LaurenSophie writes:

Hello,

I’m a longtime lurker and have never posted, but I love your “Dear kfangurl” column and think I finally have a question you haven’t already covered.

My question is: what makes a kdrama “cracky?”

Not just good or fun to watch or a classic, but really, truly so addictive that you either binge watch it in just a day or two if it’s an older drama or feel like you’re suffering from withdrawal if you have to wait for new episodes to air?

As I’ve watched more and more kdramas over the past two years, I’ve noticed that “cracky” doesn’t always correspond with a drama’s overall artistic quality.

Yes, there are some clear examples of dramas that are both objectively good and cracky (“Secret Love Affair,” “Healer,” “A Million Stars from the Sky” and “Beyond Evil” come to mind) but there are many dramas I’d consider to be very good, but not cracky (“Watcher” and recently “Move to Heaven“).

And there are also dramas I’d argue are flawed and have obvious weaknesses, but wow were they cracky (I’d put “Fated to Love You,” “King2Hearts” and “Oh My Ghostess” in this category).

And then there are some that are cracky in stretches but once I hit the halfway point, my addiction wanes (“Moon Embracing the Sun” is one of those for me. Also “Start-Up,” “Another Miss Oh, “Princess Hours,” and “Fates and Furies“).

But when I try to break down exactly what makes a drama “cracky,” I struggle to define it beyond a general feeling I get when I absolutely must inhale the next episode ASAP.

So what are your thoughts? What makes a drama cracky as opposed to just well-written, packed with likeable/attractive actors, or feel-good?

Which dramas do or did you find to be the most cracky, whether or not you would define them as quality dramas?

Thanks for putting out a wonderful blog. I’ve found so many cracky dramas thanks to your reviews and always love reading your perspective.

That’s an excellent question that I need to think about..

Dear LaurenSophie,

Thanks for your question! I apologize that it’s taken a while for me to put this post together in response, but.. better late than never, I hope..? 😅

I’ll do my best to provide some clarity, but as we’ll soon learn, it’s not that simple, defining what makes a drama cracky.

Still, I hope my attempt to shed some light on it, will be helpful!

Everyone, as always, feel free to share your thoughts, insights and experiences in the comments – as well as your own recommendations for cracky dramas!

PS: For the curious, I’m using screenshots of Lee Da Hee’s character Cha Hyun, from Search: WWW, to illustrate this post, because Cha Hyun is SUCH a huge drama fan. 🤩

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY CRACKY?

All! Those! Feels! 😭❤️

In general usage in the drama fandom, we refer to a drama as cracky (variation: cracktastic), when we mean that a drama is very addictive, such that you just can’t get enough of it.

(Therefore the not so subtle comparison to it being like a drug. 😅)

You can’t help clicking “play” on the next episode, if it’s available, because you neeeed it, almost as much as you need to breathe.

And, if the next episode is not yet available, the wait for your next hit, feels endlessly agonizing.

In more extreme cases, it’s not uncommon for folks to obsessively rewatch available episodes of said crack drama, to cope with the wait for the next episode.

WHAT MAKES A DRAMA CRACKY?

Wow.. This one’s hard to break down..

As LaurenSophie as rightly noted, quality and crackiness don’t always come together.

Just because a drama has the widely acknowledged trifecta of a good drama, ie, good writing, directing and acting, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be a cracky watch experience.

And, just because a drama is flawed, doesn’t mean that it can’t be cracky either.

I put some thought into it, and I feel like these are the main things that affect a drama’s crack factor.

1. There’s something in it that makes you feel invested

This could be lead characters whom you find likable &/or with whom you personally identify, and which therefore causes you to want to know what happens to them, and soon.

Additionally – or alternatively – there is something that you find particularly interesting about the show, and which therefore causes you to want to tune in, for more.

2. Well-crafted cliffhangers

This is one of the great hallmarks of a cracky drama, and that is, each episode ends on a well-crafted cliffhanger.

To create great cliffhangers, the writing has to support it, and the directing has to do a good job of delivering it as well, such that audiences are left hungry for more, at the end of each episode.

