OK, so the Soju DramaQueen has been here for some time now, but my secret identity has been kept a tightly held secret – until now! Cadawley is actually – The Soju DramaQueen. To celebrate, check out the new video!

It’s an addiction, pure and simple. <grin> So what is it about Korean dramas that makes them so danged addictive?

• The standard for romance is very, very different in Korean drama verses American drama. (And when I refer to ‘drama’ it encompasses Romantic Comedy, Historical Drama, Action Drama, etc.) In American films romance is no longer sweet. It moves fast. We go from ‘Hey, there’s a cute girl’ to sleeping with her in under 30 minutes. Korean drama focuses on building the relationship slowly, usually with very divergent characters. Building up to the first hug is huge – and it’s followed by a shy “I like you” which is pretty much equivalent to the way Americans throw around “I love you”. Saying “I love you” in a K-Drama is akin to a marriage proposal. The first kiss is usually a small peck on the cheek or the forehead. And a first kiss is a huge deal, as is your first love. Korean dramas are extremely romantic.
• Korean dramas are conservative. If you’re looking for hot sex on film, go someplace else ‘cause it’s not going to be in a K-drama. That said, these K-dramas can get really steamy. Remember back in the day when things were left to your imagination? (OK, you young things may have no idea what I’m talking about…) Some dramas do a fantastic job of ‘suggesting’ what’s about to happen and then allowing you to let your imagination run wild (until the next episode! Lol) OK, there are some real epic fails, too, but we can talk about those later. <g> All in all, it is a marvelously refreshing venue.
• Unlike American ‘soaps’ which go on for years, K-dramas average 16-20 hour-long episodes which seems to be an ideal length of time to really develop a story line and characters and come to a satisfying conclusion. A few have second seasons, but not always with the same cast of characters.
• The acting is incredibly good. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of acting I have seen. Honestly, I was expecting something cheesy – like American soap operas – but no! These are high quality dramas! Think of them more as extended movies. Sets and costuming are usually really excellent as well. Some of the cinematography I have seen is outstanding. Music production is one of the best features – most have excellent music, using top stars, much of which can be found online – iTunes is carrying more every day!
• Insight into another culture: For non-Koreans (like me) it’s very cool learning so much about Korea and it’s history and customs. I am even picking up some Korean. We eat Korean food and have even made our own Kimchi. We have a favorite Korean restaurants we frequent. We go to Korean concerts. Heck, I’m even working for a Korean newspaper now. How cool is that?