I grew up knowing next to nothing about Korea. Till the return of a prodigal uncle who came home bearing gifts. For some strange reason, he gave me a Korean doll. You know the ones. The Asian barbie dressed in hanbok you find in every Korean DFS.
I was mesmerised. Not only because I never got dolls (since my family disapproved of any toys without educational basis) but also because the costume was so ... gaudy! Of course I loved it!
I am not sure what happened to the doll as, as expected, it was taken away from me the moment my uncle left the house but I remember my uncle humming a snatch of Arirang for me. It was such a catchy tune that I probably drove everyone up the wall humming it non-stop for the next few days.
And that was the extent of my Korean education till I was in my late teens.
Korean BBQ was the trend then and all my friends kept going to the Korean BBQ joints like it was going out of fashion. Now, even then I knew what crap food was and the quality of the food at these early places was certainly suspect. Needless to say I was not a fan and studiously tried to avoid all Korean food, thinking it was quite horrible indeed.
Then I came to Singapore after the millennium and met my first Korean friend. She was a tall, ravishing woman who was completely foreign to me. Somehow we became friends and she was the one who introduced me to real Korean food. And Korean drama. And soju.
I was hooked. On the food and drama. Strangely, I never quite developed a taste for soju though I drank it enough with her!
Nowadays I seem to watch more Korean dramas than anything else. I am a little hapless as to how that happened since I do not speak Korean but if I compare the different types of dramas I used to watch to food ... well ...
Korean drama would be a stew. Thick, moorish with surprising spurts of light piquancy, sudden bursts of sweetness and an underlying bitterness. It is not subtle but rich and evocative, stirring faint memories of childhood cravings and redolent of self-indulgence. It is unapologetic and genuine and strangely addictive. I once likened Korean dramas to Russian literature lite. It is not to everyone;s taste but it is quite unforgettable and has a bitter melancholy and overlying pessimism even as it strives for brave stoicism.
Japanese drama would be a consomme. Light but full of flavour. Subtle yet slightly pretentious with the propensity to take itself too seriously even when it is trying to lighten its note. It;s simplicity and confidence can be sublime but there is also the over-reliance on formulaic success. It is a sophistry of taste and sight but one can become jaded with prolonged exposure to the lack of variation.
Thai drama is a rojak. It is brash, assertive, bursting with exuberance and unabashed enthusiasm. It can be over-powering so one should take it in moderation before the senses become numb and one loses one's senses entirely.
Taiwanese drama is like chok or porridge. It is made up of lots of things borrowed from lots of places. It tries to bring its own spin to the porridge but because the base is so fluid, it never really seems substantial enough to make a memorable meal. The seasonings are coarse for the fullest flavour at the fastest speed. Because of the desire to get the most out of the humble dish, it often suffers from too many cooks (or concepts) spoiling the porridge. There is the tendency to over-do and subtlety is not a word that they can spell. Perhaps with time, they would learn to slow-cook the porridge so it can fulfill its potential. But first they would have to learn how to be original.
Hong Kong drama is like yu sang. What is originally a flavourful and simple ingredient gets tossed willy nilly with so many things that the fish is literally tossed out of palate. The dish is loud, overly-gilded and mired in so much marketing muck that eating it does not justify the cost. Which is a pity because they tend to use high-quality and delicious fish only to throw it amidst rubbish.
Notice I made no mention of Western films? That's because they are in a completely different category ad discussing them will lead into a never-ending blog.
Perhaps it is my current state of mind, prompted by my physical limitations which arouse the pathos that align well with Korean drama. So lately I have been following The King to Heart, Rooftop Prince, Queen InHyun's Man, Hero and Standby. The only non-Korean drama I am following is Papa was Idol. It is certainly an eclectic mix and I have a feeling I will be dripping Rooftop Prince and Standby very soon.
Still it beats what's on telly which is full of the First XI every time I turn on the telly. I like the idea of a local league that is not a disgrace every time they cross the causeway but this is ridiculous!
I find the Hallyu wave a interesting phenomenon and wonder if it was a concerted and strategic plan right from get-go or a smart and opportunistic tactic after the fact.
Still I might comment from time to time on my hallyu immersion but at now I have to go watch Hero.
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