You gasp at said cliffhanger as the ending credits roll, and then decide that you really, really need to know what happens next, never mind that it’s way past your bedtime and you have work or school the next day.

3. Show’s slurpability

What I mean by slurpable, is that a show is easy to digest in large servings.

Meaning, it’s not too heavy or meaty, that viewers need to take mental &/or emotional breaks after each episode.

It’s light enough that it’s easy to keep going, without mental &/or emotional breaks.

This isn’t totally necessary, in the grand scheme of crack factors, but I do think that it helps.

4. Your personal context

I realize that, as with most things, crackiness is a subjective thing. What I find cracky, may not be cracky to you, and vice versa.

A lot of that has to do with personal context, and our own unique lens of personal experience that we bring to the watch.

If you’ve gone through a bad breakup or divorce, for example, then you are more likely to find a second-chance story immersive, engaging and addictive.

This one’s the wild card and is hard to predict with any kind of accuracy, but that’s exactly why I think it’s important to mention it.

CRACKY DRAMAS – A PERSONAL LIST

Like I mentioned earlier, crackiness is very subjective, so what I find cracky may not be cracky to you.

Still, for what it’s worth, here’s a list of dramas that I personally found pretty cracktastic.

Your mileage may vary, but if your drama taste is like mine, then some of these titles might be worth a look! 😉

18 Again

I LUFFED Lee Do Hyun in this, and I felt extremely invested in his character’s journey.

Plus, there was always the question of whether his friends and family would actually discover his true identity.

Both reasons are why I found this so cracky, and couldn’t get enough of this show.

Review is here.

A Love So Beautiful [China]

Ooh, I found this one endlessly slurpable.

The story isn’t new – warm ordinary girl has a crush on aloof smart guy – but this one has an X-factor that so many do not.

I just found it all very cracky and appealing, and inhaled this one a lot faster than I’d expected to.

Flash Review is here.

Are You Human Too?

With the right absurdist, almost makjang lens, this one is SO much fun, in its ridiculous and entertaining plot developments.

I grew so fond of the robot version of the character, that he became a big part of the reason I liked this show so much.

Review is here.

Bride Of The Century

This one is trope central, with a side of makjang thrown in, but I found this extremely cracky and slurpy, in a fun, mindless sort of way.

Our leads are as cute as a pair of puppies, and I found it endlessly entertaining, to watch them bumble their way to true love.

Review is here.

Coffee Prince

There’s just so much that works, in this show.

I do think that a lot of the crack factor has to do with whether or not our male lead (Gong Yoo!) would discover that his love interest is, in fact, not a man, and how he would react, when he inevitably found out.

The off-the-charts OTP chemistry is also another crack factor – I just loved seeing these two together, on my screen. 😍

Review is here.

Find Yourself [China]

I found this one light and slurpable, with just enough meat on its bones to not feel like a totally mindless watch.

Plus, I do have a soft spot for a noona romance where our younger man is extremely sure of his feelings for his leading lady.

Also, Song Wei Long’s onscreen smolder, and the way he kisses his leading lady like he means it, definitely added to the crack factor, for me.

Review is here.

Goong / Princess Hours

This one’s a bit of a cheat entry, because this was my gateway drama, and therefore, earns extra crack points, by pure virtue of being all new and shiny to me, when I’d been a drama noob.

I loved the idea of our warm girl melting our ice prince by degrees, and couldn’t get enough of this slow-burn romance.

By the time our story slumped in its last third, I was still gobbling this one up, because I was that invested in our leads and their story.

Review is here.

Healer

Ahhh, there’s so much to love about this show!

I was utterly smitten with how casually badass Healer is, particularly every time he casually leaps off a building, and I was also very taken by the extremely sparky OTP chemistry.

And then there’s the earwormy music, and the romantic loveline and all of the tenderness built into it; it all just hooked me in the best way. 😍

Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

Money Flower

I basically couldn’t take my eyes off Jang Hyuk, in this.

He’s all shrewd intelligence and prowling panther, at the same time, as Pil Joo, our revenge-seeking protagonist.

Add on the crackling tension between him and Lee Mi Sook’s Mal Ran, and it felt like my screen might catch fire, if I wasn’t careful.

