K-drama was my gateway into all things Korean, no doubt about it.

It was the spark that lit the fire that has yet to diminish or burn itself out. It has led me from ‘That looks a bit interesting…’ to learning a whole new language and booking plane tickets to a country half-way around the world that previously I couldn’t identify on a map if you paid me.

I stumbled accidently into the world of Korean television, helped along by a Bollywood film and a Netflix algorithm. When the end credits rolled on my film, I swear it seemed all very innocent when Netflix kindly inquired if I would like to sample some more worldwide fare. ‘Sure’ I said, ‘Why not?’

Little did I know…

I happened to randomly choose a fantasy-looking show to watch; handsome chap on the advert, revenge for a murdered family, and lots of dashing back and forth between worlds.

Turns out it happened to be in Korean.

I watched one episode and entered into a little bit of shock. It’s difficult to describe why or how, but honestly it was like no other type of TV I had ever seen. It had all of the high quality production of a film, rather than something you’d see on the small screen; the acting performance was excellent, the story intriguing, and it ended on such a gripping cliff hanger I was feeling rather devastated I would have to wait a whole week to wait for the next episode.

So impressed was I with my discovery, I immediately felt I had to share it with someone.

I texted my friend Lighthouse who lives in the States…’Guess what I’ve just stumbled across…’

Apparently I was behind the times and he was already on the case. His recommendation? Korean zombies.

Wait, what?

He assured me I wouldn’t regret it. Best thing ever.

Now, I’m not a fan of horror, gore or anything of that ilk. The only exception I have ever made is for The Walking Dead, and that was purely because I found the characters so compelling, not for the love of the undead.

Still, Lighthouse comes up trumps fairly often, so I settled in with some snacks and pressed play.

6 hours later I emerged dazed and amazed from the 16^th century Joseon kingdom, having been suitably terrified and enthralled by royalty and peasants alike running for their lives chased by hordes of murderous Korean zombies.

And thus my fate as a k-drama addict was sealed.

Trying to explain the fascination with Korean television is near impossible.

It’s like the Grand Canyon, you have to see it to believe it (and you can trust me on this front, I’ve seen the Grand Canyon twice now).

I dipped my toe into the k-drama world without knowing what I was doing. And this is what it felt like….

I am now 78 dramas, 16 movies, 5 variety TV shows and 1292 episodes down the k-drama rabbit hole. That a full 57.5 days of my life I have dedicated to the cause. And I am 100% OK with that.

However, I really do want to try and explain why k-drama is so appealing. And so very, very addictive.

But first, let’s just start by clearing something up – the term k-drama. If you are thinking ‘drama’ is something heavy, serious, maybe lovey dovey, and possibly melodramatic; it’s not.  K-drama is a catch all designation; it is simply an umbrella term for all types of Korean television series. K-drama covers all genres; historical, romance, comedy, thriller, mystery, medical, legal, teen angst. You want it; they have a drama for it. Try instead to think of it more in this vein, they are simply stories about anything, told in Korean.

The first thing you will notice about k-dramas, and possibly one of the most attractive reasons to watch them, is the format of the shows. For the most part, Korean dramas are only one season in length and consist of 16 episodes, roughly one hour in length. It is not an infinite, random collection of small tales with no end in sight (honestly, does Grey’s Anatomy really require 17 seasons?)

Each drama is the equivalent of a book in television format. It has a set beginning, middle and end. There is a full and definite story that is being told. With a k-drama, you know exactly where you are going and when it’s going to end. When you finally reach the last episode and the credits roll, you feel satisfied and somehow complete (Well, usually. Let’s not mention 25/21, eh?)

Second, the quality of these shows is off the charts. Episodes can cost up to $2.6million each to produce, which is a huge amount if you consider these shows are made for a fairly limited market i.e. those who either speak Korean or willing to read subtitles. Dramas on the whole are incredibly well thought out and produced, some of the historical dramas are breath-taking in their cinematography and costume. Additionally, the music used in these dramas is its own art form.

Original Soundtracks, or OSTs as they are known, are a vital part of the k-drama experience and often discussed and revered as much as the shows themselves (can anyone say Goblin?) The music is matched to reflect the story as it develops, and of course, the higher quality the drama, the more likely you are to hear famous musicians in the background.  

On the whole, and I think a vast number of fans would back me on this, the content of k-drama can be considered fuller and more rounded than English-speaking television. Generally the focus of dramas is storytelling; background content, character development, a moving plot. While you can have lighter shows that require little more than staring at the screen and allowing yourself to be taken along, as k-dramas are notoriously chaste, even the fluffy romance content will have a fairly decent plot rather than solely being based off lots of intimate scenes (which seems to be the case more and more with English content). Additionally, k-dramas absolutely reflect aspects of Korean culture, which provides an additional level on which to enjoy the content, soooo many new things to learn and ruminate on!

