When I'm Not Reading #1: The Joy of Obsessing Over K-Dramas

Say hello to The Bookshelf Intruder's NEW FEATURE!!! As you've probably guessed, When I'm Not Reading talks about things that we do when we're not bent over a book. Us, booknerds, we're a dedicated bunch. We live and breath books. But we also have lives outside books and it's fun to talk about it from time to time, in between our bookish discussions. When I'm Not Reading will feature other book bloggers and readers over the following weeks/months, too so watch out for that. :)

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A couple of weeks ago, I went through a reading slump. Not because I didn't want to read or I didn't feel like reading or I couldn't bring myself to read. None of those usual reasons. I was just so... occupied. Occupied, distracted, and OBSESSED with Korean dramas. So much so that I chose not to read at all. For a whole week, I just devoured this one, lovely Korean show. I must admit, I was so hooked that I didn't mind not reading, and that made me want to do this feature.

Brief history of my K-drama obsession. In college, I had classmates who were fans of K-Pop and to be honest, I found them strange sometimes. I didn't get them at all. But in 2008, I watched Coffee Prince for the first time. It was a rom-com so it was really funny and sweet but it also has sad moments that made me cry while watching with other girls in the dorm. It was a hit in the Philippines. It was the first K-drama that I truly loved and I remember staying up late just to watch it even when I was tired and sleepy. And every time the local station airs reruns, I still watch it like it was the first time. I'm crazy like that. As if that wasn't enough, I even asked Paula and Irish to buddy-watch it with me last December. We fangirled over it and like the first time, I laughed and cried and felt all the feels with Han Gyul and Eun Chan. I didn't know it then but it was actually the start of something new for me: crazy, shameless love for Korean dramas.



Fun fact: The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince was originally a novel written by Lee Sun Mi. Just recently, it was translated by Kimchi Press (an imprint of Summit Books here in the Philippines) to English and of course, I got myself a copy (I don't even care if some people say it's not as good as the show - I HAVE TO HAVE IT).



After watching Coffee Prince for the nth time, I watched these other gems:



It's Okay That's Love
Also known as: It's Okay, It's Love / It's OK, This Is Love / It's Alright, It's Love / It's Alright, That's Love
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Melodrama, Medical
What I Love About It:
- unique plot that's full of twists and turns
- great cast
- amazing chemistry between the two leads
- beautiful soundtrack (with both Korean and English songs, including Family of the Year's Hero. Yep, I heard it here first, not on Boyhood.)
- Jo In Sung, who's like an angel sent from heaven. I mean, look at him.



I am forever thankful to Ella for recommending this to me. I was also going through a rough time when I was watching this so this was very helpful in cheering me up and --surprisingly-- teaching a few lessons. And it has an awesome soundtrack worth downloading. I really think you should check it out.



Marriage, Not Dating
Also known as: Marriage Over Love / Marriage Without Love / Marriage Without Dating
Genre: Romance, Comedy (I was so in the mood for rom-coms)
What I Love About It:
- the funny, crazy actors
- all the sweet, romantic moments
- the lead actress, who really felt authentic to me. She's crazy and naive at the same time but also very kind and strong.

Coming from It's Okay That's Love which was a really strong show, both in quality and ratings-wise (I know, I do my research like my life depends on it), Marriage Not Dating may seem like something of a let-down. But after all that intense crying scenes in episodes 14 & 15 (almost always the most crucial episodes of a Korean miniseries) of It's Okay That's Love, the light, funny moments in Marriage Not Dating were much needed.



The Master's Sun
Also known as: The Sun of My Master / The Sun of the Lord / Mr. Joo's Miss Tae
Genre: Romance, Horror, Comedy
What I Love About It: (uhm, besides everything?)
- The horror element, which was definitely something new. I was scared at first but it proved to be an asset as the show progressed.
- Gong Hyo Jin (also the lead in It's Okay That's Love) and her superpower: she has great chemistry with whoever she's paired up with
- all the "skinship"
- So Ji Sub's special line, "get lost"
- So Ji Sub, who is probably the sexiest man I've ever seen. Don't believe me? Take a look.



It's hard to list down the things I loved about The Master's Sun because I loved everything, even its imperfections. It was easy to dismiss its flaws because man, Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub have super great chemistry. I shipped them like crazy. It was insane how invested I was with the show -- I watched until my eyelids were sagging, I obsessively researched about the actors (especially So Ji Sub), I read Dramabeans recaps after watching (which was pretty redundant but that's me when I can't get enough of a show), I downloaded gazillions of wallpapers for my laptop and phone, I downloaded a Korean language app, and I promoted the show to anyone who'd listen. I was the ultimate fangirl and I had no shame at all. That one week where I didn't read any book? Yep, I was watching The Master's Sun. As of writing, I haven't started with a new show yet because I'm not ready to part with TMS yet (I still rewatch some scenes from time to time).

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Years after that first time I watched Coffee Prince, I can't believe that I've become the exact person that I found strange in the past. I still don't have plans to watch some Korean boyband in a concert but I know that I have reached an all-new level of craziness when after a busy, tiring day I lied in bed, not sleeping but checking whether Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub ever dated in real life (told you I shipped them like crazy). And while I will always love reading, I am really glad to have the choice to enjoy something else. I'm happy with the knowledge that when I fall through a reading slump again, or just feel down, it won't be as bad because I have my K-dramas to cheer me up. :)

Which non-book-related activities do you enjoy?
Do you watch K-dramas? If yes, which show can you recommend to me? :)