So Many Shows So Little Time

Sometimes when I’m trying to decide on the next drama I want to watch I feel like I’m drowning in choices.  Which, in essence, I am since there are hundreds of dramas out there to choose from.  I’ve compiled a rather lengthy list of dramas I do want to watch, which is only a pin drop in the ocean of dramas.  As I’ve talked about in a prior post, I want that happy ending, so I often search the net for lists of dramas that have happy endings.  And then I search out each individual title and try to discern from posts and reviews which of them have a confirmed happy ending.  That’s at least where I start.  Though having this list of dramas that all sound good story and premise wise with a confirmed good or at least mostly good ending is just as overwhelming as looking at all the dramas out there which are available to watch.  So I sit there for an hour, sometimes more, and try to figure out what I want to invest my time into.

Honestly I depend a lot on reviews that I find on Dramabeans, Drama Fever, Crunchyroll, and other various sites focused on dramas.  Personally a recap review is less valuable to me than a review that talks about the writer’s likes/dislikes about the series.  I don’t want to know exactly what happened, but I do want to know if the viewer enjoyed the show.  And of course, if there was a happy ending.  I do a lot of searches that are similar to “does Insert Drama Name Here have a happy ending”.  I can usually ascertain quickly from the snippets in the google search results if the show ends happily or not.  Sometimes I get mixed signals, some say it was good and some say it was satisfactory and some say it wasn’t what they had hoped for.  I put those into a second list that I title, “Mostly Happy Ending.”

With so many shows to choose from and a large chunk with a happy ending, how do I pick one fish out of the sea to watch?  It depends on what I just finished watching.  If it was a lighthearted romantic comedy with a very simple feel and youthful story then I’ll probably focus on something a little more mature or with more serious story themes.  For example after I finished Flower Boy Ramen Shop I picked A Gentleman’s Dignity.  Flower Boy Ramen Shop was cutesy and lighthearted so I wanted something a little more mature.  The main actors in A Gentleman’s Dignity are all in their forties and so the themes were much different.  But sometimes I just want more of the same so I’ll go right into another sweet romantic comedy right after finishing one.  Like when I finished You’re Beautiful and started Heartstrings right away.

I’ve tried making lists ranking the shows I do want to watch with the information I know about them and then just sticking to it.  Then my current show ends and I look at the number one choice… and then still spend ages reading reviews looking at suggestions, and researching any number of aspects about any number of shows to finally choose something not even on the list.  If I could only make a plan and stick to it I’d have more time to watch my dramas.  But I just can’t help but look at other shows, read up on a show I’ve never heard of before, contemplate re-watching one of the shows I’ve already watched but loved so much it left a hole in my heart when it was done.  I keep telling myself I’ll just follow my list no matter what.  Maybe this will be the time that I can, maybe after I finish My Princess I’ll be able to go right to I Need Romance.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!   

Why K-Dramas?

Since becoming immersed in the world of Korean and Taiwanese (I have yet to watch a Japanese drama though I have a few on my list that I do want to watch) dramas my friends and family have often asked me a simple question, why?  No matter how many times I try and explain I just can’t seem to get them to understand.  I also can’t seem to get them to try and watch them with me.  Oh but if they would only give them a chance!  Because I get asked why so often I thought I’d try my hand at putting down my thoughts and defining the reasons for my addiction.  Not an easy task and it has become harder than I anticipated.  A great deal of my reasons have to do with feels and that doesn’t translate so well to the non-fan.  Anyway, I’m going to do my best to put some of my feels down on paper (or down in cyber-space).

I still watch American TV(only about 4 shows) and I watch a lot of British TV (dying for the new Sherlock episodes!), but they’ve lost my interest in a big way.  I don’t have that overwhelming need to see the next episode.  The cliffhangers seem less emotionally traumatizing.  I can guess the plot of the episode within a few minutes (Doctor Who and Sherlock don’t qualify for this one).  I don’t get invested in the characters, even for shows that run for a long time and build up the stories and histories.  I just can’t seem to invest in these characters like I used to.  In essence I just don’t have much interest in Western TV. 

So what is it about Korean Dramas or Taiwanese Dramas?  Prior to six months ago I would have looked at anyone talking about Eastern Dramas with a blank expression, not getting it at all.  Now, I look at people who have never watched a Korean or Taiwanese Drama with that same look.  I’m not really certain I can adequately explain my obsession and why it exists, but I’m going to give it a try.

These are in no particular order.

