One of the biggest laughs I’ve been getting in my new play is when the characters sit around the TV watching a fictional Korean soap opera called Autumn Leaves and talk back to the screen. I know there are a lot of Asian American fans of these dramas and wanted to include a moment playing off that in my script, but for the life of me, I still can’t fathom why people are so religiously devoted to these programs. I find them melodramatic and completely predictable and I just don’t get it.
I thought at first it might be a guy thing, but I’ve learned over the years that there are many male fans of the soaps too. They may be closeted and deny their love for this genre in public, but when the doors are closed, it’s a different story.
Korean soaps have been popular throughout Asia for a long time now and the devotion of those fans reach Beatlemania level. But in recent years, their popularity has spread all over the globe from Latin America to Europe to America. Last year, Blockbuster and Netflix started carrying the more popular titles and in August, DramaFever started offering free subtitled video streaming service in the U.S.
Most of the soaps follow certain cliché plotlines: love triangles, marital relationships, relationships between in-laws, etc… and unlike American soaps, these stories are usually chaste with minimal sex. I’m sure I’ll get some hate mail from hardcore fans, but I tried to watch a few of the more popular titles as research when I was writing my play—Full House, Stairway To Heaven, My Lovely Samsoon—and I found the stories pretty interchangeable and dull and couldn’t make it past more than two episodes. I admit I may be in the minority on this, but if any of you out there are really into these soaps, I’d love it if you could tell me what the appeal is.
However, the one thing I do enjoy and get are the parodies of the soaps. A few years ago, MAD TV ran a series of spoofs starring Bobby Lee and my fellow Offender Sung. Aside from the fact that they are fucking hilarious and spot-on, it said something about how popular Korean soaps had become that a major American network TV program felt the audience was informed enough to understand the references. Here’s one of the episodes:
KoreAm also recently ran a contest asking filmmakers to submit their Korean soap parodies. Here are two of them, made by friends, that I thought were cool. Enjoy and Happy weekend!
GOCHU:
Omma Dearest:
I have seen many korean dramas (not by personal choice btw).
If I were to say why they are sooooo addictive and successful, I think it comes down to this: these dramas and their outlandish storylines and 24/7, nonstop emotional heartstring-tugging to the max creates an “emotional crack” drug to the viewer. It’s almost like a regular cathartic release. Any korean drama – you will be guaranteed to cry at least 3-4 times per episode. No other soap/drama/etc. from any other country can claim this. Much like drugs, if you go straight to crack, everything else just can give you your fix. Korean drama is emotional crack to the max. yes, the storylines are beyond ridiculous and cancer, switch at birth, love triangles, rich boy/poor girl, etc. and other beyond sensational themes are ram packed into every episode…but guess what? IT WORKS.
after watching a few series by force, i found myself NEEDING to watch korean dramas. I needed to cry and have my heartstrings tugged (whiplashed) at least every 10 minutes. No other country soap drama can claim this.
Korean Dramas = emotional crack
It’s not a fascination, it’s an addiction
I enjoy the occasional Korean drama. I did really like My Lovely Samsoon, even though it did bother me that everyone kept calling her “fat” when she was just regular size. Plus, it was my introduction to Daniel Henney (who hubby doesn’t know that I crush on).
What attracts me? The love stories, I guess. Sappy girl answer, I know, but I am a sappy girl. I get sucked into it.
I agree most K-Dramas blur together and feature the same tropes. Occasionally, a show is different enough to stand out, i.e. My Name is Kim Sam Soon. It co-starred Daniel Henney, who’s currently on the CBS crapfest Three Rivers, and therefore featured some dialogue in English, but mostly it was because of its star, Kim Sun Ah, who really stands out from the other cookie-cutter Korean actresses.
I hear NBC is developing an American version of Kim Sam Soon. Curious to see how it turns out.
Three Rivers IS pretty crpatastic, I’m sorry to say.
An American version Of Sam Soon? They will likely ruin it.
I see the overall sentiment of Three Rivers is pretty craptastic
That being said, the more recent episode starring Mandy Patinkin portraying an ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) patient wanting to exercise his right to die over his family’s wishes…
damn, that was some amazingly fantastic television. brought me to tears.
Every time I see Mandy Patinkin, all I can think is “my name is Indigo Montoya. You kill my father. Prepare to die.” Which, of course, is an awesome thing to be remembered for.
Roger, is there anything you’ve seen that you have NOT cried at?
Phil, don’t be playing a game of “sensitive man chicken” with me. You know as well as I do that you went through a box of tissues in 2012, Independence Day, & Starship Troopers. I would know cause my head was on your shoulder, tears dropping across the bridge of my nose and onto your velour cardigan.
“I try to cry at least once a day”
- Richard Gere
@Claude–Three Rivers is a crapfest, indeed. I watched it just because Daniel Henney was in it. What’s with the corny stills at each commercial break?
@Roger et al: I understand the appeal and being embarassed that you like it. Recently, The Week magazine featured a highbrow journalist describing how he got sucked into Celine Dion for the same emotional jugular action.
When I lived in Japan my landlady was addicted to K-dramas. They were horribly dubbed but you could not get her to budge from her seat (or translate a kanji delivery notification more densely packed than the King James Bible on the head of a pin). The building could have been on fire, but she’d plant herself in front of that TV every Friday night. It was kinda cool to see cross-cultural melding like that.
I have been on TV/movie fast for the past 3 yrs plus so only watch selectively. I accidently came across Korean drama like Princess hour (Goong) and got hook. Next thing I know I was watching the “Double trouble” then Boys over Flowers….
I enjoy watching the Korean dramas compare to others like the HK or Taiwaness drama as they have the ability to weave humour into some serious story line. Even though may not undrestand the language, the action itself can convey the message and makes one laugh. LOL
It is not true that K drama makes one cry. He should watch the Taiwaness drama worse…(that’s why I never watch Taiwaness drama).
Roger:
after watching a few series by force, i found myself NEEDING to watch korean dramas. I needed to cry and have my heartstrings tugged (whiplashed) at least every 10 minutes. No other country soap drama can claim this.
Korean Dramas = emotional crack
It’s not a fascination, it’s an addiction
I have been on TV/movie fast for the past 3 yrs plus so only watch selectively. I accidently came across Korean drama like Princess hour (Goong) and got hook. Next thing I know I was watching the “Double trouble” then Boys over Flowers….
I enjoy watching the Korean dramas compare to others like the HK or Taiwaness drama as they have the ability to weave humour into some serious story line. Even though may not undrestand the language, the action itself can convey the message and makes one laugh. LOL
It is not true that K drama makes one cry. Roger should watch the Taiwaness drama, even worse…(that’s why I never watch Taiwaness dramas).
[...] Have you checked out the programs on Logo TV? They’re like the English-language drag versions of Korean soap operas. Just substitute the “my lover is dying of cancer” subplot with “my lover is [...]