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The Lure of Korean Drama

Wikipedia Commons
Wikipedia Commons

From time to time Hawai‘i Public Radio airs commentaries representing different viewpoints on various issues from around the islands. Today, Debra Toy Bressem returns with a perspective on the fervor surrounding Korean Drama in Hawaii.  You can read her companion article to this commentary in the November 2015 issue of Honolulu Magazine.

Like me, many islanders have developed a voracious appetite for KDrama.  No one can put their finger on what exactly makes KDrama so addicting, but fans are hard core and there is no question the formula works.  Whether it’s young lovers entangled in the bitter clash of social class, villains who take “power-hungry” to stratospheric new heights, or the ubiquitous evil mother-in-law, KDrama takes you on a wild emotional romp of conflict, suspense, romance, and resolution, despite some fantastical storylines where the ability to suspend reality is not only helpful but necessary.

Unlike American soap operas, each story has a finite number of episodes and an invariably satisfying outcome - good triumphs over evil, true love is victorious, and the evil mother-in-law gets what she’s due - so by the time one series ends, you’re already itching for your next fix.  If you’re curious to see what the mania is about, you can catch a current show on KBFD or KLIFE; or get a box set of a proven series like Stairway to Heaven or Winter Sonata.  Just know you may soon be accommodating your schedule and storage space to a new habit.

You can read Debra’s companion article to this commentary in the November 2015 issue of Honolulu Magazine. Hawai‘i Public Radio welcomes commentaries from listeners. If you have an idea, please write to our news director Bill Dorman at bdorman@hawaiipublicradio.org

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