Basically, I would like to hear from people whose culture is very different from Korean - why do you watch Korean dramas? What draws you in?
It is quite clear why Korean people watch Korean dramas. It is also very obvious why most people watch American popular culture products like Star Wars or series like Friends or The Big Bang Theory.
What is not clear to me is why people from all over the world watch Kdramas. Is there something about Kdramas that is so much different?
So, here are the questions - I would appreciate if you could answer at least one of them, if possible.
What is the primary reason why you watch Korean dramas? What exactly do you like about them?
Other questions are not important, but would be interesting to know:
Do you feel you are addicted to watching them or is it just a passing fad?
Are you planning to give up watching them in the future?
Do you watch any other TV/movies from other countries as well as Kdramas or do you watch Kdramas exclusively?
1.Iām not Korean but I certainly am Asian. I watch British, American, Chinese and Korean Dramas. So you can see that I donāt watch Korean only. The reason why I choose to watch Kdramas instead of say, Thai or Filipino, is because of the quality. They have some pretty good dramas with good acting and fine plots(Iāve only watched āGhostā & āMy Love From Another Starā)I donāt watch just ANY show though. Iām very picky (same goes for English TV series).
I donāt think itās a fad for me. I feel like as long as I find a good show, regardless of what age Iām at, Iāll watch it.
Ditto.
I think you already know my answer to that .
Hmmā¦I donāt exactly remember, but it definitely began when I discovered Viki. My first addiction was āMy Love From Another Starā!
Why is obvious that people watch American movies or series but it is not clear why they watch Kdramas? Just because they are best known? But they are similar. They have differents genres: romance, action and adventure, horror etc. The only thing that change is the language. I answer to your questions now.
I started to watch Koreans dramas because I love the korean, chinese and japanese culture and I love to learn new languages (I speak italian, english, french, spanish and a little german)
Iām not addicted but neither is just a passing fad. For me is like watching an american series; if I like it I watch it.
Nope
4.I watch all I can understand and all that I like
I started with japanese dramas or anime. I watched a korean horror drama and after that I discovered viki.
I used to watch a variety of international TV shows, but at some point Korean dramas became the content I watched most frequently. I canāt put my finger on the exact reason. I do like the typical one season format, as much as I want additional seasons sometimes! Thereās just some comfort in knowing that all my questions will most likely be resolved in so many episodes. The quality also feels somehow stylish, which is a reason I think I keep coming back.
I am like @ila_santuz_994 and watch k-dramas like I watch shows from the US (where I live). I do get addicted to certain shows, just like I do American shows, but overall k-dramas are just something I enjoy. As long as there are interesting series, I will keep watching. Sometimes I watch content from other countries on Viki, but I donāt regularly watch anything else.
I was sort of eased into k-dramas. The first one I watched was a short series around 8-9 years ago, but I didnāt continue into other k-dramas immediately. Then, a friend recommended that I see a Japanese drama, which I loved, and thatās when I really became immersed in series from all over, before finally settling on Korean.
i was with my cousin who liked kdramas, and she was watching BOF, i really liked it so i started watching too, and then i went to other and other kdramas. i really like them because theyāre interesting and i like asian cultures (chinese korean japanese)
2.definitely not a passing fade, now its like eating to me lol. i cant live without them
naah ill keep watching i like them better than American shows
i watch chinese korean taiwanese and turkish dramas
What is the primary reason why you watch Korean dramas? What exactly do you like about them?
I love the quality of the romantic comedies. Itās entertaining, and it makes me laugh. I watch other dramas from other countries, but I seem to laugh the most when it comes to K-drama humor.
Do you feel you are addicted to watching them or is it jut a fad?
Iām not addicted I donāt watch them alll the time nor do I feel the urge to watch so many dramas. I tend to watch one drama at a time, in my free time. Iāve been enjoying them for about 8 years now as a pick me up for rough times. Itās nice to escape reality.
Are you planning to give up watching them in the future?
Seeing how they helped me get through some rough times, I doubt that Iāll give up watching them in the future. As long as they can help me smile when all I wanna do is cry, Iām going to keep watching.
Do you watch any other TV/movies from other countries as well as Kdramas or do you watch Kdramas exclusively?
I watch Taiwanese and Filipino dramas/movies as well.
I watch Korean dramas because they are a way to fantasize and dream. Theyāre like reading a book, but are more predictable, positive and very family based - as in they always have some link back to the family unit by way of marriage or with the inclusion of family members in the story line.
I donāt think Iām addicted, though I can be when I really like a series and binge watch. It is definitely not a passing fad, everyone likes a good story
I donāt think Iād ever give it up
I live in Australia, so I watch TV mostly from Australia and America as well as Kdramas (I have also watched some British shows - e.g Sherlock). Where as movies, I watch mostly again American, British and the occasional French films.
