A K-Drama Fan From The US Talks About Her Love About Romance K-Dramas

Are you also curious about fellow K-Drama fans?! Let's hear their stories and interests in Kpopmap Fan Interview Project.

There are K-Drama fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other' stories and tastes. When it is so interesting to know more about how others are living their drama passion.

So, at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Drama fans from different countries. Just like the Kpopmap Fan Interview for actors, the Kpopmap Fan Interview for K-Dramas aims to open the opportunity for fans to talk about K-Dramas, recommend their favorite shows, and share their insights and their love for K-Dramas with our readers.

One fan from the United States is the next one to answer our questions about her favorite K-Dramas and actors! Check out how she became a K-Drama fan, the reasons why, the dramas she recommends, and many more insights.

MYM Entertainment

Where are you from? Can you introduce yourself?

Hi! My name is Jordan and I am from the United States!

What is the 1st K-Drama you've watched, and when? How did you happen to come across it?

The 1st K-Drama I’ve ever watched was "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (or "Goblin") in November 2021, and I loved it! I happened to come across it by first watching Gong Yoo’s performance in "Train to Busan" and then reading numerous comments on his performance in "Goblin" online, so that’s how I got introduced to the drama.

"Guardian: The Lonely And Great God" Poster

Are you mostly watching K-Dramas or not?

Since last November, I have been a K-Drama fanatic and watch them during my spare time.

What genre of K-Dramas are you mostly watching?

I mostly watch rom-com and fantasy K-Dramas, but now I’m slowly starting to expand a bit more when it comes to the genres and beginning to get into historical and action/thriller K-Dramas.

Would you say you are a K-Drama addict? How many do you watch a week? Do you prefer ongoing dramas or binge-watching?

I consider myself a K-Drama addict. I try to finish at least two or three K-Dramas a month and started making a list of the upcoming shows I want to watch next! I prefer binge-watching K-Dramas. I wish I were that patient; it’ll be too hard for me to wait for the next episode to see what happens!

For Kpopmap readers who are not familiar with Korean dramas/movies yet, please tell us what makes Korean actors and Korean dramas/movies attractive to you.

What makes Korean Dramas attractive to me is the storytelling as well as the way they portray romance, particularly rom-coms. I love how rom-com K-Dramas focus on the little things that make a significant impact, for instance, the first time a couple holds hands or comforts each other. I’m a sucker for some cheesy moments that happen in those dramas, but I love the slow pace romance, and you see a character’s development along the way.

Do you feel there has been more interest in K-Dramas in your surroundings? Or were people surrounding you already interested?

I’m not sure if there has been more interest in K-Dramas in my surroundings. I will say that being in Seoul for two months has been amazing, and being able to meet others who share the same passion for watching K-Dramas as I do and having conversations about them!

Have you ever made a new friend because of K-Dramas?

Yes, I did! At the beginning of my internship in Seoul, I met another intern, and the first thing we bonded over was K-Dramas. We became good friends and still talk and keep each other updated on new dramas we have watched or are currently watching.

Are you active on SNS media about K-Dramas? Are you reviewing dramas?

I am currently not active on SNS media about K-Dramas, but I usually review them on Rakuten Viki and rate them after watching them. Although, I am considering joining a community of K-Drama lovers on SNS!

What makes you watch a drama?

It’s a combination of all of those elements. I sometimes read reviews to get a feel for other people’s thoughts and opinions of a particular drama. However, I would mainly say that usually, it’s the cast that attracts me to the drama at first and the synopsis.

"Descendants of the Sun" Poster

Can you give us your top 3 K-Dramas and why you love them?

This is a hard one. I would say my top three K-Dramas would probably be "Guardian The Lonely And Great God", "Flower of Evil", and "True Beauty".
"Guardian The Lonely And Great God", because it was the first K-Drama I had ever watched, and the performances of Gong Yoo and Kim GoEun’s characters, playing Kim Shin and Ji EunTak, was terrific. Also, not to mention the bromance between Kim Shin and Grim Reaper.

"Guardian The Lonely And Great God" Poster

"Guardian The Lonely And Great God" Still Photo

"Flower of Evil" is in my top three because the story was so immersive, and the entire cast’s chemistry with each other was just so realistic. The writing was also a big standout as well!

"Flower of Evil" Poster

"Flower of Evil" Still Photo

"True Beauty" was the first rom-com in which I was introduced to Cha EunWoo, and that was the beginning when I fell in love with him and his acting. "True Beauty" was just a powerful story that I think the entire cast performed phenomenally in, and I loved the important messages and themes it touches on throughout the story.

"True Beauty" Poster

"True Beauty" Still Photo

Who are some of your favorite K-Drama actors/actresses and why?

There are so many K-Drama actors and actresses out there that it's hard to list them all! To name a few, I would say Gong Yoo, Lee MinHo, Cha EunWoo, Suzy, 2PM's JunHo, Ji ChangWook, Park MinYoung, ZE:A's Park HyungSik and IU.
They all are just phenomenal actors and actresses who add layers to their roles, and their performances are just amazing to watch. As well as bringing so much emotion, you are quickly immersed and invested in the story and roles they perform on screen.

What do you think is the most underrated drama in history and why?

I think the most underrated drama would be "Rain or Shine" (or "Just Between Lovers"). I just don't hear this drama talked about enough. It is such a powerful and profound story between these two characters who share a traumatic incident but watching their romance's slow development was terrific to watch. Both Lee JunHo and Won JinA had great chemistry that just hit you in the feels as the story kept progressing!

"Rain or Shine" Still Photo

Do you have an all-time favorite scene? Can you describe it or share a video?

(Spoiler Warning Ahead!) There are so many memorable and favorite scenes I have from K-Dramas. Still, one that comes to mind would be the scene in "It's Okay That's Love", when the main character, Jang JaeYeol, a famous author, has been taking care of a teenager who comes from an abusive household. The scene takes place with them both running and having a good time, but then the camera flips back and forth between both characters until you see the main character talking to nobody. You end up realizing in this scene that he has imagined this teenage boy the entire time, and that he is living with a mental illness, which was a huge twist that I never saw coming. It's an emotional scene that breaks your heart when you first watch it!

Do you have predictions about the future of K-Dramas? Do you think K-Dramas can be mainstream all over the world?

I think that the K-Drama world will be even more prominent in the future, and I believe it can be mainstreamed across the globe. These stories and the filmmaking behind them are so well done that I think everyone can get into a K-Drama story. There is already so much K-Drama content out there, and I hope there will be even more content and stories to tell in the future!

Thank you for answering our questions, Jordan.

If you are interested in joining Kpopmap Fan Interview Project, please get in touch with us at [email protected] with the topic line "Kpopmap Fan Interview - Drama". Everyone is welcome to partic

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