[sidm83]

Haven't really watched any Korean TV series yet except of course Squid Games, but I've been hooked to their movies since I first saw My Sassy Girl ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293715/ ) nearly 2 decades ago. Having not been exposed to any Asian cinema except the typical Jackie Chan / Bruce Lee Kung Fu movies, this was quite a revelation as it really appealed to typical Indian sensibilities. Remember re-watching it with family members who were one generation older and they loved it too.

Since then I have been exposed to far more quality Asian cinema especially from Japan but haven't experienced the kind of connect one gets from a Korean film, be it a crime thriller, romance or typical drama. Not sure whether those brought up in the West have the same level of connect though.

On a further note, its great to get exposed to such variety of International entertainment via Netflix et al, who have really leveled the playing field when it comes to distribution.

[pempem]

IMO the reason it does well in the diaspora is that it does play to an older cultural sensibility.

- Romance is slower, often less focused on sex than say an HBO show

- Class divisions are stark, and visible much like they are in India, Thailand, Japan and other countries.

- Gendered roles are very marked and clear, with women falling into tropes that Hollywood still espouses but also attempts to disrupt (ingenue, career minded, ice queens, sassy side kick)

- Fable/Parable approaches to morality. There's often an overarching focus on 'the lesson' and usually a secondary lesson that is collectivist and family-focused in nature.

The questions I'm left with are: - will the independent s. korean scene also get exported

- how will s. korean celebrity culture change as it interacts more with a wider audience? currently it is regularly locked down by those who hold the money in ways that make Britney Spears' unfortunate experiences look like a walk in the park

[ethbr0]

IMHO, one of the reasons Korean media internationalizes well is the relevance of its main themes.

Personal vs family vs extended family vs social responsibility. The relation between self and modern mega-corps. Alienation. Gender issues from individuals' perspectives.

These are things almost every country is grappling with.