Great Shows For K-Drama Beginners...

If you are new to watching Korean Dramas, it can seem a bit odd at first.  Just getting adjusted to reading the subtitles is something that can take a couple episodes to get
used to.  Plus, there are cultural differences to adjust to as well.  So in this blog, I want to give you a few things to be aware of when watching Korean Dramas and then I will give you short list of a few that you might enjoy to get started.

First, physical contact is a big deal.  It's not unusual for the main characters in a romance to not even hold hands until a few episodes into the series.  In fact, there is a term for physical contact.  It's called skinship and this refers to literally any kind of physical contact.  From hand holding to putting your arm around someone to kissing...it's all skinship.

Second, we are used to there being lots of special effects or cgi in the shows that are popular in the USA, but those are not as common in Korean Dramas.  That's not to say it never happens, but its not the norm. It is my understanding that most Korean Dramas are airing even as they are being filmed so not a lot of time is allotted for editing and special effects.

Lastly, there is often bullying of some form in the shows.  Sometimes it's in a school, sometimes it's a parent to the girlfriend/boyfriend of their child, and sometimes it's someone else.  But bullying is awful in Korean shows.  It can be cruel and sometimes hard to watch because the people are so mean...though it is rather satisfying to see them get their comeuppance in the end.  So, fair warning...

Ok, now to introduce you to a few Dramas that are good for the beginner to K-drama.  These are all available through Netflix, Dramafever.com, or Viki.com if you are looking for a place to watch them.

Let's start with a mini-drama.  These are usually only a few minutes long and are a great way to begin your viewing.  Dream Knight (available on Netflix and Dramafever) is an idol drama starring the members of the K-Pop group GOT7.  This is truly a bubblegum type show.  Somewhat silly, somewhat funny, somewhat cheesy, but that being said, I like it.  In fact, I am currently watching it for the 3rd time.  Why?  Why not!  First it is short.  There are only 12 episodes and each one is around 10-12 minutes long.  Plus, I like the music in it and the story is cute.  It reminds me of the kind of shows I watched as a teenager like "Saved by the Bell" and "California Dreams".  Just fun and easy to follow.

I loved the drama Something about One Percent.  This is a remake of one called 1% of Anything (Both can be found on Dramafever), but I like the new version much better than the original.  It's a fun and sometimes funny show about two people who get thrown together through very strange circumstances and end up falling in love.  It's such a cute show.

As for classics in the K-Drama world, I really enjoyed Boys over Flowers, Goong, and Full House. All of them are romantic comedies and all are fun.  Boys over Flowers has literally every drama trope there is within it's 25 episodes, but it will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first K-Drama I ever saw.  Goong and Full House are both dramas that follow semi-forced marriages between couples who either don't know each other well (Goong) or don't like each other (Full House).  Goong is about a prince who must marry and the non-royal girl who it was arranged he would marry when he was born.  She has to adjust to both marriage and being royalty all at the same time.  Full House follows a woman whose goes out of town and finds that her home has been sold when she returns.  She makes a deal with the man who bought her home and all sorts of craziness ensues.   I liked both of the shows and, personally I find them all re-watchable as well.  All three of these can be found on Dramafever and Viki.

If you are looking for something with a bit more action, may I suggest Descendants of the Sun. I loved this drama and have watched it twice.  It has action, romance, humor, disasters, heroic events and more.  The four main characters are all great fun to watch...especially when they interact together, but the extended cast is top notch as well.  It was a super popular drama when it aired and I can easily understand why.  This show can be found on Netflix,  Dramafever, and Viki.

So, that's my intro to Korean Drama.  I'd love to hear what you think if you are just starting your journey to Dramaland or if you've seen these shows. 

Until, next time...



 

How I found K-Pop...

I quite literally came across K-Pop through watching K-Dramas.  I would hear these songs repeatedly during the dramas and wonder who the artists were.  So as I watched more Korean Drama and Variety Shows I continued to look up the artists that were interviewed or whom I heard on the soundtracks of the shows.  That being the case, I first came across groups like T-Max and SS501 whose songs were used A LOT in "Boys over Flowers."  Then I came across other artists through various variety show appearances and dramas like Henry, FT Island, EXO, Twice, Red Velvet and more.

It's really hard to choose favorites for me, but three groups I really enjoy are CNBlue, Got7, and Super Junior.  And when it comes to solo artists, my favorite right now would probably be Eric Nam.

CNBlue I like for several reasons, but first it is that since I have seen all of the members on various dramas and variety shows, it's easy to feel like you know them and therefore want to support them.  Anyone who knows me would probably find that an odd statement because I often tease my family members about being fans of sports figures that they have never met, but I think I can understand a little now how they feel.  Secondly, these guys have real talent and it shows in their music (and in their acting as well).  There are not a lot of full bands in the world of K-Pop (at least not that I have come across yet), so that makes this group stand out too. I like their song "Starting Over" a lot.  The video is so fun and the song is just cool!

Got7 is a perfect example of a group that I came across because of a drama.  They were in a mini-drama called Dream Knight which is where I first came across the group. The show was super cute and made me curious about the group.  When I started to look for their music I could quickly see why they were so popular.  They are very talented singers and dancers, plus they tend to make music that  is easy to remember.  Their song "Stop, Stop it" gets stuck in my head on a regular basis.  I love it!

Super Junior is also amazing for several reasons.  First, they were one of the first groups I came across that had so many members.  Currently there are only 7 active members (plus 2 who are serving in the military), but at one point there were 11 members.  That seems huge to me.  Even 9 seems big (when the two in the military come back).  When I was in choir, I'm pretty sure that many members would have made you an ensemble or choir, but these guys don't give off that feel at all.  They dance together with amazing precision that is hard to look away from and they have great voices as well.  It really is a powerhouse group.  They are not the only large group out there, in fact there are quite a few, but they were one of the first I came across and so will hold a special spot on my list. Also, I should point out that one of the members, Lee Dong Hae, was the lead in the drama Miss Panda and Mr. Hedgehog, that I talked about in my last post.  Several of the other members have been in dramas and on variety shows as well, and they are always fun to watch. Currently, I'm listening to "Black Suit" fairly regularly which is on their current album. 

When it comes to solo artists, I will admit that I am a bit bias when it comes to Eric Nam.  After all, he's from Georgia and as a Tennessee girl myself, you have to cheer on the southern guy!  But, it's not just where he's from.  He's has a great voice, and his talent goes farther than the music world.  He is also fun to watch when he is on variety shows or does interviews with people from across the entertainment industry.  His song "Good For You" is currently one of my all time favorite songs and never fails to put a smile on my face.

These are a few of the groups that I've come across and enjoy.  Who do you listen to?  How did you find them?  I'm always interested in finding more artists and groups to listen to.