K-dramas and Pop Cosmopolitanism
I think K-dramas are really interesting to explore after watching a reality TV show last week, since both formats rely on predicability and cliches to a varying degree. The popularity of K-dramas relies on a similar escape from reality, based upon what Lee calls a "return to innocence" (Lee 370) and romantic idealization. I wouldn't consider reality TV innocent, but it certainly is a similar form of low stakes entertainment that prioritizes fun and fantasy over realism.
K-dramas use wholesome romance and pretty, feminized men to emphasize their "fantasy that Western viewers... may find more attractive" (Lee 371). The "reserved and innocent... beautiful, tender, and exotic male characters" (Lee 371) are an escape from the hard masculinities of Western media. This lends itself to Western viewers' sense of pop cosmopolitism, where viewing media from outside cultures provides a heightened sense of cultural and media literacy. I would argue that the pop cosmopolitanism derived from watching K-dramas, although valid, is largely based around a fantasy of pretty people and wholesome romance. Lee states that, "there is no guarantee that participation in transnational popular culture will lead to any real understanding of and between different cultures" (Lee 368), and like most visual media, K-dramas are primarily presenting a fantasy. However, it is a very engaging fantasy to participate in. Love Alarm provided a nice escape from reality during ninth week, and made me interested in watching more K-dramas
As a person whose never really watched K-dramas, I also thought "Love Alarm" was a good gateway into the genre. There's a huge satisfaction to watching storylines play out the way you expect, but the show creates conflicts because of the technological innovation influencing the relationships' pace. It was interesting to consider that the show was Netflix's first K-drama production and that it became noted for the kiss between its two leads at the end of episode 1. That within itself lends to the blending of familiar "Western" romantic tropes into the slow-burn structure highlighted in Lee's article, but I'm left wondering if that upset the emotional investment of fans expecting a more prolonged relationship.
ReplyDeleteI loved the feminization of the male characters and I also agree with Smailyn on how Love Alarm is a gateway into the genre. I wonder if K-dramas always have in the incorporation of romance...
ReplyDeleteLike Tida I also enjoyed the feminized male character and wholesomeness of the relationship. As Lee states in his article this very specific "pure" narratives allow the western viewer to feel "safer" and I totally agree. It is so different to the Hollywood narratives that can be very violent for women.
ReplyDeleteValeria