Is Romance Dead In Kdramas? (Falling Out of Love With Dramas: Part 2)
I still remember that precious rainy day back in 2015 when I first laid my eyes on the beautiful and tortured soul of Kang Maru (Song Joong Ki in Innocent Man), and I knew, that was the very day, my life was complete.
Before I even knew what was happening, other favourites started popping up in Master’s Sun, Secret, My Love From Another Star, Fated to Love You (oh my gosh that hilarious laugh), and here I was after one month of sleepless nights and a devastating crave for instant noodles, there was nothing more I could do.
I was completely head over heels in love with Korean dramas.
GIF: Tumblr
And no one, absolutely no person or thing could stop me. Not even an excruciating download speed of 40kb/second.
Yes, chingus. There were blood, sweat, and tears involved in every single download, but oh boy, the struggle was worth it.
Though Korean dramas are well known to be unrealistic, I couldn’t agree more. There was that particular realistic factor that was overlooked which I could relate to on a personal level.
As a teenager, my confidence and self-worth were almost nonexistent because, in my small bubble, I always thought you had to be a specific ‘type of person’ – the LOUD, fun, excited kind of person which I certainly was not. *FACEPALM*
In many of the dramas that I’ve watched, there were a vast amount of characters with all kinds of personalities and traits.
There were those that were weak, strong, kind, mean; you name it.
There were those that we loved with all our heart and then there were those that we loved to hate and also hated to love.
The point here is that it made me more aware of the different kinds of people out there and that yes, it’s totally okay just to be yourself.
Now in my early 20s, I eventually learned to accept myself for who I am and also slowly started to love myself.
GIF: Oockdrama
It’s almost impossible to count the number of times I’ve cried and laughed with the characters. Not to forget the endless butterflies I felt when certain OTP moments happened. We lived for those scenes, am I right?
Dramas filled that void I didn’t know was there.
Or did they?
DUN DUN DAH (Just adding some dramatic sound effects – I’m sorry haha)
There was that feeling in every single old Korean drama. I must sound crazy, but surely you’ve felt it too?
Image source: Pinterest
Just play the first episode of an old favourite, and you’ll feel the difference. Listen to an ost of Kill Me Heal Me or maybe rewatch a scene from Healer (whatever floats your boat); you’ll be smacked in the face with the feeeels.
Better yet, here you go!
GIF: Tumblr
SMACKED WITH THE FEELS *_*
Just look at that intense stare.
I bet your ovaries just exploded hahaha.
But now?
I can barely sit through 10 minutes of a show.
Yet I can marathon 40 episodes of a Chinese drama.
After watching more than 200 Korean dramas, you could call it burnout or a slump.
But is it really?
When last have you loved a drama with all your heart from the last two years?
One that had you itching to marathon all the episodes?
Or the one you were saving knowing it’s going to be great because your favourite actors were in it, so you waited every week, keeping each one, only to watch it once the finale aired and it’s just bleh.
You just don’t feel it anymore.
Image: dramaunnies
There will be those first few episodes promising you something special, but the ride is so bumpy, you can’t wait to throw yourself off this ship.
If you watch an old favourite, you’re going to love a lot of it even if you’re not in the mood. Some part of you is going to be happy watching it rather than it feeling like a chore you have to do.
The new dramas? That stuff feels like homework I haven’t finished, and the teacher is breathing down my neck with every scene.
There's no connection to any character and the worst, there's no desire to root for anyone.
And this my friends is a huge problem. Am I right?
Though I do admit there are a few new dramas (sort of) that still tickle my soul like My Mister, Laughter in Waikiki (Warning: nonstop giggles galore) and Angel's Last Mission: Love but still.
It's not enough to light my soul on fire.
So, my dearest fellow drama worshipers, the question remains:
Is this simply the much-dreaded slump or is it much more severe than that - are we no longer in love with Korean dramas?
Another aspect we could delve into is the question of whether we as the viewers are the problem or the quality of the dramas have changed to the point we can no longer feel that spark?
What do you think?
I’ll love to hear your thoughts on this one. For now, the only things that are saving me from complete boredom and going crazy is learning how to draw and of course, reading novels to pass the time otherwise I'm just a walking dead person over here waiting for a new Kang Maru to enter my life.
But nothing beats those golden days of watching the old Korean dramas, and I'm afraid there'll never be another new drama that will live up to those.
They'll always be my first love.
Before I head off, I'd love to send a shoutout to kkkdrama for her fantastic article that encouraged me to share my personal story and struggles with you guys.
Thank you for helping me and also for persuading me to come out of my comfort zone and try something new. You're awesome!
