These are the questions people usually ask me about my obsession: How did you start loving Korean Dramas? What exactly IS a Korean Drama? and Why do you love them so much? I will try to honestly (and calmly) answer these questions so maybe more of you will understand where I'm coming from.
Question 1: How did this start?
Well, initially you can blame that on my sister, Jessica. She went to Korea for a year to teach English and when she got home she told me about this one drama I should watch. The funny thing is she has talked to me about these dramas before but I just laughed at her like she was crazy. (Now I'm WAY more obsessed than she is!) Well, she told me about this drama called City Hunter. It's a super intense action, suspense, melodrama. There is a little bit of comedy, major awesome action and of course romance. I was still living at home, only had a part time job, no friends and was getting ready to move to Utah in a month or so. Meaning, I had a lot of time on my hands and I had been looking for some new series to watch also. I watched the entire series of about 20 episodes I think in a matter of a few days. I then watched another series the main actor Lee Min Ho was in and it just continued on from there. Jessica told me of this website Dramafever.com, where I could go to watch Korean dramas. It's free of charge (unless you pay more to not have commercials), and they have so many different ones to choose from too! I just browsed through those and watched ones that seemed interesting. There you have it, how it initially all started. If you now want to ask how did I keep watching them and become obsessed? Well, you just have to get to know my personality to understand I am a VERY obsessive person and it doesn't take much for me to get hooked on something that I really enjoy. :)
Question 2: What exactly IS a Korean Drama?
Most people say oh they are Soap Operas in Korean. This phrase and definition really bugs the crap out of me! That is like saying every single TV show in the United States is a Soap Opera. When I think of Soap Opera, I think of those daytime shows on the main channels that older women stay at home to watch. Such shows as As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, or Guiding Light, etc, etc. And yes, I went through a short time where I watched some of those shows and the stories are ALWAYS the same and seem to NEVER end! This is NOT what Korean Dramas are like. I'm sure some of them would definitely fall into that category but not all of them. The title "Korean Dramas" is just the title they are given, they are basically just TV shows from Korea. They have many different genres. They have their cop shows, the doctor shows, the fantasy, the melodramas, the romantic comedies, teenage ones, etc etc. The best thing about Korean dramas is their length! The majority of them each show only lasts about 16-24 episodes. Which means, there is an END and it doesn't drag out forever and ever. It's longer than a movie so you can become attached to the plot line and the characters but it doesn't take 8 years to finish so you don't lose interest as easily. Yes, the majority that I watch are romantic comedies but that's not all they offer. And yes, the majority of them do have a romance in there as well but not all the plots are driven by the romance in those cases. There is MY definition of what a Korean drama really is. There are super cheesy ones and super funny ones, sad ones, and just poorly made ones. That isn't any different from American TV shows they just don't last FOREVER!
Question 3: Why do I love them so much?
Now it comes down to the actual question everyone is really asking me. Why do I love them so much? There are simpler answers and maybe a little more in-depth ones as well. This is like asking someone why their favorite color is blue, it just is. How could you possibly explain that to someone...so I will try in what ways I can to have you fully understand my love for Korean Dramas. I will break it down into different parts and explain each part more thoroughly.
1.Culture: I have always loved learning about new cultures, and being a history minor I love foreign history as well. Entrenching myself into the biggest pop culture in Korea, was a great way to truly begin to understand these people and see how they live and how they act. I've never thought of becoming truly interested in Korean History. I was fascinated with Asian history and even took a class at BYUI but it covered all of Asia not just Korea. I'm already a huge anglophile (or love of British culture), why not try another culture that is completely different from my own.
