Do you even watch dramas, even if you are male?

 indie fox:

The idea that it's weird for dudes to watch Asian dramas is really funny to me because like.... dramas are the stuff that airs on TV in Asia LOL I feel like people often forget that. it's like saying it's weird for K/C/J men to pop open a beer after work, flip on the TV and watch their own shows.

We're not getting TV in Asia though. We're getting a selection of TV from Asia and all the viewership demographic numbers from Viki, DramaFever and others suggests they are dominated by women. So of course the dramas they license will be geared towards what the average woman likes, women will be the ones filling out request forms in larger numbers, etc...

I would imagine a similar situation is true for anime where it's dominated by men and the ones that appeal to men are the ones that get subtitled.

 Knavery:

So of course the dramas they license will be geared towards what the average woman likes

This is also true, but I only see this "produced for women" trend happen to Korea (and maybe Taiwan and China)....there are many non specific gender targeting dramas from other countries as well where men could possibly watch (not necessarily from legal source).

Females watch dramas?

 TimiZero:

Strangely, I find that MDL is more reliable now than any other english written asian drama database...therefore it's nice to have account in here (like you can know what is trending just by looking at what people post on feed) apart from being able to keep track of our own lists.

I personally don't need MDL to see what's trending because usually I'm not interested in what's trending. The vast majority of dramas, regardless of country, do not suit my tastes. I have a bigger chance seeking out movies to find the type of stories that I want. These days most dramas for me are never rated above a 6 .... maybe a 7, which indicates minor to some enjoyment, but nothing memorable or particularly rewatchable. So for me, MDL is solely a place to keep track of my catalogue.

 PrettyCarEye:

I've always been curious: Do most guys like dramas with romance in them? Or do you all prefer no romance at all? I know you can't speak for everyone, so just speak for yourself.

For me personally, I like romance. Yes, because I am a girl and I like lovey dovey things, but mostly because I think most people in life, whether you're male or female, have a need for someone to support them, be on their side and yes, love them. So since men are human beings too, I find it hard to believe that all romance are a no go. Or are they?

Of course, I can understand when viewers get fed up with the silly, cheesy romcom type romance that we see in Kdramas. But otherwise, do you like dramas with romance? It doesn't have to be an exclusively romance drama. Let's say it's a crime/fantasy/adventure etc type drama with a strong love line. Does that take away from the story for you? Or you don't mind? Do you like it?

As long as there is something else going on in the show that I find interesting, romance is fine and can add to the drama.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming and I'll stop watching or slow way down because I'm not really interested in the destined-to-be-together couple.

I'll edit to add sometimes I can watch something heavily driven by romance and really enjoy it, even one of those sappy Hallmark movies... it's just usually I prefer other things.

I'm usually pretty open to things. The only exception is anime. I can't get into it. I'll watch The Simpsons or Archer or a few short 20-30 minute episode comedies but that's it. I want to see actors and their faces and expressions and emotions. Maybe my imagination sucks, I don't know but I can't watch anime and enjoy it. 

 TimiZero:

To me, romance is the most overdone genre in the world. For that, there's not much creativity left in the writing except for the characterization and some side plots. Therefore, it's kind of predictable/no thrill when you watch too many romances. It's always one with triangle with the stupid misunderstanding or without triangle but geared towards reverse harem genres where you have everyone loves/attracted to FL but don't interfere much with the FL's love.

However for once in a while, romance is a good reliever as long as it's not too cheesy and not written on woman logics alone (for my case).

Good point and very true. I find it very difficult to find satisfying romances in dramas. I have a lot more luck with movies, but even with movies, I really have to dig far and wide to find something that's strong and meaningful.

I have some of those Japanese dramas you listed on my PTW list. I'll have to check them out, though I must say, I've sort of given up on modern Japanese dramas when it comes to the romance genre because I don't feel like they really do romance. I mean a lot of their 'romance' dramas are in fact just dramas (the genre). The romance itself is often only hinted at and we're lucky if we ever get a kiss! lol

Now if you checked out jdramas from the 90s, those were true romances, imo!

 TimiZero:

Good question. I guess for me I would prefer less romance and more focus on the other side of genre. But what irritates me the most when they have romance crosses with others is the unnecessary filler scene that would not greatly help in plot development, like half of the episode the couple went for a date in amusement park for example...lol or there are lots of screen time for the couple to cling on to each other "romantically". It spoilt the otherwise good crime/fantasy/adventure show in my opinion.

But I guess when you feel the way you do above, a really slow burn romance like the Japanese favour nowadays would probably be right up your street. :-)

I personally don't mind when we see the couple being romantic together. To me, that IS the romance. If all these scenes are left out, then it isn't a romance to me ... that's why I don't think most Japanese "romances" are in fact romances. They're dramas (as in drama, the genre), with a spot of sentimentalism. And while that's okay, if a drama is tagged as a romance (even if it's mixed with other genre, which I prefer it is), then I want to see some romantic couple time.

If the romance is written properly then it won't interfere with other aspects of the story. The problem is that, just as you say, there's a lack of creativity when romance is being incorporated into the plot these days, esp in kdramas. The romance is usually just thrown in there as fanservice, and not in a way that makes sense to the overall plot. I find this very frustrating as well.

A few weeks ago I watched The Crowned Clown and the love line there was so mediocre! I was annoyed every time the couple was on screen because it was a repetition of the same nonsense over and over again. Ohhhhhh, I want to be with you! You're the love of my life ....! I will fight for you! And blah, blah, blah. Now, THAT kind of romance, I truly hate.

I love romances where the stakes are very high for the couple. For eg shows like Too Late To Say I Love You, Behind Your Smile, Cruel City etc.

 PrettyCarEye:

I've never been able to get into anime on a larger scale either. I've watched a few anime at film festivals and I liked them, but to seek them out and watch them constantly like some people do, I've never been able to do that. Like you, I want that human connection.

As for romance, I hear you. I like the destined to be together stuff, but I find that I enjoy the romance more when the stakes are high ... when something is threatening it and the leads must fight external forces to be together. So you usually crime/thriller/action with a good dose of romance is my favourite. But while the romance between the leads may be threatened, I do want that happy ending.

Do happy endings matter to you in like fashion?

Sorry for getting back to you so late, my computer died and been swamped with work so haven't had the time to get the parts to fix it until today.

I prefer a happy ending to a sad one. Unfortunately a lot of the Chinese period dramas seem to end sad.

I would say period dramas are probably my favorite because of the world they create that's so different. Rome the 2005-2006 TV show is probably one of my favorites of all time because they build an entire world. I wish they would do more stuff like that for Egypt and other places/time periods.