Friday Feature: Happy Halloween

We muster the courage to recall aspects of K-dramaland that cause our hair to stand on end or send us running from the room, screaming.

Choi Jin Hyuk pictorials

For such a cute guy, Choi Jin Hyuk seems cursed to produce pictorials that range from cringeworthy to boring. Given that we’ve recapped two of his series, I can attest to the fact that there’s no reason for him to look as bad as he does in photos, because he looks great in screencaps. And yet, every time a new picture comes out, JK and I shake our heads in amazement at how uninspired he looks. The kicker of this bizarre phenomenon is that in “Fated to Love You”, his character participated in a photo shoot, and looked great while he was at it. Spooky. – Only 만

Crazy K-drama and K-pop fans

During a catered meal provided by Lee Jong Suk’s fan club for the cast and crew of “School 2013”, Kim Woo Bin jokes on camera that Lee Jong Suk is dating one of their co-stars. The actress is quick to deny it, saying, “Do you want me to die?!” It is a smart move on the part of the young actress, because the last thing she wants is to get in between Lee Jong Suk, and crazed K-drama fans who would attack anyone who dared to come between them and their idol.

Sometimes, the fan may patiently tolerate the idol’s girlfriend, only to be betrayed when the idol decides to marry. The leader of Lee Sung Min’s fan club lost her mind when his impending nuptials were announced, and wrote an essay about it. I admit that I did not read any further than the first paragraph, but it was not out of fear, but rather, boredom. – Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다

Amnesia

If K-dramas are any indication, any knock on the head, or fainting spell will instantly result in amnesia. And not just any amnesia, but a very specific form that removes either your whole identity or your memory of any recent, significant change in your life. I’ve fainted more than once, and even knocked my head pretty badly (I’d show you my scars, but they’re covered by my garish red hair), and thanks to K-dramas, I’m left wondering if I’ve forgotten something important, like my soulmate or a love child or a hidden fortune (please let it be a hidden fortune). – Only

Slut shaming

While some crazy K-drama fans will focus on their favourite actor, others will put a lot of energy into protecting said actor from a hussy. One infamous case involved JYJ fans calling for the firing of Jang Min In Ae from “I Miss You”. The crazed fans thought her “sexy image” would spoil their precious Park Yoo Chun, and the series, which had yet to air (more details here).

However, K-dramas can also be blamed for encouraging a rather puritanical streak. Even in the comparatively racy K-drama, “I Need Romance 3”, the supposed sexually liberated career women enjoy speculating whether a rival slept her way to the top. Of course, it never occurs to them to ask whether the male in the equation did the same, since their rival did not engage in sexual acts by herself. – Junggugeo Kaenada

The live shoot schedule

When I first started watching K-dramas, I couldn’t figure out why so many of them lost the plot towards the end. Production values would dip, pacing would go out the window, stories would take bizarre left turns, characters would appear then disappear, and actors would look more and more zombified, as if they had no idea how they got there. It wasn’t until I learned about the live shoot schedule that it all started to make sense. Imagine the horror of producing completely unplanned episodes based on holding the fickle attention of the K-drama viewing public. It’s not hard to picture a sleepless writer and director desperately racking their brains the night before an episode is due to air, and then turning to a ouija board for inspiration. A ghost with a weird sense of humour is the only possible explanation for the second half of “Heirs”. – Only

Clumsy or forced kissing

K-dramas tend to be on the chaste side, and there is an obvious preference by K-drama viewers for an equally innocent female lead. This would explain the popularity of Park Shin Hye, who is so asexual that she cannot even purse her lips when kissing lest she be accused of participating or enjoying it. If K-drama females cannot engage in a good smooch, then K-drama males should not engage in shower scenes, because that is pretty slutty, too. K-dramas without shower scenes; see what a terrifying world puritanical attitudes have wrought! – Junggugeo Kaenada

---

Readers: what scares you about K-dramas?

While you’re typing in the Comments below, don’t look behind you.