The Hallyu has definitely hit America. After a decade of not realizing what the rest of the world was so excited about, k-pop and k-drama has been making waves in the U.S.A.
Last year Psy introduced America to the joys of k-pop but this year k-dramas are also getting some press. The current issue of Entertainment Weekly features a story on k-drama that may take them mainstream. The story is titled "Korean dramas: A beginner's guide."
The article talks about why k-dramas are becoming so popular, citing the short one-season length of each drama, the crazy plots and PG subject matter. They even mentioned how long k-dramas take to get to the kiss.
Then it listed a few dramas to get viewers started and told them where to find them.
Here are some of the dramas they listed as representing the best of k-drama and the easiest for American audiences to get into. Do you agree that these would be good starter dramas? And do you think that American audiences will relate to them?
The EW reporter described "Boys Over Flowers" as an energetic teen drama about a feisty girl who takes on a school bully.
For romance, they recommended the drama "My Lovely Kim Sam Soon," starring Kim Sun Ah and Hyun Bin. The writer described it as a romantic blend of "Bridget Jones Diary" and "Pretty Woman."
They also mentioned "Gu Family Book," starring Suzy and Lee Seung Gi, as having great sword fights and being a good way to update your knowledge of Korean mythology. Yes, Entertainment Weekly mentioned gumihos.
They gave Lee Min Ho a second nod with "City Hunter," comparing it to the American series "Revenge."
The writer also liked "Vampire Prosecutor," which was described as a show about a vampire with a law degree.
And finally, EW loved "You Who Came From The Stars," calling it a "tasty k-drama stew."The article offered suggestions to continue on in your k-drama viewing journey should you like any of the above dramas. The writer is obviously a big k-drama fan, which shows she has excellent taste. But will America take the bait and watch more k-drama? Only time can tell whether they will relate to the plots and have the patience to read subtitles.
Meanwhile, you may want to check out the article at https://popwatch.ew.com/2014/04/08/korean-dramas-beginners-guide/
