Learning From Writer Sunbaes: MDL Articles Revisited Part 3

10 min read

Introduction

When Part 1 of this series was published, someone sent me a message asking how to find previous articles. Well, unless you have time and patience to browse through pages as I did with this project,  it’s easier to find them using the Advanced Search feature. For example, you want to find an article about “second lead syndrome”. Type in the keywords in the search box. If it’s a phrase like this example, highlight and copy them. The search generates zero results, as the regular feature only looks for people’s names and drama/movie titles. Scroll down the screen, and on the left side, you will see the Advanced Search box with the words you’re looking for. Click on the “Articles” option. Still, no result is given, but you will see more options under Articles and the words you’re looking for disappearing. Type in again. This is why copying the phrase is an advantage since you just paste what you have copied. Then click “Search”. Voila, the articles come up!

Articles Featured

In Part 3, the articles featured are from Wandering_Queen, Ebisuno92, XingBack, Mitta, Tae, Dojemi10, noona, Unnie25, Kyle, and Real_Mokona.

The Problem With Love Triangles

"Addressing the many issues of having a love triangle in a drama."

I like how the writer defined a love triangle in a romantic drama as “the most complicated non-existent problem”. Indeed in our normal real life, how often have we ever experienced or heard about love triangles from people in general (noncelebrity) around us? What I meant is the real love triangles, not the one-sided love. The writer described how love triangles could negatively affect one party involved AND the watchers. Moreover, she and the commenters had a good discussion about the topic and provided some examples of romantic dramas that don’t have love triangles or have them done right.

Article Ideas

Having read the article, I wondered which romantic dramas have what is considered a ‘good’ love triangle, and which one has no love triangle. And what is considered a good love triangle? Is it the one that strengthens the main couple’s relationship or character growth? I have read articles in MDL on second leads or second lead syndrome, but I don’t recall any article on good love triangles or no love triangles. In many romantic drama pages, I read people asking: “Is there any love triangle? Between who and who? How bad is it?” Those repeating questions gave us a general idea that drama watchers would love reading articles discussing romantic dramas with good love triangles or no love triangles.


Godzilla’s on the Loose: 65 Years of Kaiju Rampage

"Ebisuno92's retrospective looks at Godzilla's history, movies, and more, 65 years since the monster's conception."

I was educated while reading the writer’s article, especially the origin part. Although I had heard about Godzilla and watched a movie about it when I was little, I did not really understand the ‘historical’ background of the Japanese monster. I thought it was just like the Loch Ness monster that is believed to be a survivor from the prehistoric era. But Godzilla’s origin creation was deeper than that, as the writer stated it’s “an allegory of nuclear holocaust and World War II trauma”.

Article Ideas

We know there is no way to compare Godzilla The King of Monsters with other Asian fictional monsters, but it will be fun if we as Asian drama fans get to know more about the lesser-known ‘evils’ because many of them are sourced from Asian cultural beliefs and folklore. Watching monstrous fictional creatures in dramas and movies is always a fun experience despite their scariness. Tons of them were produced in Asian entertainment industries, and many of them are unknown or less known, waiting for you to discover and write about.


[Supporting Role Syndrome] 10 Awesome Supporting Characters  No One Ever Pays Any Attention To!

"Have you ever had SLS (Second Lead Syndrome) before? Well, now it's time for the new thing, the SRS (Supporting Role Syndrome)! If you ever loved a character just to find out, they are only an extra; this is the article for you. "

I love how the writer created a new term for SRS based on the popular term SLS. I am a drama watcher who is ‘guilty’ of not paying attention to specific supporting roles. Although I have never missed any drama’s main plot, I might have missed the great acting of some awesome supporting characters. When I think the drama becomes draggy, I tend to skip or speed up scenes when supporting roles are on screen, especially the ones that are boring or annoying.

Article Ideas

Some comments on this article expressed their wishes to see future articles on supporting characters from different countries.


6 Outstanding K-Drama Ahjussis

"Six outstanding K-Drama Ahjussis whose faces we've all seen before. But do you know their names?"

Initially, I planned to use the writer’s article on children’s characters until I read this article and the writer’s amusing poem. Just in case you haven’t read the article, you have to read this:

"They don’t make our hearts go pitter-patter.
They don’t have to-die-for washboard abs.
They don’t grace the drama posters or highlight reels.
And, they definitely don’t get the leading lady."

Article Ideas

The writer was right stating that she saw the particular ahjussis everywhere in K-dramas. Oftentimes, when I watch a drama, I recognize one or two familiar faces. They tickle my curiosity to look through the actor/actress’s profile and check which of his/her other dramas I have seen. There are also veteran actors and actresses, who although never got main roles, their acting is superb, and they can play multifaceted characters. In a way, I think they are more experienced, as they have acted in various characters in a shorter time than the main actors/actresses have. Sometimes their roles were conflicting, on one filming day they played a villain in a drama and the next day they played a good character in another drama. Drama watchers need to know more about these “unsung drama heroes” (as the writer coined), either from newer K-dramas or from other countries.


Falling In And Out Of Love With Dramas

"Is it merely a slump, or is there much more to it than that? A breakdown from falling in love with dramas to falling out of love with new dramas."

In this article and its sequel, Is Romance Dead In Kdramas? (Falling Out of Love With Dramas: Part 2), the writer wondered why she no longer has the same passion for watching K-dramas (particularly the romantic ones) as she did before during her 4-5 years journey in dramaland. I admired her long-time dedication to K-dramas, I don’t think I would have the same loyalty since I get bored easily. I have only been in dramaland for only one year, and I already tried out dramas from other countries than South Korea. I was curious and adventurous.

