Asian Dramas
I first stumbled upon Asian Dramas in 2016, I don’t recall exactly how, all I know is that I watched my very first drama W: Two Worlds that year.
I went on to watch a few Taiwanese Dramas on Netflix, completely unaware of the entirety of the Drama world.
Then, in 2018, I watched Descendants of the Sun on a website that was dedicated to Asian Television and I haven’t been able to go back.
Why?
Because each new drama brings a freshness. No two dramas are the same.
The plot may be, but the execution is different.
Though there are straight forward dramas, the majority of them always have a major plot twist that takes you completely off guard.
Dramas like The King: Eternal Monarch make you feel like you know where it’s heading, then half way through makes you question your theory until you completely throw it out the window, and then BAM! your theory comes true. I find it exciting.
Then there are the dramas that totally catch you by surprise. Like Uncontrollably Fond and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. They lead you to fall in love, cheer for lead characters, hope in your heart that everything works out for the best and they end together, only to have your heart destroyed. I still cry when A Little Braver by New Empire comes on, it was the soundtrack of Uncontrollably Fond and it goes to show the mark it left in me almost two years after I watched it.
If you saw my What I Watch list, you would’ve noticed that the majority of the items on each of my lists are Asian, barely anything else, there’s a legit reason for it: I can’t watch anything else anymore.
Asian Dramas are conservative - for the most part. This has caused my brain to retrain itself to the point where I can no longer watch shows with explicit content. And I am talking more than just sex scenes… I refer to the explicitness of it all. It just does not attract me at all.
I recall watching Girl Boss on Netflix near the end of last year just to have a break from Asian Dramas, and I stopped immediately after the scene switched from the bar to the bedroom within the first 10 minutes, the leading lady was kissing a guy she just met. It was at that moment I realize I could not go back to these type of shows. Even still, I tried again earlier this year with the 100, because it had been on my to watch since forever and my mom had seen it, so I figured, if my mom can handle it, so can I. I watched about 6 episodes I believe and stopped, because it was becoming too sexual for me.
Even now, I am caught off guard when characters kiss within the first 3 episodes in recent KDramas [Korean Dramas]. Though not many of these programs exists, Korea has a much more stricter system than the US after all.
Asian dramas are shows that you can watch with anyone and not be uncomfortable because an unexpected scene pops up.
Yes, there are moments when I wish they weren’t so conservative, but at the same time, I appreciate the ability to be able to watch clean content.
Not everyone likes to be slapped in the face with explicit content whenever they watch TV. Asian Dramas for me are a breath of fresh air.
And trust me, you will not care one single bit about reading the subtitles. This is coming from someone who did not like to use subtitles.
Give it a try, and you’ll see how your own palette will change.
