You may have asked yourself – should I watch a Kdrama? I know I did. I even tried to watch one a few years ago – the hugely popular Squid Game – but only made it through one episode at the time. What I didn’t realize back then is that there are hundreds of Kdrama’s available to watch in the US and that they cover multiple genres – often in one show!
Maybe you are looking for something new and different to watch. But not so different that it is still relatable. You might know someone who knows someone who watches Kdramas and have always been curious to try one. Or maybe you want to know what all the hype is about Squid Game. If you still haven’t watched one yet – here are . . .
Five Reasons to Watch a Kdrama
Reason 1: Kdramas Are Great Entertainment
When I watched my first Kdrama, it surprised me how much I liked it. The drama had an interesting and unique plot, the acting was very good, and the production values rivaled that of American shows. Truthfully, until that time, I rarely watched foreign language shows or movies, so I didn’t realize just how far other countries had come with their own content. South Korea pours a lot of money into their entertainment offerings. As a result, they have quality writers, directors, actors, and musicians working on Kdramas. You can’t go wrong by starting with office romcoms What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and Business Proposal or feel-good shows like Her Private Life and Hometown Cha Cha Cha.
Kdramas come in a wide variety of genres: romcom, fantasy, procedural, historical, law, medical, slice of life, horror, revenge – or best of all – any mix of these. There is truly something for everyone. Kdramas are also addictive – in a good way. Once you watch a few, you can’t help but want to watch more.
Reason 2: Kdramas Are the Perfect Binge
Like many Netflix shows, Kdramas with their single season, limited episode format are highly bingeable. It’s easy to complete one in a week or less (or over the weekend if you are feeling adventurous). If binging is not your thing, an entire Kdramas series is watchable in a reasonable amount of time.
I used to watch shows that went on for multiple seasons – mostly because I started them in season one and stayed on to see how the series played out. With the switch to streaming, I found that I didn’t want to watch new (to me) shows that ran 6, 10, or 19 seasons. There are too many other shows I want to watch to make that kind of commitment for a single series. Kdramas typically come in a nice little package (1 season averaging 16 episodes) that give the viewer enough time to get to know (and love) the characters but still see the story come to a satisfying end.
Reason 3: Kdramas Feature Incredible Original Songs and Soundtracks
It didn’t take me long to realize that Kdramas feature incredible original songs and soundtracks. The music is usually written specifically for the Kdrama and performed by top singers, Kpop artists and even cast members in the drama. Most Kdramas feature at least one unforgettable song like Gaus Electronics’s We Are Young sung by Zeenan, or Cha Eun-woo’s Rainbow Falling from My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Others are filled with multiple playlist worthy songs such as King the Land and See You in My 19th Life, or A Time Called You and Destined with You – all recent Kdramas with amazing soundtracks.
Then there are soundtrack masterpieces featuring both original vocal and instrumental music that can be listened to all on their own: Crash Landing on You, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and While You Were Sleeping to name a few. Some Kdrama songs are so good – they are on my daily play list. These include Tears Falling Like Today (Huh Gak) from My Love from the Star and the recent drama Destined with You song It’s You (Park Won).
Reason 4: Kdramas are Easy to Find and Watch in the US
Kdramas are located on multiple streaming services in the US including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Paramount+, Apple TV and Viki. Many of these recommend new shows based on previous viewing or likes. It’s also easy to search for and add Kdramas to watch lists. Some services even have dubbed versions of Kdramas for those worried about trying one for the first time with subtitles. Ratings and reviews on Kdramas are available throughs apps, websites, and blogs (like this one) – not to mention word of mouth – that can help you find a Kdrama you might like.
Reason 5: Kdramas May Inspire You to Try New Things
Watching Kdramas might inspire you to try something new. Maybe you always wanted to learn a new language. Korean is quite different from English but very interesting to learn. And what better way to put your hours of Kdrama watching to good use? Maybe the food shown in Kdramas looks so good you want to try it for yourself. This could be the time to try that Korean restaurant down the street. You might be curious about webtoons after seeing that a lot of Kdramas are based on them. There is no shortage of webtoon applications and content to checkout. If traveling is your thing, maybe you always wanted to visit the Asian Pacific region but didn’t know which country to start with. South Korea could be the perfect first stop as you visit familiar places from Kdramas.
So, to answer the question – Should I watch a Kdrama? Who knows – a Kdrama may just be your new favorite series. What is stopping you from watching one?
