Eda writes:

kfangurl, now that you defined a cracky drama, I have another question.

how do we get over a cracky drama that completely hijacks our brain and emotions, locks us into itself and locks us out of any attempt to move on to another drama?

I have encountered a few of those, that even when I moved on, nothing seemed satisfactory for a long time, I simply craved another one, like for example Nirvana In Fire or The Rise Of The Phoenixes, just to name a few (there were of course more).

What’s the solution?

What do I do with All! These! Feels! 😭❤️

Dear Eda,

Thanks for your question!

Like I mentioned in my previous post about what makes a drama cracky, crackiness is very subjective; ie, what’s cracky for me may not be cracky for someone else and vice versa.

This means that the way the crack bites for each of us, and how deeply that affects us, is different too.

..Which means there’s simply no one-size-fits-all solution, for how to get over a cracky drama.

Still, I will do my best to share a few options in this post, which I hope will help.

As usual, everyone, please feel free to share your own thoughts, experiences, tips and tricks in the comments below! ❤️

GETTING OVER A CRACKY DRAMA – SOME IDEAS

How do I.. stop myself? Should I even stop myself?

1. Lean into it

The first general approach is to lean into the addiction, and here are a few options in terms of how to do that.

Option 1: Rewatch that cracky drama right away

Sometimes, there’s no point fighting it.

If a cracky drama’s bitten you that good, sometimes, the most satisfying thing to do, is go right back to the beginning, and start watching from episode 1, all over again.

That’s what I did with Healer (review is here, Open Threads are listed here), and that’s also what I did with Nirvana In Fire (review is here, Open Threads are listed here), when I first watched them.

Healer: So cool, so badass. 😍

I didn’t get all the way through with Nirvana In Fire, but I did complete a second watch of Healer right after my first watch, and it was just as great and delicious and cracky the second time around.

Not a moment wasted, in my opinion. 😁

Also, when my mom first watched Coffee Prince, she enjoyed it so much that she watched it four times, back to back.

You could do that too, with your current cracky drama that you just can’t get over.

Past a certain point, you should find yourself able to make at least a bit of room, for some other drama, in your life.

Coffee Prince: So endearing, so sweet. ❤️

Option 2: Rewatch selected bits right away

If you don’t have the patience to rewatch the entire drama right away, then what a lot of people do, is revisit just the best bits.

This allows you to savor the crackiness, without having to invest as many drama hours – thus freeing up enough drama hours to perhaps try something new (more on that in a bit).

There’re lots of resources out there that could help you do that, like fanmade videos on YouTube and reels on Instagram.

And, if you’re that into your cracky drama, you’d know where all the best bits are anyway, and you’d likely be able to find the exact scene you’re looking for, coz you’ve got all the best scenes and their episode locations all committed to memory, yes?

Option 3: Plan for a rewatch

Nirvana In Fire: A show that’s been rewatched multiple times, by our friends. 🤩

This is a possible option, if you just find it very hard to say goodbye to your cracky drama.

Planning for a rewatch, maybe even on a regular basis, like once a year, or once in 6 months, might give you a sense of something to look forward to, and a sense that you’re still connected and committed to your cracky drama and your favorite characters, even as you move on to watch other dramas.

If you feel bad about leaving your crack drama behind, then this could be the option for you.

And, this option could work nicely in conjunction with one of the next few suggestions.

2. Look for more cracky dramas

One of the natural responses that drama fans tend to have, after finishing a cracky drama, is to look for more cracky dramas, preferably with similar crack factors.

This is an option where I think your mileage may vary.

For some people, looking for more of the same totally works, because they’re in the mood for that kind of show.

A Love So Beautiful: Such slurpable fun goodness. 😍

For example, if they’ve just loved and finished A Love So Beautiful, and want more warm-girl-aloof-guy high school hijinks, shows like Playful Kiss, Mischievous Kiss, Put Your Head On My Shoulder or Love Lasts Forever, might do the trick.

But for some people, this approach doesn’t work at all, because all these other similar shows just pale in comparison to their crack drama favorite.

In this case, is when I suggest switching things up, like I suggest in this next point.

3. Switch it up

This is my preferred way of getting over a cracky drama.

I look for another good show to watch (cracky too, if possible, but solid will do as well), and I look for something that’s markedly different from the cracky show I’m trying to move on from.

For example, if I were trying to get over Healer, I wouldn’t choose to watch City Hunter, because that would feel kinda-sorta similar, and I don’t want to be put in a position where I can’t enjoy City Hunter because I can’t stop comparing it to Healer.

Does that make sense?

Someday Or One Day: So heartfelt AND so twisty! 🤩❤️

So instead, I would pick something as different from Healer as possible, but which has a solid reputation for being great. Say, Queen In-hyun’s Man (review is here, and Open Threads are listed here), or Hospital Playlist, or Someday Or One Day (review is here, and Open Threads are listed here).

Each of those shows is sufficiently different from Healer, that I believe there wouldn’t be cause for comparison, and therefore, I’d be free to enjoy the new show, without constantly comparing it with the cracky show I’m trying to get over.

And, because the new show is so great, there’s a good chance that it’ll suck me right into its drama world, enabling me to forget my cracky drama world, at least for a while.

Picking a show from a different country, say from Japan or Taiwan or China, instead of Korea (if your cracky drama was indeed from Korea), can also help ensure that your new show is different enough from your cracky show.

4. Take a break

Miracle In Cell No. 7: a movie I recently loved. ❤️

On that note, taking a break can help too.

This can take several forms.

You could take a break from Korean dramas, for example, and explore dramas with excellent reputations from other countries.

You could also take a break from dramas, and sample a few excellent movies or drama specials. I have a great list of Short Drama Things that you can browse, for that purpose.

And if all else fails, just take a break from dramas for a while, before coming back.

Sometimes, taking a walk and getting some fresh air and spending time with friends and family, can be just the palate cleanser you need, before you feel like you’re ready to tackle another great drama.

IN CLOSING

I hope you find this post at least somewhat useful, in giving you some ideas on how to move on from a cracky drama.

If you’re looking for a new cracky drama to help you get over your last cracky drama, you can visit my last Dear kfangurl post, where I share a list of cracky personal favorites.

You might also find this other Dear kfangurl post, about how I pick my dramas to watch, tangentially useful &/or interesting.

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

I hope this post helps!

Smooches.

~ KFG ❤️

Hey.. I hope you find your new drama love soon..

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!