Netflix has been a major disruptor in the streaming industry, and also specifically in the Korean entertainment industry. I worked for the company during some of the peak K-content development years, and had a unique vantage point from which to observe how Netflix came in, adapted, and disrupted the K-content landscape, both in Korea and internationally.
📌 Timestamps:
00:00 Netflix goes international
05:50 I join Netflix
07:26 K-content starts to prove itself
10:08 White space strategy
13:40 Economic shifts
17:40 Squid Game
24:22 What changed for dramas
31:14 K-drama travelability
33:35 Where we’re headed
🌟 About:
I’m Sarah, a fangirl who turned her k-drama obsession into her livelihood. In K-Drama Deep Dive, I’m diving into Korean dramas, old and new — what they were, what they did, and how we got here. It’s a loving and excruciatingly detailed look at some of my old favorites, new obsessions, and a few that got left behind that deserve another look.
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Thanks, this was very informative. I work in film and tv finance in African markets and I was nodding my head the whole way through. I can say that what you're describing has definitely been the negative consequence of the Netflix Effect across different territories.
do a deep dive on reply 1988 please
I have a idea. How about a video on the reverse harem trope.
I agree
Omg this makes so much sense now. I started watching kdramas 20 years ago and I watched tons and tons of it. At some point I stopped, I’m not sure the reason why, it just happened. Fast forward to this year and I happened to finally watch Kpop Demon Hunters and little things in it made me want to start watching them again. So I looked up a list of popular kdramas. The first one I pulled up was Business Proposal and I remember thinking how much kdramas have changed. A lot of post production and it just felt different. I assumed it was just natural changes over the years in Korea. I did watch Squid Games back when it first came out but didn’t really consider it a “kdrama” but just a one off at the time. Thank you for this video.
I absolutely hate the sexualization of characters that Netflix and other western platforms implemented in the K-dramas they produce. And I hate how a lot of the times, they seem to ignore the actual culture and costumes and try so hard to tell the story from a pure western view. However, in the last 2 or 3 years, I feel like the production has improved a bit. I mean we got a masterpiece of a drama called When Life Gives You Tangerines, which is personally one of my top 5 dramas of all time. We also got a good number of decent dramas without shoving sexuality, political and liberal views down our throats.
Wait, are you javabeans? I used to love reading your recaps on dramabeans. Specially the OG ones like boys over flowers 😂 and then the reply series 🥹
I have been watching Korean Dramas for about 6 years now, I love the 50 episode dramas that they make. I wnat more of those.
Yeah, Netflix helped to change k-dramas for people who had an average IQ of 95 down to 70. 😂
I miss the old dramas so much. Full House and Fated to Love You were my first kdramas ever. I loved discovering the older ones with kimchi slaps and all the old tropes. It's so nostalgic and sentimental to me. I'm not sure that it would be possible to keep creating the similar style as time goes on. Things have changed so much. I miss my childhood, having time to binge them with my mom throughout summer. Discovering Korean culture for the first time ever. I can never get that time back. All I can do is hope that I will encounter something I love so much again.
i haven't watched many kdramas over the years but my absolute favorite of all time is still cinderella's stepsister which aired in 2010. it was so absurdly dramatic in the most cliche kdrama way and that's what i loved about it. my first drama was dream high, then i also watched you're beautiful, to the beautiful you, big, let's eat 2 (another favorite), crash landing on you, she was pretty, shut up flower boy band, salamander guru, reply 1997, high school love on, etc. Still nothing beats cinderella's stepsister. nowadays i feel like kdramas take themselves too seriously. i tried watching when life gives you tangerines and attorney woo but i just couldn't get over the modern corporate editing. however, i will say that non rom com kdramas are actually pretty good in this format, like hellbound and all of us are dead. but i guess that's why the squid game structure works so well. but i really do miss the super sharp contrasted filming that shows the texture of people's skin. You could blame it on nostalgia but it made it feel so real. and the OSTs used to be wayyyyyyyyyyyy better too but that just might be modern korean music in general.
