I wasn't surprised when I saw Korean drama on a local channel in South India. I had heard from the giggly girls of my family that dreamy, romantic Korean drama was on their daily menu. I was surprised to see, though, was dream boy Lee Min Ho sweet talk in Tamil :D Few reasons why people get hooked on to K Drama:
- K Dramas are fast paced. There is all the love, hate, deceit, vengeance that you need and more, but at a very accelerated pace. In around an hour, we come to know that the hero's father has been wronged and the hero is told about it when he comes of age, he wants revenge, plots with his step dad, goes to the US to study, returns from MIT with top honors and a lands a job in Korea that puts him a room away from the President of South Korea! How's that for speed?
- Korean Dramas leave you hanging for more. Each episode ends at the exquisite moment when the great terrible truth is about to be unveiled or that the Korean Queen has been kidnapped by the Chinese forces or when the Doctor understands that she has indeed traveled through time, not caught in a movie set like she previously thought.
- Not even close to real life experiences. This is the best part of watching K Drama for me. Because it makes me enter a fantasy world where men come up with extremely cute ways to woo their girl friends, Man and woman exchanging bodies (not so bad as it sounds, infact it was quite fun), time travel in a blink of an eye.
- Songs. Feels kind of weird but the Korean songs are so melodious, nice and catchy. By the time you have finished watching the drama, you almost know the theme song by heart even though you have no idea what it means!
In no particular order, my favorite Korean dramas are:
My love from the Star:
Loved this one! Latest and the most popular drama about an alien who is waiting 400 years in Earth to return back home while putting up with a very popular actress next door. The alien is too cute and the female lead is quirky and funny. Their apartment is amazing and their love story so dreamy.
This out-of-the-world love story along with heroine's favorite snack of chimek (chicken and beer) surged in popularity here in Korea and also in China while the drama was on air. Will she ever understand that he is an alien? Will he ever confess his love to her? Did the alien return back home, leaving his true love down here? I finished this drama in 2 days. So riveting!
City Hunter:
Urban super hero doubling as a computer expert in the Presidential Blue house fighting to expose the corrupt while keeping his step father away from murdering them. The heroine is naturally an optimistic, sweet, innocent and extremely poor girl juggling jobs, taking care of her comatose father, keeping up the family home, cooking and cleaning for the hero and also for the dog while protecting the first family. Plot is not new but totally gripping and the love story of will he? won't she? urged me to finish this drama in a few days.
Secret Garden:
Magically, she ends up having his body and the vice versa :) Extremely strong characters in the bodies of the opposite sex makes them bungling while it kept me entertained as well as a Kollywood masala movie. Had to keep going until the end...
Faith:
I am sucker for Raja-Rani stories. Even more so, if it involves time travel and magical abilities. A King's protector travels through time to bring a surgeon to save the queen. The beautiful doctor thinks that she is stuck in a movie set! The powerless Korean prince tries to overcome the Chinese pressure and build his rightful reign and help the suppressed Korean people. Hero's hairstyle and mannerisms :D As usual, heroine's innocence bordering on dumbness... nice one, in the end.
Sunkyunwan Scandal:
Periodical drama (from when women were not allowed to study) where extreme poverty drives the heroine into college impersonating her brother. College, competition, love, secrets, cute cast! So much fun and scandals. Finished this one in 3 days.
Goong:
Every girl's dream. She is chosen to be the bride of the current prince, who is her schoolmate, unfortunately though, whom she despises. She is anyhow subjected to the bores of the traditional and tedious rituals of the Korean royalty. With the second in heir vying for her affection as well and the princes' ex-girlfriend in the fray, this was a unstoppable drama to watch as well. This took me 3 days as well. :)
I also enjoyed The deep rooted tree (Drama around the creation of Korean language by King Sejon), Moon that embraces the sun, Dae Jang Geum (lifestory of the chef cum physician of the olden times), Heirs (where Lee Min Ho acts as a gay person to find a hidden secret), Roof Top Prince, Iris. Korean drama could be fun if you give it a shot :)
Heros for the
Saturday Photohunt
