Tendancy to overact

Hiya dudes, Just been mulling some thoughts over, and a constant bugbare of mine when it comes to watching Korean dramas (and non-art house flicks) is the tendancy for Korean actors and actresses to go completely over the top when dealing with the issue of 'crying'. Sometimes it can completely destroy the mood; it doesn't even seem that it particularly works well in terms of adding emotional depth. It kind of detracts from being able to feel any kind of empathy, since the tirade of 'waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh aaaaaaahh AAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!" comes across as a moment of terrible acting. Sometimes I wonder if it is done for comical effect, but when it is introduced into pseudo-serious films like 'May 18', I am a little confused at what they are trying to achieve by showering us full of over-the-top watery nonsense, that seems to annoy people rather than feel any sympathy. I refuse to believe that it is down to 'bad acting skills', because it seems to be fairly prevailent across a scope of actors who have proven, overtime, that they can act passionately and effectively. Is it merely cultural element, and do infact, Korean people get so emotional to the extent implied in tv shows and films? Discuss! =D

i think it's down to culture, not that koreans are emotional perse b/c i dnt know, but a difference in the way the culture entertains itself and a difference in the way they view what makes a good story or performance. on the whole i find that most korean dramas bear more resembelence performance wise to theater performances than to modern western tv shows and movies. the goal (often but not always) isn't to portray the emotion in a realistic way, but to portray it in a way that is going to be "visable" to the audience. a good example in the other direction would be what i haved deemed "The cry pretty" when an actor sheds tears & though the eyes might get red that's it, no swollen nose, no red cheeks no snot, no sobbing just a few tears trailing beautifully down thier cheek. the aesthetic is wonderful, but a total load of crap. no body cries like that! it's not just crying, many things in korean dramas are presented in ways western culture would deem over the top. in western cultures even when it's comedy the mark of a good actor is realism. this is not the case in eastern cultures. that being said i am sure there are some people who just can't cry in a way the reads as realistic on camera.

Mmm. I did suspect a cultural element. I understand how stories are written, that are based on the core values that make up Korea and the larger compass of Asia. The Confucian elements are very pronounced but I would agree that the wailing appears to be a recent emergence. I have come to consider it as part of the quirks of tv soap operas, but it seems that this tendency is leaking into movies...a medium that shouldn't feel quite as 'mediocre', especially if they aren't tied to a b-movie budget. I find that the older actors are worse than the younger to be honest, who are veteran actors spanning from the 1980s!

sorujiar wrote: Spoiler
*slight spoiler to bridal mask if you haven't seen it*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5treKExyJj0
/spoiler

I do notice it, definitely, but it isn't usually too bad. The above link was terrible though. In what is meant to be a very serious emotional scene I burst out laughing.

it is funny to watch as an outsider, mostly b/c you know it's not real. if that were a real person reacting to the real death of thier mother it wouldnt seem over the top at all.

but i dont think it's too far off the realism mark. if you dont react that way (or at least simillarly) upon stumbling on your murdered mother's corpse she didn't hug you enough.

Poetlore wrote: When I see Yusuke Yamamoto acting perverted you may think it's bad acting but I think he's doing it on purpose because we've seen him play every role out there beautifully. I think he just has fun with it like in Shaken Baby and as Saejima on GTO. And if you ever watched him in plays being pervy he does bad acting wonderfully there. XD

I think you mix up here "bad acting" ( or poor quality acting) and acting bad ( portraing charater with bad behaviour/personality), thous are compleatly diferent things :D

When actor plays role of charater who is perverted, then he must act perverted and this isnt poor acting, it is ok acting.

sorujiar wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5treKExyJj0

Oh my, that's a perfect example of overdoing -such scenes are supposed to make you cry but instead you feel like laughing really hard...

sorujiar wrote: It's not the intended reaction I'm getting at, it's the long whine that I don't think many people could actually pull off while that shocked. I know in extreme shock I go quite quiet even if crying.. who can honestly hold a note while crying? especially for that long

Everyone reacts differently. I have seen people react that way in real life.

Evony wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5treKExyJj0
Oh my, that's a perfect example of overdoing -such scenes are supposed to make you cry but instead you feel like laughing really hard...

Make you feel like laughing really hard? I DID laugh really hard, until I fell out of my chair! LOL
The wailing and the look on his face ... oh my days, haha...