K dramas/ C dramas I recommend (I’m just giving the brief version of all these dramas because I’m lazy)
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Disclaimer: I am dog shit at explaining things so mah bad homies:
Abyss(Korean)(it’s about getting a second chance at life in a new body and finding out secrets) of course there’s more to it but that’s the quick version of it
The uncanny counter(Korean)(this one is about being on your death bed but coming back to life as an counter to fight off evil spirts)
It’s okay to not be okay(Korean)( it’s about mental health)
Move to heaven(Korean)(this drama made me shed TEARS I tell ya)(it’s about a young man with Asperger syndrome that helps clean people houses when they die) (I don’t think I’m doing it justice but it’s really good)
Nevertheless(Korean)(this one is about a girl that sees the worse in love and a guy that likes to flirt but thinks dating is annoying)
Bad guys(Korean)(it’s about a man that releases 3 convicts so they can help him catch other criminals)
Itaewon class(Korean)(I’m not going to lie…the bad guy in this drama made me want to strangle him the whole time. So kudos to the actor because he really played his role)
Do do sol sol la la sol(Korean)(it’s about a pianist who becomes broke and ends up in a piano academy where she falls in love with a mystery man)
My shy boss(Korean)(it’s about an introvert boss who hires a cheery employee. This one is a romance/comedy drama)
Nightmare high(Korean)(this one is about a new teacher coming in, and all the students dreams begins to become real)
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Now moving on to some Chinese dramas. I realize that every Chinese drama I’ve watched is romance ones so oops
I hear you(Chinese)(basically two people end up falling in love)
Accidentally in love(Chinese)(idk why but I’ve watched this drama 3 times now)
A love so beautiful(Chinese)(I know there’s a Korean version of this but I got to say I like this one better for some reason)
Put your head on my shoulder(Chinese)(another love story)
this post is not about korean films - but a special space is carved out to two of the best korean dramas i’ve ever watched. a potent mix of everything i wish for in a drama converges in Signal andSecret Forest - tightly written plot, poignant but un-didactic social commentary, excellent acting, composed direction, remarkable cinematography and music. these two dramas are on another level of distinction compared to the rest.
Signal is a crime drama with a dose of fantasy. when a young upstart prosecutor (Lee Je-hoon) encounters a walkie-talkie that connects him to the past, he teams up with a determined cop (Kim Hye-soo) to solve cold crimes and unearth the truth about a cop who had mysteriously disappeared (Jo Jin-woong). dealing with similar themes, Secret Forest features Jo Seung-woo as an apathetic and principled prosecutor, who works together with a warm-hearted kick-ass cop (Bae Doona) to expose and punish the rampant corruption in the prosecution, police force, and conglomerates.
*spoilers ahead*
what i really appreciate about both dramas are that its stories are based on real cases, and pays extreme detail in imitating them. Signalbegins with the Hwaseong serial killings, which have been amply covered in other works (e.g. Memories of Murder) and form the groundworks for many korean films/dramas’ creative reimagination. Signal also covers the Miryang gang rape case (a la Han Gong Ju), and even incorporated the line that outraged the korean public into the script (”my boy’s not at fault for being a rapist - she seduced him”). it also makes reference to the collapse to the Seongsu bridge collapse in 1994 (as in House of Hummingbird too). in fact, a family member of a victim of crime sent a message of gratitude to the Signal production staff, for recognising and giving space to their pain.
Secret Forest does not make such direct references to cases of corruption that happened, but does so in more subtle ways. when a security guard is unable to hand over a CCTV tape from a month ago, citing that they typically discard the tapes after 14 days although the rules stipulate a 2-month period, Jo Seung-woo’s character coldly points out that this trivial attitude towards following the law will eventually lead to the sinking of a ship or the collapse of a department store. (Sewol ferry incident in 2014, Sampoong Department Store collapse in in 1995). in doing so, it is not afraid to pointedly criticise the ills that have gone unchecked. when the corrupt conglomerate CEO is arrested and arrives in court feigning illness on a wheelchair, we laugh because we’ve seen this before - in different countries, in different eras.
***more spoilers***
another area that distinguishes these two dramas from the rest, is the rich and complex characters created. the cops in both dramas were coerced into ill-doings because of the widespread corruption in the system around them that punished those who tried to stay morally upright. but there remain people who would sacrifice themselves to uproot corruption. Shin Hye-sun’s character in Secret Forest was a sacrificial victim that eventually pointed the team to the culprit, Jo Jin-woong’s character in Signal knowingly risked his life so that his remains could become evidence for indicting the culprit. Kim Hye-soo’s muted optimism, which so quickly deflated into a cold-hearted realism, was especially painful to watch.
but the character that fascinated me most was Yoo Jae-myung’s character in Secret Forest, who unintentionally tumbled into corruption step by wicked step. it all started with an uneventful lunch that a senior volunteered to paid for; it then became a senior doting on him buying him a luxury wallet; and it ends with him being pressured to do him favours. while pretending to be a corrupt prosecutor, Yoo Jae-myung’s character secretly collected evidence, created a special investigation taskforce for Jo Seung-woo’s upright prosecutor, accumulated power to protect the upright prosecutors, before handing the evidence over and committing suicide in disgrace.
*end of all spoilers*
one final spoiler - both dramas do not end in blinding optimism for the future (why should it?) but this should not deter you from watching the drama. rectifying crime & undoing corruption is a systemic unearthing that requires stamina. and if you’re a fan like me, thankfully season 2′s of both dramas are in the works!
Ok so as someone who started watching kdramas in 2012 I’ve seen quite a few dramas throughout the years and sometimes I feel like the newer ones just don’t have that same appeal to me as I got when I first started and I don’t know if its just because I’m older and in a different place in my life or if dramas really aren’t as good as they used to be. Anyway I thought it might be fun to have you guys make me choose between a newer and an older drama, lets say older from 2012-past and newer from 2013-now. They can be similar genres or just random ones, I want to see what I actually prefer!
anon asked: 안녕하세요! My Korean friends keep telling me bad words in Korean but not tell me what they mean! Please help me know what they mean? Can you give a list of all the swears in Korean?
Hello! 안녕하세요! I did an ask similar to this I can link them here [x].
AS A REMINDER: This is for educational purposes only! Please read the following blog with caution. I will censor all words, so use your imagination.
놈 - b*stard
년 - b*tch
좆 - d*ck/c*ck (this word can usually be combined with other swears)
개새끼 - SOB // son of a b*tch (can be shortened to 개새)
씨발 - f*ck
젠장 - damn it!
병신 - jerk / *sshole
엿먹어 - f*ck you
꺼져 - get the hell out / leave me the f*ck alone
보지 - p*ssy
좆됐어 - i’m f*cked / it’s f*cked
미친(놈/년) - crazy b*stard / b*tch
좆나//존나 ‘x’ - f*cking ‘x’ > you can use this like 존나 맛있어 - fkn delicious!
변태 - pervert
These are really the only ones I know - so if other ppl have more, put them in the comments or reblog to help anon out!
I hope this helps! Now when your Korean friends tell you a bad word, you can trick them haha! Best of luck and Happy Learning :)
~ SK101
To everyone reblogging and saying this list makes it easier to read webtoons - you’re damn right. Curse words are common in all forms of media, Korea is not an exception! You’d be surprised how often your faves swear in dramas / webtoons.
You can choose multiple, my “plan to watch” list is like 100 dramas long, but these are the top 20 or so. If you actually take the time to do this stupid thing for my indecisive ass I really appreciate it!
