Meet Sabrina

Seoul, South Korea

Hello and welcome to Hallyu Reviews!  My name is Sabrina and I am one of the writers behind Hallyu Reviews.  I am a wife, a mother, a cat mom, a photographer, a historian, and a special needs advocate.  I am an academic and have degrees in Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Early American History.  I also love languages.  In school, I studied Spanish and American Sign Language. 

I first heard the Korean language when I was a teenager.  My first boss was from South Korea and I loved everything about her.  She delighted in sharing her culture with me and she could not have found a more willing pupil.  Sadly, we lost touch when I entered university and my Korean journey ended there…temporarily.

Fast forward to 2020 and a world locked down.  It was at this time, when people everywhere were searching for new ways to “escape” from their confinement, that a friend of mine introduced me to Korean dramas.  I was instantly smitten.  From the stunning setting of beautiful Korea to the emotional and complex storylines, Korean dramas (or K-dramas), unlocked a new and exciting world for me.  

The more I got into watching the K-dramas, the more I wanted to learn the Korean language.  If you have ever watched a foreign film, you can understand that it can be difficult to really engage in the acting while reading subtitles.  I wanted to be able to watch K-dramas without subtitles and be able to fully take in the splendid acting that Korean actors exude.  And so, in 2021, I started my journey towards learning Korean.

According to the authors of a popular Korean language textbook, Integrated Korean, the Korean language ranks in the top 4 for “most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn.”  The reason for this is “the vast differences…in vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and writing system, as well as in the underlying tradition, culture, and society.”  In my limited experience, Korean words just sound quite different from those which I am accustomed to as an English speaker.  Because of this essential difference, I was faced with the dilemma - what is the best way to learn a language which is fundamentally different from your own?  I have always heard that immersion is the best way to truly learn a language, but I do not have access to a large Korean-speaking population.  Because of this, I decided the best way to immerse myself in the Korean language was to start listening to Korean popular music, or K-pop. 

My favorite K-pop act - no, my favorite act of ALL TIME - is BTS.  (Where my fellow Armys at?! Insert purple hearts!!)  BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan, made their musical debut in 2013.  According to the BigHit website, BTS has gained “recognition for their authentic and self-produced music, top-notch performances, and the way they interact with their fans” (named Army).  The Korean record label continued, “BTS has established themselves as ‘21st century Pop Icons’ breaking countless world records” and “performed multiple sold-out stadium shows across the world.”  On November 21, 2021, BTS became the first Korean group to win Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards (going 3 for 3 for nominations).  And on April 3, 2022 (April 4th if you are watching from Korea), BTS will perform and compete for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 64th Grammy Awards (their second Grammy nomination).  One could argue that global recognition of one’s music does not get much higher than the Grammys.

Courtesy of BigHit Music

For me, BTS debuted during a time in my life when my husband and I were starting our family, so I’m sad to say that I missed their debut and early years.  While I had heard of BTS prior to 2020, it was not until I heard “Dynamite” playing on the radio that I took the time to dive deeper into their music.  “Dynamite” is described by BigHit as “a Disco Pop single that sings of joy and confidence, bringing a new surge of much-needed ‘energy’ to reinvigorate the global community.”  And they ain’t lying!  After hearing “Dynamite” my curiosity about BTS was insatiable.  I scoured the internet that week looking for BTS songs and live performances, loving every song I found.  And while it was the Grammy-nominated song that initially sparked my interest in the group, it was actually MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) - which ironically has a Western influence thanks to Japanese-American DJ, Steve Aoki - that solidified me as ARMY.  And while some critics may not like the push and pull of the two worlds influencing each other, I adore it.  For me, the MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) did exactly what it was meant to do - grab the attention of a growing American - or at least, English-speaking - audience. 

But in addition to their amazing musical prowess, the members of the South Korean group seem to be genuinely amazing people, impacting the globe with their messages of “Love Yourself” and “Speak Yourself.”  On the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, actor and WWE icon John Cena stated that not only are BTS excellent performers, but that the message that BTS sends “resonates” with people.  "They advocate self-love, they advocate 'Don't be afraid of failure', they advocate 'You are enough'" stated Cena.  In addition, BTS has also been appointed by South Korean President, Moon Jae In, as President Special Envoy for Future Generations and Culture, speaking before the United Nations General Assembly not once, but twice, regarding issues affecting young people today.

John Cena Gushes About BTS and the BTS ARMY | The Tonight Show

So that brings us to today and this blog, Hallyu Reviews.  I decided to start Hallyu Reviews (alongside my friend, Shamra, the friend mentioned above - and don’t worry, you’ll be hearing from her next week!), as a way to share my love for Hallyu, or the Korean wave, sweeping the globe.  From the K-dramas taking over Netflix to the K-pop artists topping the Billboard charts, Korea and her culture are successfully making their impact on the world.  A world, I would argue, desperately in need of the values and invigorating energy that Hallyu embodies.       

Every week, we will bring you a review from one of our writers.  We will start out with our Top 5 K-dramas, and then work on bringing you reviews each week from either a current K-drama or an older “classic.”  And while there is some overlap in our Top 5 K-dramas, generally speaking, Shamra and I have different K-drama preferences.  I gravitate towards the K-dramas that center around relationships, regardless of the genre.  And whereas Shamra likes the darker more intense and suspenseful storylines, I prefer the storylines that fully embody the essence of what I have come to associate with Hallyu - happiness and hope.  My Top 5 K-dramas are “Descendants of the Sun,” “Crash Landing on You,” “Healer,” “W: Two Worlds,” and “Goblin: The Great and Lonely God.”  Each of these dramas - which will be reviewed in the coming weeks - represent what I admire so much about the Korean culture, and the values and hope that Hallyu spreads.    The relationships are intense, the love is unconditional, and the respect for those around you is something that does not always occur in Western culture.

“Descendants of the Sun” on Viki and Netflix

Now, you might be asking yourself, how are my reviews different from the other reviews out there?  While the answer is not a simple one, I will simply say that I am an American experiencing Hallyu in real-time.  I was not alive to experience Hallyu’s musical predecessor, the British Invasion of the 1960s.  And though I have read about it extensively, the historian in me knows that it is one thing to read about an experience, but quite another to live it and write about it firsthand.  We - you and I - are fortunate enough to be experiencing this cultural phenomenon firsthand.  The Korean culture is definitely “invading” the West and I, for one, am here for it.  But at the same time, as the Korean culture expands across the globe, I would argue that it is also being influenced by those cultures it meets.  MIC Drop (Steve Aoki remix) is a prime example of the blending of these cultures.  That push and pull of the East meeting the West is exciting to me, and I promise to write reviews of K-dramas and K-pop music through that lens.

And finally, I am an academic.  As such, I intend to do a significant amount of research on a plethora of topics before publishing any of my reviews or reactions.  If any facts are cited, I will be sure to reference my source, with the purpose of allowing you, the reader, to dig deeper and discover for yourself the growing world of Hallyu.  When it comes to reacting to K-pop songs, videos, or albums (on our YouTube channel - please look forward to it!), for example, I wholeheartedly admit that I am not a musician, vocal coach, or music producer.  I can promise that no review will be delivered by me without a significant amount of research occurring beforehand.  Therefore, I hope that you find that you can rely on my reviews and reactions to be fun and respectful, but also academically sound.  

So again I say, welcome to Hallyu Reviews!  We are happy to have you join our community!  Up next, Shamra’s Introduction blog.  We look forward to seeing you back again!!