Overview

The popularity of televised dramas from Korea and Taiwan has increased significantly since 2000. Such dramas reflect the interweaving of human romance, tragedy, and comedy with a Confucian world view that places this human conflict into a context of respect both for for one's elders and for society itself. Korean and Taiwanese televised dramas share many overlapping values but differ in how each culture typically assigns stereotypical roles to the male and female leads. Native Korean and Taiwanese viewers watch their respective dramas expecting a melding of Hollywood type conflict with an Asian worldview that seeks to assimilate this conflict into a satisfying conclusion. Viewers unfamiliar with this blend of cultures, those raised in a Western mindset, initially find it strange that the dramas' cast play out their collective angst in a manner that deviates from the Hollywood norm. I have chosen 122 Korean and Taiwanese (plus a few Chinese and Japanese) televised dramas that represent a sampling of the many hundreds of such dramas currently available for viewing in various internet web sites. Some of the dramas reviewed herein are stand alone efforts released as theatrical movies, but the majority are dramas originally released on television as weekly episodes. The number of episodes ranges from a dozen to more than eighty with each approximating one hour in length. I can assure you that I have personally watched every minute of each episode. Most of the dramas reviewed focus on the romantic interplay between the leads, but within this genre of romance there is a wide variation of sub-genres that include corporate machinations and backstabbing, time travel, Rich Male Hero falls for Poor but Beautiful Heroine, vicious in-laws, interfering sidekicks, parallel subplots, and much more. Each review provides an extensive analysis of plot, theme, and characterization, all of which are viewed in a Confucian context that reflects a social, psychological, religious, familial, and cultural backdrop. I did not give away any surprise endings so these reviews may be read before viewing them to decide whether a potential viewer wishes to watch them or even after viewing them to recreate the enjoyable experience while watching. The number of televised dramas increases exponentially yearly and this review guide may prove useful in providing you with sufficient past and current dramas such that you can choose wisely which types of Korean and Taiwanese dramas you like.

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9781546966043

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Martin Asiner has been teaching English and American literature and journalism for more than twenty five years both on the high school level and the college and university level. Mr. Asiner is the author of several books on literature appreciation: The Smart Students Guide to Modern Literary Theory, The Smart Students Guide to Really Hard Classic Essays, and the Smart Students Guide to the GRE Literature in English Test. He is currently writing a science fiction trilogy about the earth leaving its orbit around the sun and heading out to the vastness of space. Mr. Asiner lives in Jersey City with his wife Shirley and daughter Bonnie.

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