Why Are Korean Dramas so Addictive?

If you have found yourself glued to your screen for hours on end, or anxiously counting the days to the next episode starring your favourite oppa, you may just be in the grips of a Korean drama fever! Fortunately, you are not alone, thanks to the Hallyu wave sweeping the globe. While symptoms for drama fever may vary from person to person, check out some of the common reasons below that keep us coming back for more.

1. The soundtrack that lingers long after the drama has ended.
   When the soundtrack plays, you can't help but relive your favourite drama moments. It might have been years since the drama first played on your screen (think Baek Ji Young's That Woman for Secret Garden in 2011). However, it makes no difference because the moment the soundtrack comes on, you are transported back to another time and place (and perhaps, language too!).
   
   
   (Source: The Time We Were Not In Love)
2. Those Romeo-Juliet-esque, tortured love lines.
   Your drama characters don't know it yet, but by the end of the first episode, you know they're meant for each other despite everything that stands in their way. Being the closet hopeless romantic, you can't help but root for them and see them through their aches and pain. Because surely, at the end of the storm, there is always a rainbow, yes?
   
   
   (Source: Divorce Lawyers in Love)
3. Those infuriating cliffhangers that leave you wanting more!
   Just when you thought your life would be complete with that new episode, the drama has to leave you with the worst cliffhanger in all of drama history! "Did he really do that?", "How could she do that?" Those are questions that will leave you pulling your hair and surviving on behind-the-scenes and cast interviews to get you through the rest of the week. Keep calm and take it one day at a time…
   
   
   (Source: The Girl Who Sees Smells)
4. The oh-so-stylish and at times over-the-top fashion that you secretly try to incorporate in your own style!
   With the exception of historical dramas (sageuks), every drama seems to involve at least one character whose closet you wish you had. While you may sometimes wonder, "Did oppa/unnie really wear that?", you secretly think only they can pull it off so well! Word of caution though, not all these outfits are suitable for daily use, especially if you consider Hyun Bin's sparkling tracksuit in Secret Garden!
   
   
   (Source: Secret Garden)
5. Learning has never been so fun!
   Never has learning about a nation's history, language and culture been as absorbing and effective as when you watch a Korean drama. You can now rattle off countless Korean phrases such as "Annyeong" (hello), "Kamsahamida" (Thank you) and most importantly, in case of emergency, "Ottoke" (What should I do?)! How's that for killing two birds with one stone?
   
   
   (Source: The Village)
6. The 'cray cray' that happens in Korean dramas can leave you laughing out loud and make a bad day so much better.
   We have seen some pretty weird situations (time-travelling prince or handsome alien stuck on earth, anyone?) but they never fail to make you laugh – even when they involve evading serial killers and all the other baddies!
   
   
   (Source: Hyde Jekyll, Me)
7. When all is said and done, you can be there just for the eye candy.
   We thank our lucky stars for introducing us to the likes of Hyun Bin, Jo In Sung and Yoo Ah In. Of course, not to mention the gorgeous leading ladies such as Jun Ji Hyun, Ha Ji Won and Shin Se Kyung! All that pretty can never be a bad thing.
   
   
   (Source: The Girl Who Sees Smells)