Healing the Broken Mind

In the past year there have been several shows that had main characters who dealt with significant mental health issues. I think it’s an interesting trend. While the types of mental health issues vary (HJM and KMHM both deal with DID, but the symptoms are very different), there are some interesting commonalities in the way these issues originate and are treated, and the way characters react to them. I am only looking at shows with mental health issues which are NOT rooted in physical causes (e.g. amnesia, dementia), and which are diagnosed by a professional. The shows that will be discussed are: It’s Ok, It’s Love; Hyde, Jekyll, Me; Kill Me, Heal Me; Heart to Heart.

Why Do You Watch Asain Dramas?

This is a conversation I have on a pretty regular basis. People are surprised when I say I watch more foreign tv shows than American ones. I am not Asian. None of my family members are Asian. I have yet to even visit an Asian country. So why do I watch Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, and Hong Kong TV shows? How did I even get introduced to them?

I had a friend while I was in grad school who is Korean American. She ended up doing a study abroad in Korea and when she returned she recommended I watch Playful Kiss and Boys Over Flowers. I don’t remember which one I watched first, but after finishing both of them I went on the search for more Korean dramas, and that lead into other Asian shows.

I usually give people a brief list of reasons why I watch them, catered to that individual, but here’s the comprehensive list of reasons why I got hooked on, and continue to watch, a lot of foreign TV shows.