I'm fairly new to the world of C/K-drama love. I've only been a dedicated watcher since the end of October, but in that time it has consumed my world. If I'm not asleep or at work you can find me either a) watching a drama, or b) browsing MyDramaList for shows to add to my already prolific 'Plan To Watch' list.

My boyfriend/family/friends are all aware of my current obsession, and I have been asked by every single one of them a version of the same question: Why?

"What made you start liking these shows?"

"What's the point of reading instead of watching?'

"How can you enjoy it when you can't understand what they're saying?"


I struggle with giving words to the reasons that I love C/K-Drama,  So the question(s) I pose to you is: 

How do you explain to family/friends the reasons you like dramas? 

How do you explain the feelings you get from these stories that range from heartbreaking to absurd?

If your family doesn't 'get it', do you ever feel embarrassed about your C/K-Drama habits?

Happily I'm 

(a) Plenty old enough that I couldn't give a load of fetid dingo kidneys for what others think of my hobby choice :)

(b) have a wife who enjoys watching the occasional K/TW/ J Drama when I can persuade her and 

(c) have a Korean friend who finds my immersion amusing. (Plus he recommended Wise Prison Life,  saying he enjoyed it as a reminder of his own time in prison there)

Welcome to the rabbit hole! 

I started watching Asian dramas all the way back in Oct 2012 after having discovered them via Asian movies. My first drama was Padam Padam and I remember that excited feeling of having discovered a whole new world of entertainment. I felt like a kid in a candy store pretty much until I found out how repetitive & tiresome many of them are! I'm also often disappointed by how romance is done in Asian dramas ... but here I am 7 years later, still watching & probably won't stop! lol  

 faithless510:
How do you explain to family/friends the reasons you like dramas?

I don't. When I mention to family and friends that I watch Asian shows ... some of them have the usual shocked/surprised reactions, but I don't really care enough to say anything unless they ask a specific question or make some sort of ignorant comment.

 faithless510:
How do you explain the feelings you get from these stories that range from heartbreaking to absurd?

Usually if someone expresses a genuine interest (asking for drama recs, my reasons for watching or the culture), I usually try to find out what they typically like to watch ... what genre, what tropes, basically how they derive joy & excitement from their entertainment.  Based on that, I give an example of a drama with those criteria and explain the feelings it invoked in me, with the hope that it resonates with the person.

 faithless510:
If your family doesn't 'get it', do you ever feel embarrassed about your C/K-Drama habits?

No. I don't really preoccupy myself with what other people think about my drama habits. When I visit my family, I don't have time to watch much drama anyway.

Welcome to this world of dramas! dont worry at some point you will probably stop being so very much obsessed by it haha!

As for your questions... i dont really find the need to "explain" my reasons. i just like it and its not soemthing too obscure. you dont really hear people explaining why they like romantic movies or horrors so why should you give detailed explanation for liking dramas... i personally like them because (as opposed to western shows) they are bound to end - they have one season. i also like the fashion, the story tropes are very self-indulgent, they are not overly sexual, i very much enjoy the storytelling it goes for, new shows have quite big budget to have nice production, actors and actresses are very attractive... these are some of my reasons.

i feel like western (american/british) shows rarely focus on purely romantic stories that are also for adult audience - i cant think of new tv show that could be similar to Another miss oh or Goblin or so on


 faithless510:
How do you explain the feelings you get from these stories that range from heartbreaking to absurd?

this is something i dont really share with people who are not into dramas because i would have to tell so many details about the story lol. that'S why i use and love mdl, you dont really have to explain yourself or details, you can just focus on sharing your emotions even if its just a random keysmash! we will understand! :D


 faithless510:
f your family doesn't 'get it', do you ever feel embarrassed about your C/K-Drama habits?

do i feel a little embarassed when someone sees me crying during a drama? yes. will i stop crying? no. do i cry during any kind of media, not only asian? yes....

 faithless510:
How do you explain to family/friends the reasons you like dramas? 

I explain that Kdramas in particular are superior to dramas in the US in my opinion. For one morals are better in Koran dramas. Most Asians drama for one.  


 faithless510:
How do you explain the feelings you get from these stories that range from heartbreaking to absurd?

I don't. :) I pretty much keep that to myself.


 faithless510:
If your family doesn't 'get it', do you ever feel embarrassed about your C/K-Drama habits?

sometimes I guess when I get teased for staying up all night long binge watching something. I mean it is silly. :) I also have co-workers who smile at the notion of ME being addicted to C/K/T/Th Dramas. I work with college students who intern from all over the globe so it becomes a bonding point often. We all love K-drama! It has helped me to be more understanding of some of the interns cultures as well! 

I actually don't. Why? Because my family doesn't know and wouldn't understand and wouldn't approve. I do have two older siblings that watches once in awhile but from what they know is that I don't watch it that much. So if I'm ever caught watching I probably will never see the internet till I move out. The only other person that knows is my friend and she thinks its cute that I'm obsessed with Asian drama that and how I react at fluffy scenes. 

 Irisdramafan:

I actually don't. Why? Because my family doesn't know and wouldn't understand and wouldn't approve. I do have two older siblings that watches once in awhile but from what they know is that I don't watch it that much. So if I'm ever caught watching I probably will never see the internet till I move out. The only other person that knows is my friend and she thinks its cute that I'm obsessed with Asian drama that and how I react at fluffy scenes. 

Interesting, why would your family disapprove of you watching Asian dramas to the point where they'd take away your internet? I don't get it ... are Asian dramas soooo bad in their eyes? Why??? You comment made me hella curious!

 PrettyCarEye:

Interesting, why would your family disapprove of you watching Asian dramas to the point where they'd take away your internet? I don't get it ... are Asian dramas soooo bad in their eyes? Why??? You comment made me hella curious! 

My family has rules. As in we were raised by watching anything that was G rated or E for everyone. If it had a bad word or had slang word that they didn't approve of we weren't allowed to watch it. As for Asian drama the only one they really let us watch is Princess Pearl, and even then we had to skip some episodes. They don't think that its a good influence on me. Just to fill silly notion in my head. Plus, it has the possibility of because they are Pastors as well. So, as a Pastor's daughter you are raised with rules and standards.  And Asian dramas and Kpop music which I adore aren't really in their mind sets for me.

"What made you start liking these shows?"

These dramas were to me like fairytales are for young kids . The younger me got obsessed with the storylines because they have that what I longed for in my own life. Romance, popularity, money, fashion, good looks, music, parties, even magical powers and most importantly: happy endings. 

Especially the whole BL thing got to me. Even though homosexuality is portrayed more often in movies/series in the US and Europe nowadays, it still isn't on lets say Thailand's level. 

How do you explain to family/friends the reasons you like dramas?

There's no way to actually explain this to those around me without sounding ungrateful for all the things that I do have. Hence why I never told anyone about this guilty pleasure. Sometimes it's better to keep things to yourself. Well, I think it was in my case.