By Michael Jake Arcilla
It is unsurprising that Korean songs are dominating the airwaves and Korean dramas are the talk of the town wherever we go. The hype goes on as BTS and Blackpink, two of Korea’s popular K Pop groups continue to trend and hit the top spots globally and in the Billboard chart. Likewise Kdrama became overwhelming with the recent success of Squid Game as the most popular series on Netflix (preceded by the Oscar winning success of Parasite in 2020). Fans, young and old, followed Squid Game’s popularity and their iconic scenes, characters, and costumes became phenomenal. What’s their secret recipe to success? Well, we will never completely know but it’s something noteworthy to emanate with.
The Songs
K Pop has evolved from its humble beginnings to its outpour of talents. Their successful performers were too long to mention and although I for one do not speak Korean and many others out there who listened to K Pop, there is an invisible magnet that attracts listeners to appreciate it. It could be the vibes, the grooves, and the oozing charisma of the performers that I might say stood out and made them a worldwide phenomenon. What’s more intriguing is that most of their songs now are written and sung in English which provides wider reach in terms of their audience. The K Pop journey has not even reached its pinnacle because they are only just beginning to create more waves and buzz on the entertainment world.
The Shows
Whether it be movies or K drama series, Korea has proven undisputable to make you cry, cringe, laugh, scared, and move into your seats. What I appreciate the most in all of their movies and series is the undeniable presentation of human interest themes which provides life lessons and social relevance. They are rooted so firmly on the values of filial piety, friendship, achieving one’s dreams, and presents pivotal moments of human life into something very tasteful in both small and big screens. Because of these, they are so relatable to the viewers and leave them or us all wanting for more.
The Verdict
It’s no doubt that I have converted from being a critic to becoming a K fan. They have so much to offer and the best takeaway that this hype is giving us is for a moment we can escape from the reality of things and immerse ourselves in the world of our Korean idols. The pandemic is almost over, but the K fever has just begun.