I mentioned in a previous post that my interest in Kdramas is steadily dropping. I initially assumed this was just a drama slump, and eventually, I would make my way out of it and find love for dramas, but this time I don’t think that is the case. Last summer, I ran into a drama rut. I didn’t want to watch any of the airing dramas, and I found myself uninterested in my old favorite dramas. Then Mr. Temporary came out, and I started watching dramas again, but this time it’s different.
Usually, when I get into a drama rut, I also find myself uninterested in many of the other things associated with Korean culture. I don’t watch variety shows, I won’t listen to Korean music, and I don’t eat Korean food. My problem this time is I’m doing everything except watching new Korean drams. I started to think that it was just a me problem until I consulted some of my favorite watching buddies and found they shared similar sentiments. After listening to my friends talk about some of the recent dramas they watched and sharing my recent dramas, everyone could agree on one thing, Asian dramas are changing, and it may not all be for good. In the context of Chinese dramas, they are improving drastically in overall quality. Compared to 4 or 5 years ago, the writing is more developed, the acting is superb in most cases, and the overall quality has improved astronomically. I find myself continually looking up Chinese actors and trying to watch some of their other works while also looking for their next projects. I’ve also become more interested in new releases from China, and I now actively look for new Chinese dramas.
In contrast, when it comes to new Korean drama releases, I’ll often read the descriptions and decide I’m not interested. If I am interested in the plot, I usually give up while watching the drama or find my expectations let down. I rarely find myself drawn into new talent, and even my favorite actors seem to disappoint.
So, what is the difference between the current Chinese dramas and current Korean dramas? Well, right now, a mixed bag of issues. The first one being the audience. As of this moment, Chinese drama creators are still targeting a mostly Chinese and East Asian audience. Strong notes of Chinese culture and its uniqueness are very present in the creation of these dramas, making them stand out from their western counterparts. Chinese dramas are not afraid of trying new concepts and plots that might scare away an international audience.
On the other hand, Korean Dramas are continuously becoming more and more mainstream in style. As Korean companies try to reach broader audiences, dramas are becoming safer. The writing is more typical, and the plots are increasingly simple. Think of the currently airing and recently completed dramas. How many of them have any of the signature Korean drama tropes? I know that some people find tropes annoying and simplistic, and I agree in some cases, especially when there are too many tropes at once, but in other cases, those tropes create well-developed stories. In a way, drama tropes and their method of execution are a representation of Korean culture, and erasing them can change the style of dramas overall.
I will say that the elimination of old drama tropes could be for reasons other than international profit, maybe Korean culture has drastically changed in the past two years. Perhaps that has changed the nature of kdramas. I know that recently male and female relations in Korea are on edge, marriage rates are down more than ever, the economy isn’t doing very well, and almost every other month, some sort of sex crime becomes essential news. Even so, change takes time, and I find it hard to believe people are willing to change their culture so quickly.
The second problem is webtoons. Now don’t get me wrong I love webtoons just as much as the next girl, but you’ve got to admit there is a considerable difference between webtoon writing and drama writing. In webtoons, the writer/illustrator places a significant emphasis on visual storytelling over written storytelling. In the setting of a webtoon, this works out perfectly and creates a wonderfully unique entertainment experience. In a drama, however, the writing is just as critical (if not more important) than the visual aspects. I can recall countless times when the visual quality of the show was weak, but the writing was done so well done that I didn’t even focus on the cinematography. Many older movies and tv shows from when production wasn’t developed are still popular today because of wonderful acting a storytelling.
Now, I’m not saying that webtoons should never be adapted into dramas. In fact, I’m saying the exact opposite. I think adapting webtoons into dramas is a great idea; they just need good writers to help the plot. I love Yoo is a very popular webtoon that I happen to like very much and could easily see being adapted into a drama, but not as is. There are many plot holes, inconsistencies in character development, long periods of repetitive action, and overall stagnancy. That’s not to say that the story isn’t right; it’s just not good enough for a drama. If someone were to rewrite this script by making the plot more concise and cleaning up the logical fallacies, I could very easily see it becoming a fantastic drama.
The third problem I’ve noticed, and this could be related to the first problem, is a shift in the male/female lead dynamic. Korean dramas have always been very female-heavy (obviously to cater to their key demographic), but now its almost as if the male and female leads don’t need each other. Current drama worlds have both the male and female lead almost perfectly drawn out so that no one lacks anything important. They just happen to stumble into each other’s worlds, and everything is lovely. A drama that I happened to like but also think failed at making both male and female lead “need” each other is Hotel Del Luna. Honestly, Man Wol could have continued her life and business successfully without Chan Sung. If Chan Sung had never meet Man Wol his life would have been entirely unchanged.
Being dependent on another person is not a bad thing; having a relationship where you but need each other is not a bad thing. I know that a lot of people both in and outside of Korea want to see “strong independent female leads,” but let me suggest something else instead “well-developed female leads.” You can be a competent and responsible person and still need other people. It doesn’t make them a weak, pathetic female lead; it just makes them more human. An excellent example of a recent drama that does this ideally is Crash Landing on You. I never thought that the female lead was dumb or too nieve, maybe a little strange, but that’s her personality, and at the same time, she still respected and depended on the male lead for his help and expertise. They both need each other for survival and, at the same time, managed to be independent of each other.
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