2. Unique: Let's face it, this isn't something you hear about people watching everyday. I felt unique and different as I watched these shows and listened to the music. There is a "cult" or "fan" base for Korean dramas and Kpop groups but its a unique group. Its like those who are called Whovians are huge Doctor Who fans. All mainstream pop culture whether its American, British or Korean has those fan bases. Many people don't believe that there is a large fan base here in the United States, but I would beg to differ. If you don't believe me, you can do the research, because I really don't care enough to do so! :P
3. Language: I've always been jealous of those who are bilingual or tri-lingual and wished that I could somehow become fluent in another language. I took Spanish in Elementary School and know about 10 words, and then can also count to 10 and that's about it. I took French in Middle School and High School and absolutely hated it because of my crazy, psycho teacher who thought she knew everything and really didn't. I still can recognize and read French unlike with Spanish, however I can not speak it very well, my accent is TERRIBLE! Then in college I had to take two semesters of a language as well, but I didn't want to take Spanish, everyone knows that and of course I now have a tremendous repulsion against the French language. So what did I choose? Russian. Yup I took two semesters of Russian. It has now been 5 years since I took those classes and I remember the alphabet and random stuff but again, I am not fluent. Then along came the Korean Dramas. When I first started watching these I truly didn't do it to learn a language it was just something different to watch. then as time passed I suddenly realized that I'd been learning it without noticing. Typically when a child first learns how to speak in their native tongue, they listen to it being spoken around them for years, then they suddenly start saying words. It isn't until years later where they start learning how to read and write in that language. I have discovered that I have learned more Korean and have RETAINED more Korean than I have with any other language I have tried to learn before. I recognize the sound of Korean now verse Chinese and other Asian languages. I actually do know a lot of their expressions and phrases they say all the time (at least in the dramas). So, even though I didn't originally become hooked on Korean dramas because of the possibility of learning a new language, this is now become a reason why I still watch them.
4. Story Lines: I have already mentioned previously how much I enjoy the fact that Korean dramas only last typically 24 episodes max. Well, let's face it even though a lot of the story lines are similar that is also one thing that I enjoy so much about them. Yes, I watch a lot of Korean dramas for the romance portion of it. There I said it, it's the truth! For example say if its a cop drama say in the USA, they hint at this underlying romantic tension season after season after season. You begin to wonder if they will EVER get together and then once they do...the show generally doesn't last very long. Korean dramas...there is that romance always there, but by the end...they always get together!!! And you don't have to wait for year after year for it to happen either! It is quite refreshing okay!
I can't exactly explain how or why I got so intrigued and caught up in the world of Kdramas and Kpop. I think it really just has to do with my personality and that I obsess over things quite easily. And as my friend Kelsey has told me, I don't know how to take things in moderation, which is very, very true!! There you have it, the rational me discussing why I love Korean dramas so much.
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WARNING!!! READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
I WILL NOW GO FAN GIRL CRAZY!!!
(Ps: If you dare to read ahead, you CANNOT complain about it afterwards, because I have clearly warned you of what is to come!)
Okay now fan girl craziness! Which mostly just will include pictures and video clips and me "squealing" at them. First off.... I have never been truly "fan girl" about anything before. I was never into the boy bands growing up, and I'm still not a huge concert person. Just to compare...I seriously almost went to LA for a weekend to watch CNBlue my FAVORITE Kpop band...which will definitely be featured below :P
One of the many reasons why I now Can't STOP watching Korean dramas or going crazy over Kpop...is because of the ATTRACTION! Okay!!! AHHHH!!!!!! So here you go...enjoy! (to any who have made it this far...last warning! hahaha!)
I will start of with Lee Min Ho.
The actor from the very FIRST drama I ever watched, City Hunter. I just LOVE HIM!!!! And he is so kick-butt awesome in this movie...I just can't breathe!!
(PS: Military styled hats.... on Korean men, heck ANY MAN is NOT ALLOWED... it just isn't! :P)
Jung Yong Hwa
The leader of the band CNBlue, that I originally saw in a drama and fell in love him. He is also the lead singer and rhythm guitar player :).
Lee Jung Shin, Lee Jong Hyun, Jung Yong-Hwa, Kang Min-Hyuk
This is the entire CNBlue band. They are actually more of an Korean Indie Rock band.
This is not a dancing boy band, they play their own instruments and it is freakin AWESOME!
This is not a dancing boy band, they play their own instruments and it is freakin AWESOME!
This is a video of them playing the song Wherever You Will Go, a cover in ENGLISH by The Calling.
This next song is actually in Korean, called I'm a Loner, which is the song that really brought them to stardom.
I could go on and on about this band and many other Korean boy bands or Korean Actors, but I think I shall just leave it as it is. I'm sure you all understand by now. If you are truly interested in hearing more Kpop....just let me know! I will GLADLY send you more youtube videos :).
To end in Korean: Aneoug-ga-seyo!
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