(no subject)

[oyceter]

I'm doing (yet another) presentation on kdramas for Korean class and was wondering off I could get anecdotes from people.

Frex, have you heard of kdramas? What are your general impressions? What kinds do you like? What have you seen?

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean? Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?

I won't individually identify people in my presentation, but I'll probably summarize
and paraphrase things in Korean.

Also also, please feel free to pass this around as much as possible!

Comments

[meganbmoore]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas?

Yuppers.

What are your general impressions?

Most could stand to be an episode or two shorter, especially the contemporary ones. No matter how upbeat the series as a whole may be, the last few episodes will involve many, many tears.

What kinds do you like?

I prefer the historical sagueks to the modern trendy dramas. The modern dramas seem to frequently involve character types I am neutral about (and often male romantic leads I dislike) and often rely heavily on romantic tropes I don't care for, whereas sageuks are more plotty, have stories that interest me, and frequently have characters that seem tailored to suit my preferences. (And, fairly often, my shipping).

What have you seen?

In relative descending order of preference, only including ones that I've finished:

Damo
Emperor of the Sea
Hwang Jin Yi
Dae Jang Geum
Fantasy Couple
Chuno
Lovers
My Girl
Spring Waltz
Legend
1% of Anything
8 Days: Mystery of Jeong-Jo Assassination
Vineyard Man
Hello! Miss
Legend of Hyang Dan
Goong
Next/Resurrection

I'm sure I forgot a few.

A few that I've watched some of (more than just the first episode of and filed away to check out later, but didn't have an interest in finishing are Bodyguard, Time Between Dog & Wolf, All In, and Coffee Prince.

After the first three in the list, my answers may change depending on when you ask me. The only drama I've ever actually stuck with while not liking is Goong.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned?

I only remember "Nadie" and "Oopa" when not watching, but recognize others as I'm watching.

Are you Korean?

No.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?

With the people I know online who live in my country, yes. Offline and without the benefit of meeting internet friends in person, i've only found 1 person who watches them.

[cynthia1960]

I just started watching Goong (Princess Hours), so I'm a n00bie when it comes to kdramas. Goong is lots of fun, and it's got me learning about the Korean monarchy.

I know next to no vocabulary.

[nightowl]

1. I have heard of kdramas because my mother loves them.
2. My general impressions are that a. they are shorter than Chinese dramas but longer than Japanese ones, b. modern day ones involve a lot of (too much!) tears and melodrama and romances, but the historical ones are beautiful.
3. I like the historical ones a lot better (political intrigue and period costumes are more my cup of tea), and keep thinking I should see more, but haven't gotten around to it.
4. I've seen snippets of the stuff my mom watches (I often walk in on her with tears streaming down her face XD). The ones I remember off the top of my head are Full House (which I really disliked because the main character had terrible friends), this one story about rival gangs in the 80s (??), and this other one about a love triangle gone horribly wrong, which began at a vacation home. The only kdrama I have seen in full is Dae Jang Geum, which I absolutely loved.
5. I have not learned any vocabulary because I haven't seen enough (it would be different if you were asking about jdramas or anime^^). I am not Korean.
6. I know they are very popular in Taiwan, or were at least a few years ago - I'm not sure if they're still very popular right now. I have no idea if kdramas are popular in the US.

Hope that is helpful!

[likethemodel]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas? Yes.

What are your general impressions? I'm really enjoy kdramas. They're very different from multi-season American shows which is a blessing and curse because while I (usually) never get tired of the characters, I end up missing them when they're gone. Sometimes the formulaic characters (Byronic lead guy, cheerful lead girl, faithful second guy, harpy/deathly ill second girl) and relationship dynamics get a bit stale, but I always enjoy watching them get knocked down.

What kinds do you like? Rom-Coms. I haven't watched many sad dramas.

