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Why do non-Koreans love people love K-dramas? Is K-pop a possible influence?

K-dramas are internationally becoming more and more popular these days. Along with K-pop, K dramas have gained popularity from fans outside of South Korea over the years. What is it about K-dramas that international fans find fascinating? Does the growing number of people that watch K-dramas start out as K-pop fans?

  • The series "Dramaworld" might also be worth mentioning. It deals with an American girl's obsession with Korean dramas that literally sucks her into those fictional storylines. – aprosaicpintofpisces 7 years ago
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  • Thank you very much for that tip! this is my first time using The Artifice, so I am happy to recieve any tips and constructive criticism in order to help me improve as I write more topics/articles. – Nickskey23 7 years ago
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  • You're welcome! I'm fairly new to The Artifice myself. Based on my personal experience, I'd say interest in K-pop can certainly lead to interest in K-dramas. Whenever you're learning about a different culture, you tend to explore as many avenues as possible whether it's movies, music, books, etc. I think it also might have something to do with the fact that K-drama stars, like many K-pop idols, tend to present audiences with ideals of beauty and character. People gravitate toward pretty, well-dressed people. I personally like how funny and heartfelt K-dramas can be. With the romances, the ones that aren't too clichéd or melodramatic, I like that the relationships tend to take their time and are built up slowly. K-dramas, like a lot of K-pop, doesn't tend to get too dark in its subject matter or at least in its portrayal of difficult subject matter. That can be a little off-putting, but it can also be a refreshing quality since it isn't as common in gritty, American dramas. – aprosaicpintofpisces 7 years ago
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  • K-pop probably does play a role! However, I think it definitely raises awareness of the Korean dramas more than anything else. I think Korean dramas retain viewership from cultures outside of Korea due to often their unique storylines and the fact that Korean dramas aren't afraid to be quite silly and funny at times. It definitely has its own merits that keeps it strong. – eugeneleec 7 years ago
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  • Coming from a Hispanic culture where we have novellas, Spanish soap operas, there are a wide range of events that can happen within one episode. However, a difference that I have noticed between these two mediums is that they differ in what they show the audience. In my opinion, K-dramas tend to be more on the traditional side of things, where any kind of physical interaction is taboo. However, in novellas all kinds of action take place, from murder to partial sex scenes. K-dramas tend to keep a innocent kind of love alive in which novellas depict differently and therefore gain different audiences. – rubym 7 years ago
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  • I really want to thank all of you for your opinions on my topic. I'm gaining a lot of insight from you all and I'm glad. I will work on writing more topics and articles in the near future. – Nickskey23 7 years ago
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  • I think because most K-pop lovers who aren't Korean are just fascinated with it's uniqueness because its a sum of Korean culture and pop culture influence. – petronellarisita 7 years ago
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  • K-pop most definitely raises awareness to the culture in Korean media! K-dramas are completely different from those made in America, making it interesting to an outsider. The gender roles are different, leading to a different "cliche" plot than those in the United States or the UK. – Miranda McClellan 7 years ago
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  • One of the first shared themes I find connecting K-pop and K-dramas is heightened fantasy. In K-pop, the beautiful boys and girls are unattainable but seemingly forever single to appeal to audiences and let them fill in the blanks. In K-dramas, the love and tragedy are fantastically over the top while still emotionally accessible for audiences. It's having tangible images and scenarios but presented in a way that is so aestheticized that it plays out as fantasy. – bluishcatbag 7 years ago
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