Am watching "Four Hands Two Sonatas" and it delivers! Interesting storyline and it keeps the viewer engaged. Just thought I'd let kdrama fans know since it's new on Netflix.
You are so right, i stopped watch kdrama couply years ago because plots wasnt same like before. It was like something was missing
Clicked in, started listening, then my eyes started flickering… JAVABEANS!?!! Oh man! I've missed Dramabeans—yours and GF's commentary on dramas, in particular. Nice to know you're doing well! Good to get your insight again as K-dramas and entertainment all over the globe is struggling to produce good stories.
Canceled my Netflix because of their "Netflix originals". These dramas no longer have a soul these days
Sarah, as an old, long time fan of Dramabeans, I have been missing your insight and analysis of kdrama (and storytelling in general) for AGES now! I’m so glad this video stumbled into my algorithm.
You hit the nail on the head. I think last year was a real drought for mid-budget K-dramas and having followed the industry (and you) for almost 20 years, it's good to see the industry pivot back to creating some of that. There was always a good balance between volume and quality, and I think in striving to make all the big-budget content, they missed the plot on slice of life, easy to watch series. This year has seen a marked improvement in consistency, quantity and quality. I LOVED that Legend of Kitchen Soldier was a breakout hit, and that the writers took a chance on fusing the isekai and k-drama genres. Shop for Killers was great and my all-time favourite, Stranger still hasn't been topped.
Those mid-budget dramas also were crucial for creating a crucial pipeline for actors to develop their skills and actually become breakout stars.
Script writers used to take chances on scripts once upon a K-drama time, and I fear that the industry took a step back last year. I also think there needs to be more expansive roles for women-led, non-romance shows. There's still a lot of opportunity to delve into original content, let's hope to production companies taking chances.
Kingdom getting cancelled before the 3rd season will always leave a bad taste in my mouth
Finally someone made a video on it. I've noticed a change in Kdramas since Covid, more specifically after the success of Squid Game. I do like some changes in Netflix kdramas but sometimes it feels that the Kdramas have lost their essence whilst trying to reach wider audience. The characters don't have sparks that makes me root for them, the OSTs feel like they're made to go viral instead of matching the mood board and making us feel emotions, the dress up feels like its made to advertise different brands (obvious product placement) instead of matching the character's comfort level. Let's not forget the dramas now are taking themselves too seriously by trying to be realistic when the whole reason Kdramas went popular is because they offered a utopia of emotions with just enough reality sprinkles to keep you grounded. Netflix also doesn't seem to get the romance in Kdramas cause now the character dynamics seems so bold and explicted compared to before. I think that's the reason Cdramas have thrived now in romance cause Kdramas have lost that sparked of romance that they used to offer.
The fact that the green tracksuits represent a broke loser in Korean shows is such a cool little detail in the show😮
I have seen some of these shows
OMG you ran dramabeans! I use to read a lot of your reviews of kdramas. Thank you so much for your hard work!
I prefer watching cdrama romance genre than kdrama romance genre these days, this is coming from someone that have been watching kdrama for more than 13 years .
I love kdramas because there is character development for each actor. I hate the over sexualization of American TV and movies.
I wish the Korea entertainment industry would choose NOT to compete with Netflix. They don't need to. Kdramas made for a South Korean audience do really well in South Korea and dramas made to target a global audience don't do well in South Korea. If anything, Korean talent will benefit the most because there will always be work, but this idea of "them or us" in terms of Netflix versus Korean broadcasting channels is a problem they are choosing to create or believe exists. Netflix produces its own shows while South Korean producers that back South Korean produced dramas still exist. They haven't gone anywhere. There is no reason to compete with the global market when you already have a built audience. This obsession with global/American popularity and success is what is ruining Korean entertainment. The number 1 way to lose is to forget your base. Never forget your base. Netflix's base is the global audience. South Korean broadcasters still have the South Korean audience! Both will win because the global audience will watch EVERYTHING! I maintain my Viki subscription, always! So glad I discovered them when Dramafever defunct.
