end up loving the show.
Or like Father Is Strange, which I would’ve likely not attempted because of the high episode count, except for the fact that so many of my drama buddies kept speaking so highly of the show.
Fun factoid: I’d actually been in a bit of a drama slump in 2017, and along with that drama slump, I also found myself in a blogging slump, where I had no interest to write about anything much, really.
It was Father Is Strange, that brought back the feels enough for me to want to write it a review, and that’s what got me back on the drama train – and also, back into the blogging swing of things too.
4. Try a highly regarded older show
So.. many.. to.. choose.. from..
Most of the time, we’re so caught up trying to keep up with all that Dramaland has to offer, that we don’t get to check out older shows.
A drama slump is the perfect time to check out older shows that are widely praised and highly regarded. Just like with rewatching a firm favorite, who really cares about keeping abreast with Dramaland, anyway, if you can find a great drama to enjoy, right?
If you haven’t already seen them, I’d suggest considering shows like: Nirvana in Fire [China], Money Flower, Chuno, Life is Beautiful, Someday Or One Day [Taiwan], In Time With You [Taiwan], Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Sandglass.
Of course, if you guys have other great titles to suggest, please let us know in the comments below!
5. Switch it up
Yes, we are earnestly looking elsewhere, at least for a while
I find that switching things up can be a great way to eventually renew my drama love.
I find that if I’m feeling drama fatigued, it can be helpful to spend my screen time on other things, for a while. Like, YouTube, variety shows, movies, or dramas from other regions.
In terms of recommendations, here are a few from me:
Movies: My Brilliant Life, As One, I Can Speak, Our Times [Taiwan], Keys To The Heart, Little Forest, Miss Granny, My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday [Japan], Your Name [Japan].
Dramas From Other Regions: We Married as a Job [Japan], Bromance [Taiwan], Marry Me! [Japan], Sleeping Jukujo [Japan], In Time With You [Taiwan], Someday Or One Day [Taiwan], Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms [China].
Of course, if you guys have other great titles to suggest, let us know in the comments below!
6. Take a break
Let’s see other peop- er, shows, I mean. 😅
Sometimes, all we need to refresh our moods – and our drama palates – is some time away from dramas. That could take any form, from painting, to cooking, to working out, to reading.
The point is, absence can and does tend to make the heart grow fonder.
When I’ve taken time away from dramas myself, I’ve found that that tends to make me feel so much fresher, and ready to engage, when I eventually find myself in the mood to watch dramas again.
Of course, the time each of us needs, would be different. I might need a month; you might need 3 months. I think giving yourself permission to take that time away, can be hugely beneficial, to keeping your long-term drama love alive. 🥰
IN CLOSING
I hope you find this post useful, and that it helps you with some ideas on how to best navigate a case of drama fatigue. You might also find this Dear kfangurl post, on how I pick dramas to watch, tangentially useful &/or interesting.
Like I mentioned earlier, everyone, please feel free to add your own thoughts, insights and experiences in the comments below. As they say, sharing is caring. 🥰
I hope this post helps!
Love! ❤️
~kfangurl
..And this is how we fill our bellies with dramas..! 😉
POST-SCRIPT:
1. If you feel that I missed anything, or if you have your own insights that you’d like to share with the rest of us, do tell us about it in the comments!
2. Do you have a question of your own? Drop me a comment here or on the Dear kfangurl page, or send me an email!