Why Do We Love KDramas? A Guide to Understanding the Korean Drama Addict in You
Vida Madrona
8:02:00 AM
I've been a fan of Korean dramas since the start of pandemic - out of sheer boredom and nothing else to watch, I started to skim through the subtitled shows that I consciously tried to avoid. My first KDramas were the classics you'd expect: The Princess Hours, My Mister, Reply 1988. The comedies, romances, historicals, and thrillers all hooked me in with their incredible storytelling (and killer fight scenes). But it wasn't until I watched Coffee Prince that I fully understood why I'm so obsessed with them.
KDramas have excellent stories and characters.
As with any good drama, the plot of a KDrama is usually well-written. It's also true that most of them feature characters who are well developed and relatable. The main characters tend to be likable as well—a trait that can't be said for many Hollywood movies or TV shows these days!
The one thing that stands out in almost all KDramas is the love triangle (or sometimes square) between two male leads and one female lead. In many cases, our favorite K-Drama heroines have been torn between two guys who are equally attractive—and both of whom seem perfect for her! This leads us back to our first point: these dramas make us feel like we're living vicariously through someone else's life by putting us into situations we'd never get ourselves into!
KDrama focus on topics that are relevant today.
Watching Hollywood shows and films all my life, you know that the main characters often start out as enemies and end in love. This is because the plot typically involve two people from different social classes and backgrounds:
- A rich guy and a poor girl
- A rich guy and a poor girl from different countries/cultures/races
- A rich guy and a poor girl who are from the same country but have different beliefs
- They're good romance stories with a lot of heart.
KDramas explore different topics, different genres that are relevant to society today. Often they're part of some larger goal or conflict, and sometimes they have to overcome obstacles to be together. The characters often have a lot of heart and do some very unexpected things for each other.
They're funny, cheesy at times.
Korean dramas are funny and can be cheesy at times. They're funny, but not ridiculous. They're funny, but not inappropriate. They're funny—but not in an over-the-top way that makes you want to turn off your computer and never watch another Korean drama again....well, maybe sometimes (and we all know how many people have actually done this).
They're just plain funny! And they're smart and witty in a way that only Koreans can do it: with a sense of self-awareness and humor about their own culture, history and traditions without being trite or corny.
But wait...you say...there's nothing humorous about the plot summary. How do you explain that? Well my friend I'll tell you why: because these writers understand what makes something funny (and if they don't understand it themselves then they work with someone who does) which means that whatever happens on screen will always be grounded in some type of reality—even if that reality includes ghosts or aliens or time travel machines (don't worry too much about those last two though because most dramas don't put them into play).
The cast chemistry is amazing.
You'll notice that the cast chemistry is amazing, and that's because it's real. The actors are really good at acting—they're so good at acting, they act like they're not acting! They have great on-screen chemistry, which means they also have great off-screen chemistry. And you can tell when you watch them play their characters in a drama that they really understand those characters; it's not just an act. When you watch a scene between two people who love each other (or hate each other), it's hard not to get caught up in their emotions and forget about your own life for a few minutes.
The best part of all this is that you get to experience something special every time you watch kdramas—it’s like going through a different journey with friends every time!
The plots are unpredictable.
As a general rule, the plots of Korean dramas are not always designed to end on an optimistic note. This isn't always true, but it's true more often than not. Even if you find yourself rooting for a villain who is destined for failure and defeat, the least possible outcome may happen—and even if they do get their comeuppance in the end, their final fate may just make your jaw drop.
This isn't necessarily unique to Korean dramas; we've all seen our fair share of happy endings in other genres too (romantic comedies being one). But what makes K-dramas stand out is how strongly this theme manifests itself throughout each episode or series. Most episodes end with some sort of resolution—a plot point resolved or a character finding closure with another character or themselves—and these resolutions tend to be fairly correct in the game of life.
The actors are gorgeous, and the wardrobe is awesome!
Korean dramas are known for their beautiful actors. They are good-looking, fit, talented, intelligent and hard-working. In fact, they're so good at what they do that you might think the drama is real life—and sometimes it feels like that!
Watching KDrama is an awesome way to relax, learn a new language, be entertained, get caught up in a good story and feel like there's hope for love in the world!
Watching KDrama is a great way to learn a new language.
They are entertaining and relaxing.
You can enjoy them with your friends or family members, who are more likely to be interested in the same things as you are.
First and foremost, there’s the sheer fun of it all: browsing through a long list of dramas and picking out the ones that sound most appealing. Then you get to binge-watch your chosen dramas, trying to guess what’ll happen next. Or perhaps you prefer watching them one episode at a time. Either way, there’s nothing quite like diving into a drama with characters you know and love (or hate).
So go ahead! Try watching Korean dramas if you haven't already—we think it'll be worth your time. You can start off with some of our recommendations in this very article; just click on any of the thumbnails for more information about each drama! We promise that once these shows hook you in, it'll be hard for them to let go.