My Little Bride was my first kmovie and I Love You 2008 my first kseries. I could see some k content on cable. I would buy some on dvd’s. Reading a review or seeing a bit of it on cable. Cable schedule not reliable. But never knew if you would like the dvd. Dancing Queen and Someday and Grand Chef with Kim Rae Won I think also called Gourmet I bought. Then briefly had Hulu but then disappeared mid series which was bogus. It was one of the reply/answer me series. So then found Viki. Tried DramaFever? days before it disappeared. Fortunately could finish Goblin, it moved to Viki. Like some Amazon offerings. Marry My Husband and Anna, the director’s cut no question. We also have Kocowa. Viki lets us see Chinese and Japanese content. But they dropped some KBS stuff so we got Kocowa.
I won’t do Netflix. Too much content questionable and agenda driven. Happy Valley a British drama went to purchased episodes and then Brit Box. I expect the same for Korean content. Or will miss out which is fine.
Korea I prefer to most Chinese and Japanese content. We spend 90% of our time on Korea for the last 20 years. I like they are mostly clean. I like that they stay out of politics. Amazingly even Korean politics. It bothers me every police themed show must show corruption even the recent dated ones when a dictator was not running the country. That seems world wide fomula/opinion shaping. But so much of Korea is set up similar to the US it seems familiar. My husband and I really like some of the respectful cultural elements. Sometimes it is frustration. Mom pestering adult daughter to give older brother 250K USD so he can buy a job has us yelling no and move out. I am currently watching Our Happy Days. It is mind boggling how many children Korea misplaced over the decades. I grew up watching MASH and the modern reaction to snow is quite different from MASH. It was cold and would be a problem. Not let’s confess to someone you love. In Korea when you confess you then buckle down and get a promotion at work or leave the country to study. I’m quite troubled that all your leading couples lately are old. Telling people in their 20’s and 30’s that they can have children in their 40’s is lying to them. .8 fertility. Media spent decades in the 60’s onward showing large families burden and small families ideal and delay marriage. Then kept going after the 2 babies per children reached. I’m surprised. Why can the leading actors have children already? I expect the leads will be the grandparent’s soon enough. You have too much product placement. I watched parts of the penthouse series, too cruel/violent and the later season probably should not have happened. But it went form intense scene to shots of a coffee maker and then to the cup being stirred. It is not natural. For a time it was Subway or Quiznos, then vacuum cleaners and that pink moisturizing stick I swear was in every series for 4 years. Someone studied in the U.S. during the Back to the Future movies. I would like MIL not to be evil. We try and skip the overly conglomerate ones and the school bullying. I feel safer sending my kid school in the US. Since we have been watching a long time we think can’t Korea figure out blended families yet? Loved Five Children. Liked Laurel Tree Tailor’s. Black Knight with Kim Rae Won. Too many similar titles. The reason we liked Five Children is it seemed they were part of the cast and not accessories. Also even with the extra classes they seemed to have a childhood. And there we not the babies brought in for 2 minutes. I also like KBS drama specials. Avici, etc.. And some Love and Marriage ones enjoyed as well. World of Us, House of Us good. 3 iron interesting. Springs, Summer, Winter, Fall interesting but sad too close to home. We adopted. That was hard to watch.
So I liked Anna on Amazon prime. But then watched Death Game there and honestly had to skip bits in the middle. It had a solid cast and solid storyline. Why did they throw a horror movie in the middle of it. Was it to appeal to a western audience? Horror movies don’t really have solid plots so it didn’t make sense. I knew the thing he did wrong immediately and proud I was correct in the end. They didn’t need to be so gory. Could they indirectly describe and show how bad two of the character’s were? There are a few dramas that I feel were meant for international streaming services. They just don’t seem like tried and true Korea content.
Japan I like Rebooting and In Time with You which is a remake among several countries and a few more besides. It’s a win or fail for me. Some Japanese stuff goes dark for a moment. For the sake of being dark. China can get too violent or not end well. Loved Love Like the Galaxy and Sword Dynasty and Love and Destiny. But some bits in Galaxy had to skip and no idea why they stopped seeking revenge to support the Emperor in sword dynasty. Was it for government censors? Reminds me of Raise the Red Lantern. I love the Emperor’s in most for their humor. Love’s Ambition almost skipped a few episodes in but glad I continued.
