Well, here we are, the very first post of my drama blog. To all of you who have stumbled upon this website, welcome! Whether you’re already a drama fan or have no idea what a drama is, it’s okay because I hope this blog will become your valuable resource for all things drama. But first things first, a little introduction.
What are dramas?
Dramas are basically television shows with a wide range of genres and pretty much every country makes them for TV broadcast. The term drama may vary depending on the country but I prefer to call them dramas. America is famous for their long-running and cinematic dramas (Game of Thrones anyone?). China is known for their wuxia and historical dramas offering martial arts and ethereal costumes. South Korean dramas have swept across the globe and captured the hearts of many with their intricate storylines and emotional soundtracks. Are dramas really only soap operas for housewives? They can be but are certainly not limited to that. Think of it as movies divided into many episodes instead of being two-hour-long stories.
How I first started watching…
I am from Hong Kong and when I was little, my family and I would always watch Hong Kong dramas on TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited), a free-to-air broadcasting TV station and pretty much the main TV station that everybody would watch. At that time during the ’90s, TVB was pretty popular for their dramas as they had talented actors and also “awesome” special effects. It was normal for everybody in the city to go home for dinner and wait in front of the TV for their favorite dramas and then discuss among each other the next day about the latest plot points with friends, classmates, and coworkers.
The New Legend of White Snake, an old Chinese drama I watched as a little kid. Photo © TTV
I grew up watching classics such as The New Legend of White Snake, Justice Bao, and The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre just to name a few.
I moved to Hawaii in the mid-90s and once 2000 hit, it was time for the Japan boom. All through my teens, Japan was the “in” thing. Everybody was watching anime, listening to J-pop, and of course, watching Japanese dramas. Surprisingly, there weren’t that many memorable Japanese dramas for me. The dramas that got me going were One Litre of Tears and Let’s Go Onsen. America was also up and at it by offering favorites like Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Charmed and Smallville.
Nine-Tailed Fox: Forbidden Love was my first Korean drama. Photo © KBS
But ever since my high school and college days, the Korean drama bug bit me. My first ever Korean drama was Nine-Tailed Fox: Forbidden Love which was an exciting supernatural story with lots of action, mystery, and romance. It was really original and complex compared to all the dramas I watched before. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until a few years later when Korean dramas became more mainstream and was easily found on store shelves as DVD box sets (at least it was here in Hawaii) and then on streaming sites like Hulu and Netflix. With it being so easy to access I was finally able to watch the drama I wanted to watch whenever I wanted to watch. I was captivated by IRIS with all its gun fights, backstabbing and espionage. I wanted to watch more of this and I’ve been addicted ever since.
Why the blog?
For some reason, it seems like whenever someone mentions “Korean drama”, there’s this stigma in the west that instantly considers it a lovey-dovey soap opera. Why is that? You wouldn’t call any of the American dramas soap operas. Not all dramas are soap operas. There is also no problem if a guy watches dramas. I believe that there’s a limited knowledge of the “outside world” from within America — it seems like everybody is so concentrated only on what’s within because everyone believes what’s within is best (and there’s absolutely no problem with that) but sometimes, I think it’s better to expand our horizons. Through dramas, we’re able to understand other cultures and traditions, see life through other people’s perspectives, as well as see a glimpse of what other countries are like without flying there. And I’m also beginning to see that many hardcore fans are actually learning the language by watching dramas. How powerful is that?
Dramas allow us to experience other cultures and traditions. Pictured here is a Japanese drama called JIN. Photo © TBS
I decided to start this blog to share with the world the amazing stories that are being told through dramas. While my blog title may say it’s targeted to guys, it’s certainly not set in stone and all dramas may appeal to anybody. I just tend to notice that a majority of drama blogs are created by girls for girls. Where are the guys? I hope this blog will help introduce you to some good shows. I won’t be limiting myself to just Korean dramas and will delve into other parts of Asia and even other parts of the world.
With that being said, I’d really like to thank you for reading this far. Please check back often for my drama reviews! I’m still deciding how to do it without spoiling the story. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter — I’m trying to be more active on there again. Until next time!
This article is purely of my own thoughts and opinions. Your opinions may differ. Any offense caused by my rants and ramblings is unintentional. Thank you for understanding.
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I'd really appreciate it if you decide to share your thoughts. Keep in mind that these comments are moderated so let's keep the discussion polite and friendly and refrain from spamming, trolling or fighting. Also, please be considerate of others by not posting spoilers. Thank you!
Hey! I like the concept of your site. I agree that the majority of drama blogs are written by females. We need more male drama bloggers!
Hi Heisui, thanks so much for commenting. I agree that there’s a shortage of male drama bloggers either due to lack of interest or lack of time. I really want the guys to experience dramas because there’s just so much more out there besides the mainstream American dramas. I won’t limit myself to blogging only about “guy” dramas, either.