What have you seen? My Name Is Kim Samsoon, DalJa's Spring, Coffee Prince, You're Beautiful, Last Scandal, Oh My Lady, City Hall, The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, most of Goong and BOF/BBF, and smatterings of Coffee House, Personal Taste, Cinderella's Sister, Que Sera Sera, and Tree of Heaven.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Sorry in advance for the crazy spelling! Boyah, saranghae, kyowa, aegyo, family terms (hyung/oppa, noona/unnie, umma/appa, ajusshi/ajummah, halmonee/haraboji, dongsaeng, aegi), aigoo, omona/omo, kopi, sonyuh, namja, minam, got/kot minam, ulzzang, aniyo/ne, maknae/magnae, mabob, chingu, hoobae/sunbae, chaebol, selca, minhompy, handupone, yobo/jakiya, sungsenim, and donghae.

Are you Korean? Nope.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from? Not at all.

[sarasusa]

I am probably not very representative, as my main source of information about kdramas has been you! I watched most of Coffee Prince and a small amount of Goong (not really enough to comment on it).

I've picked up zero vocabulary through the experience, unfortunately; I tend to find it easier to grasp words and concepts when reading manhwa.

I'm not Korean--am Anglo-American, actually.

I enjoyed the humor in Coffee Prince, and liked how we got to know each of the characters--including people of different generations--not just the young and beautiful leads. I also loved the relationships between different people in the coffee shop, and how each of them reacts to the big reveal.

I got a little weary of the romantic drama toward the end, but overall, my impression was positive!

It's kind of exciting to see that some kdrama series have become available via RightStuf!

[kakkodecode]

Hi! I was linked to this entry by a friend, so. Yay!

As for my familiarity in kdramas, I've been watching them for a few years but have recently found them hard to follow due to school. Generally, to me the romantic plotlines seem kind of formulaic--girl and guy don't like each other initially, much ust, and then THE KISS OF DOOM BEHOLD. Ish. There are very few series that I've actually watched all the way through because of certain trends some shows follow--mainly, ones where they make the main female character an "idiot" not so much because she acts stupidly, but because everyone else around her talks down to her for not being as smart as they are, rich as they are, or as classy as they are. Like in Love Patzi (one I haven't been able to finish watching), the main character is looked down upon for her supposedly unladylike mannerisms and general attitude when mostall of the other female characters are five times bitchier than she is. Or the other trend of "we shall redeem the social failures of single older female characters by making them have romances with younger men!", like in Dal Ja's Spring. One drama I did manage to watch all the way through was Exhibition of Fireworks, which featured an "elderly" *cough 30-something cough* woman posing as a younger woman to get work and the troubles she experienced because she had to act dumb to get anywhere in the work place despite being extremely intelligent and capable. Another one I liked was "Miss Kim's Million Dollar Quest" (also managed to watch all the way through) because it was interesting to see a woman work hard not so much for the sake of a man but for herself. While the new trend of "lovable idiot manages to have life-time opportunity drop in her lap and she makes the best of it" is okay, I much rather prefer "independent capable woman gets shit thrown in her lap and she turns it into gold" because the resolution feels so much more rewarding.

[kakkodecode]

Oh crap, forgot the other parts of your inquiry:

I have learned very little vocabulary from watching the shows (in my opinion), I am not Korean nor do I speak it, and I'm sure that kdramas aren't that big in the USA yet.

[emceeaich]

Have you heard of kdramas?

Yes

What are your general impressions?

Over the top? Yes.
In the good sense of over the top? Yes.
Also, have the need to punch the male romantic lead character in the face.

What kinds do you like?

I haven't watched enough to say what genres I like best.

What have you seen?

Goong, which I'm watching with cynthia1960

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean? Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?

* I've learned a little circa 2006 slang.
* No.
* I don't know how popular they are in the States at the moment.

[cyprinella]

My ex-landlord/roommate was Korean and really liked to watch historical dramas that she said we all in court Korean. I picked up the word for queen but that was about it, since I'd just catch them in passing. My other impression was that traditional Korean finery has some really fabulous hats.