I love the actors, from the main casts to the supporting casts and even the extras.  Compared to Western TV, at least in my eyes, the actors look more like real people to me.  Less make up, less perfectly crafted hair styles, less plastic like bodies/faces.  They just look and feel real.  I’m not sure how their acting training is approached, but the people feel more natural to me.  Granted I don’t speak the language and there are only so many subtleties that can be picked up through subtitles and body language.  But regardless I feel like the acting just flows better, as if I really have become a fly on the wall for people a few thousand miles away.

Perhaps a large part of my addiction stems from my fascination for Asian Cultures.  These dramas give some valid insights into the cultures of Korea and Taiwan.   Logically I know some of the social rules have been exaggerated, we do that in American and British TV too, but I love seeing how society functions there.  It fascinates me that asking a persons age is polite and expected so that you can address them in the correct manner.  I love that there are formal ways to interact to show respect and honor and also a familial language.  There are so many ways to bow, so many reasons to bow, and certain lengths of time for certain situations.  I could really go on and on within this section, but I think you get the idea.

I have a five year old son and there are just too many things that are ok to show on regular TV in American and British shows that I do not want my son to see.  Which means that most shows that I might have an interest in must be watched once my son is in bed.  I work full time (sometimes more as I’m salaried) and I work a later shift in the day.  This doesn’t leave a lot of time before bed to watch these shows.  But with Korean and Taiwanese dramas I can watch most of them with my son and never have to worry that he’ll be exposed to something inappropriate.  And, as an added bonus, he’s started to pick up on words and asks what they mean.  Which, come on, that is super cool.

There is so much focus on the flash factor, effects, gross out factor, and various other visual things that a lot of story is ignore or lost in Western TV.  There are of course gems out there that defy this; however, I think that Korean and Taiwanese TV dominates the story and character development market.  There is a definite path, a predetermined number of episodes, a known ending…  All of this helps to sharpen the focus on the story and the people of the story which lets them forget the over the top visual effects that don’t really add anything at all.  Each episode (usually an hour) delves deeper and deeper into the relationships of the characters.  Be it a sixteen episode run or fifty, you can actually see the characters grow and evolve and mature in front of your eyes.  This might be the most important thing for me.  I really love the focus on people and relationships.

So far I’ve only watched a tiny number of dramas, but I am addicted to the plot twists.  Some of them are so outrageous and ridiculous you know it would never happen in real life.  Others are so down to earth and grounded that it sends chills down your spine, because it could happen to anyone.  I never know what is going to happen.  I’m not certain how the characters are going to deal with the issues thrust upon them.  I’ve no idea how they are going to handle the obstacles they encounter.  And each issue or situation or obstacle pushes the characters to grow and evolve and change.  It is a journey that I love to be involved with.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the Variety Shows.  I do not watch American or British variety TV.  It has just never captured my attention.  However, Korean Variety TV tosses their hottest stars into crazy games/places and films it.  Oh boy what a concept!  I love seeing them as people, just regular folks having to deal with silly and physically challenging situations.  I think I’ve watched more Running Man than actual dramas combined.  I laugh like an idiot with each episode and leave it feeling good.

I know there are so many reasons that I’ve missed.  Arguments to make in favor of Korean and Taiwanese dramas that I should make.  The feels and reasons I love these dramas are endless.  But I think for a first attempt at putting my feels into words I’ve done a decent job.      

Happily Ever After

My first foray into the world of Korean Dramas turned out to have a happy ending.  I was very lucky indeed.  Though I have a feeling from the words of netizens that a great many people’s first K-Drama is Boys Over Flowers.  Regardless, I feel pretty lucky that my first drama had a happy ending (for the most part).  Throughout the entire twenty-five episodes I was uncertain if there would be a happy ending, Jun Pyo and Jan Di kept encountering such immense obstacles that the ending was never definite.  However, the last episode wrapped it up in a sweet bow and I melted away from happiness. 

I am such a sucker for a happy ending.  Always have been.  This love of the feel good closure to a show/movie/book/graphic novel/etc has carried over to dramas.  I’ve experienced enough hardship and tragedy in the real world, I don’t like to end a drama on a note which rips my heart out.  Now, that isn’t to say that I don’t appreciate the twists and turns, ups and downs, and climactic moments within the drama itself which keep you guessing.  Those I absolutely love.  The moments where I am bawling my eyes out and unsure of the fate of the characters are some of my most favorite.  Yet at the end of that emotional rollercoaster I want to be left with a warm glow, a happy ending is a must.

