JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Friends, I am here to sell you on something that will change the way you see stories, experience crime fiction, and blend genre boundaries.
I want you - yes, you - to start watching KDrama.
I know, I know. Before a couple years ago, my sole impressions about the wave of Korean culture hitting the shores of the US consisted of the everywhere-in-2012 song "Gangnam Style" and references to boy bands that kept annoyingly popping up in my Twitter feed.
Then one evening, my young friend Samantha had come over for dinner and we decided to watch some TV after. The Netflix algorithm suggested 2019's Kingdom. It had zombies! That was a go for both of us. And 17th century Korean history... okay. And political machinations? We thought we'd give it a whirl, as you do. It's not like you're paying per view, right?
Reader, I was hooked in the first half hour. I didn't understand the politics (much.) I had no idea why so many men were wearing those funny hats. I knew nothing about the Joseon dynasty, or why there was a woman doctor, or the significance of the recent Japanese invasion.
But the characters were fascinating, the production design was gorgeous, and when the undead king tried to eat the royal physician's assistant and the prince had to flee ahead of an assassination squad - Heol Daebak!
That was my entry drug. I found myself riveted by the quality of the Korean shows available for streaming in the US, and by the fearless originality of so many of them. The stuff produced in this country tends to be, in a word, predictable. A cop show is a cop show. A medical drama is a medical drama. Etc. Etc. But in Korea? A cop show is also a time-travel fantasy. A rom-com is a political thriller. I can't tell you how many times I've been utterly surprised at a plot twist in one of these productions - when was the last time that happened to you when watching American TV?
Here's my brief sampling of some particularly choice treats from the entertainment gogigui:
Revenant (2023, Hulu) A horror/mystery series about a disreputable folklore professor and a young woman who inherits something unexpectedly nasty when her father dies. Genuinely, deeply, scary without ever being explicitly gruesome.
Signal (2016, Paramount+) Written by Kim Eun-hee, the screenwriter for both Kingdom and Revenant, this police procedural/ fantasy features a cold case team of four assigned the unglamorous job of going over old murders after the state of limitations law is changed in 2015. Pretty normal, until one of them, a deeply screwed-up profiler, happens to pick up an old police walkie-talkie... that connects him to a detective in 2000. A detective who died that same year. This is in the running to by my favorite TV show of all time (no pun intended.)
Stranger (2020, Netflix, Amazon Prime) The stranger referred to in the title is the maybe-serial killer on the loose in Seoul, and also the prosecutor chasing him, a man left almost emotionless after a boyhood operation. The mystery expands to become a political thriller as the prosecutor and the lead detective on the case (the amazing Bae Doona) slowly realize the web of corruption surrounding them.
Crash Landing on You (2019, Netflix) This is somehow a wacky rom com set in North Korea AND a political thriller, without sacrificing either genre. Try to avoid swooning while watching lead actor Hyun Bin - you might miss some of the sparkling dialogue or twisty machinations.
Coffee Prince (2007, Amazon Prime with a Kocowa subscription, which gives you a week's free trial) This romance is positively Shakespearean - a girl who (convincingly) looks like a boy who goes to work for a spoiled princeling (who has to prove himself to his wealthy family.) Does the latter fall for the former - even as he thinks Eun-chan is a guy? Confusion, sexiness and beautifully made cappuccinos abound.
Descendants of the Sun (2016, also on Amazon's Kocowa subscription) Do you like your romance with a large dose of bombs, gun runners and the tragedy of war? Do you like wise-cracking special forces soldiers falling for smart, risk-taking doctors? If you do, you'll understand why this show was remade in the Philippines, Vietnam, and China.
Dear reader, have you watched any Kdramas - or other shows from foreign lands? And do any of my suggestions tempt you?
I have enough trouble keeping up with books and shows as it is. Which is one reason why I don't have a lot of streaming services. These do sound good, however.
