I have watched a lot of tv shows and movies, but since I’ve started watching K-dramas, my perspective has changed on American shows.
First let me define what a K-drama is for those who do not know. A K-drama is a genre of television or movie that is written in Korean, performed in Korean and centers around North and South Korea. You do not need to know Korean to listen and watch these shows. Subtitles are always an option. On a side note, I have gained faster reading skills because I consume so many shows with subtitles.
The first ever K-drama I watched was called “Crash Landing on You”. It was truly amazing and it remains my favorite show to date. A note about K-dramas is that they are truly dramas. Scenes are prolonged, dialogue is drawn out, they are emotional, heart-wrenching, and historical.
There are many sub-genres in the overall K-drama genre. These sub-dramas are what you would expect from any normal genre. Some include, fantasy, romance, historical, thriller and so on. I would say “Crash Landing on You” falls under romance and history.
If you want to get into K-drama I would suggest being open to more drama-y shows. These shows and movies really expand on scenes and exaggerate (I think) on moments. If drama shows are not your thing, there are K-dramas that do not have a lot of drama but that is the whole idea behind these shows.
If you want to get started watching K-dramas (I would really recommend it), I would look on Netflix. They have a great selection. Also, Viki is a website solely for K-dramas. For your first show, I would recommend “Crash Landing on You” on Netflix. If you liked that, the next one I would recommend is “The Guardian” also called “The Goblin.” This show is on Viki and centers around fantasy.
As a purely English speaker and a person who has been out of the country once, when I watched these shows, I got a better understanding on the life in Korea. Sometimes without meaning too, these shows provide historical background and gives the watcher a perspective on Korea and culture.
Overall, these shows are addicting and you will want to be learning Korean in no time to watch without subtitles! Happy bingeing!