The charm of Kdramas.

Over the last couple of years, my interest has massively shifted towards reading books rather than watching TV shows or movies. A large part of it has to do with me being saturated with the content I was consuming and also the scarcity of good shows. It was the same regurgitated garbage over and over again. That’s when I turned to books. As enjoyable as reading is, you need a break from it every now and then. I had finished reading ASOIAF and Wheel of Time back to back in 12 months and needed to do something else. That’s when I came across a show called Reply 1988. It was my introduction to Kdramas and boy oh boy was it an incredible show. After realising just how good Kdramas can be, I decided to watch more of it and am yet to be disappointed. Every show I’ve watched so far has been satisfying to say the least although none have come close to reaching the heights of Reply 1988. It’s by far one of the best shows I’ve watched and probably the only show(Arcane as well but it’s not finished) which I consider as close to being perfect as possible.

Kdramas has its own unique way of storytelling. There are so many elements which shouldn’t work on paper but it does. For instance, the commonality of Gary Stu characters. A lot of the shows I’ve watched have nearly perfect male characters with no flaws which should theoretically make it a less interesting watch and harder to like a character but it works. I find myself heavily invested and excited to watch more. They also doesn’t shy away from showing the more cheesy parts of a relationship. In fact, they embrace it and dial it to the max and it works. The second lead syndrome is something else which I’m usually not a fan of. I hate any and all types of love triangles. But Kdramas do it better than most other mediums. Still not a fan of it, mind you. 

That being said, they also do a lot of stuff which makes it plain enough to see why they’re successful. Starting with the number of episodes and seasons. Most of the times they’re limited to one season consisting of 12 or 16 episodes. It is clear to see that they have a certain vision and a specific story they want to tell unlike English shows where the main objective is to be renewed for one more season. They don’t drag it longer than they need to. The use of flashbacks and backstories. I’m still surprised shows don’t use it enough. One 30 second clip of a scene from the first episode from a different character’s pov can put everything into context. Backstories are an ideal way of fleshing out a character and establishing a clear motive. It makes it easier for us to understand why they are the way they are. Combine all these with some incredible background music and everything comes together like a jigsaw puzzle. Seriously though, the music in these shows is phenomenal. 

Apart from all this, the stories which they are trying to tell has enough thought and care put into them. You can feel the hard work and the effort they’ve put into making it. The characters feel so human if that makes sense. The stories revolve around relationships between your family and friends and the value of those relationships. It can be so very wholesome and heart wrenching at the same time. That’s the thing about stories. They teach you more stuff than anybody else. None of us like being told what to do. But I get to see a character I love explain something they did or something they shouldn’t have done and it is easier to accept. I am far more willing to trust these characters than people around me and their way of conveying a message is that much more impactful. I know these characters are not real but the things they experience and go through feels real enough. 

I’m glad to have discovered another medium of storytelling which I enjoy and would implore all of you to give it a shot. If you’re looking for a recommendation, just watch Reply 1988. Although I have to warn you that there’s a possibility of that being the best Kdrama you’ll watch and it’ll only go downhill from there.