From flipping through the cable package we used to have that had a number of Korean language channels, there were definitely a lot of modern dramas available locally (I'm in the DC metro area which has a sizable Korean population) and I always wanted to get into them but didn't know where to start since it seemed like I'd always find something interesting mid-episode. Mostly I'd watch music videos instead.

[anenko]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas?

I have. I learned about kdramas from someone on my flist who was raving about Coffee Prince. I checked it out because I love crossdressing heroines, and was hooked.

What are your general impressions?
The kdramas I've seen are all very romantic (perhaps not romantic in the "candelit dinner" sense, but romance is the driving force of the story). Family is super important, even when they drive you kinda crazy. There are some common tropes that pop up frequently, like the drunken piggyback. I love a well-done cliche, so I enjoy spotting them (and shows like You're Beautiful that play with the cliches--Go Mi Nam puking in Tae Kyung's mouth in their drunken kiss scene.)

What kinds do you like?
I'll check out anything that promises me a crossdressing girl (how many American shows have those?) More generally, I like romance, comedy, and dramas that aren't super angsty.

What have you seen?

In full:
Coffee Prince
Fantasy Couple
Full House
Hello, My Teacher
Last Scandal
Oh! My Lady
That Fool

At least half:
You're Beautiful
9 End 2 Outs
City Hall

A handful of episodes:
OB/GYN
I Really Really Like You
Boys Over Flowers
Nine-Tailed Fox
What's Up, Fox?

I'm watching My Country Calls right now. I also have a GIANT LIST OF DOOM of more kdramas to watch, but I'm moving through my list very, very slowly.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned?
I recognize a few words, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've learned any Korean. I have a hard time learning any new languages (I'm still struggling with French, and I've lived in Quebec my entire life!) I do know noona, ahjumma, ajussi, hyung, unni, oppa, sunbae, and a few others.

Are you Korean?
Nope! Just ask me about my guilt issues about enjoying kdramas.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
No. I learned about kdramas from the internet, which is also where I watch them.

alexandral has a post that might interest you: http://alexandral.livejournal.com/283722.html.

[ginny_t]

I have heard of Kdramas. I've watched a very few: Full House, Coffee Prince, A Display of Fireworks. Lately, I read the summaries and see the love polygons and have to move on because the love polygons make me cranky no matter how good the summaries sound. *sad*

I haven't really learned any vocabulary beyond the very basics. I won't try to spell them. It would be bad.

Kdramas aren't at all popular here in Canada and Toronto, at least not outside the Korean immigrant population. Every now and then it comes up in conversation that I watch various Asian dramas, and people are quite surprised.

[oracne]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas?

Yes.

What are your general impressions?

I have not see a lot myself but have (American) friends who love them - they watch subtitled versions, either on an International channel in NYC, or by downloading from the internet. One friend loves the historical dramas for the costumes and intrigue - she will even watch those if they haven't been translated, looking up the historical story on the internet so she can follow the tv version. Another friend prefers the contemporary dramas, particularly humorous shows.

A Korean-American friend told me her mother loved melodramatic tearjerker dramas aimed at women (Korean equivalent of The Joy Luck Club was her analogy). The friend didn't watch them because her mother liked them, so they were uncool.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean?

Both of the friends I mentioned have learned a few words of Korean; neither is Korean. One is an English speaker who also knows German. The other is trilingual in Spanish, English, and French, and learned the Korean alphabet and some simple vocabulary.

[oracne]

Oh, and I have seen random episodes of various kdramas at other people's houses. "Coffee Prince" is one. So are historical dramas that were not translated. And back in the early 1990s, I saw a few eps of a Korean version of The X-Files, whose title I can't remember right now.

[lnhammer]

I have heard of k-dramas, but have not watched any,* so my impression is entirely by hearsay, which is that they are even more dooftastic and melodramatic than j-dramas.** My Korean vocabulary consists of items from the menu of our local Korean barbecue.

* I have, however, seen a couple Korean martial arts flix that I mentally peg as "wuxia, only not quite" (but definitely more like wuxia than chanbara are).

** Which I have watched a couple.

---L.

