Sometimes change is good. In the case of Korean drama, good doesn’t begin to cover it. Korean drama has taken the world by storm. In fact, Korean drama has become so widespread throughout modern-day entertainment that the dispersal is often referred to as the Hallyu, which means the Korean wave.
A more accurate label might be the Korean tsunami.
Note that we aren’t just talking about popularity in the United States or the Western world. The Hallyu is currently drowning the entire world, and everyone is eager to go under. In a poll done by Amino, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia are the countries that watch Korean dramas the most with the United States and the UK coming in second.
So what is causing everyone to drown in the Hallyu? We’ll explore a few theories below.
G-Rated Drama
With so much violence and sex on television, it’s refreshing to be able to watch a show that’s clean. In some cases, even kids can watch these shows without parents having to worry about a “cover your eyes” scene. What’s even better is that G-rated Korean drama proves that you can have successful shows for general audiences. Everyone may love a little violence and sex, but it’s not a requirement for good entertainment.
Attractive Casts
If you binge-watch Korean dramas, you’ll notice that all the actors are breathtakingly beautiful. This isn’t to say that shows from other cultures don’t have attractive people. Still, Korean dramas seem to only employ the “highly” attractive crowd. Some will say that looks aren’t everything, but let’s face it. Having a group of beautiful people in the show makes it much more appealing.
Source: ShutterstockPreferring to see attractive people is nothing to feel bad about. It’s human nature. It’s wired into our genetics. Have you ever heard of the halo effect? It’s a phenomenon where people assume someone is a good, talented person because they’re attractive. This is what happens with Korean dramas – you see highly attractive people, and you automatically assume the show will be great.
Improvement in Quality
Korean dramas aren’t a new concept. They’ve been around for decades. They used to be sold as grainy VHS videos. When DVDs became popular, they made the switch, but the quality was akin to a bootleg movie. The sound was terrible, and the words may not have matched the actor’s lip movements. You were lucky if the subtitles were accurate.
With the help of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, Korean dramas are now getting the funding they need to create high-quality entertainment. The content of the shows and movies were always great. It was just hidden under shoddy production. Now that they’re in high definition with excellent sound quality, people are discovering what they’ve been missing all this time.
Content That People Can Relate To
It doesn’t matter that the characters are Asian and that they may be speaking Korean. Korean dramas are universal.
People can put themselves in the storyline no matter where they’re from. It’s understandable, inspirational, motivational, and entertaining. Sure, there are some elements of the Korean culture present. Still, it’s not overwhelming, and the content is made for all audiences.
Source: ShutterstockBy creating content that is so relatable and infusing it with just the right amount of the Korean culture, these dramas can reel in anyone from any country in the world.
Korean dramas have proven that they will continue to gain in popularity. New shows are popping up on streaming services every week. There is no doubt that the Korean drama industry will soon be rivaling the most watched genres sooner than you may think. If you haven’t already, grab your surfboard and jump on the Hallyu. You’ll be glad you did!
