Friday, November 16, 2012

How to Effectively Watch Kdramas


1. Find a reliable streaming website. I would recommend either DramaFever or hulu because they stream good-quality dramas...legally. The downside to these sites is that there are going to be ads during the show (unless you buy premium membership on DramaFever), but for me the quality is worth it. I particularly like using DramaFever because it provides ratings and reviews for each drama on its website, so it’s quick and easy to pick ones you want to try out. In addition, if you make an account, the site lets you put dramas in a “queue” so that you have a list of all the dramas you’re interested in. It also keeps track of which episodes in a particular series you’ve already seen.





2. Have an open mind. Don’t watch a Korean drama expecting an Asian version of American TV. While South Korea’s entertainment culture is similar to that of the United States, there are still a lot of cultural differences between the two countries. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and accept what happens without questioning it too much. The more dramas you watch, the more accustomed to South Korean culture you’ll become, and the easier it’ll be to appreciate the dramas.

3. Learn to read subtitles. A lot of people cannot stand subtitles, so they are discouraged from watching anything foreign. All Korean dramas are going to be in...well...Korean, so you can expect some juggling between the action onscreen and the subtitles below. I usually handle subtitles by quickly reading the entire line of text and then watching the actors do whatever they’re doing. That way, I can have in my mind what they’re saying while still being able to enjoy what’s going on in the scene. Of course, sometimes you’ll miss things, but with enough practice and patience, dealing with subtitles is a breeze.

4. Marathon-watch. Whether you want to or not, you will probably develop a habit of locking yourself in your room with a stash of empty bottles (think Aviator) and a mini fridge in order to watch hours of kdramas uninterrupted. I prefer marathon-watching because sometimes I forget certain details if I have to wait a week or two to catch a new episode. Also, in a week's time any excitement or suspense over a cliffhanger has usually somewhat dissipated. In general, though, I'm oftentimes just so intrigued by a drama that I simply can’t stop watching it. You may think that sounds crazy, but if you start watching kdramas you’ll quickly see what I mean. They’re addicting.

5. Embrace clichés because kdramas have a lot of them (I’ve already made a post about one). There are going to be many marriage contracts, awkward co-ed living situations, blind dates, “surprise” kisses, and wealthy heirs with horrible American accents. It’s kind of like how you get a bunch of side dishes (banchan) with any meal you order at a Korean restaurant—it’s a package deal.

      6. If you haven't already...stop reading about watching kdramas and go watch some!



3 comments:

  1. The subtitles are a hard barrier to overcome for people not accostomed to them. I've grown up watching foreign films, so it was an easy transition for me. But I get sooo frustrated at some of my friends who won't even BOTHER to watch a Kdrama, even before they know anything about them, just because "oh.. I don't do subtitles." Siiigh, they just don't know what they're missing.

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    1. Agreed. I'm a fast reader, so I've never had a problem reading subtitles. It does irritate me a bit when people are totally closed off to foreign films because of them. There are a loooot of good foreign films out there.

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