Son Ye-Jin 손예진 [Drama “Thirty-Nine” (JTBC/NETFLIX)]

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Mirazwillinger IG update.

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How Korean dramas took over Bollywood-mad India

 

March 6, 2023

By Zoya Mateen and Meryl Sebastian 

BBC NEWS, DELHI

 

 

 

K-drama Crash Landing On You has been wildly popular in India

 

An accident leaves a young woman stranded in a hostile country, where she is rescued by a handsome army officer.

 

They fall in love but must cross several hurdles - including the line that divides their countries - before they can be together.

If you narrated this story to an Indian a few years ago, their first thought would probably have been the 2004 Bollywood film Veer-Zaara, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as star-crossed lovers from India and Pakistan, neighbouring countries that share a tense relationship.

That is, until the 2019 Korean drama Crash Landing On You (CLOY) swept in with a similar premise - centred around neighbours South and North Korea - but with wildly different results.

 

"The world loved CLOY because the show made the sadness shared by the two countries so palpable and accessible. But I feel South Asians around the world felt it differently," says Paroma Chakravarty, who co-hosts a K-drama podcast called Drama Over Flowers.

 

Her podcast - the first of many - is an indication of just how popular K-dramas are in India now. The country's K-drama love began in the north-eastern state of Manipur after separatist rebels banned Bollywood films in 2000, and slowly spread across the rest of the country. It got a fillip in 2020, when the pandemic kept people inside their homes - K-drama viewership on Netflix India surged by more than 370% that year from the previous one. 

 

It's tempting to draw comparisons between the burgeoning love for K-dramas - which seem to be getting both more inventive and realistic in their storytelling - and changing viewership trends for Bollywood, India's massive Hindi film industry which is still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic highs. 

 

But it's hard to compare them like for like, says Supriya Nair, editor of the weekly publication Fifty Two and a K-drama fan.

 

"Popular Hindi cinema, like popular Korean cinema, is made primarily for male audiences; popular Korean TV, like popular Hindi TV, is made for women," she says. 

 

But there are several similarities between the two entertainment industries, both famed for their melodramatic, over-the-top romances.

 

Like Bollywood, K-dramas create an immersive world of their own. The laws of the universe don't always apply here, and plot lines can ricochet between starkly realistic and mind-bogglingly over-the-top. Both are massive industries with millions of viewers and an intense fandom.

"Like with other forms of mass entertainment from around the world, [Bollywood is] comfortable with genre mixing and high-low tones: we can take slapstick, action, romance, magical realism and poetic interiority in the same narrative," Ms Nair says. 

 

And Korean shows offer the same storytelling agility - fairy-tale endings are almost always guaranteed but it takes several twists and turns to get there. 

But the deepest similarities between them are the familial and social hierarchies depicted in these stories. Korean dramas are able to "articulate the death grip that parents have over children that no one in the West will be able to understand the way we do", Ms Nair says. 
 

Plot lines in Korean shows and Bollywood films frequently revolve around the impact this has on protagonists - from choosing who they can love, the careers they can pursue, the obligations women have to their husband's household and the social net provided by families. 

"But while the reality is regressive, I also think the best dramas are able to treat this with unprecedented tenderness, thoughtfulness and forgiveness for everyone involved - including our own less-than-radical selves," Ms Nair says.

 

Even when it comes to courtship on screen, the two industries sometimes overlap. 

"Romantic love is idealised and its pursuit is sweet and innocent," Ms Chakravarty says. "This is something Bollywood has been moving away from for a few years, so a lot of Indian viewers are moving on to K-drama rom coms."

 

For instance, Ms Nair says that fans of Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films would find a lot of resonance with a K-drama like Hometown Cha Cha Cha. 

"It follows a plot that southern Indian filmmakers have loved for decades: an ambitious city girl moves to a scenic village where she gets taken down a peg by the locals and finds love with a schlub."

 

Something In The Rain is among the many K-dramas that centre a woman's story

 

But these similarities also mean that the two industries veer towards the same mistakes, particularly in their portrayal of romantic love - romanticising stalking, forceful physical grabbing of women, and infantilising heroines.

"Jealousy is shown as a sign of love, and men monopolising their girlfriend/wife's time is shown as deep devotion," Ms Chakravarty observes.

 

K-dramas and Indian movies also tend to forgive evil family members by the end, she says. And stories of domestic abuse are rarely handled well in both industries.