[bravecows]

Yes, I have heard of them! They are getting v. popular among my group of friends (primarily Malaysian/Singaporean Chinese) -- I remember kdramas and Korean variety shows being shown on Malaysian TV when I was young and their being pretty popular then, but it feels like they've suddenly got really big in the past few years.

I've only watched some scattered episodes of three different series (Coffee Prince, Queen of Housewives and either Hanakimi or another one based on a Japanese manga). My general impression is that they tend to feature love quadrangles (2 dudes, 2 ladies, all vaguely interested in each other in some way) and strikingly pretty people.

I have learnt annyeong, oppa and oma (sp?). Annyeong is either hello or goodbye; oppa means hot Korean guy that you like; oma means mom.

I am not Korean. Kdramas are popular in the country I'm from, but I guess I said that already.

[troisroyaumes]

I forgot to reply to this!

F'rex, have you heard of kdramas? What are your general impressions? What kinds do you like? What have you seen?

Yes. I like sageuk and family dramas best, though depending on the premise, I will also watch romantic comedies and melodramas. Really, what I look for is good dialogue and good acting. I've seen a lot of Korean dramas, including many whose titles I've forgotten, but here are the ones I remember, where I've either finished or seen nearly all of the episodes: Tears of the Dragon, First Love (KBS), A Place in the Sun, Assi, Beside You, Wang Geon, Age of Warriors, Men of the Bathhouse, Winter Sonata, Autumn Love Story, Yellow Handkerchief, Damo, Hotelier, Lovers in Paris, My Name is Kim Sam-soon, Dae Jang Geum, Seo Dong Yo, My Girl, Hwang Jin-yi, Goong, Famous Seven Princesses, Coffee Prince, Get Karl! Oh Soo Jung, Fantasy Couple, War of Money, Come Back, Soon-Ae, Bad Family, Bad Couple, Witch Amusement, Soul, Boys Over Flowers, Queen Seondeok, Hong Gil-dong, You're Beautiful, Pasta, The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, Queen of Housewives, Cinderella's Sister. Parts of School 3, Snow Queen, The Legend, Triple, Iljimae, Be Good Geum-soon, Beethoven Virus, Capital Scandal and Life is Beautiful (SBS) as well.

General impressions are hard to arrive at since Korean dramas can differ a lot depending on genre, and there have also been a lot of stylistic shifts over the years. E.g. I feel that romantic melodramas are dying a slow death and getting replaced by romantic comedies in terms of popularity. Also, sageuk used to be mainly for middle-aged men, before taking an abrupt shift to target younger and female audiences as well.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean? Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?

Hm, I've learned a lot of vocabulary from K-dramas, but it's hard to separate which vocabulary I knew already and which vocabulary I learned from the K-drama itself. Most recent example though is hyomo which means "yeast" and balhyo which means "fermentation" (I learned this from Cinderella's Sister!). Now I can actually describe my research in Korean. :D

Yes, I'm Korean, and K-dramas are very popular among the Asian-American population in the U.S. here.

My response! :)

[laleia.livejournal.com]

1. Yes, I have heard of kdramas. My general impression -- mostly super dramatic, angst-filled, someone generally dies of cancer at the end. I generally tend to avoid those. I try to only watch kdramas that other people have squeed about, that feature strong women, and that are complete -- before starting a drama, I always always make sure to read a synoposis that will tell me whether or not there is a happy ending. I refuse to watch anything where main characters die.

2. I have seen: My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Coffee Prince, Dal Ja's Spring, Oh My Lady, Obstetricians and Gynecologists, City Hall, Pasta, and part of Boys Over Flowers.

3. I am not Korean, and I don't think kdramas are particularly popular in the U.S. (though who knows? There's kdramas available on Hulu now ...), but they do seem to popular among certain groups. The vocabulary I've learned is really limited to oppa/noona/hyung (which I'm still not totally clear on), Saranghae (or however you spell "I love you"), ... mm, and "chincha" (the sound of exasperation).

