My Love Affair with K-Drama

I don't remember who recommended that I watch the Korean drama "Crash Landing on You" on Netflix but it was during the last week of February and restrictions were starting to be implemented due to COVID-19.  The premise was that of a rich South Korean businesswoman who accidentally paraglides into North Korea, and promptly falls in love with an army officer manning the demilitarized zone. Between the love against-all-odds situation, the military tension between the two sides,  the family infighting, I was hooked and it was the beginning of my love affair with K-drama. 

K-Drama is obviously not based on reality which is part of the charm, and the lead actors are almost always so ridiculously attractive that most fans end up "shipping" them (the act of wanting two or more fictional characters or celebrities to end up in a romantic relationship). I was late to jump on the bandwagon and asked around as to what I should watch next. I was deluged with suggestions and realized that there was a whole world out there full of mystery, romance, happy endings, and lots of fun. I continued my viewing by simply looking for other dramas that featured an actor or actress that I liked.  Let's be honest, there were more actors than actresses on my list 😉

Jump forward to almost 8 months of quarantine and I have watched almost forty of these dramas.  They are not all good or remarkable but I am always amazed at the production quality and the fact that they incorporate Korean values into the storyline.  They put a strong emphasis on respect for elders and social hierarchy and although I may not always agree with some of the dialogue, I accept that we come from different cultures.  

I think the reason I got hooked is because I am able to either identify with one of the characters or get emotionally invested in the lead's journey regardless of whether that protagonist is from another star or from the Joseon Dynasty.  The series "It's Okay to Not be Okay", is one that I particularly liked because it shows all three main characters to be flawed and yet they overcame deep-seated fears to find happiness.  On the superficial side, I loved that the lead actress Seo Ye-Ji  had a wardrobe consisting of Givenchy, Jimmy Choo, Loewe, Burberry, Dior, and Chloe to name a few. That being said, what I would really like to have would be the Mang Tae doll, a nightmare catcher. Be forewarned, they promote so many franchises and products on these series that you may end up eating at a Korean chicken restaurant or buying a certain makeup brand to achieve that "glass" skin. 

I am currently watching Reply 1988 which had one of the highest television ratings in terms of popularity.  It has taken me months to get through episodes because aside from going down memory lane back to the time when there were no mobile phones and laptops, I just could not get what the charm was. I had persisted because it came highly recommended.  Then I reached the fifth episode which featured the unconditional love that mothers have for their children.   The narrator goes on to say these words:

"When one is at an age when one can console one's mother, it's when one has matured to say "Thank you" and "I love you." If one wishes to make one's mother happy, the words, "Mom, I need you" are more than enough.

I totally got it. I understand that this genre is not for everyone  but don't knock it until you have actually watched a good one.  To quote from a currently popular series, "don't be a snob masquerading as an intellectual."