Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Your Loss, World.


This.

I recently watched Coffee Prince with a Kdrama virgin. While she enjoyed the show enough to pack all seventeen hours into one week of viewing, it was clear from the beginning that she would never become a helpless Korean drama addict like me.

Which of course got me to thinking about all the many things that she—and the rest of the non-drama-watching world—will never understand.


—That feeling in your chest when the couple you’ve spent fifteen episodes rooting for finally, finally kiss.

—That feeling in your chest when you accept that the couple you’ve spent fifteen episodes rooting for will never, ever kiss.

—Kdrama blogs.

—The torture of waiting for the next episode, and how it gets exponentially worse when the raw video is online but the subs are still hours away.

This.

—Watching your favorite drama. Again.

—Knowing the primetime TV schedule off the top of your head . . . for a country that’s 6,000 miles away.

—The sorrow of your favorite actor enlisting.

—The giddy anticipation when he announces his comeback project, two years later.

—Flower boys.

—Talking to another drama fan and realizing you speak the same language—and it’s not English. (Or even Korean.)

—The excitement of having a whole new batch of dramas to look forward to every three months, all year round.


This.


—Calling in sick because you just can’t wait for the next episode.

—The pain of hitting the “play” button on the last episode of a drama you really loved.

—A sophisticated appreciation of the finer things in life, like instant noodles and Asian alcohols.

—Being able to navigate through Incheon Airport by memory, even though you’ve never been there before.

—The true meaning of the word Fighting.

This.

—The fear that a show you desperately want to watch will never be subbed in a language you speak.

—Finding it a pleasant novelty to hear people on television speaking your own language.

—The knowledge that episode 16 beats an extra hour of sleep every time.

—The bizarre appeal of Boys over Flowers.

—The courtly love of a gentle and kind second male lead (who’s still never going to get the girl).

This.

—Having a Kdrama story for everything. (It’s raining while the sun is shining? Fox rain! Think that younger man is cute? Noona romance!)

—Never wanting to eat anywhere that isn’t a Korean restaurant.

—The lemming-like attraction poor girls have for chaebol sons.

—The satisfaction of knowing that, unlike in real life, Kdrama villains almost always get exactly what they deserve by the end. (And so do Kdrama lovers.)

—That through-the-rabbit-hole feeling of discovering a whole new world that’s only as far away as the nearest Internet access point. (Who needs Wonderland when there’s Asia?)

Any others?


29 comments:

  1. "Talking to another drama fan and realizing you speak the same language—and it’s not English. (Or even Korean.)"

    Oh yes! This week-end, I just met a Kdrama fan for the first time... I mean a real-life person! I've only ever talked to people online who are fans. We did that thing after realizing we both loved Kdramas, that thing where you look at eachother and your eyes get as big as plates! LOL. The only sad part was when this girl told me she'd seen Faith, Boys Over Flowers, and Personal Taste. I said "So you really like Lee Min-Ho right?" :)... Her face went blank and she asked "who?"

    AHHHHHHHHHHH! It was all I could do to keep from screaming. Chincha!

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    1. Will I ever get to "squee" in person with other fans? "Sigh"

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    2. The first time encounter with a real life K-drama fan is amazing really. I was at a college orientation and i mentioned that I wanted to stay in to finish watching the latest episode of Mandate of Heaven and she's said she was watching it too. I wish I could've seen to look on my face because I had to have looked as wide-eyed and surprised as she did. We spent hours talking about dramas :) I was definitely squealing with joy.

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  2. You nailed everything! It's like a different world that we cross-over to once we step back into our rooms and flip open the computer.

    Haha! Korea isn't in Southeast asia though :P

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    1. Southeast Asia? I have no idea what you mean.

      (I corrected the problem because you were kind enough to point it out. Did I mention that I suck at all forms of geography?)

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    2. Haha! Korea is in East Asia (includes China, Korea, Japan), South East Asia is anywhere Thailand and below, all the way to Indonesia, basically all the tropical countries. They're very different in culture from the East Asians, which share similar heritage :)

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  3. What a lovely list!

    Made me feel happy to know that although I have never met another obsessive drama fan in real life, they definitely exist out there and there are people that understand and feel the exact same way I do!

    You made my day! :)

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  4. EXCELLENT!!!!! The only other thing I can think of is how we stalk our favorite K-Drama star (you-Gong Yoo, me-Hyun Bin). We have to know everything about them. I join all the fan clubs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, bookmark every Korean newspaper's Entertainment section for news of them, google the internet and search You Tube. I could go on and on about some of the stalking I've done but I think I've already shown how obsessed I am... I really loved the one about them enlisting for service and waiting for them to return. That was me daily from March, 2011 to December, 2012!

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    1. Just saw on Soompi where Gong Yoo has finished filming his latest movie, "The Suspect". Looks really interesting.....

