Redheaded Jill

About 10 year ago I discovered a love of foreign tv shows. It has been ages since I’ve been super invested in an American show. I think the last show I watched regularly was New Girl, and I have caught the occasional episode of Yellowstone. But I am not into many American tv shows anymore. What do I watch instead?

First and foremost, Korean Dramas. Oh my goodness. I am so glad they’re gaining popularity because I used to have to watch the shows on sketchy streaming sites. Now they can be found on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime… Of course anything made for Netflix is pushing an agenda… but sometimes the shows are still good! My favorite platform is Viki.com. It’s simple to use and they have a wide selection.

One thing I appreciate about K dramas is they don’t often have multiple seasons. And if they do have multiple seasons they don’t keep all the same cast, so it is pretty much a separate show. There are 12-24 episodes, with two episodes airing per week. You get things rolled into a nice little package and the show ends with all the “t”s crossed and the “i”s dotted. There are also daytime dramas that are like… 100+ episodes, but I have only made it through a few of those. Korea also has some super wholesome reality tv like “Return of Superman” about celebrity dads with their kids. There’s a talk show where celebrities help people solve issues that they write in about. There’s a game show called Running Man that has a set cast with guests who solve puzzles and play games winning all sorts of prizes. I really love Korean tv.

I also enjoy Chinese dramas. They tend to be 30-50 episodes, but sometimes they air new episodes as often as twice a week day until the series ends. That’s 5-10 episodes per week! They have a lot of epic fantasy dramas and historical fantasy dramas. I will tell you right now, Love Like The Galaxy is the best Chinese Show I’ve ever watched. You can find it on youtube with full subtitles. If you don’t want historical fiction you should check out “Hidden Love” on Netflix. It’s a close second.

While researching Korean dramas to watch I stumbled across Thai Lakorns on youtube. The actress Urassaya Sperbund (Yaya) might be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She has made some good dramas with her fiancee Nadek Kugimaya. There are some definite trigger warnings about Thai TV. But the actors and actresses are very talented and the stories usually have a happy ending!

The latest discovery I’ve made is Turkish tv shows or Bolums. Again, lots of trigger warnings because the plot line usually involves a woman being accosted by an unwanted suitor and then rescued by her true love. (At least in my limited exposure.) It’s harder to find places to watch these outside of youtube, but they do have options if you don’t mind fighting pop ups.

Something all of these different shows have in common is the way they treat and speak to strangers. They refer to older folks as grandma or grandpa, aunt or uncle, to people their own age they might say brother or sister, or to the youngsters they refer to them as son or daughter. Each language has their own terminology, but it’s so nice. I really like it. I also find each language fascinating and complex. It makes me wish I easily picked up languages because I want to speak and understand all of them.

One perk about enjoying tv with subtitles is I have to pay attention. I don’t usually binge these things because it requires undivided attention. It’s also nice because I don’t waste time on things I don’t enjoy. If I’m going to read subtitles for that long I’m going to only watch what I consider quality.

Here are some shows I recommend if you’re interested in getting started with foreign tv.

K dramas: The Heirs, The Good Doctor, It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, Dr. Romantic, Goblin, Scarlett Heart Goryeo

Chinese Dramas: Love Like the Galaxy, Hidden Love, The King’s Woman, The Romance of Tiger and Rose

Thai Lakorns: *trigger warnings* Kleun Cheewit, Neung Nai Suang, Dung Duang Hareutai

Turkish Bolum: Gulperi, Black and White Love, Kan Cicekleri