Why I love K-dramas and K-films…

I first heard about the Korean wave that was sweeping through Calcutta (my hometown) last year. I heard people swearing about K-dramas and films, Korean actors, Korean food, and everything Korean. I had never witnessed this kind of enthusiasm about anything ever…and so I decided to find out and explore this phenomenon that had so captured everyone’s imagination.

And now I am totally and completely hooked. 

I was tiring of the Western outlook on things, and the West-is-best way of life, and the Indian outlook was only getting worse by the day. The Korean wave, therefore, came as a breath of life as it were. 

K-drama - amazing take on all aspects of life. Each drama has a different approach to the issues and problems we face as human beings. Filmakers are not afraid to protray their society as it is, warts and all…this is so refreshing because no matter the country or the people, human problems and issues are the same. The outward sheen may be different, but deep down human beings are the same. Thus, I am finding the answers to many of my questions in K-dramas and films. 

Analysing why K-drama is so appealing, and yet so realistic, this is what has gone deep into my soul:

The people - there is definitely something very engaging about the people. The actors are all extremely well-groomed, and look very good. Obviously they pay a lot of attention to their personal care and appearance. They are smart and exceedingly well dressed and don’t have to wear skimpy revealing clothes in order to be noticed. Even their loose-fitting clothes are worn with style and ease. Whatever they wear, whether it is the hanyeos, or those who work in the shops and markets, or the professionals, or the corporate workers and honchos, or the homemakers, or the housekeepers and traders, or the armed forces, they are all beautifully turned out - understated elegance at its best. Regardless of occupation and social class, they are all trim and beautiful - and I purposely say beautiful for both women and men, because they really are so without losing even a bit of their femininity or masculinity….in fact their femininity and masculinity is very aesthetically pronounced… 

I stick with the films in Korean with subtitles in English because I feel that hearing the actor’s voice is hugely inportant in understanding the character as well as the film. Dubbing doesn’t either enhance the character the actor is playing, or the film…it’s like some disembodied voice floating around…. The subtitles are excellent and convey very accurately what the actor is feeling and trying to say. I feel the Korean language is flowing and colourful as well. Very evocative and beautiful. 

The cinematography is par excellence. Just the way the camera pans in on the character, or the surroundings, is unbelievable….and the message these shots convey enhance the emotion of the scene. In fact, sometimes the shot carries that particular part of the story more effectively than words…Even the play of light and shadow is fantastic.

The music - K-dramas use music very effectively. Korean music, both pop and classical is superlative. The use of their indigeous instruments creates a fantastic atmosphere. They use Western Classical Music too very effectively. Their choice of music takes their films and dramas to a whole new level. Out of this world!!

Themes. I’ve seen so many films and dramas, and not once have I seen a theme repeated. They take the simplest of topics and weave a very probable story around it…so realistic, in fact, that one knows right away that this is not some con job, or somebody’s rambling. It could be a theme set in any historical period, it could be some very real social issue, it could be a theme worked out around a kitchen…a small pub or café or restaurant,  or showing life in a village….lives of ordinary people from various walks of life all living in a community, and the dynamics that naturally evolve…. I’ve never ever known that the surreal could be so integrated with the reality of daily life and yet I see this theme being treated so beautifully in K-dramas. It goes to the credit of Korean film makers that they are not afraid to show reality as it is without resorting to any gimmickry or whitewashing or foolish misrepresentations. And through the intensity of all of these, they are able to show the strength and beauty of the human mind and form. Unbelievably fantastic. I am so grateful that I am able to witness and see and learn so much not only about myself, but also about society, and about people in general…..

Romance. I totally totally totally love the way the love angle is treated in K-dramas and films. There is none of the jumping-into-bed-violent-sex, which is beyond hideous. Nor is there any kind of crudity or vulgarity. The ‘falling in love’ parts are sensitively and beautifully handled. In fact, the whole love theme with all the various angles is treated very, very aesthetically and tenderly in K-dramas and films. This is, to my mind, beyond beautiful…

Emotions. Emotions are expressed very naturally in K-dramas and films, and they are very intense, but though emotions run high, we can watch, hear, and assimilate without being subjected to any crudity.  It could be the Confucian/Buddhist influence, but intense scenes are shown without resorting to vulgar language (especially the use of the f-word), nudity, undue violence, and drug addiction.

Since there is no rush and hurry in their dramas and they are not unnecessarily fast paced, one gets immersed in the storyline, and when the drama ends, one actually feels sad to say goodbye to the characters who had over the days become such a part of life, as it were…! 

More than anything, it is such a relief to be able to watch a film with friends and family without being enbarassed or temporarily turning the tv off. 

What a beautiful people, and what a wonderful country….I wish you always only the very best….

Continuing the thoughts…

in my last blog, I came across a post called ‘the danish way’, and I’d like to share them here:

In a world that can often feel chaotic, it’s important to find balance. Instead of aiming for perfection or constant happiness, wee should value the small moments that bring us connection and prsonal growth. Chasing perfection or endless happiness can be tiring. It’s better to accept that life can be challenging at times, and that it’s okay not to be perfect. The real treasures are found in the moments when we connect with others, enjoy the simple things in life, and grow as individuals by following our own unique paths. These moments give depth to our lives. 

Simple conversations…

I’ve learnt over the past few days, have a great deal to offer. I realized that there are days when I don’t talk at all other than maybe answer questions, or make a list of things I need around the house… but I seem to have completely given up talking — simple exchange of greetings, chatting before heading home from the gym, chatting with the vendor when I go to get vegetables, chatting with the gardener, and most of all chatting with my daughter…. I realized how silent my home is with everyone immersed in their work, or their reading, or doing their own thing, and I am as guilty of these… In the Kdramas, and the occasional Japanese movie I see, this is the one thing that struck me—how much they talk with each other. Nothing philosophical, or arcane, or of any great ‘value’…just chatting with each other, exchanging their thoughts, or ideas, or impressions….but what harmony it brings about…what a symphony of words and thoughts…and how beautiful is the feeling left behind after this sharing. It’s not always only high-faluting theories, or high-minded thoughts, or serious ideas. It’s also just talk about their homes, people they meet, food they eat or would like to eat, pretty flowers they see in a florist’s shop, the weather, things they have heard or read about….and a genuine interest in each other’s daily ordinary lives…. How enriching this is. Mind you, it is not gossip, though sometimes some threads may creep in….it is just sharing the daily events that happen, the book one is reading, something they got at the neighbourhood store… simple exchange of what’s on their minds. It was so wonderful to see how they chatted when having a meal…not only about the food, but about where they got the ingredients, or which store they shopped at, the recipe, their own versions of the dish, and the memories attached to the food they were eating. Real fellowship… it was not just a grab a bite and say a hello and a good bye, and a see you later kind of meal….it was real fellowship at a meal prepared by someone in the home. Another terrible fault I realized was how often we say the words ‘Oops I have to rush’, ‘ Gosh, look at the time! Got to go’, ‘I have to go now, but let’s meet up’… Is it really so difficult to put things aside for a bit and spend some time just chatting and catching up? And yet, when we do spend time — the relaxed kind of spending time, and not the rushing kind of spending time, how good it feels…What a beautiful, serene aura is created… what bonds are formed… what peace is generated….