Article Ideas

I would be happy to see more articles from other drama fans who have been in dramaland for many years or watched hundreds even thousands of dramas: do they still have the same dedication, preference, and views on certain features of drama? I wonder where I will be in five years from now, will I still have the same drama preferences? At this time, my preferences are romcoms, romances, and/or comedies. Will I go down to darker and scarier places with crimes, horrors, thrillers, and/or tragedies? Who knows, I may write an article about it on my 5th MDL anniversary.


11 Gift Ideas K-Drama Fans Would Love!

"Do your friends love Asian dramas? Do they have a wish list for this season? Get your gift ideas here! "

Only last year the MDLers were able to enjoy items connected to dramas they loved through the product list compiled in this article. There were also links to where we could buy them. Some items were quite relatable, such as drama channel subscriptions and merchandise from specific dramas. Some items looked like PPL we watched in the dramas, mainly the beauty and personal care products. Others were quite unique, such as cookbooks and language learning books. And I specifically loved the last one: the fandom guidebooks from several countries and the Kpop book.

Article Ideas

One article idea that would be interesting to write is a collection of gift ideas based on what drama characters presented to their loved ones, either they were bought or self-made. In this case, the occasion can be birthdays or Valentine’s Day. Several times I saw drama characters make and decorate their sandwiches, cakes, cookies, or candies.


6 Movies Unafraid to be Completely Raw

"Most movies have the entire plot perfectly planned out with different points to the story leading to a solved ending, just like a story. But there are some movies that are just simply raw, they don't have an exact beginning or ending. "

More articles on special movies from the same writer:

I have to admit, the longer I’m in dramaland, the fewer movies I watch. I’m not sure why but probably the short duration of a movie leaves me unsatisfied. Another reason for not watching movies is the long waiting period for the subbed versions to be released.

Article Ideas

I think even if we are avid drama watchers we need to watch movies in-between dramas to avoid drama slump. Particularly movies that are different than our preferred drama features or genres. For example, we tend to watch dramas with real endings, either happy or sad. Therefore, movies with unsolved endings as listed in this article may become good choices to watch. We need to know more about unique movies like these. Another unique idea future writers can get from reading this article is the track of songs the writer provided that match the tone of the article. I have never seen it in other articles! I played the track as background music while reading her articles!


Then vs Now

"My initial thoughts when I first started watching these dramas vs Now and how my viewpoints changed. In order to get my new viewpoints, I had read recaps to refresh my memory. "

This article is unique as the writer was fair in the rating of the dramas she rewatched. Some new ratings are either higher, the same, or lower than what she rated before. I envy everyone who was able to rewatch his/her favorite dramas. I haven’t gotten the privilege of rewatching (in full) any drama!

Article Ideas

To satiate my ‘envy’, I would love to read articles on the 5Ws and 1H of rewatching dramas: What drama or what genre? Whose dramas did you rewatch? When did you rewatch: right after you finish it or there is a certain period? Where did you rewatch it: in the same channel or different, the raw or subbed version? Why did you rewatch a certain drama? Lastly, how did you rewatch: binge-watching or taking your time? Future writers can also use a similar idea as this writer’s idea: comparing their favorite dramas watched the first time in the past and again in the present. Another writing idea is rewatching dramas that were rated 10 when watched the first time, will you still rate them 10?


Mapping the Motifs, Symbolism and Mirroring of SKY Castle

"A look into various interesting instances of the above mentioned within Sky Castle."

Usually, I don’t pay attention to filming techniques while watching a drama unless the technique used annoys me. For example, shots of a kissing scene from too many different angles, lol. So, this article became a good source of fast learning on filming a drama. As I haven’t watched SKY Castle, I also got to know about the drama, as well as the technical features discussed here: motifs through tracking shots, symbolism through gestures, and mirroring through foreshadowing.

Article Ideas

Even without any formal educational background in cinematography, future writers can write ‘technical’ articles about drama. You can pick either positive techniques used that enhance the watching experience, for example, the ones discussed in this article. As the writer concluded: “There is always something about seeing a well-written drama also be well executed…”. On the negative side, we can write articles on anything technical in drama-making, that makes dramas draggy or boring.  For example bad editing: I have seen a tiresome shot of five minutes of a character walking along a hallway without anything happening. Or overuse of a shot/scene I have mentioned above (kissing scene from many different angles). Another example is the overuse of repetitive flashbacks of the character’s past. Another subject to write can be the overuse or wrong placement of background music (BGM) and sound.


Review Writing – Purpose and Impact

"Check out the results of a survey this MDLer created to find out what drama fans on MDL think about review writing / reading!"

In almost every drama that received several to a lot of reviews, we see reviews that make us think: “Why did the reviewer only watch a few episodes, review it, but never complete it?”; “Why did the reviewer give a 10 rate but drop the drama?”; “Why there is a review though the drama hasn’t started yet?”, etc. This writer must have similar questions in her mind, that she conducted a survey to ask MDLers on drama/movie reviews: why read reviews, spoilers, time taken to write a review, and why write a review. The writer then reported the survey results in this one-and-only meticulous article on review writing. I love the message written by the writer that she hoped that drama reviewers “keep in mind what to effect and how the people who will read it will be affected”.

Article Ideas

Writing a movie/drama review article is entirely different than writing reviews, as more aspects need to be taken into consideration. So knowing the experiences and ways of any review article writer is interesting.

One uniqueness of this writer I wanted to point out was the use of a survey to gather information for writing an article purpose. She also surveyed for her other article, Drama Rating – An Emotional Topic. Future writers can also gather information by conducting surveys for their articles.


Related Articles


Credit: The cover image is the official poster of Chicago Typewriter.

The original article was published on December 22, 2020. Link HERE.

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