“So, what do you kids want to do this spring break?” Ms. Angela asked, a wide smile on her bright face as she leaned on the kitchen counter.
“Watch a K-drama!” I shouted and hopped up and down.
“Yeah!” My boyfriend chimed in, laughing at how excited I looked. I whipped my head upward to look him in the eye and gave him a sly smirk. He had no idea what he was about to be thrown into.
Nu uh, we weren’t about to watch just any TV show. No, we were about to share an experience.
K-dramas have become a global phenomenon in the cinematic world in the last two decades, featuring a variety of genres (thriller, romance, melodrama, slice of life, action, you name it) and produced by the booming Korean media and entertainment industry. It is part of the rising action that led to the K-wave: the spread of Korean culture, beauty and media to the rest of the world, revolutionizing pop culture as we know it. Almost everyone in the U.S. knows who BTS is and what a Korean finger heart is.
There is a common misconception, however, that all K-dramas are sappy love stories made only for women, especially single ladies who use K-dramas as their way to experience romance with their perfect idea of a man they will never meet in real life. However, this is not the universal truth. Not all K-dramas are sappy love stories, and not all K-drama watchers are single women.
Ms. Angela and my boyfriend were about to be made fully aware of this fact. After selecting the K-drama “Healer” (2014), I clicked the play button.
Immediately, we were launched into a vicious world of evil political leaders, a dark betrayal of the past that tore apart a tight-knit group of college friends and a lost daughter — all of whom are connected by a slick, street-smart, parkour-master night errand boy, the best in his field, determined to hide his identity, even if he is falling in love with his client’s target. Sentimental love story? Oh, it was much more than that. It was a search for truth, stunts that left our mouths open, mind-blowing character dynamics that had us leaping up from our seats, plot twists and dialogue that made us shout theories about upcoming episodes at each other. The K-drama experience left us breathless, broke our relational barriers and changed us from a group of friends watching a TV show together to a troop of fighters hungry for the victory of our vigilantes, cheering them and each other on in this communal experience.
We finished watching all twenty one-hours of episodes of “Healer” in just four days, and man, it was a ride — and undoubtedly the highlight of our spring break. As a journalism major, I noticed parallels in this show about brave journalists fighting against all odds to expose the evil actions of corrupt leaders hidden in the dark — a potentially very real problem in our world. I was invited to mourn the brave journalists who have sacrificed their lives and safety for the truth, such as the journalists killed while covering the war in Ukraine, and to work harder at my craft of writing. Because it has the power to save lives today, and repair broken lives of the past.
Taking part in the K-drama experience is more than just a cultural and emotional adventure. Beyond that, it is also a philosophical journey. Yes, there are cheesy, surface-level romantic K-dramas out there without much substance. But this should not deter us from the abundance of deep, masterfully written K-dramas that tackle some of the most poignant questions and issues of human nature. Also, I just have to mention, some are absolute pure cinematic gold (just watch “Hotel Del Luna” or “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” to get blown away by the stellar cinematography, set design and multi-layered plot). If we do dismiss these shows, we’re missing out, my friend.
Here are some basic philosophical issues tackled by amazing K-dramas I have watched:
- What does it mean to be human? – “Are You Human Too?” (Rakuten Viki)
- What is the role of the law? What is true justice, and how should it be practiced in the court and in daily life? What if telling the truth opposes the law? – “I Hear Your Voice” (Rakuten Viki)
- How do we deal with the human hunger for vengeance? – “My Name” (Netflix)
- How do we respond to culture’s toxic beauty standards? – “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” (Netflix & Rakuten Viki)
- What is it like to have a mental illness and face social prejudice? – “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” (Netflix)
- To what lengths will people go for money, even if it means putting their lives on the line? – “Squid Game”, Netflix’s No. 1 most watched show of all time. (1.65 billion hours of viewing within just 28 days of its premiere.)
And many, many more relevant questions that spark meaningful conversations. A good story is one that leads to communal dialogue.
By the end of “Healer,” we felt like we had just returned from a journey into another world. Like we had just come back from Narnia, empowered and closer to one another as fellow travelers.
Watch a K-drama. Preferably with a group of family or friends. You will not regret it.
And remember that K-dramas are not just for single women with tissue boxes at the ready. They are for human beings who are ready for a group-bonding, lap-slapping, mind-blowing, cinematic experience.
As there are a wide assortment of K-dramas out there, there are bound to be some that are trash, so here is a list of amazing K-dramas in addition to those listed above, provided by yours truly as an experienced K-drama watcher:
- “Goblin”, “Tunnel”, “While You Were Sleeping”, “Pinnochio”, and “Heal Me Kill Me” available on Rakuten Viki.
- “Crash Landing on You” available on Netflix.
- “Healer” is available to stream on Rakuten Viki or Kocowa.
