Are You a K-Drama Bingewatcher?

There are some K-Drama fans who will watch each new episode as they are released and patiently go about their lives. Then there’s me, who promises to watch just two episodes and then gets overly worked up that I have to wait a few days for the next episode. So here’s the question: Do you watch new dramas as they air? Or do you wait until the series is almost over so you can watch the entire series within a few days? Based on personal experience, I’ll give a few suggestions on some K-Dramas (old and new) that are best watched slowly over time versus bingewatching.

BINGEWATCH:

“Extra-Ordinary You“

I started off watching this series every week and then stopped. Why? It’s not because I didn’t enjoy it, because I did. Very much so! But each episode is just 30 minutes and I get too worked up wanting to see the next episodes immediately. So I have been holding out for as long as I can. My plan is to binge shortly after the series finale airs so that I can watch straight through without any interruptions.

“My Secret, Terrius” My Secret Terrius Kocowa When episodes are just 30-minutes long, it’s difficult for me not to bingewatch. This So Ji-Sub series moves quickly. There’s a lot going on, but there’s just as much comedy as there is action and you’ll find yourself five hours into it thinking, “Just a few more episodes and then I’ll go to bed…”

Other bingeworthy K-Dramas: “Healer,” “Coffee Prince,” “The Tale of Nokdu“

WATCH OVER TIME:

“I’m Sorry, I Love You” I'm Sorry I Love You lim soo jung, so ji sub There are two types of K-Drama fans. Those who love “I’m Sorry, I Love You” and those who didn’t. I fall into the latter category. As many of you already know, So Ji-Sub is one of my favorite actors. And it’s always a treat to see Im Soo-Jung (“Search WWW,” “Chicago Typewriter”) in a K-Drama. But watching the lead characters suffer for 16 hours straight is rough. The series tackles subjects such as child abandonment, poverty, diaspora and women being treated as chattel. The ending is poetic and beautiful, but in a depressing way. My recommendation for watching “I’m Sorry, I Love You” is to take your time.

“Kill Me, Heal Me” Kill Me Heal Me “Kill Me, Heal Me” is one of my all-time favorite K-Dramas, but I didn’t like the first episode. So I stopped watching it for a few months before giving it another shot. Storywise, it is one of the best thought-out Korean dramas and has superb acting by all of the leads: Ji Sung as a chaebol with multiple personalities, Hwang Jung-Eum as the young psychiatrist who treats him and Park Seo-Joon as her author brother, who has secrets of his own. The series is so good that you will want to binge. But because of heavy subject matter, it’s a good idea to watch a couple episodes, process what you’ve seen and then go back to watching.