If you’ve ever watched a Korean drama, you probably know some of the tropes of the television form. You’ve seen the dramatic car accidents, the soap opera-esque mother-in-laws, and the slow-motion kisses. On the surface, every drama follows a formula – the main leads are destined to end up together, the second female lead always gets in the way, the dramatic kiss is always between episodes six and nine – but if you dig a little deeper, there are many things you can learn about writing and about life. Here are 10 things I have learned from watching Korean dramas.
1. Chemistry between characters does not happen instantly.
I know it seems weird to think that characters would have chemistry immediately, but I honestly used to think so. However, dramas have taught me that, with the right circumstances and a little open-mindedness, even characters who loathe each other from the start can be lovers by the end.
2. Cliffhangers are less about big surprises and more about making the audience want more.
Dramas are fantastic at leaving you breathless at the end of an episode, regardless of whether or not something truly significant occurs. For example, in an episode of Another Oh Hae Young, the ending shows the male lead, who has seen various visions throughout the drama, seeing another vision of the female lead breaking his window. We keep watching simply because we want to know why she did it, despite the fact that his vision was no abnormal or monumental occurrence.
3. Sometimes you have to make things happen, but other times things happen on their own.
I love dramas because they present a balance of action and patience. Sometimes we have to fight for good things to happen in our lives. Other times, however, all we have to do is wait for the good things to happen to us. Too often, we as humans are one extreme or the other. Life, however, is about a combination.
4. Endings don't have to answer everything.
There are some dramas – I’m looking at you, Boys Over Flowers – where the endings come close to being 100% satisfactory, but they leave a little something up to interpretation. Despite previously hating this practice, I have come to realize that this sort of ending, when done correctly, can often further an audience’s interaction with the plot post-story.
5. Culture is key.
Of course culture is important in a drama set in Korea, spoken in Korean, and starring Korean actors. It is also important to understand culture in any kind of story. It would be odd, for example, to have an American set up on a marriage meeting or dressed up in a hanbok without some cross-cultural context.
6. A girl can save herself. A guy is allowed to cry.
One cool thing about dramas is that, while the heterosexual romances tend to follow the same pattern of manly-man and feeble girl, those roles are also shown to be only portions of a true person’s character. Sure, Park Shin Hye may need to be saved from her terrible home life, but she can also beat up a whole gang that causes a scene in her emergency room when patients’ lives are at stake. Okay, maybe Lee Jong Suk does develop a tough side when he is held captive in North Korea for many years, but that won’t stop him from shedding some tears when he realizes his one true love has been alive this whole time.
7. You can't tell a story without understanding jargon.
One thing I love about medical or historical dramas is that, if a character uses jargon or speaks in an older form of Korean, there will be a subtitle on-screen defining that thing. Conversely, if the medical or historical drama takes place entirely without jargon or older language, it is much more difficult to believe.
8. Your moments of weakness are what build your strength.
We’ve heard it before – “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – but sometimes it’s difficult to believe when set to upbeat music and played at your ninth grade homecoming dance. In many ways, it is a fact easier to stomach when you see Park Shin Hye cry into her cup ramen at night and wake up the next morning with a brave face and fighting spirit.
9. Plot twists don't have to be big to be important.
In my writing, plot twists are incredibly difficult. However, from watching dramas, I have come to realize that a plot twist, while more dramatic if it is, in fact, large and spectacular, does not have to be humongous to make a difference in the overall plot. In addition, plot twists can be a build of many small things which create a larger twist.
10. If all seems lost, just give it some time.
We see a lot of time jumps in dramas, mostly toward the end, and that is because sometimes people simply need time to grow. Dramatic things happen and stepping back from them all before reaching the end often helps nurture situations into better places.
Even though they’re in a different language, and even though they’re extremely formulaic, dramas have a lot to teach us. They offer more than just base plots and overzealous sob fests. They offer up tidbits of truth, so long as you are willing to look for them.
