My latest passion is k-drama. I'm trying to explain to a 'carefully curated' (sic!) selection of people why Korean (as in South-Korean) tv series are great and I'm failing miserably. On my latest attempt my friend replied: - So you're only watching it for inspiration? - Well, no. It's not only that, though I'm sure that inspiration is also a part of it.
And before we move on, let me point it out, that watching Korean tv series is not the same as watching Latin American soap operas. Watching Korean tv series is like watching American tv series.
A few weeks ago I came across this article and I instantly started to watch City Hunter, which is very similar to Arrow. (So if you like Arrow, definitely watch City Hunter, you'll love it. And no, the story is not identical, so it is worth watching.) Before watching the first episode I was nervous about how I'd suffer through listening to the Korean language, so different from mine or the languages I speak, but surprisingly, it never disturbed me, and somewhere in the middle of my second series, Faith, I noticed that I actually really enjoy listening to the Korean language. It's soft, gentle and passionate, it's my latest meditation music.
This sudden fever for Korean tv series is not surprising. I have several recurring themes in my life, Asian culture is one of them. So no wonder that I've found another treasure trove.
What's great about contemporary series is that you get to see contemporary Korean culture. And it's great, because I'm sure you have a few misconceptions. What's great about historical series is that you get to learn about Korean history as the characters explain everything in their monologues and dialogues. And this is also great, because you get to learn about the history of a lesser known country or if you're a history freak you simply enjoy learning about all kinds of history.
The thing about k-dramas is, that they are full of things that make my heart beat faster, and probably that's why I find it so difficult to explain my enthusiasm to others. But besides that, there are those things appreciated by a larger audience as the beautifully photographed scenes or the excellent actors.
Of course, I don't love everything about k-dramas. I cannot stomach the songs or the karaoke scenes. And I was not able to wrestle my way through the big favourite Coffee Prince or Personal Taste.
But if you enjoy learning new things, I suggest you dip your toes into the pool of k-drama, you'll be surprised!
And before you ask, no, I won't learn Korean, because it's too difficult and I'm happy to be able to pronounce the more common words I pick up from various series. But I'm definitely contemplating a visit to Seoul, even though Korean people don't walk around with subtitles.
Have you ever watched any k-dramas? How do you like k-pop music? Have you ever been to Seoul? Let me know in the Comments below. (Mind you, I set all comments to moderate, so it may take a while to appear.)
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