Please don’t hate me.
If you come here to see if I am saying nasty, judgmental things about Korean Drama and those who watch them, I’m sorry to disappoint you!
I am but an ordinary girl, sometimes, standing in front of my TV asking Gong Yoo if I can summon him for a date.
A fan girl can dream.
So let’s relax because you will find a sister in me. I will giggle with you, shout with you and even cry with you when a favorite Oppa dies! I understand the emptiness you feel when ‘Are You Human?’ ended. The same way I understand the thrill of browsing for the next Korean Drama titles that will make us feel all sorts of emotions…again.
Like you, my relationship with Korean Drama is addictive and maybe a bit unhealthy sometimes. But it’s 2019 and we are still addicted.
Do you ever wonder why? When you think you can survive a month with Mexican-inspired Philippine TV Series or a western blockbuster film, you find yourself relapsing to the sight of a Korean guy with bangs telling you non-romantic things in a romantic way.
So I did some reading and these might be the reasons why we are still screaming obsession over K-Dramas:
1. Korean Dramas are an escape.
Escape to what? Really, to almost everything. If you are like me who admits that watching Korean Dramas can interfere with our daily routine, then you also admit that it’s a GREAT form of escape.
Perhaps, we are escaping from the stress brought by the mundane house chores. Maybe, we are escaping from shared content or forms of entertainment that you do not find funny at all. If you want to go deeper, maybe we are really escaping from our relationship and even marriage problems. You know, escaping to go back to your sweetest ‘ligawan’ moments, far from being just couples who can now fart in front of each other.
The reason doesn’t have to be that dark but by now, you probably realize some moments when K-Dramas totally took you to another world!
2. The breath of fresh air we didn’t think we needed.
Okay, this is not a review column when we try to compare and see if the Korean Drama plots are all original. We’re not doing that today.
Instead, when we talk about ‘breath of fresh air’ (and I know my K-Drama brothers and sisters will back me up on this), it’s the type of watchable content that do not involve two women slapping each other or raunchy bed scenes that are typical of Western TV Series.
I’m not saying that’s bad. But again, going back, it’s a breath of fresh air to witness two people taking their time to fall in love or even kiss.
3. The Oppas, the soundtrack and oh, the Oppas!
The Oppas give the Filipino women an hour per episode of fantasy that maybe; there exists a guy who is secure of himself not to be too ‘macho’ when it comes to hygiene and looking your best for others.
It’s okay to take care of yourself, bro. And some of these ‘machos’ can probably take notes when it comes to dressing up.
As a shameless K-Drama fan, I can say that leading men of these Korean Drama have greatly evolved from just looking like a Prince Charming or the robot-dead business tycoon. These oppa characters have also displayed fears, insecurity and shallowness making these characters as imperfect as the people who are watching it.
Do I have to say something about the soundtrack? Yes, it’s perfect and you’ll be surprised how it can set you in the mood.
Obviously, there are many reasons and some are really personal, why Pinays can now understand basic Hangul/Korean. Or spot if the Korean actor’s hair is not braided correctly.
If they ever tell you that you don’t get anything from watching Korean Dramas, slap them with your wealth of knowledge about Korean culture.
Yes, the screaming continues.