As a bonus, the great cliffhangers worked really well, to keep me hanging breathlessly on the edge of my seat.

Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

Moonlight Drawn By Clouds

Show hooked me with its adorable OTP, and Park Bo Gum‘s sassy, cheeky Crown Prince, and I couldn’t get enough of Show, in its first half.

And then when things turned heavier in its second half, I was already so invested in these characters, that I kept on watching, with similar levels of investment and interest.

Review is here.

Mr. Queen

Shin Hye Sun’s fantastic delivery of a modern man trapped in the body of a Joseon queen is packed with so much sass and hilarity, that I could not get enough.

Just wondering what s/he would get up to next, was enough to keep me tuning in, episode after episode.

And then, the development of the emotional connection of the OTP was another hook that I found to be unexpectedly cracky, as well.

Review is here.

My Roommate Is A Gumiho

I really liked this one for how light and fresh it felt.

Show’s not heavy, but that doesn’t stop it from demonstrating how clever it is, by regularly turning tropes on their heads. That definitely kept my interest high.

Also, aside from the OTP’s very solid comic timing, there’s Kang Han Na’s scene-stealing turn as a ditzy ex-gumiho. Fun!

Review is here.

Nirvana In Fire [China]

I never thought that I would find a political revenge drama (which is essentially what this is) to be so gripping, but I was inhaling episode after episode of this one. It’s just so well plotted, and so well executed.

I was always on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next, with our characters, and their fight for justice.

Not the lightest show on this list, but so cracktastic that it didn’t matter.

Flash Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

Queen In-hyun’s Man

This one’s so light, frothy, and fun, while managing to remain heartfelt, at the same time.

Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo are wonderful in this, and the OTP chemistry is of the sparkling variety. I just loved watching these two together, on my screen.

On top of that, the writing in Show is pretty clever, and there are some pretty great cliffhangers in this as well.

Putting it all together, this one’s just so easy to slurp up, really.

Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

Reset [China]

This one’s so cleverly and tightly plotted, that almost everyone I know who’s seen it, basically inhaled it pretty quickly.

Our story develops in some surprising directions, and I basically never knew what to expect next, in each new episode. Very, very good.

Review is here.

Rooftop Prince

I remember finding this extremely fun to watch, back when it first aired.

The fish-out-of-water hijinks are gold, particularly since our Joseon F4, as this bunch of dorks were fondly known in the fandom, all had great comic timing as well.

Add on a surprisingly heartfelt love story between our time-traveling prince and an ordinary girl, and this was easily one of my top picks of 2012.

Review is here.

School 2013

I was utterly and completely smitten by the bromance between Kim Woo Bin‘s and Lee Jong Suk‘s characters, in this.

Sure, Woob’s character doesn’t show up until (I think it was something like) episode 3, but once he showed up, the tension between these estranged friends was so great.

I was much more invested in this bromance, than many a regular loveline, and Show’s very solid writing supported that excellently as well.

Totes recommend.

Review is here.

Secret Love Affair

This one isn’t light by any means, but I did find myself feeling quite addicted to this, upon first watching it.

I think it was a combination of factors.

The crackling chemistry between our leads; Yoo Ah In‘s Sun Jae having such an intent sense of adoration towards Kim Hee Ae’s Hye Won; the forbidden nature of their relationship.

And then, there’s the beautiful, haunting music that swirls all around the characters and the story, and gets into my head, and sucks me into this story world, rendering me quite helpless in its grasp.

Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

She Would Never Know

This is even more subjective than average, because I know a lot of people didn’t care for this show too much, but I loved it.

I was completely taken by Rowoon’s Hyun Seung being such a smitten puppy for Won Jin Ah’s Song Ah, and I was very much on board with Show developing this loveline.

I loved the writing, by and large, and found the relationship dynamics solid and healthy, after an initial false start in episode 1.

I found this one easy and pleasant to watch, and I often did want more episodes, and soon.

Review is here.

Someday Or One Day [Taiwan]

I LOVED this show, SO much.

Not only do the characters grow on you in a big way (Greg Hsu~!! 😍), the writing is very deft, and the story has all these unexpected turns, which makes the watch experience feel fresh and quite exhilarating.

