Effectivity of K-drama to Filipino viewers
Written by: _shekiivgc
Crash Landing on You? Our Beloved Summer? Moon Lovers: Scarlet Hearts Ryeo? Descendants of the Sun? Twenty Five, Twenty One?
I’m pretty sure all of us have already seen a Korean drama in our lives. Korean dramas have become famous nowadays, especially when the pandemic started, and all of us are locked inside our houses. We don’t have much to do, so people have started watching K-dramas. And even up to these days, when the restrictions are being lifted, the love for K-dramas remains.
The Filipinos’ love for Korean dramas started in 2003 when Bright Girl was aired. Korean dramas like Autumn in My Heart, Stairway to Heaven, Full House, My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, and Coffee Prince instantly became hits when they were aired on GMA Network, dubbed in the Filipino language. Korean dramas were easily and warmly welcomed by the Filipinos through the usage of Filipino dubbing and OPM songs as their OSTs, which made it easier to connect with the Filipinos.
To those “titas” in watching K-dramas, who could ever forget “Pag-ibig Ko’y Pansinin” by Faith Cuneta used in Stairway to Heaven? Just listening to this song could give you a trip down memory lane of the famous carousel scene. Or “Pangarap na Bituin,” also by Faith Cuneta, used in Jewel in the Palace, could get us bowing like Dae Jang Geum.
K-dramas are very lightweight and easy to watch. Making it one of the favorite pastimes inside a Filipino household. We grew up watching it while doing our assignments, while our mothers and aunties cooked or folded laundry. It almost became a glue that brought the family together whenever an episode was aired.
Speaking of which, K-dramas are often seen with a topic or themes about family, which makes it easier to relate to.
Korean dramas have been a hit with their viewers because they successfully create emotional connections with the viewers. The plot and the storyline are well written to the point that even the taboo and sensitive topics could successfully hook and relate to the viewers. As Filipinos, we are raised to be conservative and to be passive on certain topics to stay away from conflict. But some K-dramas are brave enough to show the viewers the other side of things, thus it helps us also to be more open-minded and accepting of the conditions and situations of others.
One of the dramas I could think of is It’s Okay, That’s Love starring Kong Hyo Jin and Zo In Sung. The story revolves around the famous writer who has OCD, while the other one is a psychiatrist who also has a big traumatic experience. They crossed paths and fell in love. The story was quite unusual, and it covers a sensitive topic about mental health on how to handle it. The drama was so well-made that there isn’t one cringeworthy moment. You will learn how to accept and value mental health.
Another drama is the Netflix series Juvenile Justice. The drama shows how Korean law judges young offenders. They show different issues involving kids like murder, rape, driving incident and many more. The cases alone are a hard pill to swallow, especially since it’s about minors. This drama is very bold yet eye-opening in tackling these sensitive issues.
These are just some of the K-dramas that bravely talk about sensitive and taboo stories. Aside from topics like this, they also show a wide range of careers, thus it makes it easier for the audience to relate.
K-dramas do not only focus on the usual careers; one of the refreshing careers I encountered on a K-drama is an interpreter from Run On. It is very unusual for us to know how the life of an interpreter goes. The main character spent most of the day locked in her room, translating a film for the Korean audience to understand. She also interprets for a sports team representing Korea in an international game.
Another drama is Navillera starring Song Kang, which is about male ballerinas on stage. The other unusual thing in the drama is that a 70-year-old grandpa wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming a ballerina. Despite his family’s disapproval because of his age, which later reveals that he is not in good health condition, he still pursues his dream.
These are just some of the examples of how vast a K-drama plot could go. Additional factors are the very talented and pretty Korean actors and actresses who could really make us kilig every time. It is no surprise that these dramas took over the hearts of their viewers all over the world.
K-dramas are like a friend who would pat you on the back and would stay with you on your darkest days. K-dramas could all get us laughing and crying all at the same time because of the connection they made with their viewers. That is why it became a coping mechanism for most of us to watch an episode or two of K-drama just to relax and unwind from our busy schedules. It became a breather for most of us.
Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that Filipinos’ love for K-dramas remains unwavering. For sure, K-dramas are here to stay and make us more drawn to them as they release new dramas every time. Korean dramas always feel like a home that warmly welcomes our emotions.
