Why korean dramas

An alien who lands on Earth during the Joseon dynasty and who, years later, would meet a celebrity he would fall in love with. A town head from the Joseon era falls in love with a mermaid; the two are later reincarnated, the guy is a con artist and the mermaid stays as a mermaid in the modern-day setting. Like in the past, they fall in love with each other. A timid girl, who is possessed by a wacky virgin ghost that believes she can move on to the afterlife once she loses her virginity, develops a romantic relationship with her chef boss.

A historical drama that sees the story of a woman who disguises herself as a man and becomes part of an educated group of men during a time when women are not allowed to be educated. She falls in love with one of these men while trying her best for people to not find out she is a woman. Today, when some shows are boxed into the stereotypical story plots, these fresh ideas excite the viewers.

The predictable-yet-still-delightful-and-exciting plotlines. Then again, there are also the predictable plotlines and scenes in K-Dramas that, for some reason, still resonate with viewers. The love triangle or square. The damsel in distress, who gets a princess-for-a-day makeover courtesy of her charming, uber rich prince. A woman jealous of another woman, and all the evil schemes that come between them.

An unrequited love. A vengeful person who causes trouble. The list goes on. The charming sense of humor and quirky antics. K-Dramas have taken this formula to heart. The easy-to-marathon format. Korean dramas are easily digestible. The pacing is done just right.

K-Dramas typically only have episodes with each episode running for 30 minutes to an hour, which are enough to allow the characters to be established, the story to build up and be narrated beautifully, the plot to thicken, and the conclusion to come in a manner that is not abrupt and ties loose ends. Believe it or not, there are people who can finish one K-Drama in a day! The mind-enriching viewing experience.

Koreanovelas are not only entertaining, they can also be informative. Although the accounts may not be entirely factual, period dramas, for example, provide a glimpse of and an idea on the Joseon or Goryeo era. The visual feast —feast in its literal sense. Korean dining spreads are always abundant with banchan, the collective name for the side dishes that are part of a Korean meal. Koreans sure know how to enjoy their food, and in the shows, when the characters are eating more like stuffing themselves with food , they make you crave Korean barbecue, kimchi, or tteokbokki hot and spicy rice cake.

Korean food exports—greatly boosted by social media posts from Asian celebrities and the popularity of the film Parasite — hit a record high , with the U. And as viewers ran out of shows to watch, many of them stumbled upon Korean dramas—and have been hooked ever since.

Most consist of a finite number of episodes often between 16 and 24, though some—especially family-oriented and historical dramas—run for plus and are usually completed in a single season, with a few notable exceptions more on that later.

K-dramas are generally known for having high production value, intense and often engrossing storylines, and quality acting that helps build an emotional connection between the characters and the audience. They also tend to consist of more PG-friendly fare than western TV shows nudity and sex are practically nonexistent, for example , rendering K-dramas more palatable for a wider range of age groups and countries, especially those that are more socially conservative.

At the same time, the bold and skillful storytelling with which K-dramas tackle societal issues, personal struggles, and universal themes such as family, friendship, and love make for thoughtful content that resonates with audiences across geographical borders.

To put it plainly, K-dramas make us feel less alone and often successfully tap into our shared human experiences and emotions. Some sources point to the success of the family drama What Is Love?

According to Dr. In , when South Korea elected its first civilian president in over 30 years, numerous Korean college graduates and young professionals, feeling liberated from decades-long censorship under military rule, took jobs in the cultural sector. As Choi points out, while Japan began looking increasingly inward as its economy went into decline, South Korea took the opposite approach. When the tearjerker romance Winter Sonata aired there in , it became an instant blockbuster hit, attracting over 20 percent of viewers across the country —a figure that was practically unheard of at the time.

Many Korean drama fans spend to share the fashion choices of the stylish fictional characters and crave the city life they live. The K-drama wave expanded very quickly outside of Asia as well, most notably with the historical drama Jewel in the Palace —the first K-drama to become a truly global hit. The series eventually aired in 91 countries and saw viewer ratings reach 90 percent in Iran , where it sparked a nationwide interest in Korean language and culture and paved the way for the success of other historical K-dramas in the country, including Queen Seondeok and Jumong.

In Latin America, many viewers were drawn to K-dramas largely due to their emotionally charged scenes and intricate plots, which they found similar to their telenovelas. Soundtrack placements such as in this show can help boost the popularity of the music featured, or conversely, have the show gain a new audience by having a new hit song as part of its soundtrack.

While the Korean Wave has been continuing for several years now, it's still a fairly recent phenomenon for some audiences, especially in the West. Beforehand, Korea was very seen as a cultural "other," with its media, history and culture being nowhere near as ubiquitous as other non-Western countries. Thus, with interest in Korean cultural exports growing, it only makes sense that many would seek out television, the most easily consumable cultural artifact, to immerse themselves in said culture.

It helps that many Korean dramas, especially those available on Netflix and other similar streaming services, are historical in nature , making them just as educational as they are entertaining. Perhaps the biggest reason why K-Dramas have seen an increase in viewership is simply that they're just that good. This speaks not to just the writing quality of the shows themselves, but also the production values.

There is a much higher, more cinematic quality to many of these shows, even for the ones that are the equivalent of network channel series' in the United States. This Netflix-like quality to even the most mainstream of shows makes them seem much more interesting and well-made than something on The CW or Freeform.