Since the hangover from South Korea’s exit from the World Cup is finally fading, we can now redirect our lives to non-sporting topics.  And today’s topic is why do non-Koreans like Korean dramas?  That might be overreaching but it seems like non-Koreans know more about Korean dramas than I do.  This past weekend I visited Los Angeles and ran into a handful of friends, both Korean and non.  On Sunday morning for brunch, I met up with two Chinese friends and they told me how much they love Korean dramas and how their mothers love watching Korean dramas.  This is a conversation I’ve had previously with various other friends, and I still find it surprising.  Is it the writing?  Hard for me to believe because the themes are similar.  Remember when you first started watching Korean dramas?  Didn’t it seem like every Korean girl would succumb to cancer and the boyfriend was left alone at the end of the movie in tears?  Of course they expanded beyond this cliche of a story.

I asked my brunch mates why they like Korean dramas and they said their mother’s have best explained it in this way: Korean dramas have better styles and real good looking people.  That’s it?!  Oh how superficial but it attracts a ton of interest from many other Asian countries.  Then again, maybe their mother’s have a point.  Who doesn’t think Daniel Henney is handsome?  Rain?  And of course who doesn’t love (lust) Korean women?  Well, if we’ve peaked your interest, then check out dramafever where you can find an archive of those Korea drama hits.  It’s hard to argue against watching Lee Byung Hun in Iris.  You be the judge?

KBS’s megahit IRIS will be premiering on DramaFever on Thursday, Jan 28. IRIS will be available in high quality streaming video with English subtitles. All three Korean broadcasters (MBC, SBS, and KBS) have now joined with DramaFever to bring the best Korean dramas online to the U.S. and Canada. IRIS will become part of a growing library that includes recent hits such as Shining Inheritance, Boys Over Flowers, and Queen Seon Duk, as well as classics such as Coffee Prince, My Lovely Samsoon, Land of Wind, Gourmet, Stairway to Heaven, My Girl, Hotelier, Sandglass, Jewel In The Palace and Jumong.

And DramaFever will soon be carrying more than just dramas. The documentary series Shocking Life will be DramaFever’s first non-drama series. Part Real Sex, part Ghost Hunters, and part Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Shocking Life examines the oddities and the unusual from Korea. Shocking Life premieres on DramaFever on Thursday, Feb 4.

ABOUT IRIS
A blockbuster hit and one of the most talked-about dramas of the year, Iris premiered to stunning ratings of 24.5% and had crossed 30% ratings by its 8th episode. With a budget of 20 billion won (almost a million U.S. dollars per episode), this explosive action-spy thriller uniquely utilized many aspects of American television and action film genres to create a high-octane, large-scale production with international flare and exotic shooting locations.

Megastar and Hallyu icon Lee Byung Hun gives the performance of a lifetime as a daredevil secret agent who transforms into a driven, tormented spy on the run from powers he doesn’t understand. He is ably assisted by a star-studded cast including Kim Tae Hee (Hallyu star for Love Story in Harvard and Stairway to Heaven), Jung Joon Ho (2008’s hit Last Scandal), Kim So Yeon (Gourmet), and T.O.P. (mega Kpop hiphop boyband Big Bang). Having tried and succeeded in blending the tension and fast pace of American spy series such as 24 with the romance and character depth of Korean dramas, Iris’s innovative style, heavy-weight leads and big budget have enabled it to become something of a minor phenomenon (the broadcast rights have already been bought by seven other countries). It could very well become a Kdrama classic.

About DramaFever
DramaFever.com is the premier online destination for North American audiences to enjoy popular prime-time television shows from Asia in high quality with English subtitles. DramaFever has built up one of the largest licensed collections of popular Asian TV content for the North American market with programming from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) Media, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Distribution, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) International, Group Eight, ISplus, and JS Pictures. For more information, please visit http://www.dramafever.com

Last Thursday night was the big launch party of DramaFever at the Circle New York nightclub.  It was completely full with a lot of film enthusiasts who love the films that come from across the Pacific.  In recent years, there have been a lot of great work that have come from Korea, Japan and other Asian countries, but unfortunately it’s been difficult to watch them unless you got a bootleg copy.  Now through DramaFever.com, you can view some of the best Asian films out there.  Check out the pictures from the party and register at DramaFever.com.

DramaFever goes live the first week of August and we’re going to throw a special party in New York City to celebrate! We’ll be at Circle, one of New York City’s hottest clubs — and you’re invited! Come Thursday, August 6, at 7pm — and be on time, because the first 100 people will receive gift bags with goodies from Ito En, THEME Magazine, MiN New York, La Vie Zen Spa, mark. and Time Out NY Magazine. MiN New York and La Vie Zen Spa will also be contributing sweet door prizes! Not to be outdone at our own party, we’ll be giving out DramaFever goodies too. (the rumor is autographed items…)

We’ve got some very special guests coming too! Spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai from HBO’s Def Poetry and hip hop artist Taiyo Na will make appearances. They’ll be joined by hip hop MCs Direct and Theresa Vu, known together as Magnetic North!

Where:
Circle Nightclub
135 West 41st, btwn 6th Ave and Broadway
Age requirement is 21+

When:
Thursday, August 6, 7-9pm

Special Guests:
Magnetic North
Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai
Taiyo Na

What is DramaFever.com?

DramaFever.com is a brand new online video destination where American viewers can enjoy popular Asian prime-time television shows in high quality with English subtitles. All videos are 100% legal thanks to ground-breaking partnerships with top Asian networks, including MBC America and KBS Internet Co., Ltd.

DramaFever.com has been invitation-only beta and gained over 40,000 registered test users since January 2009. Korean dramas have a large crossover appeal to American viewers with their interesting stories, high production values and great casting. Of DramaFever’s surveyed users, non-Asian users outweigh Korean users by 3 to 1.

DramaFever is the Asian drama equivalent of Hulu, offering free viewing of legally licensed videos with momentary ads that appear during an episode. Soon, DramaFever will offer a subscription service for viewers who wish to watch episodes ad-free. DramaFever has built up possibly the largest collection of Asian TV content for the US market. When it goes public, DramaFever.com will have a library of over 50 popular Korean drama series. Chinese and Japanese dramas will be added to the site during the second half of 2009. Popular drama series includes titles such as Boys Over Flowers, Coffee Prince, Land of Wind, Worlds Within, Cruel Love, My Lovely Sam-Soon, Jewel in the Palace, Jumong, and Strongest Chilwu.

The public launch date of DramaFever.com is Thursday, August 6. DramaFever will host a launch party that same day in New York City at Circle Nightclub. Guests will receive gift bags from sponsors Ito En, Theme Magazine, TimeOutNY magazine, mark. cosmetics, MiN New York, and La Vie Zen Spa. The event is free admission and 21+.

There will also be special performances by Asian American artists Magnetic North, Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, and Taiyo Na.