Thoughts on Getting Started

If you want to give K-drama a try, there’s no shortage of content;  Netflix alone has dozens to choose from, all subtitled in English.  The other streaming services — Disney +, Apple +, Prime — have a few each.

A good place to begin is Crash Landing on You (2020), on Netflix. CLOY has been the gateway drama for many new fans.   This show has it all  —  romance, comedy, family drama, and armed combat.   The stars are swoonworthy, as Netflix likes to say;  production values are top-notch, and the ambient music will sweep you along. 

It’s important that your first series compels you to move forward to the next episode.  If you don’t have that experience, try another one. Not a fan of romance?  K-dramas offer a wide range of genres besides romance, including comedy, mystery/crime procedurals, spies and gangsters, medical, coming of age, or fantasy/horror/science fiction.   To mix it up, all the genres can be combined, and may be set in either a contemporary or historical time period.  Tales of the Joseon period, for example, with zombies.  A nodding acquaintance with Korean folklore and history can be helpful.     

What to watch next?  One way is to look for something else from an actor you liked.  My first year, I found OST music videos on YouTube that made me curious about that particular drama. Netflix doesn’t have a lot of the older stuff, though.  At some point you’ll want to get the Viki app.  It’s an Asian drama streaming service, well worth the nominal cost of $10/mo or $100/yr without ads.