I'm an American. I was introduced to Korean dramas by a friend about three years ago, when he described and recommended Dae Jang Geum to me. As I watched it, I was simply awestruck at how much better it was than the garbage being shown on American television.
The first thing that struck me was the seriousness of the characters in the drama, unlike the cynical characters in American tv. I love that. To me, these dramas are Romantic, by which I mean they portray men as they could be, and ought to be; whereas American tv is Naturalistic, meaning that it portrays men as they are, boring, slovenly, dishonest, you name it. I want to see men (and women, like Jang Geum) as heroes, not as losers.
The other big thing I like, as many others here have said, is the format of the dramas. You see one complete story, with a beginning, middle, and end. It is very much like a novel dramatized on film. It leads up to a climax, and then quickly winds down to an end. American shows, by contrast, have no end, just a beginning and an endless continutation, until the ratings drop.
I am not bothered by cliches, such as the inevitable love triangle (or quadrangle). If they do it well - and the almost always do - it is just as effective and legitimate as any unconventional plot.
I love seeing people serious about fighting for their values. I hate seeing people slouching through life like it didn't matter.
K-dramas win hands down against your average American show.
no subject
The first thing that struck me was the seriousness of the characters in the drama, unlike the cynical characters in American tv. I love that. To me, these dramas are Romantic, by which I mean they portray men as they could be, and ought to be; whereas American tv is Naturalistic, meaning that it portrays men as they are, boring, slovenly, dishonest, you name it. I want to see men (and women, like Jang Geum) as heroes, not as losers.
The other big thing I like, as many others here have said, is the format of the dramas. You see one complete story, with a beginning, middle, and end. It is very much like a novel dramatized on film. It leads up to a climax, and then quickly winds down to an end. American shows, by contrast, have no end, just a beginning and an endless continutation, until the ratings drop.
I am not bothered by cliches, such as the inevitable love triangle (or quadrangle). If they do it well - and the almost always do - it is just as effective and legitimate as any unconventional plot.
I love seeing people serious about fighting for their values. I hate seeing people slouching through life like it didn't matter.
K-dramas win hands down against your average American show.
Chuck Salvi