 

But for many Indian women, the biggest attraction of Korean shows is its treatment of heroines. Irrespective of genre, these leading ladies are often smart and complex, with a story arc that explores their life outside of romance and aren't just a foil for the hero.

 

Take, for instance, the superhit Bollywood film Dangal and the Korean drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo - both released in 2016 and tell the stories of female athletes.

 

But Dangal, headlined by superstar Aamir Khan, chooses to foreground the sacrifices made by a father to make his daughters successful wrestlers. On the other hand, the K-drama puts its protagonist, a young female weightlifter, front and centre. 

Both tell a story of courage, rebellion and sacrifice, but where Dangal ultimately requires the daughters to submit to their father's judgement, Weightlifting Fairy focuses on the internal struggles of the young athlete. 

With many of their hit shows written and directed by women, Korean showrunners are able to "adhere to severely conservative norms and broadcast standards" while being "on the side of women's ambitions and their personal freedoms", Ms Nair says.

So while Dangal ultimately harnesses Khan's star power to produce a spectacle, Weightlifting Fairy's focus remains firmly on its leading lady and her growth as a character.

 

It helps that K-dramas often tell their story through 16 episodes - "a novel with 16 chapters" as Ms Chakravarty calls them. 

Ms Nair says it's exciting to see the agency given to women in K-dramas."Have you noticed how many sageuks [Korean period dramas] are anachronistic fantasies about women's freedom?" she says. 

 

"We never make those in Indian pop culture because not even in fantasy can we allow women to behave freely outside the bounds of caste and religious mandates."

Part of this is connected to relative freedom from religious and social stratification that occurred in Korea, China and other parts of east Asia over the 20th century, she says.

Long-time K-drama watchers credit the inventive storytelling in these shows to the industry's emphasis on good scriptwriters, many of whom are women. A similar respect for the craft and skills of the scriptwriter could transform how Bollywood tells stories, they say.

 

And Crash Landing On You is a good example of how to make difficult stories palatable and sensitive. 

 

"Even though many of popular Hindi cinema's biggest stars and filmmakers suffered partition directly, I don't think they or their descendants have been able to depict the idea of mutual love with the same success as Koreans have," Ms Nair says. 
 

"It's ironic because the Koreas have been at war for 70 years and India and Pakistan have had extended periods of peace in the same time."

 

 

 

 

 

 

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K-drama craze in India..."It's similar to Bollywood"
 

2023-03-07 09:31:43

CHO YUNHEE | K-ODYSSEY

SOURCE 

 

 

▲ This photo, provided by tvN, shows 'Crash Landing on You.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Mar. 7 (YONHAP) -- British broadcaster BBC has reported on Monday that Korean dramas are gaining extraordinary popularity in India after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

It is said that the characteristics of Korean dramas, such as bold genre mixing centered on somewhat exaggerated romance and the heroine who stands out in them, are similar to Indian Bollywood dramas in many ways, targeting Indian tastes.

 

Unexpectedly, the BBC has explained that the Korean drama landed in India in earnest thanks to the rebels in the northeast.

 

When rebel forces in the northeastern state of Manipur banned Bollywood movies in 2000, local residents were exposed to K-drama in search of other attractions, and later spread to other regions through word of mouth.

 

The Korean drama craze in India has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. People accessed video streaming sites such as Netflix at home, where they indulged in popular K-drama, the BBC said.

 

In India in 2020, number of views for Korean dramas in Netflix increased by more than 370% compared to the previous year.

 

The BBC analyzes that K-drama is so popular in India because the content of the drama suits their taste.

 

In particular, unlike movies, dramas are made with women as the main audience, whether in Korea or India, so they have no choice but to resemble each other.

 

Korean and Indian dramas traditionally have strengths in melodrama, which is said to be catching women's hearts by sensibly portraying a somewhat exaggerated romance.

 

On top of that, the BBC has reported that Korean and Indian dramas are equally good at creating an immersive worldview.

 

As if the law of nature does not apply to dramas in these countries, it depicts a harsh reality, but attracts viewers by crossing incredibly exaggerated content like a bullet.

 

"Bollywood is good at mixing genres and changing tones, so you can put slapstick, action, romance, and dreamy stories in a single narrative," said Supriya Nair, editor of a popular magazine.

 

Korean dramas also guarantee a fairy tale-like happy ending, but they often give a continuous plot twist to break the development of the play.

 

Another point of contact between drama viewers in the two countries is the patriarchal family structure reflected in the play and the hierarchical structure of society, the BBC explained.