Once I finished Boys Over Flowers I needed more, it was evident even then that I was obsessed and addicted.  Admittedly I chose my next drama because it had Lee Min Ho in it.  After watching him for twenty-five plus hours as Jun Pyo I really wanted to see more of him.  So I immediately started City Hunter, which was a completed different vibe from Boys Over Flowers.  It wasn’t until about halfway through City Hunter that I started to worry that the ending would tear my heart out and stomp on it.  It wasn’t enough to make me stop watching, but I found that as I closed in on the ending of the show I was terribly anxious.  I needed him to succeed and desperately wanted Yoon Sung and Na Na to be together with a happily ever after ending.  By the last episode I was so high strung with insecurity that it was a traumatic experience to finish the show.  It ended and I got my wish.  But boy was I exhausted after that ride.

That terrifying ride didn’t stop me from diving right into another drama.  This time I followed Kim Hyun Joong (Ji Ho from Boys Over Flowers).  I needed something light and fluffy and silly after City Hunter and Playful Kiss seemed exactly perfect.  Now, to say that I dove right in and started the show is a lie.  I took some time to research.  I read review about the show, well to be more exact I literally typed into Google ‘does Playful Kiss have a happy ending’.  Yup, I wasn’t going to commit to a show unless I knew that no matter how insane or crazy the plots twists and obstacles were that I’d get the warm-fuzzies when the show was done.  There were plenty of snippets out there and it was easy to ascertain that Playful Kiss would have a satisfying ending, so at that point I did dive right in… once I was sure I’d survive the ride.

Now before I commit to any drama I spend a few minutes searching the internet for a clue as to what I’m getting myself into.  Some people might say this is cheating or that I’m ruining the ending for myself.  I can’t deny that, I am ruining the ending because I go into the story knowing how it’s going to end up.  For me though I can’t handle the anxiety and chance that I’ll be left with this hollow pain because the characters I’ve fallen in love with end up dead or unhappy.  I watch dramas to escape reality and I want my fantasy to have happiness and rainbows at the conclusion of every tale.     

A Spiraling Obession

I wish that I could pin-point the exact moment that I entered the world of Korean Dramas.  That moment in which I became so obsessed that I stopped watching anything but dramas that were subtitled.  The instance that I fell over the precipice.  I know what show it was which stole my heart and captured my undying attention, but the details of how I discovered the show are a bit fuzzy.  However, despite my inability to recall the exacts of my entrance to this world I am going to try and recount my spiral into obsession.

In the grand scheme of obsessed K-Drama addicts my time here has been relatively short, it has been exactly half a year since I discovered Boys Over Flowers.  I was blissfully watching a TV show on Hulu.com, right now I have no idea what show that was.  However, when it concluded Hulu graciously suggested other shows that were similar to the one I had finished and given four or five stars to.  There were about ten suggested options, all but one were British or American shows.  Then, at the end of the line, there was Boys Over Flowers.  I remember finding the title humorous, the image of the four men intriguing considering the posh and somewhat effeminate clothing they were wearing, and being intrigued because I had no idea what it was.

Now, as I am a firm lover of all things of the Korean Drama world, I wish I could say that I dove head first into Boys Over Flowers with excitement and an open mind.  In truth, I clicked on it to see just how ridiculous the show turned out to be.  I watched the first episode and chuckled at the concept, told myself it was all very silly, and went on with watching some other show which had been in the suggested list.  However, I couldn't get that first episode out of my head.  I kept thinking about how strong Geum Jan Di was, how her exuberance made me wish other female leads had that attitude.  Of course I was drawn to the absolutely gorgeous faces of the F4 group as well.  It wasn't more than three to five days later and I was back on Hulu and watching Boys Over Flowers again.

The moment that I gave in and went back to watch the second episode I was hooked.  I fell in love with the acting, the filming style, the story concepts, the character archetypes... all of it.  I watched seven hours of Boys Over Flowers that day and spent every hour of my work week trying to determine when I could fit in time to watch the rest of the episodes.  Once I completed all twenty-five shows I wanted more... no that isn't actually true I needed more.  I was three-hundred percent addicted and there was no going back.  Truthfully I didn't want to go back, I was in love.

Since then I have spent every free moment I can watching dramas from Korea and Taiwan.  I have found blogs about others who share my love of these dramas, I have subscribed to Dramafever.com so I can watch my dramas without the interruption of commercials... I think about the drama I am currently watching all the time and debate which drama will fill my need next.  Obsessed... absolutely obsessed and loving every moment of it.