I was able to watch The Land and King and I on cable around 2006/2007. I wish I could find them for rewatch. As I was watching through the years I recognized and actor from those series.
Finally someone said it. Like Squid Game that Americans loved but was missing that Korean drama omph in my opinion. But they are still better than American TV.
I do think that netflix dramas have more american propaganda
I do prefer Netflix over Hulu for a couple of reasons. Hulu has abrupt cuts where they have ads, even ad free you get the fade to black screen and back. Netflix seems to edit for seamless viewing. Another thing is Hulu just has one choice for english subtitles and that's the Closed Caption kind with the (ominous music) (phone rings) etc. They don't have subtitles that strictly translate non english dialog. Netflix gives you many subtitle options. Another thing with Hulu's CC is it uses my Roku's CC, so it's on, even on other apps, where Netflix is "off" during english dialog moments in Kdramas.
KDramas and KMovies are the best! 10x better than the crap from H-Wood!
I gave up on woke Disney also, so my access to Korean dramas has dwindled.
And I’m not happy, (I watch more Chinese dramas now, I gave up on woke Netflix).
Korean content via Netflix has ruined my experience over all.
Yea and we still waiting for Kindom season 3 …….. 😀
this was such an interesting video especially because of all the insights you gave as an insider.
i wonder would you consider doing a video on how you went from a fan to working in the industry? i wonder be very interested in that as someone who would like a career in media
It's so interesting watching the evolution (de-evolution?) of Netflix in kdramaland – streaming helped make kdramas more accessible, (RIP dramafever). I still have a fondness of when I watched my first kdramas in 2012 there – this was when Netflix was still affordable and only hosted the dramas. The binge model is great for watching older dramas (pre-2020), but I genuinely worry that the newer kdramas they produce are trying too hard to appeal to westerners. Yes, they're more visually elegant, episodes are shorter and trim some of the fat, there's English dubs for people who need them – but I feel like something crucial is missing as well, especially the Korean cultural elements/nuances in translation. It's a shame Netflix only really cares about metrics and analytics and money.
Three of my favorite dramas are on netflix, two are Netflix originals and is great to watch things that are not censored and are not the standard lame bland Korean romantic comedy (they have several of those but I dont have to watch them). In comparison, Disney has the worst Kdramas in streaming Ive ever seen.
This was my first time watching anything on Youtube without an ad. It was unbelievably wonderful to not be interrupted.
I don't understand. I had already watched a documentary last year that explained how Netflix changed K-dramas, particularly during the lockdown. I wonder if this person also watched it and wanted to confirm this from personal experience or whether it is a wave of different people thinking about the same thing at the same time.
I've been watching almost only K=dramas since 2020, and have been loving them for their great writing and realistic/human characters. Over the last year though, I find myself re-watching old favourites and giving thumbs down to all but two of Netflix's new ones – they've become so American = shallow unnatural characters, violence, gloom – shudder …
I m not liking bold K dramas sorry I miss the before ones
I used to dump on Netflix but the stuff I do not like is everywhere, Viki as well. Yet dramas like Trolley have the kind of stuff l hate the most as there are subtle ideas from present day South Korea , (similar to western stuff I would have never expected in a kdramabut are 100% true present day Korean)I do not like either and are more disturbing than dramas with explicit content l also run away from, which has always been present in movies, some of them really disgusting as it includes underaged in filthy content. (TV has never gone that far).
But I do not mind just one season with 10 episodes.
#Netflix @Netflix…PLEASE BRING BACK SHOWS THAT ARE WORTH WATCHING: #OhMyVenus, #TomorrowWithYou, #MyLoveMyBride🙏‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Fascinating insights and war stories from your time at Netflix, thanks for sharing!
I also thought Agent Kim was amazing, and I’m looking forward to what might be coming in 2027. I really enjoyed Stranger, Attorney Woo, Sweet Home, Hotel de Luna, Art of Sarah, Happiness, Parasyte, so many good ones.