Guys. I went a little crazy with the dramas this year. As in, massive overload. Particularly over the summer. It was kind of a rough year--I had a lot of health problems, and some work stress things, and life as a grad student overall means I spend a lot of my free time wanting to turn off and zone out, escaping into worlds that are completely different from mine.
In 2017, I escaped through kdramas.
But maybe it wasn't purely just needing to get shot of my day-to-day worries. This year's overarching thematic trend of 'screw the man' slotted nicely into the aftershocks of horror I (and the world) were experiencing after the American elections devolved into a nightmare (not to mention the rest of the chaos in the international political scene...). Maybe stories in which the corrupt powerful were repeatedly brought down by the desperate underdog helped me a heal a little. If these are the stories we're still telling, then there's hope for us, right?
Sunday 18 February 2018
Sunday 7 May 2017
A Study in Chaebols
I'd like to take a step back from dramaland for a moment and explore something that has dominated the thematic backdrop so far--the take down of the corrupt powers of the world by the feisty underdogs.
Which means we've been seeing a lot of chaebols. So many. More than even their standard role as romantic lead usually dictates, and in an unusually negative light as a consequence. Let's check 'em out, and what they tell us about current socio-political attitudes.
Sunday 12 February 2017
Sleepypie's Favorites: or, Life According to Dramas
Dramas tell us stories about all kinds of things--love stories, sure, but also broader stories about life. Here are personal favorites of mine that chart large swathes of the human experience, and always fill me with glee...and might just be perfect to get others into the genre.
Valentine's Day
We are once more on the cusp of Valentine's Day, a holiday dedicated to flowers, love and chocolate. I originally planned to spend the day curled up in bed, reveling in junk food and and dramas, but some friends have since upset that plan. Oh well. But if you have the option yourself, here are three dramas that I think are perfect for binge-watching
Tuesday 17 January 2017
How to Live Like A Kdrama; Or, 10 Steps to What is TOTALLY a Healthy Relationship*
Have you ever wondered how all those kdrama girls do it? Do you too yearn to enact their principles in your life and achieve the same effect? Yearn no more! Here's my handy ten step guide to making a relationship work, k-drama style!
Step 1: Be a Candy
Remember, you must be poor but plucky, working a multitude of small-paying part-time jobs and living in cramped rooftop apartment. You must be absolutely wallowing in debt you've inherited, yet still face each coming day with a brave smile and optimistic, can-do attitude. Family's a no-no, unless it's a) your beloved father in a coma he won't wake up from, whose expensive hospital bills you must pay, b) an evil stepsister who devotes her every spare moment to making your life hell, or c) a missing brother you worry about and look for, but who will only conveniently reappear at the end to alleviate any worries about your right to be happy or the potentially incestuous nature of your romance. Do try and have one female friend you will be able to turn to for relationship advice in the future. Her advice will always be terrible, but that won't matter, she's just there to point out that you like your romantic lead before you're willing to admit it yourself. Don't worry if she's better at makeup and fashion than you are. Although you will always complain about being poor and ugly, you will be effortlessly beautiful at all times, your clothes will always be name-brand, and as a bonus, your cell phone will always be the newest model. On the flip side, I hope you like subway.
Step 1: Be a Candy
Remember, you must be poor but plucky, working a multitude of small-paying part-time jobs and living in cramped rooftop apartment. You must be absolutely wallowing in debt you've inherited, yet still face each coming day with a brave smile and optimistic, can-do attitude. Family's a no-no, unless it's a) your beloved father in a coma he won't wake up from, whose expensive hospital bills you must pay, b) an evil stepsister who devotes her every spare moment to making your life hell, or c) a missing brother you worry about and look for, but who will only conveniently reappear at the end to alleviate any worries about your right to be happy or the potentially incestuous nature of your romance. Do try and have one female friend you will be able to turn to for relationship advice in the future. Her advice will always be terrible, but that won't matter, she's just there to point out that you like your romantic lead before you're willing to admit it yourself. Don't worry if she's better at makeup and fashion than you are. Although you will always complain about being poor and ugly, you will be effortlessly beautiful at all times, your clothes will always be name-brand, and as a bonus, your cell phone will always be the newest model. On the flip side, I hope you like subway.
Wednesday 14 December 2016
2016 in Review
2016's almost over already? Yikes. I blinked. But what a year. Ignoring the apocalyptic politics, it was a good one, too. On a personal level, I traveled my heart out, made a bunch of new friends, started teaching, and...studied. Really, really studied
On a kdrama level, there was a very definite return to some classic tropes, like the reverse harem, amnesia, and the never-very-far-away classic, the chaebol. But there were some astonishingly new things too--stories about extramarital affairs, divorces, and life afterwards. I know, I was shocked too.
Without further ado, the dramas I watched this year:
On a kdrama level, there was a very definite return to some classic tropes, like the reverse harem, amnesia, and the never-very-far-away classic, the chaebol. But there were some astonishingly new things too--stories about extramarital affairs, divorces, and life afterwards. I know, I was shocked too.
Without further ado, the dramas I watched this year:
Monday 22 August 2016
Hey Ho School
Well, it's that time of the year again, and in honor of the newly minted school year, here are the dramas that will get you back in the mood, whatever side of the desk you're on (this is my first year switching sides! Wish me luck!). Are you ready for first loves with a side of triangle? Noble teachers, evil principals, and corrupt officials to be taken down? Adventure, murder, and nostalgia? Here we go!
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