 

Whether it is a Korean drama or a Bollywood drama, the main plot is that this structure affects various issues such as who to love, what career to work for, and what women should do with their husbands' families.

 

“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,” which became popular in India, is a story about an ambitious city woman who goes to a scenic rural village and settles down and finds love there, similar to a plot of dramas that have been popular in India for decades.

 

Female viewers in India are especially attracted to Korean dramas because of the imposing appearance of the female character.

 

Regardless of the genre, the female character is portrayed wisely and shows her pioneering life away from romance, and does not stay around the male character.

 

The BBC mentioned “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju” as an example of such a K-drama.

 

However, the BBC has pointed out that as the dramas of the two countries are similar, they have much to be desired in similar parts.

 

Stalking or using force against women is packaged as romance or infantilizing female characters.

 

Paroma Chakrabati, who runs a K-drama-related pop cast, pointed out, "In Korean and Indian dramas, jealousy is described as a feeling of love, and men's attempt to monopolize women is sometimes expressed as a devoted act."

 

 

 

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[Sleepy Owl]

Event: Best Female Centric Kdramas

 

 

Vote for your favorite "Female Centric" kdrama!!! 

 

 

Your Event Organizers,

@Sleepy Owl @partyon @agenth @confusedheart 

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Crocodile Ladies IG update introducing Lee Minjung the new brand model.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpd91GAv1--/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

 

 

 

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The commentators were talking about how one Japan player, who'd said in an interview that he enjoyed watching <Crash Landing On You> and got strength from it. They were using reference from the drama to highlight that Japan player's performance and eventually led to Hyun Bin & Son Yejin talk.

 

 

 

 

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Netflix Kcontent (was Swoonnetflix) IG update.

”Who knew maths could be so heartwarming”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpjIiZgufXH/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

 

 

 

 

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Best wishes from China Handcream team for Baby Alkong 100th days.(●'◡'●)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CphTJSSpHN5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

 

 

 

 

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11 Streaming Shows That Are Unexpectedly Great When You Are Sick

 

 

MARCH 10, 2023

WASHINGTON POST

 

 

The tripledemic threat has (thankfully) gone away, but for some people cold, flu, covid and other viruses are still making the rounds. We’ll leave the medical advice to the doctors, but we can make some recommendations for what to watch if you find yourself in bed for a few days. The list below includes a little something for everyone, including new shows, hidden gems and treasured throwbacks that will make you laugh, cry and/or embrace whatever fever dreams come your way.

 

 

 

‘Crash Landing on You’ 

 

 

 

 

This tender, extremely popular 2019 Korean drama follows the unlikely romance that unfolds when South Korean business executive Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) inadvertently paraglides into the Korean demilitarised zone, where she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a handsome captain for North Korea’s army. It’s worth every minute of its 16 episodes, and is a perfect to binge when you need a pick-me-up. (Streams on Netflix)

 

 

 

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<Crash Landing On You> ranked #5 on Top 5 Most Preferred Korean Cultural Content for Drama category in KOFICE 2023 Overseas Hallyu Survey

conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea International Culture Exchange Promotion Agency (KOFICE). The survey was conducted online between November to December 2022 targeting with 25,000 people in 26 countries. <Crash Landing On You> was #1 in 2020 and #2 in 2021.

SOURCE 

http://m.kofice.or.kr/b20_industry/b20_industry_00_view.asp?seq=1275

 

 

 

 

<Crash Landing On You> also ranked on the Top 5 Most Favourite K-Drama & Movie in 9 countries.

✔ Australia #5
✔ Brazil #3

✔ Egypt #4
✔ Germany #4

✔ Italy #5

✔ Japan #2
✔ Russia #5

✔ USA #5

✔ Vietnam #3

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Son Yejin ranked Top 5 Favourite Drama Actress for 2023 Overseas Hallyu Survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea International Culture Exchange Promotion Agency (KOFICE). The survey was conducted online between November to December 2022 targeting with 25,000 people in 26 countries.

 

✔ Argentina #4 (2.6%)

✔ Brazil #5 (2.0%)

✔ Mexico #4 (1.8%)

 

 

http://m.kofice.or.kr/b20_industry/b20_industry_00_view.asp?seq=1275

 

 

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The Best Romantic K-Dramas on Netflix

 

 

MARCH 12, 2023

BY OLIVIA HEBERT

COLLIDER

 

 

Love is in the air in these K-Dramas.

