I have been trying to learn Korean recently and so I have immersed myself in Korean television, namely Korean Dramas, referred to as K-Dramas.

Now the Netflix algorithm might have a little to do with this, but I have found that most K-Dramas follow a similar formula which isn’t altogether bad, it’s actually strangely addictive! Here is what I have learned from watching K-Dramas.

Everybody is incredibly beautiful

Or if not, they are no doubt going to get a makeover at some point in the series to win over the CEO’s son or daughter. Okay so not every single person in a K-Drama is superhuman but I guarantee that most leads in romantic comedy dramas have glass skin you can see your own reflection in.

Most CEOs are 25 and insanely attractive 

OR the counter to this rule, the CEO’s son is 25 and insanely attractive. K-Dramas often feature large family companies, referred to as chaebols. But did you know some of the top companies in the world are chaebols in real life? Samsung, Hyundai, LG, and my favourite (there’s something for everyone) Lotte Corporation. Investopedia explains the chaebol corporate structural makeup in detail here.

It’s not surprising that a lot of dramas incorporate a family business considering some of the top chaebols have helped build the South Korean economy to what it is today, I just want to find the 25 year old CEO/model that runs Samsung….just kidding we all know the real reason Korean CEOs look so young – it’s the 10 step skincare regimen

Here are some Chaebol K-Dramas to watch:

• What’s wrong with Secretary Kim
• The Heirs
• Itaewon Class

There’s almost always a topless male shower scene 

Yes, you read that correctly, a lot of K-Dramas have a male shower scene typically within the first few episodes – Vincenzo cut pretty much straight to the chase with a shower scene in episode one (and I am not complaining!). 

It’s not the kind of shower scene you would need to draw the blinds for but it’s enough to see that the 25 year old CEO has perfectly cut abs, which makes you watch the drama for long enough to see if there is a second topless male shower scene – there rarely is…but I never give up hope!

The first episode is always bad 

Maybe not bad, but just not as good as the rest of the episodes I have found. They do a good job of setting the scene and piquing your interest but honestly some of my favourite K-Dramas I have watched I easily could have given up before episode two, I always remind myself of this rule.

I find it’s because they are usually setting the scene too well, trying to detail the complexity in the variety of characters or introducing too many too soon – often some will have a flashback to set up the drama which feels a little too detailed for my liking.

My rule of thumb, never judge a K-Drama by its first episode (or title for that matter but that could just be a translation thing!); instead judge it by how sharp the male leads’ abs are – then you will never be disappointed.

There’s usually a love triangle 

And it’s super obvious who will win out from the start but it’s still completely satisfyingly addictive to wait until episode 16 to see it through. Clearly, I watch more romantic dramas than other genres but this story arc is a common one where the female lead chooses between the handsome CEO or the handsome CEOs best friend. 

Some of the best romantic K-Dramas to watch:

• Crash Landing on You
• She was pretty
• Strong Girl Bong-Soon
• The best hit (AKA hit the top)

There tends to be a lot of product placement marketing

As a marketer I am not complaining but it is interesting to observe, I think in retrospect it is also super obvious. For example, shortly after MiniSo launched in Korea the store was featured in Goblin and While you were sleeping contributing to the rise in its popularity in Korea. Lead characters are always sporting the latest Samsung phone (or iPhone 6 if it is a flashback episode), using the latest LG vacuum cleaner and in recent years, showcased the Dyson haircare range.

Sometimes the lead characters work at real life Korean chains which I have always found interesting from a brand reputation perspective, and it has worked as I now have an awareness of many Korean coffee chains and beauty stores.

Some of them have underlying messages about self-confidence and the value society places on beauty

There are a few dramas that touch on beauty, weight gain and bullying. I would say that the pressure put on young women and men to look perfect in society is similar globally however in K-Dramas the focus tends to be on perfect skin and natural beauty. Most women are naturally thin but they are striving to be thinner. Bullying can occur if they are not perfect. The dramas that do have an underlying message around personality being more important than the way people look can be fraught with danger, as the message in some of them still ends with a makeover to look pretty, plastic surgery to hide their former selves or weight loss to be accepted. The one I think that touches on it probably the best is True Beauty – without giving too much away the climax of the show isn’t about reinvention to finally be accepted. Hello, Me! Was another drama that slightly touches on this and doesn’t focus heavily on reinvention for acceptance but more so for self-confidence.

K-Dramas which speak to beauty standards, bullying and weight gain:

• True Beauty
• Oh my Venus
• My ID is Gangnam beauty
• Hello, Me!

They’re really good! 

Well duh. But I mean they are so good that some of them have been remade in other countries for reproduction including America, Japan, Turkey, China, the Philippines and Thailand to name a few, with the most famous being The Good Doctor (or Good Doctor as it was originally titled in Korea). The show is still running in the US and has been nominated for several Golden Globes. K Star Live showcases some of the popular remakes here.

There’s something for everyone!

Whilst I seem to be a sucker for a romantic comedy, my three favourite K-dramas are actually horror/fantasy. There is a diverse range from romance, thriller, fantasy and straight-up drama. Some alternative genres’ to straight-up romance (I say straight up because sometimes there is usually a romance story arc even in the horror K-Dramas) are:

• Kingdom (historical/horror)
• Sweet home (horror)
• The uncanny counter (horror/fantasy)
• Tale of the nine tailed (Fantasy/romantic drama)
• Vagabond (crime/thriller)
• Healer (crime/romantic)

So where can you watch K-Dramas?

Most titles are available on Netflix depending on your country, however another good source is Viki where you can watch some for free or upgrade for HD and in-demand titles.

Lessons learned?

So, what’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned from watching K-Dramas? Once you start it’s hard to stop! The Korean style of drama typically only ever has one season, barring a few exceptions so they are enough to get you hooked and want more, but not enough to completely tire of them. There are just no topless lady shower scenes unfortunately…