These two things together, made this one cracky and addictive; I always wanted to know where Show would take us next.

Review is here. Open Threads listed here.

Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms [China]

To be fair, this one is a tiny bit of a slow burn, because it’s only in the tween episodes, that the crack bit, for me.

But – dang! – when the crack bit, it bit good.

I couldn’t get enough of this show, and inhaled multiple episodes, back to back (to back!), because I was so very invested in the loveline between Mark Chao’s Ye Hua and Yang Mi’s Bai Qian.

It’s a combination of Mark Chao’s smolder, crackly OTP chemistry (those kisses! 😍), and all the twists and turns our OTP have to go through, that made this one as addictive and cracky as I found it.

Flash Review is here.

The First Half Of My Life [China]

I love second chance stories, and I found myself extremely invested in the journey that Ma Yi Li’s Zi Jun goes through, in order to find her mojo, and rebuild her life, after her husband dumps her for another woman.

To spice things up, Jin Dong is extremely suave and charming in this, and the crackling tension that resulted every time his character He Han gets intense, was a big thing that kept me hungry for more episodes, and soon.

Flash Review is here.

The Last Empress

This one is so blithely makjang, and SO much fun to watch, that I found it really quite addictive, if only to see what new ridiculous thing Show was going to pull out of its sleeve next.

Flash Review is here.

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

This one was lightning in a bottle, for me.

Show made me remember so vividly, what it was like to be a young person coming into adulthood, that this felt magical, all on its own.

On top of this, I found myself SO invested in our characters’ stories, and so sucked into this story world, and its vivid nostalgia, that I was almost always jumping out of my seat for more, every time I got to the end of an episode.

Review is here.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

I had serious hearts in eyes for this show and its characters; everyone and everything felt so real and relatable.

I loved Lee Sung Kyung’s Bok Joo and her very relatable sense of awkwardness in her own skin; I loved her friendship with Nam Joo Hyuk’s Joon Hyeong, and then I loved their blossoming romance; I loved Bok Joo’s friends, who are awesome, and so full of s-wag.

This one felt like an ice cream sundae with extra rainbow sprinkles on top. LOVE. ❤️

Review is here.

You From Another Star

Show had me by the heart, in spite of its ridiculous premise.

I loved Kim Soo Hyun‘s stoic alien professor (and his superhero-esque abilities! 🤩), and I LOVED Jun Ji Hyun’s iconic Cheon Song Yi. These two characters worked so well together, and I was completely invested in their star-crossed romance.

Show was also very good at serving up strong cliffhangers, as well as great epilogues that added context and texture to our story, and I always found myself wanting more, at the end of an episode.

Review is here.

Yumi’s Cells

I love-love-LOVE this show, for how fun it is to watch, while managing to be perfectly spot-on, in the way it unpacks human behavior, both from the female and male perspectives.

Watching this felt like a multi-layered experience.

Not only did I get to squee over a loveline that I was genuinely invested in, I also got to delight in the animated cells, which are SO well conceptualized and executed, AND, I got to feel seen and understood, because Show demonstrated to me that I’m not weird; we’re just ALL like that. 😁

I couldn’t get enough of this show, no exaggeration.

Review is here.

PS: Yumi’s Cells 2

On a related tangent, I am SO THRILLED that Yumi’s Cells 2 is now here, and I’m covering it as a bonus show, over on Patreon!

Episode 1 notes are now up, and Episode 2 notes will post on Thursday, 16 June 2022!

My episode notes for Yumi’s Cells 2 will be available to all tiers, so do come join us, if you’d like to have fun, and support me at the same time? ❤️

IN CLOSING

I hope you find this post at least somewhat useful, in breaking down the factors that make a drama cracky.

And, I hope that you manage to find a cracky drama (or two, or five!) to enjoy from this list.

Like I mentioned earlier, everyone, please feel free to add your own knowledge, thoughts and insights (and favorite cracky dramas!) in the comments below. As they say, sharing is caring. 🥰

I hope this post helps!

Smooches.

~ KFG ❤️

I hope you find your cracktastic drama to love! ❤️

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!