Asian dramas are very close to my heart because I started watching them with my mum. Before all this internet streaming stuff, my mum would get tapes from family that rented them and we would watch late into the night to finish them before they had to be returned. They were mostly dubbed then subbed, but I loved it anyway.
Ooooh, now I donāt want to run like water from a tap but Iāll recommend some favourites.
The thing is, what genre do you want to know about?
Heroes (USA. Kind of a thriller, itās about people with superpowers. I love Hayden Panettiere & Milo Ventimiglia in that! I SHIP them!)
Downton Abbey (British. Period drama)
Mr.Selfridges (British. Period Drama)
Lost (USA. Thriller, adventure, drama, mystery)
Pretty Little Liars (USA. Mystery, thriller, drama, teen life)
The Mentalist (USA. Detective series. Itās very much like Elementary & Sherlock in that thereās an eccentric detective who solves crimes)
Gossip Girl (USA. Never watched it[I know, I know], but itās mostly drama involving New Yorkās elite students. Also romance. Doesnāt every show have romance these days?But Iām not complaining!)
Modern Family (USA. Comedy, family drama. I found this one hilarious!)
Good Luck Charlie (USA. Comedy, family drama. This on was funny too but maybe more so because of the inclusion of audience laughter)
Oh, I could go on but these are all that I can remember for now. I feel like Iāve forgotten some major ones thoughā¦
I agree with @strawberry_flower_gi & @chanmiga about not being addicted to kdramas, or just about any drama. But I tend to binge watch if I DO find a good one when I have the time!
OMG. I totally loved Downton Abbey! Itās one of my favorite shows. So sad itās over.
One of the things they could have done without was having Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes marry. That couple was so awkward. They themselves as individuals were freakinā awesome, but romantically linked together? So weird, I found. Had no idea what the directorās goal was with that.
I watched Gossip Girl for a few episodes, but then oh gosh it got terrible. Everyone, I mean almost every single one of them, was ācrossā sleeping with everyone else. Cheating galore. Ugh.
Asian here, indeed selectted series from my country and US fascinate me most. I like Japanese and Taiwanese too. But I only watch only few. Though I started watching Meteor Garden first. And that was the first asian series. But right now I watch more Korean.
Do you feel you are addicted to watching them or is it just a passing fad? Well at first I was so addicted but it depends of what I watch. If the series is interesting I will consider myself addict.
Are you planning to give up watching them in the future? I dont think Iāll give up now that I starting to love Korean drama, history, culture and most especially KIMCHI hehehe foodā¦
Do you watch any other TV/movies from other countries as well as Kdramas or do you watch Kdramas exclusively? I also watch other TV/movies from other countries but most of them are Kdramas.
How did you start watching them? It started because of boredom I have nothing to do when I had my vacation somewhere. But when I watch SPRING WALTZā¦ everything is history I fell in love with KDRAMAS.
At first, I fell in love with Korean dramas because of the romance. I was a middle schooler when I got into it, and my official first being Boys Over Flowers, middle-school me loved the cheesiness and uniqueness of the plot. Granted, looking back, I have secondhand embarrassment about how much I loved dramas like those, but for a middle-school girl who fantasized about falling in love - Korean dramas catered to that part of me.
Also, I am Asian-American, and perhaps I got tired of seeing so many white people on American television. Despite not understanding the language, there seemed to be some kind of connection I could make with the characters in Korean dramas.
1. Do you feel you are addicted to watching them or is it just a passing fad?
I was absolutely hooked in the beginning. I always watched every drama until the very end, and I would marathon them, too. Nowadays, Iām just a casual viewer. If I begin to find it a bit draggy or the plot goes in a direction that I donāt like or seems so cliched, I just drop the drama. Also, I mainly just pay attention to plots that sound interesting and unique. So I wouldnāt quite label it as an addiction, nor a passing fad, just something in between, something lukewarm.
2. Are you planning to give up watching them in the future?
Of course not.
3. Do you watch any other TV/movies from other countries as well as Kdramas or do you watch Kdramas exclusively?
I occasionally follow American television, but only the shows that I really love. My favorites include How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal. Iām planning to start The Good Wife, as well.
I watch a lot of Chinese television series these days, as well as contribute to subtitles. Iām ethnically Chinese and speak Chinese at home, so it helps me strengthen my Mandarin skills. Plus, their historical dramas kick ass. Like Nirvana In Fireā¦ oh my god.
Movies, I stick to American/British ones. Korean dramas, once in a while. But in general, I feel like American movies have better production value. Iām just going to insert a shameless plug for Kingsman here - youād better watch it if you havenāt already.
4. How did you start watching them?
The very beginning was with my family. A few amazing Korean dramas are often dubbed in Chinese and broadcasted on Chinese television, so my first encounter with a Korean drama was Dae Jang Geum dubbed in Chinese. Then, Queen Seondeok dubbed in Chinese. I loved both, but I was a bit young at the time. It wasnāt until middle school and the Boys Over Flowers craze that I really got in deep.
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