We've all been there: That stage where we're just living our lives normally and in the blink of an eye, it's 2022 and we're so deep in our K-drama watchlist. To the point that even watching at least an episode has been part and parcel of our routine.
Now, let's take a step back and reminisce the times when we've started getting curious about K-dramas and what made us dip our toes in. We've asked some Pinoy fans from different walks of life how they discovered K-dramas, and their journey into Korean entertainment since. Check out their stories below:
1. Remember your friend who kept recommending her favorite K-drama to you? You're not alone! Some fans got influenced by their loved ones.
"Dad was the bigger K-drama fan than I was back in the day. I got curious about what he was watching. And he's OG—Winter Sonata, Autumn In My Heart, Spring Waltz, Summer Scent, Full House, etc. And then I found out that Yoona of Girls' Generation is also an actress, and Taeyeon sings K-drama OSTs. Down the rabbit hole I went and never looked back. Those who caught my eye were a lot. Starting with Jo Jung Suk, Song Hye Kyo, Bae Yong Joon, and Choi Ji Woo. Currently, I also like Jeon Mi Do, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jung Kyung Ho, Kim Dae Myung, Son Ye Jin, Ji Chang Wook, Choi Soo Young, and Hyun Bin." - Erik
"My friend influenced me to watch K-dramas but my penchant for it started with My Sassy Girl. They have a way of injecting tearjerker moments even into funny series. My fave dramas of all time are Stairway To Heaven, Memories Of Bali, and Shark. Even years after, they are still heartbreaking and bittersweet. I still prefer sad endings. (Haha!) Among Korean actors, I like Hyun Bin, Jo In Sung, and lately, I've been into Kim Rae Won! I also find Ji Chang Wook, Park Bo Gum, and Lee Jin Wook cute. Among Korean actresses, I prefer the OGs, Song Hye Kyo and Son Ye Jin." - Angel
2. What's the very first K-drama you've ever watched? Do you know someone who turned into a fan way before Netflix or even YouTube became a thing? A lot of fans discovered ~classic~ K-dramas and haven't looked back since then.
"I became a K-drama fan because of Shining Inheritance. It's the first one na sinubaybayan and tinapos ko. I've seen more than 100 K-dramas, so marami talaga akong gusto across different genres. When it comes to actors, si Im Siwan na talaga ang favorite ko. He has the range and knows how to pick good projects, kaya some of his dramas are my all-time faves like Misaeng, Strangers from Hell, and Run On." - Joyce
"I started with K-dramas broadcasted on TV like Autumn In My Heart, Winter Sonata, Full House, Jewel in the Palace, Coffee Prince, etc. Then I got tired of waiting for episodes to air so I tried buying badly-subbed DVDs and got hooked. Now, I watch dramas and write reviews for my friends on Facebook after being asked for recommendations. It helps me relax and forget about work. I have a very soft spot for Park Bo Gum. He's the only Korean actor I've ever gone to a fan meeting for. His eyes are mesmerizing. They speak every single emotion his character feels." - Kachee
"First K-drama ko is Lovers In Paris, but the K-drama actor who first grabbed my attention is Lee Dong Wook sa My Girl together with actress Lee Da Hae. Naalala ko noon, ako lang ang tao sa bahay kasi umalis silang lahat para manood ata ng concert, tapos may sakit ako. I ended up just watching episodes of My Girl and having a huge crush on Lee Dong Wook." - Mariana
"Secret Garden talaga ako nag-start kasi I love rom-coms! Then I watched different genres featuring various actors and actresses. Until today, my favorite is It's Okay, That's Love because na-discuss rin dito yung real-life situations about mental health, and ang galing ni Gong Hyo Jin! But sa actors, si Gong Yoo talaga. Aside sa gwapo siya, super galing niyang umarte kahit ibang genres, from Coffee Prince, Big, Goblin and Train To Busan." - Jackie
3. There are fans who got interested because of popular Korean movies that trended in the Philippines and they started exploring from there.
"I think I started becoming a K-drama fan when I watched the movie Miracle In Cell No. 7, and the series, Rooftop Prince. From there, I explored and watched so many series. I got hooked on Empress Ki, My Family Is Strange, You Are The Best, Mr. Sunshine, Welcome To Waikiki, and Reply 1988, to name a few. And then my favorite one which I watched four times already is Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. The actresses who caught my eye because of their exemplary acting are Kim Go Eun, Jang Na Ra, Park Bo Young, Kim Tae Ri, IU, Go Ara, Gong Hyo Jin, Ha Ji Won, Park So Dam, and Jung So Min. Among actors, my favorites are Jo Jung Suk, Park Seo Joon, So Ji Sub, Seo In Guk, EXO's D.O, Jo In Sung, Jang Hyuk, Choi Woo Shik, and Lee Joon.
When I started, I don't have preferences yet so I just watched all the K-dramas I find regardless of genre, storyline, or who the actors and actresses in it are. Mostly, I went for whichever was famous or trending at the time. Sometimes, I would watch the recommendations I get from fellow K-drama enthusiasts. Then later on, it was filtered to whichever dramas my favorite actors/actresses are starring on. What I do is I search for all the films of my favorite actors and actresses and that’s what I binge-watch. K-drama and the Korean film industry in general is really something to be applauded for their depth, creativity, humor, relevance, richness in culture, and innovation." - Rochelle
4. Do you enjoy Korean variety shows? You might see hilarious clips trend on Facebook every now and then. Some fans actually chanced upon K-dramas after diving into variety shows.
"I was tired of studying (and life in general) so my dormmates shared downloaded K-variety shows to watch and help me overcome whatever it was I was feeling before. I watched Running Man and I loved it. Then I watched We Got Married and I loved it as well. I found out that the couple in the show also had dramas. I then discovered that I could also watch dramas online (akala ko sa TV lang meron and dubbed na! HAHAHA) and so I binged-watched all of their K-dramas. I fell in love with the cinematography and the story line of K-dramas especially after watching Reply 1988. The rest is history." - CJ
5. Since a lot of K-pop idols also act in K-dramas, several fans got into K-pop and K-drama all at the same time.
"Naging K-drama fan ako dahil kay Sungjae. Una kong napanood is Who Are You: School 2015. Nalaman ko na part siya ng isang K-pop group. Eventually, naging fan ako ng BTOB and naging crush ko si Minhyuk. Nalaman ko na may drama rin siya pero pahirapan pa noon kung saan ko mapapanood yung Sweet Savage Gang. Doon na actually nag-start ang pagiging K-drama K-pop fan ko." - Princess
It's always refreshing to read the fan journeys of fellow Korean entertainment enthusiasts! This writer can relate to a lot of them since I also started K-dramas because of Spring Waltz (from the Endless Love series) and eventually discovered other sides of Hallyu throughout the years. Now, some of the things I enjoy the most are watching K-dramas with my mom and discussing my feels about the latest one I have watched with friends. I also ended up writing about Korean culture and entertainment as a side hustle. Thank you, K-dramas!
*This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
MORE K-DRAMA ROUNDUPS RIGHT HERE:
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11 K-Dramas To Watch After Work That Won't Stress You Out, Promise
