Dear kfangurl

Dear KFG: Iconic roles – k-actor edition!

| kfangurl

Dear KFG: 

My wife and I have our favorite actors and actresses we’ve grown to enjoy in Kdramas and will  perk-up when we hear they will be starring in a new role. This got me thinking. Have I seen the best Lee Jong Suk or Park Min-young drama?

I would love to see your list of the top one or two dramas that represent an actor’s talent, vibe, reason for their popularity etc. 

For example, if someone were to ask me for the best drama to showcase Ji Chang-wook, I would tell them to watch Healer. 

Not only is it a great drama, but I think it showcases Ji Chang-wook’s versatility. He is believable in action scenes, but also great at comedy and romance.

For Kim Seon-ho, I’d recommend both Start-up and Hometown Cha Cha Cha. I think these drama’s showcase his ability to portray wholesome characters with deep emotional under currents. I think that is part of his appeal as an actor.

I would love to see your list.

T.

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: What are some thought-provoking dramas?

| kfangurl

KS writes:

Can you suggest some dramas that are thought-provoking? As in, you get life nuggets from them; dramas that are not easy to watch but are interspersed with thoughtful life lessons?

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: How do I get over a cracky drama?

| kfangurl

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?

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: What makes a drama cracky?

| kfangurl

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?

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: Which family dramas are the best?

| kfangurl

D-Lighted writes:

Hello! Could you please write a post with your recommendations for the best “family dramas”?

I think that is what you call the shows that have lots of episodes and a sit-com feel to them, having most episodes filmed on a few sets and broader comedy.

I really enjoyed My Father is Strange and All About My Mom. I saw in your review of My Father is Strange that you mentioned Ojakygo Brothers.

Are there any other great Family Kdramas? What do you know about this sub-genre? Thank you!!!

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: Can you talk about the different types of sageuks?

| kfangurl

T writes:

Thanks again for writing an article for my last blog post idea about archetypes (post is here)! I loved it and shared it with some of my friends who watch kdramas too.

I had another question for you. I did a quick search of your site, but didn’t find anything.

Can you give us a quick explanation of sageuks? I have seen a few, but I’d like to understand more about them.

The different types: fusion sageuk, etc., recommendations in each category, how they are produced (if you have any insight), why they seem to be longer than other dramas, etc.

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: What are some good starter dramas to introduce to my friends?

| kfangurl

T writes:

I have a number of friends I want to introduce the joy of kdramas to.

Recommendations are always tricky, so I’m looking for shows that would be easy for them to get into and ‘catch the vision’.

What are some kdramas that are easy for anyone to enjoy?

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: Do you think the OTP from What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim will have a happy-ever-after? [Interview with VOGUE India!]

| kfangurl

This is another slightly different Dear kfangurl post, you guys.

After my last couple of interviews with VOGUE India (here and here!), Hasina Khatib (@thejoblessjourno on Instagram), who writes for VOGUE India, reached out to me again.

This time, she shared that VOGUE India’s been running a series that explores how fictional pairings would do, in the long run, and asked if I’d like to share my thoughts on the future of the OTP in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (my review here).

That sounded like fun, so I said yes, and you can check out the article, where she quotes me selectively, here!

At the same time, similar to the last interview, there was a lot that I said, that didn’t make it into the final article, so with Hasina’s permission, I’m sharing the actual interview questions and answers here with you guys.

The only difference is that I’ve added images to make this more reader-friendly. I hope you all enjoy! ❤️

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: Can you talk about celebrity dating culture in Korea? [Interview with VOGUE India!]

| kfangurl

This is another slightly different Dear kfangurl post, you guys.

After my last interview with VOGUE India about the male gaze vs. female gaze in kdramas (more details here!), Hasina Khatib (@thejoblessjourno on Instagram), who writes for VOGUE India, reached out to me again.

This time, she asked if I’d be willing to talk about celebrity dating culture, for an article that she was writing, which features Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin‘s wedding.

I said yes, and you can check out the article, where she quotes me selectively, here!

At the same time, similar to the last interview, there was a lot that I said, that didn’t make it into the final article, so with Hasina’s permission, I’m sharing the actual interview questions and answers here with you guys.

The only difference is that I’ve added images to make this more reader-friendly. I hope you all enjoy! ❤️

Continue reading →

Dear kfangurl: How do I deal with drama fatigue?

| kfangurl
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. ❤️

Continue reading →