 

 

Korean dramas have soared in popularity in the past decade, romantic k-dramas especially. Netflix was one of the first streaming services to bring K-dramas to the global stage, introducing audiences to sweet, swoon-worthy romances that prioritize the female gaze. With a large selection to choose from, finding the best romantic K-drama on Netflix can be a daunting challenge.
 

 

‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019-2020)

 

 

Writer: Park Ji-eun

Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, Kim Jung-hyun

While a mysterious tornado blows heiress Yoon Se-ri's (Son Ye-jin) paragliding off course, she accidentally crashes into a tree on the North Korean side of the DMZ. Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a captain of the Korean People's Army and a member of the North Korean elite, finds her while on patrol and saves her life. While developing a plan to help Se-ri get back home to South Korea, Jeong-hyeok hides her from his fellow North Koreans like Cho Cheol-gang (Oh Man-seok), a corrupt officer from the State Security Department intent on exposing Jeong-hyeok. Meanwhile, in Seoul, Se-Ri's family hasn't announced her disappearance, and her envious brothers conspire to steal her spot as next in the line of succession to lead their father's company.

 

Meanwhile, Se-Ri and Jeong-hyeok's feelings for each other grow as they spend time together. However, with all the external forces threatening to tear them apart, will these two star-crossed lovers go the distance? Watch this hilarious romantic comedy if you're in the mood for something silly and sweet.

 

 

 

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Yejinhand IG hits 7.6M followers.

 

 

 

 

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When Spring Comes, When It Rains, The Movie ‘I’m Going To See You Now’ Comes To Mind

 

2023.03.13 17:59
SOURCE

 

 

[SUNSHINE NEWS]
Which movie do you choose when you want to be with your family, when you want to cry alone, when you want to enjoy more romance with your lover? Movie Recipe recommends and cooks movies for you who have difficulty making decisions among many movies.   

It is today that the spring cold has arrived, but these days the spring breeze is quite welcome. There is a heart-warming movie that will make our hearts flutter. A romance between a man and a woman tells the basic story of a warm family, so it is a movie that makes you feel dejected and sad. Today, I'm going to introduce <I'm going to meet you now>. 

 

 

<Film Information>       
<I'm going to meet you now>(2017) 
Melo/Romance // 2018.03.14. // Korean  
Director – Lee Jang-hoon 
Actors – So Ji-sub, Son Ye-jin

 

Spoiler

 

 

<The girl who left the world came back, with no memory>
'Sua' left behind an unbelievable promise that she would come back on a rainy day. A year later, on a summer day when the rainy season begins, 'Sua' appears, looking the same as she did before she passed away. But 'Sua' doesn't even remember who 'Woo-jin' is. 
 
Even though she doesn't remember herself, 'Woo-jin' is filled with happiness just by the fact that she is by her side, and 'Soo-ah' is curious about the story she has with him, whom she can't remember. 'Woo-jin' tells the story of her first meeting, her first love, her first date, and her first moment of happiness, and 'Sua' falls in love with 'Woo-jin' again. 

However, 'Sua' learns of her destiny to leave when the rainy season ends... A special family secret and a miraculous moment created by love... . "because I love you… I'm going to see you now"

 

Spoiler

<What I want to say>   

- Quite a different atmosphere from the original 
Japanese original film had a very calm and lyrical atmosphere from beginning to end, but the Korean remake appropriately added comical elements. In particular, the atmosphere of the 90s was put into the movie elements so that people in their 30s and 40s could relate. In addition, the fact that the Korean version has more child actors than the Japanese version is one of the most comparable parts to the original. It's as warm and beautiful as the original, but with appropriate humor, wouldn't it be a work that goes well with the present, where coldness and warmth coexist? 

 

 

- Beautiful Movies 
Movies are beautiful from beginning to end. The house where Sua and Woojin live, the studio, nature and even the rainy scenery are all there. From small to large borders, there is nothing that is not beautiful. It preserves the beauty as well as the original work, and thanks to it, you can find that your heart becomes clean when you watch it. The process of growing love again with her husband, Woo-jin, and helping her 8-year-old son to stand on his own can be heartbreaking, but you can feel the mature beauty. 

 

 

How nice it would be if the moment you were born, the time to go to heaven was fixed. How much better it would be if we could go to heaven in the order we were born. Isn't it because our life is not fixed like a calculator, so we are both sad and happy. But if there is one thing that does not change, if there is birth, there is death. It is a reason to be faithful to the person closest to you and a reason to be grateful and happy that you are together. Today, when warmth is more precious because of the cold wind, how about the movie <I'm going to see you now>? 
 

 

 

 

 

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