137. MY ‘AHUJIMMA’ SECRET….

I hate to admit this but I’m a junkie and I need serious rehab.

I need a machine that will help rid the addiction gland in my brain.

All I can think about day and night is getting my fix and oooooh, that feeling of tension and excitement percolating through my DNA, fingers and toes when I get heady with a sense of blissful dream trips…..

…….When I’m watching my favourite Korean dramas….:P

Yeeeup, like any methamphetamine that swirls through the veins and arteries of one’s system, I confess that most of my weekends are spent ‘vegging’ out on in front of my laptop with endless marathon viewings of Korean dramas, both old and new.

Whether it’s action, romance, comedy, historical or the supernatural, I am a certified K-drama ‘ahujimma’ (‘Aunt’ or older woman in Korean).

However, I’m glad to say that I’m not the only one in my household in serious need of detoxification – my mother and recently, even my father, have tiptoed curiously and fell flat on their remotes into the dark side.

I’m not sure how all this happened but if had to plot a starting point on this endless, futile graph (O god, please help us!), I believe it would be in March, 2010 when we were all given our first taste of the Korean drama experience.

A local cable channel kept cross-promoting a historical sword fighting epic entitled “Slavehunters” across its channels.

“Slavehunters” is a big budget HD drama on a slave hunter (played by Korean heart-throb Jang Hyuk) who attempts to track down another runaway slave during the Joseon Dynasty. I guess the promo producers did their jobs well because that trailer definitely reeled us in, hook, line and bloody sinker.

After that, you can say the whole family went berserk over Korean dramas; their handsome, charismatic lead actors and actresses, the entertaining plots that end off in weekly cliffhangers and oh, the repetitive soundtracks consisting of heart wrenching ballads or trippy pop numbers that refuse to go away long after you’ve completed the series.

Oh, and that’s not all! There’s more magical ingredients that go into the successful formulas of these dramas.

They include the ever suspenseful plot, the ingenious scripts laced with sharp wit, poignant philosophical pondering and/or wisdom and killer metaphors that just lends so much strength to the whole dramatic process and best of all, it’s done in a tactful way, without overbearing the audience needlessly.

Another big plus point about Korean dramas; plots and delivery that successfully stir a range of emotions in the viewers to a point where they are able to actually relate closely to the onscreen characters, something many American series or Bollywood films have failed to do lately and also the reason why K-dramas have gained a growing number of fans around Asia, South America and even the West.

I’m not sure how many dramas I’ve completed seeing in the last one and a half years as there’s been too many but here are some of the memorable ones that have stood out for me.

Be warned though; be prepared to see no U-turns on this road once you decide to take it.

Happy K-viewing folks!

Heartstrings (You’ve Fallen for Me)

A South Korean youthful melodrama about the main characters’ love, friendship and dreams, set against the backdrop of an arts university.

The Princess’ Man

This is a Romeo/Juliet type story. Wins hands down for best drama with great acting,  lots of beheading, cinematography and pure romance.

Glory Jane (Man of Honour)

Yoon Jae In is a struggling young woman who dreams of becoming a nurse. She meets Kim Young Kwang at the hospital when he sustains injures. Kim Young Kwang is a baseball player who used to be hotshot hitter but got demoted to second string. As they struggling to overcome their fates, they find love.

Scent of a Woman

Bring out the Kleenex on this one coz this heartbreaking tale is about how a woman decides to spend the last 6 months of her life when diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Babyfaced Beauty

A story about a talented 30-something seamstress who dreams of being a fashion designer and who has to face a lot of tough competition to be successful.

King Gwanggaeto, the Great Conquerer

A historical drama detailing the life of King Gwanggaeto the Great, who restored the glory of Goguryeo by wresting power back from Baekje, which had invaded Goguryeo prior to Gwanggaeto’s birth and dominated East Asia under the rule of King Geunchogo.

**There’s definitely more titles than this but you’ll have to either visit MySoju.com or Dramacrazy.com to see just how many titles there are. It’s unbelievably ridiculous!