Re: My response! :)

[oyceter]

Thank you so much! I quoted you on "chincha" as the sound of exasperation, which really amused my teachers ^_^ (technically it means "really" but people say it a lot when they are exasperated!).

from ladysaotome @ livejournal

[meganbmoore]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas? What are your general impressions? What kinds do you like? What have you seen?

Yes, I've heard of them. They are a bit melodramatic but I enjoy them & the character development. In fact, I don't tend to enjoy American shows as much anymore as they develop too fast. I like the romantic comedies mostly as I avoid too much angst. I have seen: Goong, Vineyard Man, Coffee Prince, Crazy for You, Brilliant Legacy, My Girl, I Really Really Like You (aka Love Truly), DalJa's Spring, Full House, My Sister-in-law is 19, My Love Patzzi. Also the movies Virgin Snow & Friends (Japanese/Korean colaborations), Innocent Steps & My Little Bride.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean? Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
I have learned a lot of the little words - that I don't know how to spell but do know how to say - "Araso!" - "to know, understand, etc.", "ka" - "to go", "Mianhae" - "I'm sorry", "yaw bo seh yo" - "hello". I am not Korean - or Asian at all. Judging from the internet presence I think kdramas are popular but I've never met anyone in real life who watches them except my sisters whom I converted myself.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions or expound on anything.

[vi]

This was on my reading list and also linked by a friend. ^^

Frex, have you heard of kdramas? What are your general impressions?
Yes! My general impression from the few I've seen is that they have great character development, are emotional- but not in the forced way that some television soap operas are- and often make me cry.

What kinds do you like? What have you seen?Also, what vocabulary have you learned?
Annyeonghaseyo, appa, omma, unni, nuna, oppa, and aigoo.

Are you Korean?
Nope.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
I don't think they're mainstream popular here in Australia. I was introduced to kdramas by my cousins/aunts and my group of friends (primarily Singaporean/Malaysian Chinese) and obtain series via the internet.

[vi]

Ah, sorry, it ate one of my answers.

What kinds do you like?
The few I've seen are mainly romantic, which I don't usually watch outside of kdramas. I think I would enjoy anything outside the romance genre. I've seen:
- My Name Is Kim Sam-soon
- My Girl
- Hwang Jin-yi
- Goong
- Full House

[surpassingly]

Kdramas are popular here (= the Philippines). Several have been dubbed into Tagalog and play on major channels in the afternoon to evening timeslots. (There's also this thing where in general quite a few people here are pretty aware of Korean media -- I know a lot of k-pop fans IRL -- and there are a lot of Korean students who come here to study English.)

I like kdramas! I haven't watched as many kdramas as jdramas, but I do like them. I enjoy the historical stuff and the lighter stuff more than heavy romance or drama.

Vocabulary... I can't exactly say I've learned Korean words from kdrama. What words I do know were learned by following the Korean progaming scene so they're more specific to that scene (e.g. bonjwa).

[(Anonymous)]

Frex, have you heard of kdramas? i pretty much love them. it's how i stumbled across your lj too - your friendly lurker right here!

What are your general impressions?
very addictig and often need to remind myself, when i get obsessed, It's Really Not That Deep (except when they are, I insist!). But yeah. Total comfort source. Oh, but they often suffer from being draggy or badly paced. But they can also be lovely and romantic, even if they seem to have a narrower range than, say, jdoramas in what they are about (whoo blanket statements! >_<).

What kinds do you like? Romantic comedy is obviously my favourite. Romantic melodrama if there is more cool than drama.

What have you seen? My Girl was my first (so lovely; the soundtrack, casting, hilarity). Or was Full House my first (very cute, but not outstanding)? Coffee Prince. Dal Ja's Spring. Bad Guy. Boys over Flowers (what a hot mess, but Lee Min Ho is sooo cute!). Samsoon. You're Beautiful. Que Sera Sera. I've seen a lot, basically.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned? Uh, not much. I can't spell them but i can say hello, no, yes, then the names like noona, ahjussi, oppa etc. Oh, and 'I understand' because they tend to say that a lot. Oh and 'i love you/him/her' and 'i like...'. and 'why' and 'thank you' and 'sorry' and 'really' and 'are you okay - i'm okay'. just, like, basic stuff that's repeated often and is short enough to recognise.

