An Australian K-Drama Fan Talks About Why She Loves K-Dramas And What Draws Her Into Them

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.

Mel from Australia 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.

tvN

Where are you from? Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Mel and I live in Australia.

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

I’d watched some Korean films – "Train to Busan" and "Parasite", for example – but I think there was definitely a bit of a watershed moment watching "Our Beloved Summer". I was familiar with Choi WooShik, and so when "Our Beloved Summer" was a recommendation on Netflix, I took the gamble. I must admit, I probably didn’t know quite what I was getting myself into with the traditional K-Drama format of 16-20 episodes and only one season. As someone who generally doesn’t have the time to watch a lot of television, it was a massive commitment! Another steep learning curve was my inability to multitask while watching; I needed to be paying attention otherwise I’d miss some witty retort, facial expression or brief brush hand on arm!!! No folding the washing allowed!

SBS

Are you mostly watching K-Dramas or not? If you are watching series from other countries, let us know.

I’m still probably mostly K-Dramas but have also been exploring J-Dramas a little more and looking for recommendations.

What genre of K-Dramas are you mostly watching?

Gee – I’m not sure I could pigeonhole myself into just one! I probably started with Romance, but also enjoy Action and Historical. The funny thing about K-Dramas is that I think it starts a little bit like a guilty pleasure that I wasn’t really sharing with anyone, but then after speaking with friends and colleagues, I realised just how many others were also watching. Finding others who had enjoyed series that they could recommend based on their own watching experience has been my main way of finding series. After "Twenty-Five Twenty-One", I’m slightly wary of School Dramas or anything that mentions "Coming-of-age" in the synopsis. The rollercoaster of emotions I experienced watching those series cannot be put into words, which speaks volumes of the outstanding acting and cinematography. I’m still recovering a little bit! Watching "Hwarang" quite early on in my foray into K-Drama was also useful, because I began to track specific actors (Park HyungSik, anyone?!!?) and I felt a little more knowledgeable.

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

Time is still a major impediment to my K-Drama watching, but I think those around me would say I am an addict, unfortunately (or fortunately!). My balance is more work-life-K-Drama. On my holidays I tend to be able to binge watch them because I choose Historical or Zombie dramas that hook the rest of my family in as well… counts as ‘family time’, that way. Definitely K-Dramas like "Happiness "(Park HyungSik again) and "Kingdom" have converted my family and at least one of my friends. Otherwise, the watching becomes my down time; that does change depending on what is happening in the drama itself though! Sometimes I feel like I’m just compelled to keep watching!

Netflix

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.

I’ve spoken about this a lot with my friends, and K-Dramas just seem to have a richness and complexity within characters and storylines that most Western series seem to lack. The attention to detail is astounding and the traditional tropes just aren’t conformed to as readily and so the series aren’t as predictable. So many times, I’ve been watching and I’ve thought to myself "I just don’t know how on earth this is going to end!?". "Crash Landing on You" and "Itaewon Class" are two examples where I on the edge of my seat from the get-go. I think they also allow for insight into Korean culture, which has a depth to it that we don’t seem have as readily in Australian culture. For example, the respect shown to elders through language – speaking formally, rather than casually – isn’t really experienced here. There is a pervasive sense of egalitarianism in Australia, so the notion of showing the upmost respect for someone without them having to earn it first is really interesting. I’ve banded together with friends to also try traditional drinks such as Soju and Sujeonggwa to really get in the spirit of things.

tvN

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

To be fair, I feel like "Squid Game" really pushed K-Drama into mainstream viewing. Friends who hadn’t even considered watching Korean films and series were curious and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The popularity of "Squid Game" was the impetus for further conversations about the sheer multitude of series available.

Netflix

What makes you watch a drama?

I do tend to read the synopsis or be led by recommendations. I have an extensive list that I am trying to work my way through at the moment, and it just keeps growing as new releases come out. I also have some favourite actors/ actresses who I follow and will lean towards those.

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

This is pretty difficult to narrow down because I find the genres can be so diverse and are enjoyable for different reasons. I felt like "Soundtrack #1" was such a well-balanced series and ended really satisfyingly. "Hometown Cha Cha Cha" was another one that I felt had a good pace and wasn’t predictable at all (if you can overlook the overt product placement). You also can’t go past "Happiness" for the zombies!

tvN / Disney+

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

Son YeJin is amazing in everything she does, but "Thirty-Nine" was a standout. Han SoHee is also such a good actress and has played so many different roles with a sincerity that makes you want to keep watching. I’ll happily watch any of the "Hwarang" crew – Park HyungSik, Park SeoJun, Choi MinHo and hopefully at some stage, Kim TaeHyung (or V) (fingers crossed) – in a series. Choi MinHo is great in "The Fabulous" and I’m looking forward to Park HyungSik’s next series for release in February - "Our Blooming Youth".

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

Again, this is tricky, but one of my very favourite scenes is from "Something in the Rain", Episode 3, when Yoon JinA holds Seo JoonHee’s hand under the table (eep!). "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" had some great moments as well; JunHo asking YoungWoo whether her heart races when they aren’t touching is classic! And what about Captain Ri and SeRi in "Crash Landing on You"!!!

Do you feel there are any misunderstandings, things that are not well known, or any prejudices about your K-Drama?

I do think some people see it as being quite niche viewing, but that is changing. I think the idea of reading subtitles can be an initial hurdle for some viewers.

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

It is only a matter of time before K-Dramas are mainstream. There is such a growing demand for originality coupled with sincerity, which is why K-Dramas are so compelling. They are always so thoughtful and considered towards how the narrative is portrayed and I think audiences are craving that more than ever.

Thank you for answering our questions, Mel.

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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