Ok, I have an ulterior motive for starting this conversation as I have to get something off my chest.
The one thing that kind of annoys me about a fair few Kdramas, is that they have a signature song which they play again, and again and again…etc etc.
I’m currently watching Angel Eyes and I swear if I hear “I am run run running to you…” one more time I think I’ll scream
There was a scene in an episode I watched a couple of days back, where they played that song, had a small scene lasting about 3 minutes, then another scene where they played the song again. Surely someone sitting when it is being edited says “please…no more”
Ok, anything bothers you lovely folks? It’s ok to not think they are all perfect shows
I like signature songs. I don’t like when they use a random audio which doesn’t fit the mood of the scene.
What I don’t like is perfect people. It happens with all countries’ dramas, but I think Kdramas overdo it.
I understand the main characters being good-looking and well-dressed, but I’m sure there must be one person in the crowd in the whole city that doesn’t own the perfect shoes or have the perfect haircut, right? Also, if they ever show a person who is a little bit fat, old or with bad skin, they have to make it a comic relief or a cartoonish villain. It is tiring.
It is wrong to portray people this way, but this is not the main reason. The main reason I dislike it is that they focus so much on appearance and instagrammable sequences that they forget their job is acting. Most actors can’t even speak because their muscles are frozen from cosmetic care, let alone move their eyes or show emotion. Especially the actresses, who have to spend half an episode crying so the viewers can FINALLY see how the heroine feels, because her face is dead from plastic surgery.
The job of an actor/actress should be to convey the meaning of the scene. If they stand with their back turned to me and they read sad news of death, I should understand it from their posture, even if I don’t see the content of the letter. If they stand like they’re posing for a fashion magasine and make sure they look thin and young and groomed, the concept of the scene is lost.
Cdramas do it as well, especially with idols and older actresses, but it is more visible in Kdramas.
No main lead or second lead ever wears glasses and if they do it’s just for a short period of time or before their big make-over. I wish that wearing glasses was normalized and done more often. There is a drama I’m watching and the male lead had bad eyesight so he and his gf went to the store to pick out glasses and she told him she doesn’t want his face blocked by them, so he opted for contact lenses instead.
Often a character who wears glasses does that because either they are nerds, they wear sunglasses or they are spying on something. It would be nice to see a lead actor/actress wearing glasses and treat it as something normal.
And if someone gets a make-over, don’t take thier glasses of and tell them to use contact lenses from now on. Instead, give them more fashionable glasses that look good on them.
I don’t like to see adults hitting other adults in Korean dramas. I think that’s such humiliating scenes, and I don’t know why these actors put up with those kind of scenes. It’s painful to watch.
I understand your point of view but theres a reason for that. They dont have actors/actresses wear glasses throughout the whole time of the series is because it puts extra unnecessary stress and work on the team. When they wear glasses they have to shoot the scene in different places because most of the time if their shooting right of the middle of someones face the camera would be visible and everyone would complain about how it ruined to feeling of it being real blah blah blah…thats why sometimes (I see this often) the actors wear those glasses without lenses until I found this out. But, I understand its just harder on the cameraman and the team you know, i hope this helped! (srry for the spelling mistakes lol)
I like the signature songs… I wait and wait for them to play, especially OSTs like DOTS and 18 Again. School 2015’s was funny but i liked it - I wanna reset, i wanna reset, i wanna reseeeeeetttttt (just like i wanted to reset myself after i was done with that stupid drama )
I actually had the opposite experience… I always thought cdramas have very “porcelain-looking” characters with a limited range of expressions, especially the tsundere CEOs. Thats probably why i like Bai Jing Ting so much… he has such a wide range of expressions and mannerisms. Chang Chen, too… i like actors who don’t mind looking less than perfect to showcase their emotions and immerse the viewer in the experience. Ma Sichun/Sandra Ma, Tan Songyun/Seven Tan, Nini… I like watching dramas with older actors. The plots are also usually more mature, for both k and cdramas.
I also avoid idol dramas and stuff so maybe thats why i havent seen it much.
I like signature songs when it’s inserted at the right times. Usually kdramas will have at least 2-3 that they rotate throughout the series.