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  5. I nodded in agreement reading every single line above! I'm a Korean girl who only now appreciates the fact that she grew up with parents who only spoke Korean at home. Because now I can watch shows unsubbed, especially variety shows which are rarely subbed (although I do prefer to watch subbed shows). I just wish that I had called my Korean boyfriends oppa while I had the opportunity *sigh* I guess it's better to embrace my 'Korean-ness' at this age than never! Lol

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  6. sigh. I am pleased to say I have had the opportunity to SQUEE~~ with other fangirls over dramas...once upon a time. My drama taste has matured over time and those fangirls rarely watch or are interested in the dramas that I watch. I really don't know what to do with the excessive feels I have. I have come to such a point in life, I blab all my drama feels to non-Kpop/drama loving friends. It's all I can think about. I wonder when they'll start avoiding me. Oh well. Atleast I got anipang to keep me company.

    On another note - Anipang is so good. All this time I've been watching Shinhwa and other celebs play Anipang and I never realised there's actually an English version out! Needless to say, I've been glued to my phone.
    Heck, I didn't even know KakaoTalk was in English!

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  7. But that's me!!!! :) Great list!!! Thanks a lot, I've read this post with a huge smile on my face....
    It's good to know that I'm not the only one thinking exactly this -quoting you- "she would never become a helpless Korean drama addict like me. Which of course got me to thinking about all the many things that she—and the rest of the non-drama-watching world—will never understand".

    Thank you!




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  8. "The bizarre appeal of Boys over Flowers." <--cracked me up, haha, but so true, so true. This whole list is sooo true. Once you become an addict, it's for life, and it's a funny club with its own special merit badges!!!

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  9. totally love every word cause i can check every one of these except for calling in sick and add i have been to korea just for kdrama land and music.
    one to add that we all think, imagining touching all those 5 packs up close and personal. also buying the products they endorse while visiting there or buying them online just to say you have the latest stuff so-and-so wore in that kdrama you just watched. i love your list-so true! thank you for the smiles with your blog :)

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  10. LOVED this post! Oh the feels!

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  11. Brilliant post. Dont forget those overbearing Mothers determined THEY know best for their sons, be it wives, jobs etc!

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  12. I read this list with a huge smile on my face, can't believe she didn't know who Lee Min Ho was, all I can say is: whaaaaaat??? Can someone plsssss tell me from which k-drama the first screen grab is from?

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    Replies
    1. Drama is "My Princess" and that perfect body belong to gorgeous Song Seung Heon-OPPA (I'm older than him but I can't resist )

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    2. Thank you... I need to rewatch it, I must have missed that place in the drama hehehe. :)

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  13. I loved this list. I swear, your blog and seoulbeats make me so happy that people get serious and articulate about their K-culture.

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  14. reading your post, and everyone else who made a comment confirms that there are people like me out there! haha my hubby thinks i'm crazy, but i hope i never get over this addiction! i'm asian (sadly not korean) and i barely watch any local tv anymore. i have given up on american tv shows as well. i just need my k-drama fix, everyday if possible! :)

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  15. Spot on, good stuff, and here's my BUT,

    K Drama villains more often than not are redeemed, forgiven, in the end. And I don't think we quite get the endings we want very often, which partially explains the constant quest for the next great k drama.

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  16. any others? a suddenly dislike for an actress for a childishfangirl reason, e.g never like song hye gyo since she dated uri oppa and it doesn't help that they had seperated... I used to like her in full house. i could name for more actress' ^_^'

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  17. I giggled all the way through your list, because a lot of it reminded me of myself. I really don't have many people I can talk to about my obsession with k-dramas so it is nice to know there are others that feel the same as me. I can talk to the guy who does my nails but strangely he can not understand my obsession with Kim Hyun Joong (what is up with that?!)

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  18. The knowledge that episode 16 beats an extra hour of sleep every time.

    LOL! Is that before or after you give up that extra hour of sleep, because I know there have been times I've regretted the decision later. ;)


    That through-the-rabbit-hole feeling of discovering a whole new world that’s only as far away as the nearest Internet access point. (Who needs Wonderland when there’s Asia?)

    The only thing better would be actually going there. *deep sigh* If only I were filthy rich instead of stunningly gorgeous... XD

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  19. "..—The lemming-like attraction poor girls have for chaebol sons..". Going along with that is the "marry up" mom of the poor girl, who ALWAYS thinks it is better to marry a rich psychopath (with the most dysfunctional family since the Borgias) than that nice guy down the street.

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  20. "—Calling in sick because you just can’t wait for the next episode."
    Seriously, the amount of times I've had to tell myself "No, finishing this drama isn't a reason not to go to work"! It's so hard though, when you only have two episodes left, and you have to wait all freaking day to watch them!

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    1. Great list- I've stayed up way too late too many times only to get up early to request a vacation day & then use it watching tv (who needs sleep?) Lorim

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  21. Thank the Lord I've been given a (slightly) early retirement package.....leads to.....don't you hate people who can't understand that rising at noon because you were up till 5 watching Adrama where "A" stands for AnyAsian continually is NOT dysfunctional.

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