And a final, but crucial, point.

I speak the truth when I say that Koreans have cornered the market in producing the most addictive forms of entertainment.

There is no soft love of Korean TV and music; once you are in, it’s like quick sand.

They have basically produced Pringles in media form. You can’t just watch one episode, you can’t just listen to one song, you have to devour them all.

And there are. Just. So. Many. Of. Them.

Whatever the formula is for writing cliff-hangers for episodes, whatever magical method it is that makes the audience feel that they simply can’t move on with their life until they finish the whole story (yes, even if that means watching 16 straight hours of TV); the Koreans have bottled it and sprinkle it liberally over their k-drama masterpieces.

There is no escape from the k-drama addition.

It has now been a solid two years since I have come close to watching English TV. Honestly, I no longer enjoy the content it offers. On top of that, given I have begun to learn Korean; consuming Korean media in all forms is just an additional step in my learning. I am 100% happy with that.

While I encourage all and sundry to make an attempt at watching k-drama, even just once, I will admit it’s not for everyone.

The main hurdle people have to overcome is of course the language barrier, and even that is a two-edged sword; being able to watch a show while listening to a foreign language and simultaneously being willing and able to read subtitles.

Personally, I have never minded listening to other languages in film or TV. This is, however, the first time I have ever fallen in love listening to one. Everyone has their preferences when it comes to sound. Different tones and voices affect people individually. I personally have come to love, what I perceive as, the lower tone of the Korean language. The pronunciation of certain words or phrases that tickle me. Or entire rants where the inflection rolls up and down like a rollercoaster. I know it’s not for everyone, however it is for me.

Additionally, I have been a reader all of my life. I devour books. The written word is a joy to behold in my opinion. Therefore, subtitles pose no issue, they are no barricade to my enjoyment, and to be honest I have been watching TV my whole life using subtitles after I discovered 888 on teletext, much to the dismay of anyone who has ever watched TV with me!

Even for someone willing to try subtitled content, in many cases you do have to be a fast reader in order to take in not only the words, but obviously the picture content as well.

As I said, not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do recommend you try a sip. 🙂

I have discovered however, as with my k-pop addiction, watching k-drama is a multi-headed beast. It may sound straight-forward, it’s just a TV show for goodness sake, but it comes packed with the undercurrent of everything that is wrapped up in the Korean entertainment world.

K-drama stars. Actors and their SNS (social media) content. Spin off variety shows. YouTube channels. Behind the Scenes content. Original Soundtracks. K-pop stars in soundtracks. Actor Idols doing their own OSTs. Online k-drama forums. Live airing dramas that everyone goes crazy commenting on. Collective mass hysteria when dramas don’t quite turn out as you expect. K-drama tropes – the shoulder pat, the white truck of doom, the episode nine kiss, the amnesia or mandatory breakup one episode from the end, water thrown in the face by the potential mother in law. K-drama PPL (product placement) – Subway, skincare products galore, light facemasks, Samsung mobile phones, Maxim coffee sachets. My Drama List. VPNs. Viki. Netflix. Dramacool.  And the ultimate quest for the holy grail of k-drama – finding a decent streaming site to watch Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. 

Honestly, it’s really rather exhausting as a hobbies go.

And here’s the really weird thing, not once in my life have I ever given a toss about the celebrity world.

I wouldn’t know a Hollywood A-lister if I fell over them. I have no clue who’s hot and who’s not. Or why they would be. I have not one iota of a care for what the newest film in the cinema is or what is currently at the top of the music charts.

However, something weird happened when I discovered k-drama.

All of a sudden, those types of things became interesting – well, just the Korean ones, of course.

While my days obviously include mundane things like work and chores, and my usual down-time of reading and walking; it also includes a rather ridiculous amount of ‘finger on the pulse’ activities related to the Korean entertainment industry.

My morning routine now includes tea, toast, and a chapter of my latest book. But it also involves checking out the discussions in my k-drama groups and scanning Instagram for the latest drama and actor updates.

At night, after I’ve finished writing part of my latest essay for Uni, I reward myself with the latest episode or two of the dramas I am currently watching.

At the weekend, when I get my one day off (and am not cleaning a church or chin wagging with my mum), I might allow myself to sit there a binge through a good 5 hours of an unmissable show and then feel the satisfaction of updating my K-drama 2022 Challenge list (13 out of 38 completed so far!) or updating my diary with release dates for new shows and films that I am eagerly awaiting.

Why are these things important? Why do I feel the need to do this?

