Why You Cannot Watch Asian Dramas

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Wujigege, Aug 3, 2021.

  1. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    People assume that just because they read Asian novels that they are immersed in the culture.
    It is not the same. People mistake anime as a representative of Asian culture.
    They are usually very Westernized eg Full Metal Alchemist, it is just a story of Europeans who just happen to speak Japanese. English dubs are also available.

    It is very different to read : "aegyo", öppa"" "hyungnim" etc that it is to hear it.
    Especially when the definition of cuteness does not match in both cultures.
    Aegyo will just make you cringe.
    Yes, you will experience Culture Shock

    Goes to the point on why leaving words untranslated breaks immersion for me.

    For Korean dramas, it was an accident. I started reading City Hunter Japanese manga and watched the anime. I heard of a live action TV series and jumped on board. I was expecting Oguri Shun, Tsumabuki Satoshi or Takeshi Kaneshiro who can be Japanese or Taiwanese depending on who you ask.
    But it was Lee Minho. I wondered who the hell was this punk? I ended up watching it and into the rabbit hole I entered and never came back :blobsob:
    Although to be honest, most of the credit goes to this drama:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocent_Man_(2012_TV_series)
    [​IMG]
    I was lucky when I started to watch Chinese drama, unlike a friend of mine who told me recently that he cannot stand the music.
    My college roommate was Chinese and I had to listen to Wang Leehom EVERY FREAKING DAY!!
    He was always playing his songs especially the cover of Gao Shengmei.
    After a while, I found myself singing along...
    I even looked up the original song on Youtube

    Humans are very impressionable.
    Brainwashing is easier than you think.

    @Lissi @Triphily @ToastedRossi @ludagad @Sephi-chama @Despapa69
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2021
  2. Despapa69

    Despapa69 Revered 17 Syllable Sage

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    I haven't watched anime in a while.

    As for Asian dramas, I'll probably never watch them as they're not my vibe. It isn't surprising that anime and actual Asian culture are vastly different though. It'd be too weird

    I'd probably cringe to death is someone said "aegyo", öppa"" "hyungnim" irl, even if they're Japanese. Those words instantly instill disgust in me now.

    Edit: They're Korean, why I said Japanese when I've only encountered them during reading KR novels, idk.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2021
  3. Night Phoenix

    Night Phoenix The *Eccentric* Person

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    Nice. so basically what I got from this with my sleep deprived brain: Drama is as cringe as anime.
     
  4. ludagad

    ludagad Addicted to escapist novels

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    Kimi wa Petto. The first-ever drama I watched based on a manga I read previously. Wouldn't touch it now, but there wasn't all that much to watch back then. Weird streaming sites that often didn't include the sound, so I was watching silent drama with subs.
     
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  5. Despapa69

    Despapa69 Revered 17 Syllable Sage

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    Sleep.

    Don't die fast.
     
  6. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    Hahaha I love Kimi Wa Petto because the relationship dynamics is very different.
    It seems older Japanese dramas have better female leads than the recent ones.
    I do admit its faults though. I think the manga is much better and it had not finished airing then.
    I watched Shitsuren Chocolatier because of the male lead from Kimi Wa Petto and although it was similar with the dynamics, it was very disappointing in the aspect of social commentary

    Those words are Korean.......:blobconfused: @userunfriendly

    I think you underestimate how easy it is to fall into the rabbit hole eg your favorite celebrity eg Conan starring in a Korean drama


    You just need one hook
     
  7. kfahad

    kfahad 『The Lurker Beast』『Beast fallen』

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    I like seeing my idol from SNSD Sunny doing aegyo many years ago, but now i got older it's cringy to watch..

    I think that's just age problem, when you are young you can accept almost anything thrown at you.
     
  8. Despapa69

    Despapa69 Revered 17 Syllable Sage

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    I honestly don't know why I said Japanese even though its obvious they're Korean, I've made a fool out of myself.
    Look if its that easy to fall into the rabbit hole, give me one you think I'll like.
     
  9. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    It depends on personal preference. I am looking for romance, romance less sexualized than Western media so I picked Korean dramas for that specific reason.
    You can pick detective shows, thrillers and the likes if you want something with no romance.
    Although these two I cannot find anyone who dislike them:
    Ugly Alert : The Title makes no sense, maybe it has a different meaning in Korean that was lost in translation : @Sephi-chama
    [​IMG]
    Chief Kim
     
  10. Despapa69

    Despapa69 Revered 17 Syllable Sage

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    I'll watch Chief Kim cause the first one looks to happy. See you.
     
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  11. S4TY4

    S4TY4 Well-Known Member

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    LMAO haven't watched KOR's City Hunter, but I bet it wasn't as cringy as Hong Kong/Jackie Chan's version: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hunter_(film)
     
  12. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    I have seen that as a kid, I had no idea what was going on
    It was Jackie Chan so I was happy.
    I watched it later and it was very forgettable
     
  13. Greater thunder

    Greater thunder Well-Known Member

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    I did watch a couple.

    I forgot the name of it, but there was one Kdrama about a new employee in a typical firm who understood his work through korean chess and a few people around him (his chubby senior and their middle aged boss, fellow newbies like the compulsive liar from a poor background, a capable girl with a dark past and a prep boy who is supposedly redeemed but never comes off to me that way. Cultural differences, I guess?)

