드라마 vs. Drama
Article: Susan Lee
Editor: Grace Oh
Designer: Sarah Cho
Editor: Grace Oh
Designer: Sarah Cho
Many students and adults alike, pause their daily lives to catch up on a form of media, TV shows, that is. People tune in at, perhaps, seven o’clock, to catch the latest episode of k-drama. Some sneak onto “U-Torrents” to download a season of The CW’s newest series. The sensational pull of TV shows are undeniable. However, the question has now shifted, as the pull (so to say) seems to exist in two different directions: Korean dramas and American dramas.
Korean dramas, also dubbed k-dramas are watched religiously by Koreans and foreigners alike. Each episode is usually an hour long, and the show has one season comprised of roughly twenty episodes. Furthermore, its cast is commonly picked from a pool of very famous actors and actresses, seldom providing lead roles to less prominent or rising actors. After all, K-dramas are known for their emotionalism, or as others like to call it, cheesiness. Most actors follow strict guidelines, adding very few nuances to set their production apart from others. American dramas, however, seem to be a lot different. American dramas take a very different route from Korean dramas, in every perspective. For starters, each episode is roughly forty minutes long. They have multiple seasons, some lasting up to even seven or eight. Furthermore, they mostly cast actors and actresses who are just starting out or not well-known. Most likely, the TV show is their debut, which makes the high quality of acting surprising. Furthermore, the plots of American dramas are radically different from one another, ranging from a crime-filled mini series to a dramatic chick flick. Of course, there are American TV shows that are sentimental, yet most are uniquely different and emotional in their own way. Perhaps, this is why American TV shows have avid fans, even ones in Korea. There are several people in Korea who watch American TV shows. In order to do so, they must go through a tedious process of downloading the shows and streaming them online, both of which is illegal and difficult. Many watchers claim that they go through the hassle instead of simply watching Korean shows because American dramas are much more multifaceted. They induce a sense of refreshing originality and entertainment that Korean shows seem to lack. Eighth grader Youngwoo Kim sums it up in a single word, “Mindboggling.” |
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