Are you Korean? nope.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
in australia? sure, 'cause there are a lot of asians here. and it's the internet age, so it's easy to stumble across (how often is something asian the most viewed on youtube? often). but i do think it is a minority kind of thing - it's popular in certain groups of people. i guess the majority wouldn't know what they are while there are some significantly sized groups that love them. kind of like - you'll never find them shelved in Video Ezy but if you search for some small Korean store down some street they'll probably have them.

-Hannah

[pseudo_tsuga]

I have heard of them, mainly from people on my r/flist. I've only watched about 3/4 of Coffee Prince though. My general impression is that they tend to be melodramatic and there's a stereotype that the sad romance ones have heroines die of leukemia a lot. They're shorter and the girls are usually hard-working, cheerful types who fall in love with the icy rich guy. Many people in my hometown (San Francisco) watch them as well as J-dramas and both are popular. And...that's all. This probably isn't very helpful, sorry.

[aldanise]

Here via anenko's post in drama_llamas, if you don't mind my butting in.

Have you heard of kdramas?
Yes. I started off introduced by a friend to jdramas (we're both Japanese lang/lit majors), and I went looking for recs sites. I found dramabeans and rainscene, which sucked me into kdramas, too.

What are your general impressions? What kinds do you like? What have you seen?
I've been told I'm "doing it wrong", but I tend to watch primarily cop dramas (Kang Jeok Deul, Time Between Dog and Wolf), though I'm also working on Coffee Prince and Legend, because they came highly recommended. It's been my impression that kdramas have more kickass female characters than jdramas, though I'm not sure how accurate that is on mature, considered, numerical reflection. Family and the significance thereof has sneaked into everything I've watched so far, more so than I've found with either jdramas or twdramas. Shipper wars are fairly common, especially when the OTP isn't made clear early on (KJD fannish reactions scarred me). Umm. Always depression and tears at some point near the end, even if the last episode may or may not turn it around. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

What vocabulary have you learned? Are you Korean?
Vocabulary: family words only. Plus the sound of formal verb endings. I have the feeling I'd be learning more if I had any kind of base in Korean, but I don't. And I'm not Korean.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
So far as I know, kdramas are not popular in the USA, but I could be wrong.

Hope I'm not too late to be useful!

[aldanise]

Er. I should add that I'm East Coast USA, which may have an effect on popularity.

[piecesofalice]

I'm only a noob, really, but I want to participate, damnit!

Have you heard of kdramas?
Oui. I honestly can't remember how I stumbled onto them, though. Probably through one of my fellow Korean students.

What are your general impressions?
They're a lot of fun, even the melodramas. I have a few problems with the overall treatment of women sometimes, but I invariably get a kick out of the end result (READ: LOTS OF KISSING).

What kinds do you like?
The campy ones, I guess. The ones where the leads are complete opposites, with lots of bantering and bickering. I'm yet to watch something that's full-on serious, though.

What have you seen?
City Hall, IRIS, Oh! My Lady, Prosecutor Princess, My Country Calls. Have started Gourmet, You're Beautiful, Bad Guy, Coffee House and own a stack more that are on my (growing) list.

Also, what vocabulary have you learned?
Quite a bit. All the standards - hyung, unnie, oppa etc, and my all-time favourite word: ajhumma. I am learning Korean, though, so that may make me open my ears a bit more.

Are you Korean?
Nope. I'm Australian, probably too old, etc etc.

Are kdramas popular in the country you're from?
I'm not sure. I think they are with the foreign students, as we have a fairly central Asian music and DVD store in the city. I don't know any of my friends (online or in real-life) who are in to them, though. OH HOW I NEED SOME KDRAMA FRIENDS, STAT!

I hope this was helpful. Good luck!