ReplyDeleteI have to confess, Mark - I've gotten so into Korean shows that I've dropped two streaming services I had previously and subscribed to Kocowa, an all-Korean platform (with info and searching in English, of course!)
DeleteThis is new to me, but it sounds like I really need to check it out . . . .
ReplyDeleteTry one and let me know what you think, Joan!
DeleteWow. Sounds like a bit much for me, but I'm glad you found something you like!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me froth a bit, Edith. :-)
DeleteDoes Vera count?
ReplyDeleteVera is a HIGH quality program, Dru Ann. And again - can you imagine it being made that way in the US? They'd have Vera played by Kate Winslett, made "plain" because she wears unobtrusive makeup and her hair in a messy ponytail...
DeleteSo true about Vera. I am a big Vera fan. (Heather S)
DeleteThey don't appeal to me, but I loved your enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy hearing about other people's enthusiasms, Elizabeth, so I also like sharing my own!
DeleteJulia, these sound great. We have Netflix so will look for Crash Landing. Do we await something Korean to appear in Millers Kill?
ReplyDeleteNot in the immediate future Suzette, but in my w-i-p one of the main characters is a Chinese-American NY State Attorney! I do like diversity, which can be a challenge when writing about a location as white bread as northern NY.
DeleteWe LOVED Crash Landing on You! It’s my favorite! The humor was so funny and clever!
DeleteI loved Attorney Woo so why not? We're currently watching a historical sci-fi series, "Bodies" on Netflix. I'm not familiar with sci-fi or the concept of quantum gravity, but the acting is great.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Margaret, I hadn't heard of that. I'll have to check it out. Another thing I love about the Korean shows is the way that, like many, many British series, there's ONE run of episodes. Ten or twelve or maybe sixteen and then you're done. Frankly, even if I love a production, it's rarely improved by coming back year after year after year.
DeleteJulia, I love you as a person and as an author but I will never watch TV with you :)
ReplyDeleteDanielle
I'm willing to accept that my tastes are not universal, Danielle! :-D
DeleteSorry, Julia, but I am not tempted at all with these offerings, most of which are not available to me. But I appreciate the fact that there is something for everyone out there; we only need to search. And since my mind is not totally closed, if I come across on of those movies - because you never know - I will give it a try.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it nice there's something for every taste, Judi! I like to share the love, and I always like to see what other folks are passionate about as well.
DeleteWow, great run-down Julia! I had no idea, but these shows sound worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteAs far as foreign films, we watch a lot of British tv on Brit Box. We've gotten hooked on Cozi Murders & Detectives:
Beyond Paradise (filmed in Devon, Eng), Death in Paradise (filmed in the Caribbean), Shakespeare & Hathaway (filmed in Stratford, Eng). We enjoyed Mr. T another English show but we can't seem to find it now. Of course we watch Father Brown, and Sister Boniface.
Not Mr. T !! I meant Professor T (filmed at Cambridge U.)
DeleteI’m pretty sure Professor T can be found on PBS, if you have the streaming version (available once you donate at a certain level). — Pat S
DeletePAT S: I checked on Masterpiece but not sure if it going to be the new Season 4 but will check further. We are members of PBS. I noticed what I think is Season 3 and/or 4 on Prime
Deletebut the Professor T is a different actor. Not sure what's going on!
Now I 100% want to see a British show featuring Mr. T set in Cambridge!!
DeleteProfessor T.
DeleteNo, I got it, Anon - I'm just deeply amused at the idea of Mr. T swaggering around a lot of 15th century buildings, saying, "I pity da fool!" to dons and local constables.
DeleteIt would be delightful to see Mr. T in the role of Professor T... can't get the smile off my face as I imagine this. Don"t think Professor T (in Flemish or in English) is part of the Masterpiece "franchise". The original Professor T is in Flemish. PBS info says Season 3 aired in 2021. I have not watched this. English language Professor T is different cast, Season 2 aired in 2023. Have watched this and found it so good. Cheers, Elisabeth
DeleteNo Netflix or Hulu but Signal on Paramount+ seems interesting. I mainly got a 50% off annual subscription for new Star Trek this year and I am not watching much else.
