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Moon lovers scarlet heart ryeo viki5/6/2023 ![]() Then The Swoon came out and became a medium for Korean actors and international fans of sorts and I think that helped. Is it perfect, no (e.g., delayed episode releases & incorrect subtitles- but those things are nothing new to a veteran international K-drama lover anyway the newbies/locals will learn and adjust until those issues are addressed), but Netflix was trying. When I saw that Netflix was investing in currently airing dramas (I’m still not 100% on the details) I was like “oh shit, Netflix is SERIOUS serious about Korean entertainment” so I decided to make sure I watched whatever I was watching that was available on Netflix on that platform. ![]() I remember that I was going to cancel my Netflix subscription until I saw they were adding them. When DramaFever shut down (thug tears for the OG), Netflix stepped up and added a lot of Korean shows/movies (the timeframe is fuzzy in my mind though). The selection was more of already aired shows so you had to go to DramaFever (RIP), Viki, or other sites (I am going to gatekeep as they may get taken down due to copyright issues despite some being legit sources- do a Google search if you really wanna know) to watch currently airing shows. From what I remember, Korean television shows & movies have been on Netflix since at least 2009- maybe sooner correct me in the comments. I don’t know if people realize this or not but Netflix played the long game in their investment in Korean entertainment and those who love it. I think all of these things are “why” Squid Game blew up. If you haven’t watched any of the behind the scenes I recommend you do so. As usual, the story & characters were well written and the beautiful & talented AF actors acted their asses off. The plot development & twists do it every time whether you are a first-time k-drama watcher or a veteran. The themes portrayed in the show (capitalism, immigration, loyalty, betrayal, humanity, survival and others) are also present in other democratic/capitalistic countries so that connection (also unbeknownst to the writer) also helped viewers connect with the show. Unbeknownst to the writer, there were games played on the show that were played in other countries- for example, I played Red Light, Green Light, Tug of War, & Marbles as kid (I’m a Millennial BTW)- so the show was easy to follow for many. I know the show was too violent for some in Korea (about 50/50 from what I read) but that level of violence is what Americans are used to (unfortunately) from American TV & movies (I’m only going to speak of America- I haven’t lived anywhere else in the world). 9 episodes is just enough for a local watching a K-drama for the very first time- you can finish it in a day or two. BUT I’m glad that Squid Game was the K-drama that “broke though”. Are there K-dramas better than Squid Game? Yes.
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