bojojoti

I'd grown weary of American shows. They were predictable, mundane, and increasingly mediocre. I tried a few foreign shows. I clicked with a Russian show, but there weren't many that had English subtitles. I sampled a few other countries, then came across Alchemy of Souls. I watched it and became obsessed. Two years later, I'm still enthralled with K-dramas. I've recently begun to expand into Chinese dramas, and I've even ventured into Japanese dramas. 

If dramas were an amusement park, K-dramas would be an extreme roller coaster: the ride is full of highs, lows, and all the emotions. The roller coaster often takes a detour into a horror house but then emerges into glorious sunshine and does a leisurely curve in the bright air before hurtling down in a face-peeling dive and then spinning into several stomach-churning turns. When the ride is over, the people are shaken and stumble away half dazed, but they want the exhilarating, emotionally draining experience again.

Chinese dramas are an exquisite carousel with hand-carved beasts adorned with jewels, accompanied by pretty music. It doesn't go anywhere, but it's beautiful and pleasant. The ride often lasts way too long and can become repetitive. One starts to wonder if the ride will ever end. 

Japanese dramas are that odd little man standing with a microphone and pop -up stand outside the public restrooms. He engages the passersby and offers to guess their weight; if he's off more than 10 pounds, he awards the lucky participant a large stuffed pickle. The  encounter is weird but oddly entertaining, and it doesn't take much time at all.