K-drama Therapy
Gong Yoo. Hyun Bin. Lee Min-ho. Park Seo-joon. Park Bo-gum. Kim Soo-hyun. Park Hyung-sik. Song Joong-ki. Ji Chang-wook. Jung Il-won. Lee Joon-gi. Lee Jong Suk. Lee Seung-gi. Seo In Guk. Jo In Sung. So Ji Sub.
If you gushed with excitement at the mere mention of these names, chances are you’re hooked on South Korean dramas and swoon-worthy eye-candy actors. To the uninitiated, these “gummy bears” are (arguably) the most popular and most handsome male stars in and out of kimchi country.
I’m a latecomer to K-dramas. It wasn’t until late-2017 that I finally gave in to temptation after months of listening to non-stop chatter – swooning – of my millennial colleagues. Why not? My Netflix watchlist was running thin. After getting bored with American soaps and docu-series, I turned to European dramas and crime thrillers until I ran out of interesting shows to watch. So… K-drama it was!
Popular K-dramas (L-R): Goblin, Crash Landing On You, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Lovestruck In The City
Mr. Sunshine, Sky Castle and Goblin (in that order) were my primers to K-dramas. Goblin’s lead actor Gong Yoo clinched the deal. I binged on all his series (Coffee Prince and Big were the only ones available on Netflix then) following Goblin, which I’ve watched three times.
Next, I binged on Hyun Bin (Memories of Alhambra; Secret Garden; Jekel, Hyde and Me; Crash Landing On You/CLOY; Late Autumn, The Negotiation, Swindlers and The Assignment).
The binging went on: Park Seo Joon (What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Hwarang, She Was Pretty, Fight For My Way, Itaewon Class); Ji Chang Wok (Healer, K2, Suspicious Partners, The Empress Ki); and Lee Min-ho (Legend of the Blue Sea, The Heirs, Boys Over Flowers, The King: Eternal Monarch).
Then it dawned on me: the thing that got me hooked on K-dramas were the Hallyu actors whose good looks match their good acting as evidenced by the multiple awards they’ve won.
Popular K-actors: (L-R): Kim Soo Hyun, Park Bo-gum, Park Seo Joon, Lee Min-ho, Hyun Bin (image from scmp.com)
There was no stopping me by mid-2019. I pro-actively searched for TV series and films outside Netflix. Viu, Rakuten Viki, iQYi and YouTube have expanded my repertoire as well as intensified my love of K-dramas. I was already deeply engrossed by the time the South Korean film Parasite won six Oscar trophies in February 2020.
Watching K-dramas is therapeutic. They make me feel good. They are my default getaways when I want to escape but have nowhere to go. And I am not alone.
“Sometimes, it gets really hectic at work and I’m faced with so many problems. I live alone and cannot talk with anyone, especially during this Covid work-from-home situation,” says Bangkok-based Cathy, who started watching K-dramas two years ago, curious why everyone she knew seemed to be on it. Plus, she didn’t have anything else to watch on Netflix.
Watching K-dramas is her way of taking a breather. She estimates that she must have watched more than 40 shows.
Gong Yoo in Goblin, Big, and Coffee Prince will make you swoon. (image from koreaboo.com)
“I love rom-coms. They’re very light, easy watch. They take my mind off my worries and forget the problems of this world. I feel happier and I forget for a brief moment that I have things to solve,” Cathy says. “I like inspiring, hopeful dramas, too. Every K-drama gives me a fresh perspective and makes me think about my own life, helping me have a more positive, hopeful view.”
Single Rachel had a slow start on K-dramas. But now she’s hooked, admitting that K-dramas provide resolution, closure and an escape from the “new normal” that is living with Covid-19.
“When so many things were unsure and undefined, you could count on a K-drama (for the most part) to be resolved in 16 hours [episodes]. I was furloughed, so I had a lot of time on my hands. It was nice to be exposed to a new culture, learn a new language, cook new dishes. One of the good things about being furloughed was catching up on K-dramas,” Rachel says.
“I actually got into K-dramas by way of Korean movies... and started about a year ago. A cooking blog I frequent recommended a Korean movie titled "Little Forest" which was similar to [Japanese] Midnight Diner. I loved it,” shares Las Vegas-based Rachel, who lives alone and loves to cook.
Jung II-woo’s Cinderella and the Four Knights, Sweet Munchies and Moon Embracing The Sun are worth watching. (image from Hellokpop.com)
She then watched The Handmaiden, which intrigued her as it wasn't the usual run of the mill movie. She decided to try K-dramas because a lot of her friends on Facebook were posting about CLOY but also, a lot of the American shows she was watching were playing reruns.
“I actually began with [Hyun Bin’s] Memories of Alhambra. CLOY was a slow start for me, and then, at the fifth or sixth episode, I binge-watched it till 6:00 in the morning. That was the start of my K-drama obsession,” she confesses.
Rachel counts Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung-sik among her top favourite actors. “Between the two, I think Park Seo Joon has more depth and his roles are more varied. PHS is just cute, but I couldn't finish his Suits. I also love these two because they’re good friends in real life and part of the Wooga Squad which also includes V from [Grammy-winning] BTS.”
No one crafts romance stories like K-dramas. They string you along from start to finish. They make you swoon, fall in love, want a piggyback, crave ramyeon (instant ramen) paired with soju (Korean version of vodka), wrap your arms around that charming Joseon-era prince or chaebol heir.
“CLOY was my first when I saw my friends posting about it right before our lockdown last March 2020. I decided to give it a try and fell in love with it,” according to Liza from Manila, who watched CLOY several times before trying the other shows, largely because of the onscreen romantic vibes of lead stars Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin.
Liza continues: “K-dramas are entertaining especially during our more than a year of lockdown. They kept me sane. After watching K-dramas, I find it difficult to go back to watching Hollywood films.”
She prefers rom-coms over other genres and has now a few eye-candy K-actors she follows. Among them: Hyun Bin, Ji Chang Wook, Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik.
“I can rewatch my favourite series repeatedly, especially the romantic K-dramas. They make me happy,” Liza reveals.
As for me, a daily dose of K-dramas — with a heap of “gummy bears” on top — is all I need to spark joy to my day. Hey, don’t judge!
Starter Kit: Curated Series Watch List
Goblin | Crash Landing On You | What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim | Hwarang | Encounter | Strong Girl Bong-soon | Itaewon Class | Big | Descendants of the Sun | Cinderella and the Four Knights | Coffee Prince | Are you Human? | My Love From The Stars | While You Were Sleeping | Vagabond | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | Love In The Moonlight | Empress Ki | It’ Okay Not To Be Okay | She Was Pretty | It’s Okay That’s Love | The Winter The Wind Blows | Flower of Evil | Start-Up | K2 | Fight For My Way | The King: Eternal Monarch | W Two Worlds | Kill Me, Heal Me | Personal Taste | Memories of Alhambra | Taxi Driver | Romance Is A Bonus Book | Something In The Rain| When The Weather Is Fine | Vincenzo | Mouse |
Debbie | ws