Korean Fever in the Philippines.

So it all started with the F4 fever; Meteor Garden, Jerry Yan, Barbie Xiu, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Zhu… Every Korean fan girl or if there’s even a fan boy knows them. Since ABS-CBN aired Meteor Garden on May 05. 2003 everything about media has changed. Filipino telenovelas who usually took 3 to 5 years before it end lengths shorter and it’s no Mexicanovelas era but more of an Asian style.

Every Korean girl’s celebrity first love? Jerry Yan would be the majority’s answer. It was the Taiwanese who started it, but all of a sudden, Korean dramas, movies, and music are dominating the whole Asia. I don’t know what happened, but I love the changes. Sometimes I hope that Philippines would be like other countries like Thailand, Taiwan or Japan where Korean pop and dramas are highly anticipated and Korean stars often visit the mentioned countries to promote. But sadly, my country is still westernized and only 15% to 25% of the PH’s population are into the Korean fandom. (Except when it comes to Korean drama)

The very first Korean drama in the Philippines is Endless Love: Autumn In My Heart which stars Song Hye Gyo who even got even more popular after GMA 7 aired Full House. If there would be a history in the Philippine television, Full house and Meteor Garden got all the love and support of the Filipino people because these two dramas reached the highest rating where they respectively ranked 1^st and 2^nd in the Korean drama list ratings in the Philippines.

KOREAN CELEBRITIES

Some Koreans happened to be a celebrity in Philippines, which one example happened to be a no secret, now that she has become a sensational Korean idol hallyu star after leaving her career in the Philippines to be able to enter her own (Korean) industry. Who am I talking about? It is 2NE1’s Sandara Park. When she was still a contestant in Star Circle Quest, I was already a big fan of her! I have watched all of her movies and have seen how her love life had developed in the Philippine showbizness. So, when she happened to be a member of the girl group singing ‘eh-eh-eh-2ne1’. I was really crazy and I was so proud of her that she really loves Filipinos that she never fails to mention us to the point of speaking the Filipino language in Korean TV. Sandara Park is a Korean but has the Filipino heart.

Another Korean who has the Filipino heart is Ryan Bang. Oh! I love this guy, I actually have seen him personally and he is really an amazing guy. Check this video, how he really loves Filipinos.

Ryan Bang in Showtime

Ryan doesn’t even want to talk to 2PM’s ex-leader

When we were in Showtime, Ryan Bang was so approachable and he even bother go down the stairs so that we could have a picture with him. Fvck those guards, who blocked him. J J J

FOODS

Korean restaurants near our university, University of Santo Tomas are always full! Despite of the foods’ expensive prices that would worth 100 Php – 200 Php a meal without any drink, students and outsiders are still making an effort to eat in such restaurants. There’s just this something about Korean cuisine that I really love. I don’t know what it is, maybe if the Japanese are more on oil and Chinese are more on spices with Koreans everything’s less. Imagine, eating healthy food with such awesome taste, the price is really worth it! One example of the food that I love eating in a Korean restaurant is bibimbap and their ice cream.

THE POP!

If there’s one thing that wasn’t dominated by the Koreans; it is the radio or airwaves. K-pop isn’t that much appreciated in the Philippines, well even there are Filipino HOTTESTs, VIPs, BEAUTYs, ELFs, SayAs, I’AMs, SOSHIs, BLACKJACKs and WONDERFULs what’s supplementing our cravings (I AM HOTTEST = 2AM & 2PM fangirl) to some Korean music is the internet streaming in Youtube or any other site and MYX’s Asian Myx (If I am right?). But when it comes to radio, korean pop is seldom heard. And if there’s any Korean song being played in the radio it will be JYPe’s Nobody by Wonder Girls or any Wonder Girls English songs like Nothing On You which I just heard yesterday (10/11/11).

FASHION

With Korean fashion that I hailed a lot, I can say that it is where almost all my allowances are going to. Korean fashion is about exploring, mixed and matched and letting cuteness stand out. Putting a simple v-neck shirt and a cardigan while using a skinny jeans and chucks for boys would make a guy a Korean fashionista. Take John Lloyd Cruz’s fashion sense; you may think it is westernized but in a Korean way. For girls a shirt and a sando above it with skirt or shorts or pants plus any doll shoes can make you a Korean fashionista. With Korean fashion it is only about putting two to three attires in your body; what matters most is that you’ll look cute or if not cute somewhat rebellious like 2ne1’s. Just try to put anything but beware of your color combinations because it might cause you to become a fashion terrorist.

It is started with Taiwanese and now Korean rules; with these changes supporting them doesn’t mean you are not being Nationalistic. It is just a matter of giving yourself some taste of difference and going into the trend. If there’s nothing bad with what you are doing then let’s keep doing this. Just look at me, I am exploring my interest in Korean thingy with this blog and I am able to share different things to my subscribers and readers.

Author: Krizia Ellery C. Maranan

Disclaimer: Except for my article, I don’t own any picture or videos.