Asian TV Shows Are Revolutionizing Binge-Watching

We’ve all been exposed to drama series at one point in our lives, whether it’s among our friends’ circle or within our own homes. We’ve seen at least one of our family members glued to the screen as the ‘saas’ and ‘bahu’ or the sisters-in-law give each other the nastiest glares on Hum TV.

Or Sultan Suleyman riding in his magnificent Turkish glory in ‘Mera Sultan’. Or the overly dramatic expressions and zoom-ins with ‘Dhoom tana nana’ playing in the background on Star Plus. We’ve all been enticed to watch these shows, whether it’s by our friends, our mothers or our cousins.

But I was searching for a drama that would make me laugh, cry, smile and much more. A drama that would be packed with the same old clichés but, at the same time, be quite distinct…

I had a friend who was and still is a complete Asian drama fanatic. And I don’t mean the typical binging-all-day-and-night-fanaticism, I mean the paste k-drama-idols-all-over-my-wall-and-insta-blog-fanaticism. Well, it was this special friend of mine who would always text me and rave about the latest show she was watching.

‘Ting’: “Look! Sung Hoon is so dreamy!”

‘Ting’: “You NEED to listen to this Chinese soundtrack, ‘Star’. It’s beautiful.”

‘Ting’: “Oh my God! The chemistry and tension between Chen and Situ are KILLING ME!”

In one of our many get-togethers, she suggested that we watch this ‘amazinggg’ Korean drama she just discovered. I scoffed at her and said, “I don’t watch meaningless shows. And that too, with subtitles. Do I focus on the characters speaking gibberish or the text running at the bottom?

With that said, the unimaginable thought of watching Asian TV shows came to an end.

It was on a typical lazy Sunday that I found myself sitting on the couch, staring at my Netflix list. A particular title caught my eye. A second glance made me realize that it’s an Asian rom-com series! (Oh the horror!) Korean, to be precise. Starring a handsomely suited man and a beautifully flowered angel.

Soft music played in the background while foreign words were exchanged. The most clichéd first meeting occurred between the to-be couple. The ‘hot CEO’ made an entrance in all his egotistic glory and the ‘poor pretty vet’ appeared as helpless and awkward as expected. A little over 14 minutes passed. The credits rolled in. My mind was numb. I felt an indescribable mix of emotions that I had never felt before. At least not while watching a TV show. (And an Asian one, on top of that!) Joy. Frustration. Envy. Sadness.

I caught a fleeting glimpse into this undiscovered world of love, clichés, heartbreaks, and unique humor. And it was enough to hook me in. The newly-familiar opening theme played on the screen. Over the next 3 days, I binge-watched “Noble, my love”. After many anxious finger-tapping and leg-jumpings, the long-awaited finale started and a little too soon, the screen turned black again.

Netflix removed the show from my list and took a chunk of my heart along with it.

A week later, my TV shows’ feed was blessed with countless Asian rom-com series. It wasn’t long before I started another one and finished it. Quite ruthlessly, I might add. Now that I think about it, I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was that slowly yet swiftly, led to this newfound craze. Perhaps it was the fact that Asian TV is the cliché of all clichés. The high-school settings have the typical mean girl and her posse, the popular distant boy and his goody-two-shoes of a best friend, the average nerd and her sidekick, the drag queen/feminine guy and of course, the rival bad boy. While the adolescent staged shows star a mean ‘hot’ CEO with his super cheery friend and snobby mom, the poor pretty girl (and her pet) and the best friend who’s secretly in love with her.

Or maybe it was the power of love. How it drove the characters to change completely. And I don’t mean a slight shift in their attitude. I mean a 360-degree turn in their personality, words, and actions. How it pushed them to have hope when there was only darkness. How it inspired them to overcome their mountains of obstacles as if they were merely stepping-stones.

It was also the rich family culture and basic values that were embedded into their smallest of movements and utterances. How they would almost always eat together. How they would respect their elders’ opinions and go to great lengths to match their own happiness with theirs. How (in some shows) they would show undying kindness and care towards each other. And let’s not forget their sense of humility. Bowing in apologies and moving the whole world to make up for their mistakes.

And maybe, just maybe, this growing attachment to Asian TV shows had to do with their looks. The perfectly yet imperfectly messy hair. The cute baby haircuts. Their flawless angelic looking skin. Their doe-eyes. Their aesthetic room interiors.

The ‘co-incidental’ color-coordinated outfits of the ‘to-be’ couple. And their expressions? Don’t even get me started! Let’s just say that no one can pull off a true poker face better than an Asian actor. It makes one wonder whether they were just born with a straight face. But, I mean, they do smile and laugh (sometimes). And when they do, well, it leaves me ‘shook’.

Moreover, the love stories are not instant gratification. Far from that actually. Their journey is slow. REAL slow. The depth and growth of their feelings towards each other is revealed gradually: their first meetings, their hatred towards each other, their first ‘civil’ moments, the first time that they truly open their eyes and look at each other, the first time that they help each other, understand each other and start caring for each other. A lot of firsts that are quite distinct from the firsts portrayed in Western dramas. These ‘first times’ left me gripping the arm of my sofa, biting my nails, squealing and pulling my hair, occasionally, in excitement. (I’m not crazy, I promise! Wait, isn’t that what crazy people say? Uh… hehe, nevermind, carry on.) The innocence of the relationships was extremely new and refreshing. The purity of emotions and ties stuck with me.

Those of you who are a part of this fandom know exactly what I’m talking about. And those of you who are strangers to this world, well, you can only feel our excitement and storms of feelings once you join us.

Here is a list of Asian TV shows that will irreversibly make you fall in love with this extraordinary form of drama, which goes by the name of K-drama (Korean), J-drama (Japanese) and C-drama (Chinese):

Accidentally in love (Chinese/high school/cold highness/rich nerd/ hidden identity)
Descendants of the sun (Korean/army/captain/doctor/war-torn)
Good morning call (Japanese/apartment scam/popular nerd/daydreamer/living together)
Healer (Korean/case uncovered/famous journalist/internet reporter/truth vs. faith)
A love so beautiful (Chinese/studious guy/cute follower/neighbours/high school)
Korean odyssey (Korean/mythical/ghosts/gods/magician/trapped by love)
1 liter of tears (Japanese/ordinary girl/new high school student/dying/living life)
Suspicious Partner (Korean/prosecutor/new trainee/amnesic killer/running together)