I never really understood why my friends , the Filipinos,
and probably the entire world went crazy over the Korean pop singers and the
Korean drama (K drama) series and movies
in the past 10 years or so. The very first K drama series that I really watched
was Descendants of the Sun. This was after much prodding from friends. I was
amazed that it was nice. I stopped there since I had to sleep and wake up early
for work. After watching this, I think that was the time when my father started
getting sick, and my life revolved around work and the hospital.
Just before the lockdown started in March, there was again this madness for the series CLOY and the flooding of the #CLOY over social media and again my group of friends. Same group who prodded me to watch Descendants of the Sun said it is again about a soldier but in a different story. Curious, I was thinking how different can it be this time. So I started to check it out over Netflix. And yes, it was another nice series.
The rest is not only history about the pandemic, the lockdown, but my journey into the Kingdom of the Korean drama series. The K music will come in another blog. For now, this is what I believe and feel as to why the K drama is conquering the entertainment world; this is why my Netflix to watch list is almost all K drama.
FEATURES OF THE MULTI-TALENTED ACTORS
The first thing that we all do is look at the actors and
actresses in a drama series or movie. The looks is the first catch for viewers.
Setting aside all those negative comments about majority of them have undergone
the science of surgery, the Korean male actors are getting taller and more handsome as you get hooked into the K drama series. The
ladies of course are pretty with those waistlines and glass like faces.
Another thing that is probably uniquely Korean, is that most of the actors are multi talented - aside from their great looks. Most actors can sing a tune or two, and many are good singers. My choices are Lee Joong Gi , Lee Seung Gi, Kim Soo Hyun, Park Bo Gum, IU , Ok Taecyeon and Park Hae Jin- in no particular order. Special mention goes to Park Bo Gum who plays the piano well, Kim Soo Hyun can dance, Lee Joong Gi is a martial arts champion and can dance, Park Hae Jin who hosts a radio program.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Not contented with the names of the actors, I always do some
background "investigation" to fully understand their persona. As good
as the entirety of the drama series, majority of those I have encountered have attended university with courses in Film , Theater
and/or Arts. Some have business degrees ( like
Song Joong Ki and Lee Seung Gi). When lacking in formal training, their
talent agencies take care of the preparation for them to be actors/actresses.
STORYLINE
The Storyline is a very important factor in the success of
the K drama. The themes of the K dramas are so varied. Try to think of one,
most likely they have it, either in Netflix, Viu, and other streaming sites.
For one, the scriptwriters (I would assume) are very creative and are willing
to take a simple and used theme out of the box and inject a fresh new take. One
cannot argue on the unpredictable ending of even just a "simple love
story", boy and a girl, boy and a much older girl, doctors in hospitals
and even the zombies series. A K drama can even make you doubt as to who the
heroes or villains are. What is refreshing to watch is that the love scenes as
we normally would expect, are not vulgar. Sex is not overemphasized.
The K dramas are also bold in tackling current, sensitive
and serious issues of societies, such as mental health. I have watched
some that did this and have done it well
( examples are It's Okay not to be Okay,
Flower of Evil and Cheese in the Trap).
Of course, the emphasis on values is evident. Love for
family, Respect, Hard Work, Faith, Love, and Hope are naturally included in the
stories.
CONTINUITY OF THE STORY
I do not know if I used the right word, but one will not
notice that the story is ongoing. The flow is smooth and the transition from
one scene to the next is effortless. Seldom would one be bored or feel that the
story is running too slow or too fast.
We do not experience that the director is just pushing the scene to
prolong the story.
CULTURE
The Kdrama series
include their unique culture. The period dramas as well as the modern day
series do portray what is uniquely Korean with a universal theme/setting. Even
the portrayal of the long running conflict
between the North and the South was done in good taste, with respect and
without offending the other party. This is showcased in at least 2 series that
I have watched (epic hit Crash Landing On You and Doctor Stranger). For the
modern day setting, it is common to see the socio-economic gap between the rich and the poor, politics
on power and weakness, education, food, fashion
,lifestyle , music and so on. Although
sex is not vulgar, modern day practices like spending the night or weekend
between those who are dating are common. However, even the very conservative
will not find them offensive.
PRODUCTION/DRAMA SERIES TEAM
I do not think anyone can refute that the entire production
team - the writer, director, stylist, songwriter - are doing very well.
Creativity and attention to details are definitely very obvious. There is one
series that came after two versions from other Asian neighbors. One can see the
difference in the entire setting, the clothes of the actors and the production
design. Almost nothing is left that one can see that is wrong.
Commercialization has come into the picture, but it is not
"shouting". One can see the
soju, the camera, other drinks, the car,
the phones - all done and placed in a very tasteful way.
OST
The Original Sound Track (OST) of each series is beautifully
and originally made, showing the richness of their musical talents. Somehow
this may also have a connection to the Kpop magic that is conquering the
world. A very popular singer can do the
OST for one Kdrama series and he/she can also be an actor/actress in a
different series. Or in not a few K series, the main actor /actress can sing
one of the songs in the OST. With my
limited time in venturing in this Korean wave bug, my choice of the best OST
are those from Secret Garden, followed
by Crash Landing on You. Do check them out. I usually look in Spotify and
YouTube or vice versa.
BUDGET
It is easy to see that majority of the K series have big
budgets. It is not uncommon to see that they go on location shooting, not only
in their own country but to faraway places like US, Europe and Middle
East. Having a big budget for a K drama
series may give some sense of commercial success, but I have seen some that are
not as big budgeted but did very well. What is notable is that the viewers and
the fans do not feel cheated when they patronize the drama.
TALENT AGENCY
Each actor/actress kpop star has a talent agency who looks
after them. Those who were scouted, they undergo training and make over. Some
are taken in and trained for years, as
the series Aim High.
This common practice illustrates the importance being placed
in this industry.
IMPORTANCE OF IMAGE -NAME - REPUTATION
The reputation of the actors is of prime importance.
Actors/actresses who get involved in scandals, such as
having mistresses or a divorce will not get the support of their fans.
Some had the second opportunity after some time off from the scene.
Others will just fade from the industry.
It is common to see K drama actors behave in very polite and
proper way. I learned that one of the Oppa always wear a suit whenever he meets
with his fans. It is a way to show respect to his fans. Call me if you want to
know who he is.
SOMETHING IS ALWAYS NEW
Besides the different way the storyline is told in each
Kdrama series, there is no set "love-teams" amongst the lead actors.
There is always a new pair to watch, although some do a repeat of the tandem
after sometime. New actors can be paired with more senior actors without any
prejudice.
The actors are not type casted for a particular role. They
can be a soldier, a boy next door, a love struck victim, a werewolf or a
character in a sci-fi series. The roles
they take are as varied as the storyline or plot.
I find it fun also to guess where I have seen the support
actors for each series. They can be villains in some series but become parents
of the lead characters in the next. The
supporting cast do contribute to the success of the drama series.
There is always something new to expect from each new Kdrama
series.
THE ENDING
Unlike the Filipino telenovela or television drama series,
the ending may or may not be a happy one. It is almost always unexpected. The
audience like me are always excited to see the next episode but for truly good
ones , I would always think, there are few episodes left, this is ending soon.
No! I do not like it to end but i know it has an end. Although there are those
that come out with a second series, these are not a common practice.