Some dramas will have random song choices that kind of makes me cringe.
I don’t mind actors/actresses that aren’t as animated as long as their eyes can act. I hate the ones that have “dead/dull” eyes.
What I personally don’t like about kdramas is when they have a poor lead (usually like a poor female lead) but they’ll have the latest Samsung phone, brand name purse, fashionista clothes and the brand placement of luxury makeup/skincare products.
I can’t get into my feelings of empathy for her predicament when I envy her material items. LOL
Like, why is she crying for? She’s got a wool coat, Balenciaga purse and YSL makeup stash.
That’s interesting you mention Samsung phones. I notice that as well, but what I notice more is that 99% of the time, everyone drives a Korean car I assume it is down to being proud of their motor industry (as they should be as their cars usually have outstanding warranties) or more likely, they are sponsored by them.
It does tickle me when you watch a show and Subway is featured a lot. That has to be paid advertising right?
Oh yes, there are tons of these as well and the fans love it because “pretty”.
To be honest I usually compare between korean action/suspense dramas and chinese action/suspense dramas and, as I watch more k-action/suspense than c, I tend to see more k-actors doing a bad job at it.
Most probably. Everything they do in dramas and movies is PPL (sponsored product placement), from their shoes to their morning coffee to the colour of their medicine pills.
Too true, especially when they try to use them in the wrong scene. Just like when people try to dance a specific choreography on the wrong tune.
I’ve read about that, I believe it’s true. However, when the sponsor of the movie wants it, they happily film with glasses on, especially sunglasses. Therefore, if there is a way to do it when advertised, they can do it everytime.
When they’re advertising, they’re obviously being paid more for it… without that as an incentive why would you want to trouble everyone with it? Again, this is what everyone sits and watches on their TVs… I’d understand if it was a blockbuster movie but these are only TV dramas, and you’d have to shoot the lead with glasses on for an extended period of time.
I get that. When glasses are too reflective it could be hard for the team to hide all things that shouldn’t be visible. I wonder though if there are glasses that can be less reflective or made in such a way that this is not an issue? Maybe those don’t exist or are too expensive.
I think they do make non-reflective glasses but for prescription. I don’t know if they have non-prescription ones though. Might be a waste of budget to bother.
In one of Miles Wei’s drama, he wears glasses throughout the whole series. I think c-dramas do it kind of often.
Definitely product placement for their sponsors. We see the brand credits at the end of each episode.
Was it Perfect and Casual? I remember him wearing his professor glasses throughout the entire show… but im not sure there were lenses in them lol - and my memory isn’t perfect, i just know that he looks exceptionally good with glasses on
They do make non-reflective glasses but I don’t exactly know how they work in different situations, especially when you directly shine lights on them on a set. The glasses’ shadow on the face also ends up looking weird in low-light conditions.
I didn’t think of this one but you’re absolutely right! I was thinking of his other one, Unforgettable Love, where he has a kid. But he doesn’t wear it much in UL as he does in P&C. I watched another of his drama called, If Voice Has A Memory, and he wears glasses in that too. lol
The Oath of Love, just started airing and Xiao Zhan wears glasses. edit: sometimes
I watch a lot of cdramas where the CEO ml will wear glasses while working. They do have lenses because you’ll notice the blue light blocking coating on the lenses.
Watching it again… i wasnt completely right. He does wear it but not most of the time(yes it has lenses). When he does, its usually indoors and his head is tilted down. Most of the time, he walks around without it.
@midknightmoodz well he does look amazing when he’s wearing them Its one of the many reasons I have a total crush on him XD
I seriously love P&C… you made me start rewatching it
For me it’s parents treating their adult children as though they’re errant teenagers. Setting up blind dates for them/trying to arrange their marriages, throwing a fit because their children are cohabitating or dating, busting into their homes without calling/knocking, hitting their adult children (not that I think it’s OK to hit younger kids either!), etc. I realize this is probably at least partly cultural.
(srry for the spelling mistakes lol)
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edit: sometimes
Its one of the many reasons I have a total crush on him XD