Hi there! (^_^)//

I'm a drama fan from Stockholm, Sweden.
I've watched J-dorama since the late 90's and Asian movies for as long as I can remember.
K-drama is pretty new to me. Only been watching since early 2013.
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Editorials on MDL

* 8 reasons to watch Hana Kimi(The Taiwanese version)
* The Devil is in the Details (Featuring Seung Gi, Yoochun among others)
* The "You Who Came from the Stars"-exhibition in Seoul, up close
* Why your Jane Austen loving friends should be watching K-drama

Podcast & Instagram

And if you liked those articles, you'll probably also like this K-drama podcast I ran with a couple of friends:
http://kdramapod.com (After 50 episodes we called it quits. But you can still listen via the site or iTunes.)
or this K-drama Instagram: http://instagram.com/kdramapodcast

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Asian drama: a complicated love affair

There seems to be two big camps of drama fans out there...

1. The fans who love everything about it. No questions asked.
2. The addicts who also love it. Deeply. But do so with some reservations.

I'm a member of that second group.

I never had idols growing up and I used to roll my eyes at people who set a romantic kiss as their desktop wallpaper.
I didn't get it.
Western romance simply does not convince nor move me.

So, here I am. Post discovering K-drama. Plowing through romance dramas like a woman possessed. Making up for a lifetime of loathing romance.

I get it now. And it's wonderful. And yet, it's not without complications... 

As a feminist and as someone over the age of 30 - the lacking gender equality in Asia, in combination with their obsession with youth and impossible beauty standards, puts a bit of a damper on the enjoyment.

Why bring all this this up here?
Well... while getting involved in the K-drama Community - I've discovered that there's lots of people out there who feel the same way. Smart, funny and articulate fans who combine unadulterated fangirl/fanboy passion with analysis and criticism.

This text is for you . I dig your style, people.Hwaighting!

With that out of the way... On with the fangirl part.
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The main reasons I watch Asian dramas are:

• Culture: I've always been fascinated by the language and culture in these countries.
• Quality: The genuinely good dramas. Well written, acted and produced.
• Emotional investment: Although many plots are predictable; I find myself involved and on the edge of my seat.
• Relaxation: Asian dramas, not being mainstream in Europe, do not affect public opinion where I live, love and work. They therefore offer something of a break from the critical eye I otherwise always apply to western pop-culture.
• Romance: The subtle and slow build-up approach of Asian romance appeals to me so much more than the instant gratification-method of the west.
• Lastly; The men.

Main biases

• Hyun Bin: You have to admire a man who can pull off silly just as convincingly as sexy.
• Ji Hyun Woo: He's the perfect combination of cute awkwardness and sexy manliness. 
• Joo Jin Mo: They say his smile can melt chocolate... Yeah. That's not all he's melting. 
• Kim Soo Hyun: Versatile & talented. Plus, if aliens looked like him; I'd WANT Earth to be invaded! 
• Kimura Takuya: Ok, ok, we've seen him play the cool guy for decades. But it still works! 
• Lee Min Ho: My first K-drama related crush. Still a BIG one.
• Lee Seung Gi: And the award for the most endearing smile goes to... 
• Mike He: Because of the way he kisses a girl, using his whole body. 

Since I'm over 30 I tend to go for the 30+, ruggedly handsome men, rather than the flower boys. (See my list with favorite 30+ Korean actors) But if dramas have taught me anything it's that  anyone in a good role can make your knees go weak.

Now... I realize that these amazing men we see in the dramas are no more real than the proverbial knight in shining armor or the brave Scottish highlander (if that's your cup of tea).
But a girl can dream, can't she? And dramaland is my favorite place to escape.
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Favorite drama cliché: 
Falling asleep on the shoulder, followed by the hero collapsing and in need of nursing due to something silly, like a common cold. (The "Florence Nightingale")
Least favorite cliché:
Needlessly breaking up and sacrificing their love in order to save something else (the "noble idiot") followed by the über-evil female second lead or matriarch.
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Favorite things in the world besides drama:

• Sci-Fi: Everything from old SW & ST to the newest flicks and everything in between.
• Travel: Lately I've been visiting Korea. A bunch. Wonder why?
• Food: Ever since my first visit to Korea I've been cooking Korean a lot. Yumm!
• Games: I mostly play on PC and Xbox. Big AAA-titles as well as indie- and casual games.
• Crafts: Jewelry making, sewing, drawing, beading... anything creative really.

Actually... I'm one of those people with about 100 different hobbies.
Since I started watching K-drama - a lot of them have taken a back seat though. ;)
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Lastly... A couple of words about MyDramaList

I use this site mainly to keep track of dramas I'm currently watching and all the stuff I plan to watch.
Besides my feed, I don't interact much. But please don't hesitate to drop me a line, Friend Request or recommendation. If you're an addict with a brain; I want to hear from you! :)

I remove movies and specials from my list once I've watched them. The list would become unmanageable otherwise.

Dramas listed as "On-hold" are in fact shows that I'm extra interested in. They're primed to be watched next.

Ratings are based on a balanced system of giving points for various production values, acting, script, direction... and most importantly: Feeling. Did the drama make me FEEL?
Those who did the job are at the top of my list.

Ratings according to pixelviking

• 1-3: I've never given anything a score this low. It would have to be completely unwatchable.
  Like "American version of Hana Yori Dango"-unwatchable.
• 4: Normal people would probably drop something they didn't enjoy to this extent...
  I painstakingly skim through everything until the end, and give it a 4. 
• 5: I probably fast forwarded through this a lot too.
  There were flaws big enough to outshine the good parts. 
• 6: Meh. It's a passing grade but it was either flawed in some pretty big way, or it didn't make me feel enough. 
• 7: This drama made me feel. I laughed. I cried. I got invested. Odds are I'd recommend it without much hesitation. 
• 8-9: Ooooh boy. I probably went through boxes of tissues watching this.
  Or the script was unusually clever. Or both. 
• 10: There's no such thing as a perfect drama. This drama was so good that it made me forget about that.