Korean Drama and Indonesian Drama (By : Rika Tri Ariani)

Korea culture is spread out around the world, included Indonesia. This wave is mostly known as Korean fever. This phenomenon stars grow faster around the world since the beginning of 1990s with electronic media especially televise and internet as the mediator. The boom of Korea drama is one of the indicators of the Korea fever. In Indonesia itself the phenomena of Korea drama especially attack teenager. As the consequence, Indonesia people start to compare Korea drama and Indonesia drama. It become a big question, why Korea drama can become popular around the world, include Indonesia, then Indonesian drama itself does not really only liked by part of Indonesia people itself. Actually, there are some similarities between Korea and Indonesian drama such as the existence of love scene in all kinds of drama and the type of actor and actress which play in drama. Then, they also have differentiates that make Korea drama can become more popular than Indonesian drama, such as the conflict in story and amount of the episodes.

 Korea and Indonesian drama have similarities in some way. First, not only Korea drama but also Indonesian drama mostly contain romantic or love story. They must be having love scene although the drama is not about love theme. Yet, the drama always shows a kind of scene when there is man who falling in love to woman. Even though the frequencies of these love scenes are not as many as the real romantic drama but Indonesia and Korea must be having this scene. For example, a Korea history drama title Great Queen Seon Deok which tell about the history of first women leader in Korea, also has some love scenes although this drama actually tell about the history of South Korea kingdom.

Second, both of Korea and Indonesian drama always use the same type of actress or actor. The players of drama always people who are handsome and beautiful who have high standard beauty than common people. The main character of drama is never played by actor who only has standard of beauty. It is like an obligation for drama to use handsome actor and beautiful actress as the main character who always happy and important person then people with standard beauty always portrayed as unimportant people. However,  in reality, not only handsome and beautiful people in the world who become important person. Yet, many ugly people in the real world who becomes an important person such as Einstein, he absolutely has standard appearance but he is important figure. So in the other word, Korea and Indonesian drama similar to make unreal story to their viewers not only by the choice of the actor but also by other points which can be difficult to explain one by one here.

After two similarities which Korea and Indonesian drama have, absolutely they also have some differentiates. The differentiates must be quiet big because in the reality Korea drama success spread out around the world and become a phenomena then Indonesian drama just known by Indonesia people. Moreover, Indonesian drama itself does not really liked, even hated, by some of Indonesia people.

The biggest differentiate between Korea and Indonesian drama is the amount of episodes. Korea dramas usually just contain about sixteen until twenty episodes. There are some Korea dramas which contain more than twenty episodes, but it will not be more than fifty episodes. Then Indonesian drama can has more than hundreds of episodes. For the example Cinta Fitri, one of popular drama in Indonesia, it already has had more than 800 episodes and the story has not finished yet. The total of episodes can give direct effect for the viewers. More long the episodes, people become lazier to watch the drama because it is like the story will not have ending and just spend our time useless. Then, Korea drama with fewer episodes than Indonesian drama is easily to follow and it is not spend much our time just to watch drama.

Second differentiate between Korea drama and Indonesian drama is the conflict in the story. Korean drama is always focus on the single main conflict and another just some plots which guide the viewers to the main conflict then viewers can understand the main conflict and the story well. Instead Indonesian drama always has multiple conflicts which become more complicated episode by episode. This multiple conflict makes the viewers confused to decide which the biggest conflict and which is the main resolution for each conflict. So, in Indonesian drama when one conflict has been solved then it will appear new conflict which more difficult and big. Otherwise when one conflict has been solved, it will lead to another conflict which more complicated. The inconsistence and complicated of Indonesia drama make viewers underestimated the quality of Indonesian drama and give more attention to Korea drama which give most simple conflict but packaged in good ways. The complicated and confusing conflict make Indonesian drama is not interesting to watch.

Finally, Korean drama and Indonesian are similar in some way but also differ in the other way. Between Korea and Indonesian drama have some points which are same such as love story and romantic scene in all type of drama, even the theme of the drama is not love. Then both Korea and Indonesian drama always use actor with high standard of beauty as the main character. Yet, Korea and Indonesian drama also differ in some important point such as the conflict in the story and amount of the episodes. It is supposed to be better for Indonesia drama to learn from Korean drama the keys that make Korean drama can be so popular. Due to if Indonesian drama can become as popular as Korea drama, it can be used as media to introduce and spread Indonesian culture.