Don’t worry, I haven’t actually done either (only the occasional whining), but anyone who watches Korean tv dramas will know that if you have a good classic melodrama running across whatever screen you’re using to feed your K-drama addiction, you can be sure to hear the female lead scream and cry at the top of her lungs at the male lead who will usually just stand blank-faced and stone-like while she repeatedly punches him in the chest. 오빠!!! 왜 이래?? 오빠 정말 바보야!! Yes, I’m currently watching Stairway to Heaven (천국의 계단) and no one screams and cries as convincingly as Choi Ji Woo. I used to never understand anything but her frustrated gestures and the tears, but this time I find that even her Korean shrieks and sobs make perfect sense to me. Conclusion: when you understand Korean while it’s being yelled, cried, and sobbed you’re on the right path to fluency or at least a decent listening comprehension level.

I honestly think that this show is way too over-dramatic and (spoiler alert) extremely sad, but I still find myself coming back to it again and again. Does any of you have a drama like that? And which do you prefer? Rom-com, melo, or pure Korean makjang?

 

Posted on 6 By 소희 Korean dramas Posted in Korean dramas, Korean expressions, Korean progress, Language learning Tagged #, , , ,

소희

I'm a Danish girl living in Korea teaching economics at Sogang economics. When I'm not working I love to learn Korean, discover this beautiful country, read and blog about my experiences and thoughts. Follow me at www.sofietokorea.com :)

6 Comments »

  1. I do have one. It was the first drama I’ve watched and since then I deeply fell in love with Korean. It’s ‘Dream High’ -yeah I was young at the time.
    I guess I tend to prefer Rom-Com.

    Anyways, congratulations for making progress! 🙂

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  2. I’ve watched Boys over Flowers 3 times, even though I think it’s way too overhyped. Despite some of its ridiculous plotlines (and Kim Hyun-joong’s hideous hairstyle), I keep re-watching it for some reason. I guess I tend to think of it fondly since it was the first k-drama I ever watched.

    Now that I think about it, my favorite dramas are all melodramas, which is rather amusing since my personality is anything but melodramatic. I guess I’m a sucker for gaping plot holes and dramatic music.

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  3. I hate and I mean HATE tragedies. If I hear an English movie has a sad ending it is immediately placed on my “there is no way in heck I’m watching it” list. Then comes K-drama. The first ones I saw were comical to a degree. Then I watched “Autumn in My Heart.” As each episode passed I had a feeling it was not going to be the happy ending I love. But could not, for the life of me, stop watching. Towards the end I was sobbing with discarded tissues littering the couch and floor. Then the final scene began and instead of feeling like my heart was going to be ripped from my chest I felt this amazing calm. I can’t believe I even think this…but there was no better way for it to end. I have since watched it about 4 times and still get goosebumps thinking of it.

    I find that things I would have little to no interest here I have a high tolerance and dare I say, love when it is handed on a Korean plate. It’s not just tragedies. It happened with music too! I have an automatic “no” button when it comes to any band that is popular because I can’t handle how crazy fans get and the big heads the artists suffer from because of it. I used to like rapping in the good ole 80’s and 90’s but not the variety that is popular in American music today. And please don’t get me started on teeny-bop music. I cringe any time my daughter turns it on. My son went through this dubstep phase. It was obnoxious so I made him wear earbuds. Yet, here I sit and the first K-pop song I actually liked (not purposefully and it ended up playing about 2x before I started to like it?!) was Monster by EXO. I used to listen to OSTs because I just didn’t like k-pop and still don’t. Except for EXO. That song and the group falls into nearly every category that I detest in American music. And despite the crazed fans, obnoxious raps, the fact that it’s geared to teen age girls and the fact I am 42, I love EXO! hahahaha!

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    • Hear hear, sister! I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said. Korean tragedies have their own feel to them, and they DO NOT compare to American ones. More than being sad and depressing, Korean tragedies can be mind-blowingly beautiful. I also completely agree with you on EXO. Not usually the type of music I would listen to in English, haha. I guess you can say I have two personalities – a Western one and a Korean one. Long story short, they don’t always agree 😀

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