📺 What I Learned from Korean Dramas - Pt.3 - The Teeny tiny à Tout Faire

2020 was my 3rd year of watching K-dramas and it has been particularly prosperous and full of great series so this year's topic is: WHY I kept watching them.

I should have posted this as part of the year-end series, but as always something came up and I've been able to complete it only in the past days.

If you're interested, I've also watched a few Japanese dramas and they were all interesting and entertaining, so be sure you check the Japanese Week label as well.

If you've been following my blog for a while you've probably already read my semi-serious reflections about k-drama (if not, check it out HERE) and last year's clichès in k-dramas (HERE) so I've already given a general answer to that question, but this year I wanted to dig deeper and go from funny reasons to more serious ones.

Are you still with me or have I already made you yawn?

Shall we proceed? We shall!

Here are my 3 reasons why I kept on watching Korean dramas.

● Funny supporting characters

Starting from Captain Ri's comrades in Crash Landing on You, continuing with the unlikely thugs turned legal helpers in Lawless Lawyer to the cleaning fairies in Clean with Passion for Now, supporting characters are often silly and embarrassing but they surely bring a lot of laughter and can be considered the mood makers of the drama...and sometimes they also end up helping the lead more than expected.

● Resilient female characters

From characters with tragic childhoods/family issues like Crash Landing on You, The Secret Life of My Secretary to badass and inspiring ones like My Fellow Citizens, The King: Eternal Monarch, and Flower of Evil, women in k-dramas are the epitome of women in real life: strong, funny, skilled, complicated, problematic, fragile, and anything in between.

I sometimes can relate to them because what they're going through might look similar to my current or previous experiences: a plus add that could make me like a drama even more.

● Positive message

Stories are almost always very believable and even if the ending is 90% of the time a happy one, the path to reach couldn't be tougher.

The first that comes to mind is Itaewon Class, where the protagonist has to deal with anything that's ugly in this world, or Psycho But It's Okay, where both characters have some heavy emotional baggage and yet they all try to behave in the right way and be their best version possible.

This has to be the top reason why I stick with Korean dramas: I know that whatever curveballs life (or writers) throws at the characters, they'll come out of it. I might be illuding myself but it helps me, so...

Lastly, a recap of the dramas I've watched in the past year and their rankings.

You can click on the cover to read my reviews.

5 out of 5