Why Do I Watch Kdramas? (And Why Should You?)

Truly, what we do is madness.  Why do we spend hours watching television from a different country, from a culture we’ve never experienced, and in a language we don’t understand?  Ask anyone around me and they will tell you that this is craziness.  But really, I think we are the sane ones, and I can prove it.  So why do we watch KDramas?

1. They help us understand other people

In a world as culturally diverse and complicated as ours, we have to be understanding of our differences and appreciative of our similarities.  By watching KDramas we get to experience a culture built on a system of respect, hard work, and family.  As we look inside their culture we get to appreciate its positive and negative points without bias.  We see children who are taught to reverence their elders from an early age, so that even as adults with children of their own they still will go out of their way to tend to the needs of their elders.  For hard work, we students studying ravenously, adults working tirelessly, and every person striving with intense determination.  And finally, we see family at its best.  We observe the arguments, the struggles, the compassion, and the inter-reliance that only a family can form – no matter the type.

2. They remind us to be brave

Bravery is a theme that abounds in the KDrama-world.  Whether it be taking a bullet to save someone else or forgiving an old enemy, KDramas remind us that bravery comes in all forms and can belong to anyone.

3. They teach us to notice the world around us

Anyone who has ever watched a KDrama can testify to how difficult second lead syndrome can be.  You can see how wonderful he (or she) is, but for some confounding reason, the lead does not even notice him.  After hours of pinning for a love that will never happen, we look around our real world at the people we see but never notice.  Who are the second leads in our lives?

4. They remind us of how beautiful and complicated love really is

While Hollywood might have us think that love is all about sex and lust, KDramas remind us that it is infinitely more complex…and intense.  Love isn’t just what happens in bed but is built over time with many small, caring gestures and self-sacrifice.  In KDrama “getting the girl” isn’t just for tonight, but for all the tomorrows after.

5. They bring us hold-your-sides, laugh-til-you-cry, can’t-keep-it-in joy…again…and again…and again

No man-made elixir can compare to the quick acting power of a kdrama on a bad day.  Just add one cup of…

A tablespoon of…

A few dashes of…

Then fill the rest of the way with…

Aaaand, all better, right?  You’re welcome.

Agreed, KDramas may not be for the faint of heart(or anyone who doesn’t like subtitles,)  but it isn’t madness to appreciate a world that is so vast, and rich, and rewarding.  Or maybe it is madness, but it is the best kind.

Read Next:

The Broken Hero: A KDrama Trope that Needs to Change