ReplyDeleteI like Scandinavian police procedurals but I have not seen any new ones recently.
We got Paramount + for the same reason, Grace - I got to see a couple episodes of Discovery and was intrigued, and then became totally hooked on Strange New Worlds. If you're a Star Trek fan and you have Disney+, you definitely need to watch The Orville. One of the best "Star Trek" shows made in the last thirty years - and of course, it's not actually Star Trek.
DeleteJulia, you and my friend Sue should get together. She has been obsessed with Kdramas for at least a dozen years, probably longer. To the extent that she and her husband have been learning Korean on Duolingo. As soon as she retires I suspect they will travel there.
ReplyDeleteAre they subtitled, or dubbed in English? Or both, probably? Since I multitask when I watch TV I lose track of what's happening when there are subtitles, although I made an exception for the French detective show Candice Renoir. It's so funny and sexy that it captured all my attention. Sounds like Kdramas also fall into that category!
Karen, there are places where you can find more of them dubbed into English - Hulu has a whole section called Viki with a bunch of shows in original and English language version. These days, with the terrible sound engineering of most modern productions, I have the subtitles on even when everyone is speaking English!
DeleteMy husband has been deaf in one ear since a bad fall in his early 20"s, and now wears a hearing aid in his"good" ear, so i turned on closed captioning on all our devices years ago. Bonus, overcoming crap sound, and foreign accent interpretation!
DeleteWow, what a terrific list! I’m sure we will try these… I absolutely adore Attorney Woo— as I think I have mentioned here many times.
ReplyDeleteThere’s also something called… Maybe Queen Bee? About the diabolical head of some kind of company, and reporters? I started watching that, and then somehow faded away…
But all of the shows I’ve seen have gorgeous clothes, and fascinating actors. You’re right Julia they just look a little different. In a cool way.
I know they all sound weird on paper, but I agree, they are incredibly intriguing. Thank you for this wonderful rundown!.
I haven't heard of Attn Woo - but the trailer was fun to watch. There is a Korean show called Queenmaker Hank - could that be the one you are referring to?
DeleteThe popular Netflix shows are becoming a real gateway, Hank - Attorney Woo was heavily promoted, as was Kingdom back when it came out.
DeleteCount me another big fan of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a 2022 South Korean television series and I keep hoping there will be more episodes coming our way. I had no idea how much more was out there. Thanks for this, Julia! I'll be searching for these.
ReplyDeleteIf you like Attorney Woo, you might take a look at Stranger, Hallie, which is MUCH more serious but which also centers a very neurodivergent lead character.
DeleteSounds intriguing, especially Signal. Alas, I do not get to monopolize the TV. Subtitles don't tend to be appreciated, although we managed to sit through many scenes of Chakobsa dialogue among the Fremen in Dune 2. ;) Thanks for the tips. It wouldn't surprise me if American TV doesn't produce its own versions. We've been copying the BBC for years. LOL
ReplyDeleteMe again. Funny how spellcheck steered me to the correct spelling of Chakobsa. ;)
DeleteI certainly would have had to look it up, Rhonda - mark one for the spell checker!
DeleteJULIA: All new to me KDramas. I love love love The Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which is on Netflix. Another favorite is Borgen from Denmark. The actress looks like the Princess Martha Louise of Norway.
ReplyDeleteThe Ndtflix adaptation of Backmann's ANXIOUS PEOPLE was wonderful. The book was hard for me to follow and the limited tv series based on the book made it easier for me to follow.
Love MIDSOMER MURDERS on Acorn TV and the Poirot / Marple stories on Britbox.
Still fighting this awful cold this morning.
