Such an interesting article Suzy, generating SO much discussion. To the commenters lamenting the 'Westernisation'…
Same. I keep asking for examples of the "vulgar" and "explicit" sex scenes in newer K-dramas because I certainly haven't seen those but I've only gotten one response so far. I'm honestly asking because I don't see them
Ah yes, the good ole days of K-dramas with their excessive screaming and slapping and blackout-inducing alcoholism. I pine for the days of abusive ML's and mother-in-laws and doormat FL's who just needed to know their place. K-rom coms from the 2010's with their terrible hairstyles and every. single. trope. in. the. book. Also how awesome was it just a few years ago when K-dramas never showed a gay person on screen (and if they appeared they never got a happy ending.)
...Sarcasm....
And another thing. I have long found it problematic that seemingly everyone thinks that Korean media (which marketed itself to the world with the Hallyu Wave, not the other way around) OWES the world's K-watchers to stay the exact same for eternity. I hardly ever see anyone acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, the changes that K-dramas are experiencing are because Koreans are themselves evolving, like most societies do. All the pearl clutchers on here because they dare to show something other than dead fish kisses, because news flash(!) Koreans have sex too! Even though their dramas are still incredibly tame (and many of their movies have been almost pornographic!)
It's like some of you have been watching for a few years now, and assumed ownership of K-dramas, like you do with K-pop stars. "Nothing can change or evolve, and everything must stay the way that I want it to, or else it's bad." It's a parasocial relationship of sorts, and I find it unhealthy.
By the way, I say this as someone who for the last two years has watched C-dramas almost exclusively (with some J-dramas sprinkled in.) I haven't watched many K-dramas lately, except for two EXCELLENT dramas, My Dearest and My Sweet Mobster.
As an aside, I wonder if people might feel less burned out if MDL would give us news from other places besides Korea every once in a while - it's become KDL!!
I don’t agree with this statement at all. They’re written, acted, and produced by Koreans. They don’t look…
Where are these vulgar sex scenes you're referring to? I must be watching the wrong dramas because I haven't seen any. And 'lots?" Which dramas are you talking about? Having eight episodes is not an American thing. Also people love to complain no matter how many episodes there are. Some K-dramas were multi-season before the Hallyu wave. Also Europeans love their multiseason storytelling but you're blaming it all on the Americans. "American style filmography"? You mean like cinematography? The kind that everyone around the world uses when they film? I'm not sure how it's any different. You're saying that no Korean director ever decided on widescreen aspect ratio all on their own? Like maybe they wanted to film that way because it's interesting? I've watched American shows my whole life (being American and all) and while some of our media is certainly "good vs bad", it's more often lots and lots of shades of gray and murky nuance. So not sure what you're getting at there. Again, just because a K-drama has a superficial or shallow plot, it's not always Americans' fault. That's giving us WAY more credit than we deserve. Just about every C-drama I've ever watched (and it's been a LOT at this point) has like a 4-minute opening and ending. Again, not the fault of the big bad American media.....
1 
Ah yes, the good ole days of K-dramas with their excessive screaming and slapping and blackout-inducing alcoholism. I pine for the days of abusive ML's and mother-in-laws and doormat FL's who just needed to know their place. K-rom coms from the 2010's with their terrible hairstyles and every. single. trope. in. the. book.
Also how awesome was it just a few years ago when K-dramas never showed a gay person on screen (and if they appeared they never got a happy ending.)
...Sarcasm....
And another thing. I have long found it problematic that seemingly everyone thinks that Korean media (which marketed itself to the world with the Hallyu Wave, not the other way around) OWES the world's K-watchers to stay the exact same for eternity. I hardly ever see anyone acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, the changes that K-dramas are experiencing are because Koreans are themselves evolving, like most societies do.
All the pearl clutchers on here because they dare to show something other than dead fish kisses, because news flash(!) Koreans have sex too! Even though their dramas are still incredibly tame (and many of their movies have been almost pornographic!)
It's like some of you have been watching for a few years now, and assumed ownership of K-dramas, like you do with K-pop stars. "Nothing can change or evolve, and everything must stay the way that I want it to, or else it's bad." It's a parasocial relationship of sorts, and I find it unhealthy.
By the way, I say this as someone who for the last two years has watched C-dramas almost exclusively (with some J-dramas sprinkled in.) I haven't watched many K-dramas lately, except for two EXCELLENT dramas, My Dearest and My Sweet Mobster.
As an aside, I wonder if people might feel less burned out if MDL would give us news from other places besides Korea every once in a while - it's become KDL!!
Having eight episodes is not an American thing. Also people love to complain no matter how many episodes there are.
Some K-dramas were multi-season before the Hallyu wave. Also Europeans love their multiseason storytelling but you're blaming it all on the Americans.
"American style filmography"? You mean like cinematography? The kind that everyone around the world uses when they film? I'm not sure how it's any different.
You're saying that no Korean director ever decided on widescreen aspect ratio all on their own? Like maybe they wanted to film that way because it's interesting?
I've watched American shows my whole life (being American and all) and while some of our media is certainly "good vs bad", it's more often lots and lots of shades of gray and murky nuance. So not sure what you're getting at there. Again, just because a K-drama has a superficial or shallow plot, it's not always Americans' fault. That's giving us WAY more credit than we deserve.
Just about every C-drama I've ever watched (and it's been a LOT at this point) has like a 4-minute opening and ending. Again, not the fault of the big bad American media.....