Thanks for your lovely tale, @kingsqueen! I completely relate to the food inspiration from dramas, and though I’m terrible at seeking them out, I get a lot skincare product envy whenever I watch..

so funny, thanks for sharing! i went as far as to make jjajangmyun from a recipe i found online -- only to look at my husband and daughter while tasting it, realizing that we don't know if it was good or bad, as we'd never tried it before...
: D

but because of watching kdramas, i now make alot of korean foods. it's a nice addition to my repertoire of foods that rotate from asian to european to middleastern...

It sounds like you are having fun discovering new things.
I'm jealous of the Korean barbeque. Those big bowls of mixed rice always look so good to me, but have a feeling they'd be too spicy.
I definitely fell down the skincare rabbit hole which drama beans helped with because of the blog so they did with Beautytap.
Though she has completely different skin type than me I love watching Gothamista's YouTube videos on skincare.
Love the Goblin .....t shirt?

Rice cookers don't need to be justified, in my house. They just need to last for 10 years or more with daily use.

This had me cracking up.

FYI: Maxim coffee is pretty good (I buy it at the local H-Mart) and yes, those fancy rice cookers really are worth it. I love my rice cooker so much (it even makes cakes).

While reading this article, I felt the downward spiral of shopping addiction. Idk if that was what you wanted, @kingsqueen, but I found it hilarious and relatable.

Korean cosmetic products are definitely my weakness. I went there last year and almost half of my budget was spent on cosmetics. They were too cute to handle!! With cutesy packaging and of course, all the beautiful faces of their models..sigh. I was a lost case. I almost bought anything that the shop sales lady suggested, even though I might not be needing them. Egg eye pack, snail face mask, sleeping pack, different shades of beautiful lipsticks, the 3 in 1 foundation, facial wash, foot pack (!)..
And to make matter worse was that every brand has lots and lots of outlets at the subway stations, and I just could not help myself. One good thing is I am still using all those products and has not been tempted to buy anything else so I guess my shopping spree was worth it. 😅

Loved your article! Our whole house is Asian-inspired and I wouldn’t have thought it was because of dramas, but definitely our CUCKOO rice cooker was a drama-inspired purchase, because why would I need a 500.00 rice cooker when my 150.00 one from Japan was just fine? And beauty products, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I saw me in this article, and we recently bought my parents a Hyundai too—I didn’t even realize that one. That’s the first Korean car we’ve ever bought. *falls off chair*

Reading thorough this felt like therapy, nothing like happy dose of shopping! 😄
And if I can't afford to do it myself, then at least I can enjoy it through other beanies' experience 😆
The car purchase must be the biggest kdrama induced shopping so far! Wow! 😀

I’m sure watching kdramas has at least made me more aware of Korean brands and probably more likely to buy them.

LOL at the maxim coffee. it was because of this month's theme that i went down the korean aisle at the supermarket and considered buying the instant coffee. but decided against it cause they probably would've cost a bomb -_-

Ramyun, skin care products, and the phones. I had the colorful Samsung Corby that everyone used in You're Beautiful (anyone remember that ? 😆) and then Galaxy Note by watching The King 2 Hearts and pretty much every drama that aired around that time even though the size was very questionable back then.

I can totally relate, @kingsqueen! My first kdrama was My Princess and I was so green with envy over Kim Tae Hee’s large Smart phone. I never bought a Samsung though because I was in an Apple eco system, but I was inspired to get the iPhone 6.

It always fascinated me to watch Kdrama actresses pat their faces when applying skin care products. Well, I do the same now. And it’s been 7 years since I converted to BB cream. I also have ditched my Obagi skin care regiment for Missha. And yes, I use Korean sheet masks too.

And food? I discovered dukbokki from dramas. Thank God I live in Los Angeles where there is a proliferation of Korean KBBQ. I like going to Kiorean markets but I always the ajummas where to find stuff. I still can’t drink soju though. I’m not Korean, BTW.

Thanks @kingsqueen! I loved it.

Such a relatable experience. As my budget is not that big, I'm still at the mobile phone and food stage. But I definitely thought of Kia Optima as a pretty car too, though it's way out of my budget.

We bought a Korean car too. (And I have to admit, it was in the running because of how positive Korean Dramas have made me feel about all things Korean--except for trucks of death, and phone booths, and trucks of death crashing into phone booths.)

I held out on the rice cooker for years because I just didn't see the point. But one day I saw a fancy one on clearance for 90% off, and if it ever dies I will replace it for full price. Only the coffee pot keeps it from holding the number one spot in my kitchen appliance use.

I too bought a Kia, a Soul though, so I'm not sure if I was influenced by dramas.

@kingsqueen—Thanks for your funny, relatable post.

When I noticed how everyone was patting on skin products in Because This Life is Our First, I wondered, "What the hell are they doing?" @girlfriday and @javabeans's vlog about cosmetics pushed me over the edge and I purchased a bottle of Corsx 96 Mucin. I cannot believe that snail mucus is part of my daily skin routine but there you have it.

I remember coveting in particular:
-the Samsung phones on Rooftop Prince (the phone played a semi-important role in the drama). I've preferred Samsung over any other phone brand since.
-those ridiculously bulky whole-body massage chairs which frankly, I dont have space for
- the glass which turns clear-to-opaque in Gong Yoo's room in Big. I've been describing that to friends for years but they don't think we even have that in our country??

