Ajooma Reviews: 2020 was My Kdrama Year (1 of 2)

What experience gave you a big surprise that changed your mind and attitude towards an object, an event or a person? Was there a specific event you participated in that made you a believer of some truth or reality? What did your friends push you into doing that turned you into a solid fan of? In my case, it is the experience of watching Korean dramas (Kdrama) since my friends relentlessly nagged me. I had a 180 degree turn after finishing Crash Landing on You on Netflix eight months ago. This is my story of the change, not only in my mind but also of my heart on Kdramas.

I used to think that watching KDramas is a waste of time. Why would I spend an hour watching a telenovela when there are more productive ways to use my time on. I held on to the belief that telenovelas have the same troupes and patterns of storytelling. I have seen one. I have seen them all. But, my friends were bent on making me a Kdrama fan.

My friends at work convinced me that it is the kind of entertainment we deserve to watch. According to her, Kdramas have the aesthetics and production value. Another said that it is worth one’s time and Netflix subscription because the Kdramas offer a new spin or a novel way of presenting a story. In previous years, friends would tell me to watch Descendants of the Sun or Goblin. These Kdramas were highly recommended. I considered their opinions. Well produced series. Aesthetic appeal. A different and unique way of telling stories. I stopped the eye-rolling and listened to my friends.

My first KDrama to see on Netflix is Crash Landing on You (CLOY). After watching CLOY, I finally understood what my friends were saying. Take for example the story line of CLOY. A beautiful rich girl with family issues got lost in North Korea. Blame it on a tornado on the day she went paragliding. She landed on the Demilitarized Zone between NoKor and SoKor. This is no man’s land for Koreans living on either side. Apparently, a captain of the NoKor army who is on patrol found her. At that particular moment, when the two lead characters met, the conflict was established. It posed a lot of questions and because the actors have chemistry, it promised a lot of surprises and discoveries. I was not disappointed. My questions were answered. Though the story was not really new, the telling was.