I have not a single clue. But it’s fun.

It’s a whole other world I never knew existed, but it does, and now I’ve found it and it’s like some huge secret club to be in. And while I try and drag all and sundry into the Korean world with me, honestly, deep down, I’m kind of glad it’s just me swimming around in this pool.

It’s my getaway from reality, my safety bolt hole.

This is where I go to when I just would like the world to go away please.

Like so many hobbies I’ve had in the past, this one might fade away too one day. I might simply wake up and decide I have had enough. I might discover something else more fascinating to investigate. Who knows?

What I am sure of though, is that while my interest in all things Korean has been consuming and exhausting (and seemingly focused on entertainment), it has also been a fantastic learning and growing experience for me.

What started as simply watching a single episode of television has turned into a language learning experience, a cultural exchange, and widening of my knowledge of the world.

Through watching k-drama I have met people from all around the world, shared stories and learned about countries and customs I had not heard of before. I have been exposed to other values and ideas and have chosen to adopt some of those I feel suit me well. I have developed my culinary skills and tried foods and flavours I might have never otherwise known existed. I’ve broadened my reading remit and learned about history, politics and language. I will soon be visiting a country so vastly different from my own, every day will hold 100 new somethings to learn and absorb.

And for all of these things, all of these experiences, for all of the new colours I have added to the kaleidoscope of my life, I am so very thankful.

A few extra notes

Wow. You stuck with it and ended up here? Well, surely that means you should be rewarded with all of the k-drama resources I have to offer.

Have at it…feel free to join us down the rabbit hole…

Drama recommendations – these are just a few opening snippets, from a couple drama genres. There might be something here that interests you. If so, keep scrolling to find to where best to find them to watch!

Hospital Playlist (medical/friendship group drama)

Kingdom (zombies, but don’t let that put you off)

Crash Landing on You (romance/drama/comedy all in one)

D.P. (gritty, uncomfortable at times, chasing down AWOL soldiers)

Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (fantasy/happy/sad/comedy/romance)

Mr. Sunshine (Guns. Glory. Sad Endings. That’s their official tag line and never a truer word was spoken)

100 Days My Prince (light historical romance, comedy and drama)

Move to Heaven (death scene cleaners, sad and happy in equal measure, a surprising hit)

General announcement: Korean drama in general is made for the Korean market and therefore doesn’t always make it to the services overseas. In most cases streaming sites offer different content depending which country you are in. Therefore, it’s worth considering investing in a good solid VPN provider to get the content you want – simply set it to the country you wish to ‘view’ in and in most cases you’re golden. Also note, Netflix in Korea doesn’t work with VPNs, annoyingly it knows what you are up to…..

Places to watch k-drama – the legal ones

Rakuten Viki – some shows free to watch (with adverts), or buy the subscription (advert free). Has a wide range of Asian content, not just Korean. Be aware, though the subtitles are often more accurate/fuller than Netflix, they are subbed by volunteers meaning if you watch a live airing show it might take a day or two for the subs to fully appear.

Netflix – generally a good range of Korean TV and film (better than Amazon Prime – don’t bother), however, I do occasionally shout in frustration at the screen now for the subtitling after learning some Korean.

iQiyi – range of Asian content, I think it may all be free (?) but I’ve only watched one show on here previously, so not fully up with it.

Places to watch k-drama – the not so legal ones

I have no links as these websites bounce around a little, but a Google search should get you there. I would just advise caution as technically not legal and certainly use with a good VPN and virus/malware protection.

Dramacool.

KissAsian.

Dramafever.

YouTube – yes, I know it’s legal, but you’re guaranteed to find stuff on there that isn’t quite allowed to be. Always worth a search, especially for content that can usually only be found in Korea i.e. general TV that isn’t drama. I find a lot of k-pop related interviews or variety shows on here.

Places to chat / social media / stuff – come join us!

Instagram – when you know who’s who and you just need to know what they are up to, this is the place to come.

Reddit – I love the sheer variety of conversations on here. Airing show discussions, general humour, k-drama challenge, polls, updates on upcoming dramas etc.

Facebook KDA – worldwide group with general chat and updates, less serious discussion, just good fun.

Kakaotalk – for those wanting tons of chat groups to hang out in, this is the place to go, just need to download the app and search for k-drama.

My Drama List – for those of you wanting to keep track of your k-drama watching.

Pure VPN – personally I use this and find it works well (subscription)

Nord VPN – I have heard good reviews for this (subscription)

Express VPN – another popular provider (subscription)

I hope that you decide to give k-drama a try, even if it’s just to experience something new for an hour. If you have any questions or would like to chat drama at any time, feel free to get in touch!