The Struggles of Watching Currently Airing Dramas

Fellow MDLers, we’ve all been there. You see an announcement of an upcoming drama, and you think to yourself: should I watch it? Whether because of the plot, the actors or actresses involved, the director, the scriptwriter, or even the genre, you don’t think twice and watch it as soon as it starts airing. It’s all fun and games or... is it? 

Hereby I present to you: the pros and cons of watching currently airing dramas.

Discussing the Drama in the Comment Section

This has to be without a doubt my favourite thing about watching an airing drama apart from, well, watching the actual drama. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Have you ever gone to the comment section of a highly rated/anticipated drama? 5k comments at least.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) is, to date, the drama with the most amount of comments with around 17k comments.

And lastly, the most fascinating of them all: theories. Seriously, sometimes you question yourself how some people can come up with the most amazing and convoluted theories for a drama. Producers should definitely hire some of these users.

Riding the Hype

Kwon Yuri at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards, winning the award for Most Popular Actress (Film) for her role in No Breathing.

Admit it, every time you run into something popular, be it a drama or something else you think to yourself: why didn’t I find this earlier? I wish I could have been there since the beginning! Well, fear not! 

From reading the first news article of there being discussions to produce a certain drama to it finally airing, you feel like a parent watching your child grow up. You feel proud! You’ve been there since the start to support it. If there was a badge to commemorate this experience, you would have just won it.

Sharing Photos in the Feeds Section

Actor Nam Joo Hyuk and actress Lee Sung Kyung.

There are times where you’re watching a drama, and all you’re doing is screenshotting every single scene. But oh does this have a fine purpose. This purpose is no other than posting them in the feeds! The cinematography in some dramas is simply too beautiful to keep to yourself; you have to show it off! Of course, this also applies to the beautiful actresses and actors and their “oh so dreamy” scenes. 

Also, let’s not forget about the good old’ memes. Wholesome, funny, and never-ending. An essential when watching a drama.

The Excitement of Waiting for the Next Episode to Air

From left to right: actor Lee Dong Hwi, Park Bo Gum, Ryu Joon Yeol and Go Kyung Pyo.

You just finished watching a 1-hour episode that honestly just felt like 10 minutes. And the cliffhanger? Illegal. So you shout at the top of your lungs: I NEED ANOTHER EPISODE! 

Unfortunately, as much as you demand, you will have to wait another week. But hey, this just means you can spend the entire week re-watching your favourite scenes and discussing the drama with other people. 

The thrill you feel from waiting for the next episode to air can make you love the drama even more!

Spoilers

Actress and singer IU and singer Baekhyun.

Spoilers are like mosquitoes: they are everywhere you go, they hurt you when you least expect them to, and leave you annoyed and sore. I don’t like them, you don’t like them, nobody likes them. 

Now, let’s say you haven’t had the time to watch the latest episodes of a currently airing drama. Then, accidentally, you see a spoiler. That’s it. Your day is ruined, you’re mad, and you just don’t want to continue watching the drama. It’s arguably the worst feeling ever and puts you off completely, not wanting to see anything related to that certain drama for some time.

So for future reference, MDL users, PLEASE USE THE SPOILER TAG!

The Fear of the Drama Not Living Up to the Hype

A drama from a very popular screenwriter, the best director, and starring the most talented actors and actresses have just been announced. MDL goes crazy, and it’s the only thing talked about for weeks on end. And finally, the day has come: the premiere! You really like the first episode. 

But, a few episodes in and you think to yourself: what the hell am I watching? Did I seriously just wait months on end for this? There’s nothing but an empty void in your heart that is filled with a feeling of utter disappointment. 

The inevitable change from ‘currently watching’ to ‘dropped’ makes your heart feel heavy, but eventually, it’s what’s best for you.

The Torture of Waiting for the Next Episode to Air

Actress and singer IU.

Where there are people who find waiting for the next episode to air extremely exciting, there are people who simply can’t stand it. By the time the next week has come, you might have simply forgotten you’re even watching the drama. You’re especially at risk of this feeling if you aren’t really all that hyped for it. 

You lose interest, and that’s it, another drama dumped to your already growing ‘dropped’ list.

Reading So Many Theories that the Drama Ends Up Being Boring

Actor Lee Byung Hun.

There are certain times where the scriptwriter can’t seem to end the drama in an exciting way. This is just a curse I have accepted at this point. 

However, it is particularly disappointing when you read an extremely intelligent and fascinating theory about how the upcoming episodes could come about, and obviously, it doesn’t end up being that way. It just makes me want to chuck the scriptwriter away and let that MDL user finish the drama off. 

Seeing that the drama isn’t meeting these theories, you just decide that drama wasn’t made for you.

You’ve reached the end of the article. 

Thank you for reading!

Do you have any other pros and cons? 

Leave them in the comments, and let’s comfort each other! 

Bye-bye! ^^

P.S.: Thank you @Minarii for the title :P

Sources: GIFs [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

_{Edited by: Yuanwei (1st editor), BrightestStar (2nd editor)}