I have to say though, these companies are well aware of the marketing reach they have with Kdramas, and some of them have been overdoing it with the product placements lately. I mean, no way doctors eat *that* many subways. Or sweet coffee drinks.

@kingsqueen what a fun read!
I really had no clue how influenced we all are by what we see, until I watched a KDrama and screamed with immense glee, "I have the SAME LG phone as the Main Lead!!!!!" HA HA HA HA

@kingsqueen The Kia love is so true! AOY 2's Kang Unnie had a gorgeous blue Kia too. First time being infatuated with a car.

@kingsqueen Very entertaining post. I totally clicked after seeing Cheon Song Yi. Girlfriend got me out of my long drama slump.

Like you, I now frequent more Korean restos. For meet ups with friends, I almost always recommend that we go Korean. While I cannot drink soju on its own, I make sure I have a bottle at home. I just mix it with any soda/juice that we have.

I've also had four Samsung mobile phones now for the past 5 years, for personal and office use.

And don't get me started on skin care. I can't get enough of products from innisfree and Nature Republic. (Though I'm sadly too impatient to adopt a 10 step program.)

Ok I need to know where I can purchase those tshirts with the cutesy couples! I would totally buy a Pinocchio couple tshirt!!

Anyway omg I just bought Maxim coffee sticks over the weekend and well I hit up my local HMart and bought Melona ice cream bars too...yes I have seen both Shopping King Louis and Strongest Deliveryman :P

This!! I am the worst PPL junkie ever. If I see it in a Kdrama, I want it. LG and Samsung must love people like me!
It's too easy here in SoCal to get all the food goodies at the local H-mart, including ready-made bulgogi and japchae. Dried seaweed and kimchi is on the menu every day for me. Innisfree beauty products? Check. I recently bought one of those single butane burners so I can cook ramyun on my back patio and pretend I'm on a rooftop like in "Fighting My Way"! I have a little electric grill for grilling samgyeopsal too! I also love my Korean made Glasslock storage containers for leftovers; the US products don't seal properly and leak. Saving up for a Cuckoo rice cooker and designer handbag(s). I can't give up my Subaru for a Kia or a Hyundai car though.

First of all, I'm super excited to be featured! Thank you!! :)
And second - thank you for all the kind comments!

Boy, does a lot of this sound like me! I don't have the Galaxy Note, but i do have a Galaxy phone! I have found every Korean restaurant I could find locally, and even recently began using Saranghae skin care. Not going to go for 10 steps because I live in the south and I think that would be too much for the humidity down here. We even bought the rice cooker! I have finally (finally!) gotten my husband interested in the dramas, the music (somewhat. he may just tolerate me on that!) and the FOOD! Yeah!

BTW, we drink the soju the same way they did on Rooftop Prince - with shots of Ready Whip! Makes the watered down vodka taste a little less meh.

Now I am hooked too, & my husband 😊

This is so funny. I joined the KDrama world at the end on 2016. My friend Chris introduced me and I am so hooked. We talk about them, dissect plot and character arcs. We read books about Korean history and culture so we can better understand what we are seeing. A few months later I cancelled my TV and haven't watched Canadian/American TV since (except the occasional thing on Netflix). I go to Korean films with friends (easy to do here in Toronto). I have learned to read and pronounce Hangeul and have started learning Korean (thank you Talk to Me In Korean). The skin care I have used for many years is now sold in Korea but is a US company (Paula's Choice). I recently moved from Apple to Android and I HAD to have a Samsung. I am exploring Korean food. I have soju in my fridge and I do like it. I also started buying the odd K-pop tune for dancing while cleaning / de-stressing (hello Exo's Monster) until I discovered BTS and now I am a goner. I have posters over my desk. Stickers on my phone. I am saving to visit. Now I need to stop having expensive dentist bills that eat my savings.

A very relate-able post, especially the food!
The closest Korean restaurant/market is three hours away from me :( But my younger sister and I go about every three months to eat Korean food, buy kimchi and maxim sticks :)

Great write up @kingsqueen. I squealed with glee when I found Korean ramen in my local grocery shop! And jumped up and down (scaring my cats in the process) when I saw the same brand ramen being made in The Great Seducer. I texted my husband immediately (who does not share my enthusiasm for Kdrama's unfortunately) about how excited I was and he texted back saying 'its okay you little weirdo, we'll get some more for you'!!

LOL, I could have written this! To be fair, I already had my Kia Soul and a Samsung phone when I got into Korean dramas, but I never would have discovered the wonders of Korean food, makgeolli, and Korean beauty products if it weren't for dramas. My last two phone upgrades (to the Galaxy 8+, then the 9+ on the day it was released) happened because I saw the new, sexy phone in a drama and NEEDED it, lol.

The PPL works, y'all.

Hey age is just a number!!! Cutesy idol/anime products - love window shopping. OST music shopping is my thing and I have a collection. I have expanded into the K-Pop scene. Fangirling boy bands that could be my sons. Thinking about attending a K-Con venue. Just enjoying life in the K-Drama world!!! <3 <3 <3