    Waikiki Guesthouse 1 where I disliked first 1-2 episodes and adored the rest of it.

    Melo is your nature (it gets compared to Reply series, haven't seen any Reply but this was good). The only downer was scenario end with couple or no couple reveals and deliberate toss ups on main couple's will they won't they. As a whole, the show was funny and romance didn't detract from it, and my favorite part is how the side charas stoic manager and diva star get together, stole the thunder from everyone else.

    I read some available webtoons that got adapted to dramas. Like Cheese in the Trap. That was exhausting, like seriously. I could never start the drama knowing how most stuff goes plus the fact all Kdrama episodes are at least an hour shortest.

    Sound of your Heart will probably forever stay the best comedy with a title reading like a romance work when there's less than zero romance.

    Edit: there are some where one medium triumphs over another absolutely. Like What's wrong with Secretary Kim? was a funny webtoon read, but attempting to watch the drama after that was a fail.
     
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  14. rhianirory

    rhianirory Well-Known Member

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    there was a time when I watched nothing but Asian dramas and anime because they have a defined story and they all end after 12-24 episodes (except some historic dramas which can last up to 40).
    Japanese has some serious dramas as well as over the top idol dramas, but its mostly the idol dramas that get translated.
    Korean dramas are good if they don't go too makjang and the MC isn't doing the noble idiocy thing, then I FF a lot.
    Taiwanese dramas are mostly fun but the acting in the idol dramas is even more exaggerated than Japanese dramas so it takes some getting used to. the few serious Taiwanese dramas I've seen were really good.
    Chinese dramas are interesting but have some of the same problems as Taiwanese at times on top of being censored as hell before they are allowed to air.
    Thai dramas are usually decent with a few really good ones mixed in.
     
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  15. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    Melo is my nature was disappointing. The male lead who was a bit chubby was supposed to be a jerk and the female lead confident and independent enough as a writer to not fall for a guy that bad writers write in drama but she fell anyway. Killed my interest, it was the second female lead with the younger man that had the toss up romance that was disappointing. His crazy ex girlfriend was an interesting specimen, her role was unforgettable.
    The third female lead with mental issues, also had the jerk as a love interest, not my cup of tea either. I was happy to see her in Vincenzo. She deserved a lead role.

    Cheese in a Trap was just distracting me with the fact that a 36 year old dude was playing a high school student even if it was just flashbacks
    The second female lead was my favorite character, she was crazy but honest. According to rumors, the producers owned the agency of the second male lead so he got a lot more screen time that he should have. I didn't really care for the drama.

    As I grew older I can no longer stand the average Korean drama with the poor female lead or female secretary
    I barely lasted 2 episodes of Jugglers.

    I am watching more Chinese dramas since there are so many, it is possible to locate a female CEO drama
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2021
  16. hothotpot

    hothotpot Well-Known Member

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    I remember a novel was about e-sports but it turned into hacking competition in the drama (interesting change)

    When I saw it, I was a bit confused because that's not how hacking works (since I joined the competition a few times) and the event was so hyped that when I see images of real life competitions, it's computer geeks as audience and computer geeks huddling together.

    In the drama, words nyooming fast that even Flash can't see, popups like virus and the general essence of CTF competition is displayed very little (only attack-defense in competitions but jeopardy at home)

    Although it's entertaining to my mom, I started feeling the injustice from the world
    When I joined CTF competition (but my potato skills can only answer one question), she only said "oh"
    Then says it's cool and awesome when the male lead did it and she tells me how CTF works
    I'm indignant
     
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  17. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    My issue with Japanese dramas is not lack of serious dramas, you can have drama with no female leads. It is frustrating, it is just ikemen or old men

    I will pretend that I fully understood what you said :blobfistbumpL::blobsweat_2:

    @S4TY4 Jackie Chan hated City Hunter as his worse movie even more than his porn cameo role in the 1970s lol
     
  18. sinyueliang

    sinyueliang 『World Traveller』『Demon Slayer』『Hinokami』

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    Those are korean lol. And honestly you saying that sounds mildly racist.

    Tbh, the whole thread is a little racist (idc if I get hate for this, or whatever, but that's just how I feel).

    As someone who is Asian, why are you even reading our novels and manga if you don't like our culture and think it's "cringey" lol. Or that our words "break immersion". Anyways that's my thoughts. If you don't like it, don't watch it. No need to shit on it and our culture and language too like what the heck? Haha.
     
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  19. S4TY4

    S4TY4 Well-Known Member

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    Can't say I blame him. W/ such a level of cringines, bad script & story, it should win perfect score (or close enough) of rotten tomatoes all across the board
     
  20. Despapa69

    Despapa69 Revered 17 Syllable Sage

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    I live in Malaysia, I'm used to Asian culture though mostly Chinese.

    Nah, I really don't know why I said Japanese when its so obvious its Korean, I've addressed that it my consecutive comment.

    Its not that I hate your culture, its fine actually, I've said that those words have been ruined for me due to the amount of people using them constantly in the web and also irl. Due to their annoyance, I've developed somewhat of a loathing for them though I won't confront anyone if they used it in proper manner.

    I don't really see where I shit on your culture though, didn't say I hate it, just don't vibe with Koran dramas. Not that I despise them specifically, just don't like dramas in general.

    It didn't occur to me I was being racist in any of my statements ngl.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2021