Diana
Oh, I'm sorry about your cold, Diana! I swear, ever since Covid, the colds I get are worse and last longer. I think our normal germ exposure was all messed up.
DeleteJulia, you’ve missed Extraordinary Attorney Woo? Check it out! I tried Crash Landing, but just couldn’t get hooked. I will have to check out the others, especially the cold case one.
ReplyDeleteJulia, harking back to several of your blogs ago, so I hope the "permission" to nag hasn't expired: how much HAVE you written today???? Sent with a smile and a hug. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteI rarely watch American TV programs. I no longer have Cable; I gave it up many years ago. I subscribe to some of the streaming services, and l love many of the British detective programs. One of my now-adult nieces was adopted from South Korea. She’s trying to learn as much she can about Korean culture and foods. I plan to tell her about these programs. I think she would like them!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
I'm not much into zombies or horror, but a couple sound interesting. Too bad the one that interests me most is on Paramount+, which I don't have.
ReplyDeleteLoved Kingdom (the costumes were gorgeous!) and Crash Landing (the young soldiers were so cute!). I hope there might be sequels to both!
ReplyDeleteYears ago, when local tv stations were showing late night Saturday movies there was a whole series featuring Ninja warriors. Sometimes they would go back in time to different dynasties and then switch to modern times. I think the dialogue was dubbed in English but hard to understand because the actors were not native English speakers.
ReplyDeleteThey were intended to be serious but the situations and scenes were so unrealistic that they were more humorous than dramatic. The choreography of the Ninjas moving around and fighting was interesting.
The movies were supposed to be set in San Francisco, but all the cars were driven on the left and the background signs had British spelling of words so the movies were probably filmed in Hong Kong.
Right there with you re Crash Landing on You! Ever so much more than a romance. Will have to try some of your other recommendations. Let me add Extraordinary Attorney Woo (lead character is autistic). Legal drama and soap opera, good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to read this! I started with Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Then I watched Crash Landing on You and I was hooked! I have watched K-dramas exclusively for the last 14 months. I dropped my subscriptions to Acorn and Britbox (which I loved and will return to some day) and now I subscribe to Viki. Try Vincenzo and Itaewon Class on Netflix. Look for Healer and Goblin aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I did!
DeleteThe British series are in a class by themselves. To me, nothing can compare to As Time goes By for comedy-the acting, Judi Dench (need I say more) and the rest of the cast, the scripts, the humor…
ReplyDeleteThey could poke fun at each others foibles but there was never any malice intended and was always funny as opposed to a lot of what passes for humor in this country today but is often critical and derogatory.
I can watch As Time goes By many times and still enjoy the interaction between the characters even when I remember a lot of the scenes and stories.
Yes! Yes! Yes! The Extraordinary Attorney Woo was my gateway drug into KDrama in 2022. I love that there seems to be no limit to the plot twists in these shows. I've seen a few of these (Crash Landing and Kingdon) and loved them, but now you have given me more! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI'm back. After not having my laptop for a week and trying to get my new one set up, I feel like I've missed so much on here. I am going back to read the posts I missed. Julia, I would say that you have probably fallen into a rabbit hole of TV watching that will keep you digging for some time. It's just the sort of shows I can imagine Kevin introducing me to. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun. Hubs lived in Korea for a few years and speaks the language. He loves having a chance to practice and keep his ear up.
ReplyDeleteJulia, this is fascinating. Sorry to be so late checking in--I read very first thing this morning but got sidetracked. We are defininitely going to check these out!
ReplyDeleteFascinating to read the blog and the comments- hmm will have to check out some KDrama. (Heather S)
ReplyDeleteI don't watch any Korean dramas. I'm not sure any of your suggestions would tempt me to start. Dramas from foreign lands pretty much boil down to whatever comes from Britain whether it is set in Britain, Ireland or Australia and a show or two set in Canada. I've got plenty of shows I'm watching and I don't think I can fit any more in nowadays.
ReplyDelete