Early 2000s saw the world changing as it entered the 21st century, with it the introduction of the internet started to make things easier and the various possibilities of watching different movies, series and shows increased. There was one country in particular that was getting ready to unleash something that would drive the world crazy soon and that is South Korea. South Korea was doing its usual job of producing series and music and everything that it normally does but little did they know how their works would literally send a wave around the world and make people go gaga over them.
Over the years, Korean dramas and music have been giving us happiness and making us fall in love with every release of k-drama and k-pop songs. The k-pop bands that sent the waves around the world were mostly BIGBANG, 2NE1, SNSD, TVXQ and so many more. There were dramas that sent ripples around the world and made many of the South Korean actors overnight global stars. Shows like Boys Over Flower, My Name Is Kim Samsoon, Autumn In My Heart, My Love From Another Star, You’re Beautiful, Stairway To Heaven and so many more. If I keep on listing them one by one I would probably need another page for that, but the fact here to be stated is that it kept on growing, people kept on showering love and it became a never ending saga.
A few years later now, the introduction of Netflix and other OTT platforms come into force and as a result Asian dramas and movies start getting enlisted in the list of shows on Netflix and there is no looking back now. Earlier if 10 people had access to it, now there are 100 more watching those. And, this year has been a total game changer in terms of K-dramas. The amount of those released on Netflix were immense and the high production values, unique story lines, amazingly beautiful cast made all these shows even more watchable. Shows like Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, The King: Eternal Monarch, Record of The Youth, It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, School Nurse Files, the ongoing Start Up and so many in the last one-two years have been record breaking hits and pulled people all over the world even more towards them. Also, besides all this who will deny the immense fan base and fame BTS and BlackPink is receiving and most definitely for all the right reasons. Korean movies are getting recognition as Parasite became the first movie to win the Oscars, the fame has bought the other movies to the frontline as more and more people are getting hooked to it and there amazing storyline, actors, and everything else will make you fall in love with it so much that you will be pulled into this vortex and then you will know that you truly are addicted to it.
It can be safely said that the OTT platforms have brought about a brand new Hallyu wave to the forefront all over again and this time it is here to stay, for a long time now. Be it India or the world everyone is getting obsessed over them and any veteran k-drama, k-pop, k-movie fan will know what the feeling is to see such a genre getting recognition. The fandom is amazing and one will definitely love this brand new world.