The Short Guide to Korean Dramas

If you are the type of person who likes heart-wrenching pathos, Titanic-esque love stories, crazy mothers and evil grandmothers, a copious amount of flashbacks, and too many convenient coincidences, I may have just the thing for you: Korean dramas. If you’ve never seen a Korean drama before, this is a good place to start. Despite all the tropes and clichés in Kdramas, there's something charming about them that will keep you coming back for more, so here's a quick guide to get you started on your path to Kdrama fandom. 

Korean dramas, like American TV shows, are constantly being made. South Korea also has award shows just like America does, as well as renowned actors and actresses. One of the nice things about Korean dramas is that you get a lot more than just quality entertainment. You get a full dose of foreign culture without having to do much besides read subtitles. A Kdrama will typically run for about 16 episodes with each episode lasting about an hour. You will learn about food, family dynamics, the business world, Asian conceptions of America, and you’ll even pick up some of the language--all by simply watching Korean TV.

Now, I like to categorize Kdramas into three basic groups: the historical drama, the melodrama, and the romantic comedy. That said, many dramas will include subject matter that spans multiple genres. For example, many romantic comedies will also have some melodrama while many melodramas will include action and thriller elements. In broad terms, however, these are the three categories I will use.

Historical Drama

Historical dramas feature people wearing things like this:

Korean Gisaeng (female entertainers) in the drama Hwang Jin Yi

A male official

And doing things like this:

Gisaeng playing traditional instruments

Historical dramas are pretty self-explanatory. They take a piece of Korean history, such as a famous historical figure or event, and make a TV series out of it. These shows can range from about 20 to 80 episodes long, so it all depends on how invested you want to be in the show.

Melodrama

Next, we have the melodrama. The purpose of a melodrama is to appeal to your pathos, and Korean melodramas are no different. Many of them will feature a tragic main character who goes through many ups and downs throughout the course of the show, and who will not necessarily get “the happy ending” every time. These are the shows that will have you smiling one minute and sobbing the next, so if you plan on watching a melodrama have a box of tissues ready.

Still from Can You Hear My Heart?

Romantic Comedy

Finally, we have the romantic comedy, which is my personal favorite. Romantic comedies are typically lighthearted and very funny with a bit of melodrama thrown in. The characters almost always get a happy ending no matter how many obstacles they face.

Still from Protect the Boss

If I had to recommend a type of drama to start out with, I would say start with a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies are fairly straightforward and easy to enjoy, and they also move at a quick pace. Try Protect the Boss for a newer romantic comedy or You’re Beautiful for a classic fan favorite. You can watch these dramas for free at DramaFever, which is the site I personally like to use because of the great quality.

Happy watching!