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Korean drama, or better known as Kdrama may be something quite foreign to those in the West, but it’s certainly won’t stay that way for long as it begins to make its way around the world. Korean drama has been swiftly rising in popularity over the last decade, making its way into the rest of Asia and the Middle East. For any young people wanting to stay on top of the latest trends and popular culture, Kdrama is certainly something to keep an eye on.

So what’s all the hype? And how is this exotic genre making its way into the gaming world? Below we’ll take a look at why Kdrama is so popular.

Why is Korean Drama so popular?

According to stats, some 18 million people in the United States alone view Kdrama. Whilst it may revolve around Korean culture, its fan base is spread across the globe as the US accounts for just 5-6% of its international viewers.

With storylines more dramatic than that of most British soaps, Korean drama is often centered around love triangles, young romances, affairs between the classes, and relationship struggles that pull at the heartstrings. Whilst Korean dramas can be predictable, there’s a key difference between these Asian dramas and Western dramas, which makes them so popular.

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Kdrama is loved by many people across the globe – over 18 million Americans watch Kdrama.

Whilst Western dramas tend to go on for season after season (cue Grey’s Anatomy and friends!), Korean dramas are relatively short-lived like Ji Woon-soo’s Stroke of Luck which aired for just one season. Dramas that do return for another season tend to feature a different storyline with a definite start and an end.

The dramas usually last for around 16- 20 episodes, each one lasting around one hour at a time. This ensures that viewers don’t get bored on the storyline, and for those that do come back for another season, it’s most likely centered around an entirely different set of characters.

Another secret of Kdrama is that the storylines offer something we rarely get to see in modern-day Western dramas. Many Kdrama’s take the viewer back to an older time, where courtship replaced dating and everything was much more taboo.

Some of the most popular examples include one of South Korea’s hottest dramas’, ‘Sky Castle’, where the parents sleep in separate beds. Or if viewers are after a sense of nostalgia, shows such as ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?’ and ‘My love from another star’ feature male and female characters who are far less sexually experienced than we would expect today. This sense of innocence and daringness means western viewers can’t keep their eyes off the screen.

Moreover, the predictable plots may sound like they could get tedious, but the carefully planned storylines that have characters chasing their tales backward to bump into one another and for things to work out are what play on viewers’ emotions and keep them hooked. The sense of longing, grief, and misfortune that the characters face in these dramas means that viewers form a bond with them instantly; preventing the viewer from being able to look away from the screen.

The popularity of Korean Drama today

2020 has seen a number of new releases in the Kdrama world, many of which are currently giving Western shows a run for their money. One of the most popular new releases is ‘Crash Landing on you’. This drama is centered around a young South Korean heiress who unwillingly finds herself blown across the border into North Korea after a parasailing mishap.

There she meets a young Captain in the North Korean Special Forces and the two hatch a plan to get the heiress back across the border. The pair become star-cross lovers, leaving viewers gripping onto their seats as they find out if the girl makes it back, and if the pair will ever see each other again.

Introducing Korean drama bingo

With Korean drama being so popular across the globe, it’s no surprise that Kdrama has also taken to the world of gaming, with bingo cards now being created using different potential Kdrama situations in replacement of numbers usually found on a traditional bingo card.

Over recent years, bingo has become increasingly popular with technology advancements enabling a variety of people to play online bingo. Due to the increase in popularity, it was highly likely that this game would go on to influence others to create their own bingo games. Kdrama has the power to bring a whole host of different groups of people together, despite their age, religion, or geographical location, similar to online bingo which is a game known to be loved by a variety of people and also for its social interaction amongst players in the live chatrooms.

What does Kdrama bingo entail?

Kdrama bingo may not seem that conventional, but the highly predictable storylines make for entertaining bingo boards. Often, the numbers are replaced by different moments in the storyline, making the game much more exciting than regular online bingo! Cue the drama queens, Kdrama bingo certainly features some entertaining plot lines, with the caller announcing scenes and key character-building moments, we bet you’ll never want to hear all the 8’s again!

So there you have the lowdown on Kdrama! Whilst there are some great Western series around at the moment, it seems that the World has a new favorite as viewers are beginning to flock to the nostalgia of Korean drama. So whether you’re looking for a new show to binge-watch on Netflix, or you fancy switching up your game of traditional bingo, it’s certainly worth giving the world of steamy affairs, heartbreaks, and courtships a go.