Not sure? Then take this quiz to find out!
If you answer yes to more than two of these questions, you are a true KDA (K-drama addict)! But it’s okay, because there are many are (including me) KDAs out there. There’s nothing to be shamed of, in fact, there are fansubbing groups out there who’s working 24/7 to get you hooked - well sort of. Their two biggest motivation for fansubbing or providing English translations is to contribute to the hallyu wave by introducing Korean dramas to non-Korean speakers and to give back to the fansubbing community. If it wasn’t for these dedicated fansubbers, many wouldn’t even be close to being a KDA. With their fansubbing work, not knowing Korean is not even an issue.
Many fansubbers spend at least one to two hours a day to fansub. In fact, POPSEOUL! survey indicated that about 44% of fansubbers spend at least 2 hours a day and about 30% of the participants spend more than 4 hours a day. But what surprised me the most was that many fansubbers are not even Korean, let along being fluent in Korean.
When I asked Emily (withs2 coordinator) how this was possible, she told me that there is Chinese fansub group who translates K-dramas from Korean to Chinese, then fansubbers who are fluent in Chinese translate them into English. When I first heard this, thought that a lot will be lost in translation. In order to test out my assumption, I downloaded some fansubs to review them myself and to my delight, they were correct about 85% of the time. This is great for an amateur translation team that’s not even 100% fluent in the language. Also, I would like to add that the lack of English equivalent to a lot of Korean phrases contributes to the lost in translation.
Isn’t it great that some dedicated people spend their precious time translating these dramas for your enjoyment? If you want to show your appreciation, I recommend not requesting for faster fansub release, criticizing them for translation errors, demanding certain fansub file format and selling these fansubs for money. When you do this, they get annoyed and even discouraged because they dedicate their time purely out of their passion and love of Korean culture. None of them get paid, in fact, some spend money to encourage members to fansub. So next time you write your comments, please be considerate of the fansubbers situation and remember that they too have an “offline” life outside K-dramas and that they are not getting paid to provide many people with this service.
And if you too want to give back to the fansubbing community, you can always sign up by emailing withs2team@gmail.com. They are always looking for people and you don’t necessarily have to be fluent in Korean to contribute. Lastly, I would like to thank Emily, coordinator of WithS2 group (the biggest fansubbing group), Javebeans and WithS2 members for all their help to write this article.
Stay tuned for Fansubber’s Top Drama Picks & Recommendations!
I definitely answered YES to more than two of those questions ^^
I am really very grateful to fansubbers for their time, dedication and effort. I can even learn some basic Korean because they tend to use the same expressions/words and I can understand what do they mean, thanks to the fansubs!
THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
omg I answered yes to 4 out of 5 DX I need to go on rehab! *is getting the shakes*
1,2,4- yes; i stream dont download, and i understand korean so i dont need the subs. goodness i am SOOO addicted and need a life.
yay!!! to these dedicated fansubbers. thanks popseoul for highlighting their love and passion for helping non korean speaking like me become obsessed with K-dramas
Now i´m watching Full House in SPANISH!! i’m absolutely pleased to all this people!!! Have yor heard something about Rain in Sapin???
I answered yes to three of those questions. Thanks for reaffirming the fact that I’ve been neglecting the things I need to do. Because of these kdramas, I have an appreciation for guys who seem emotionally unavailable on the outside but all mushy on the inside, eg. Rain’s character in Full House.
yes, yes i am too addicted to kdramas and lots of thanks really to withs2 because if not for them i would be too lost intranslation.. heehee ^^
Eek!! Im definetly addicted to Kdramas, I can’t actually tell u how many hours of sleep Ive lost staying up to watch them, Im terrible! The 2 best Kdramas in the WORLD (so far), SOULMATES and THANK YOU. They are amazing
I forgot to say a BIG THANK YOU to all the translators who make it possible for me 2 forget I have a life! Thank you so much
lol my answer was mostly yes…lol i am a kda, and i also don’t understand korean, thought i have picked up a few words…
oh god yeh, i was totally addicted to my girl, it was the bet drama ever i cried alot… just to say thanks to teh subbers cos tehy have tried so hard t fulfil our d-addicts needs! thx again n keeep up the good work.
Ooh… I said yes to all of them…
yep, I’m addicted. I answered yes to 4 out of the 5 questions. After watching so many kdramas, I’m beginning to look at life in a positive and optimistic view…don’t ask. I’m not 5, but now I wanna be five. I pretty much gone crazy.
I even started uploading dramas to megaupload for others…serious that is time consuming and slows up your internet connection.
Hi girls, yo tambien soy fanática de los Dramas Coreanos y de sus artistas, son las mejores que existen en el mundo, salen de lo tradicional tienen más emoción y son romanticas´como ninguna.
Mary
Shameless addict here. Seriously, if it weren’t for the amazing fansubbers, I’d be in a M-E-S-S. So, thank you and bless your hearts for keeping addicts like myself a little sane.
ohh my god!
i scored 5! all of them.
i have it bad.. and DARN PROUD of it. =)
hehe. i need rehab too!
and i am soo thankful to all fansubbers.
i hope i can help. but i just decided to take korean next semester in college. =)
i love the korean pop culture! =)
haha thats so funny and i thought i was addicted but not really cuz i only answer yes to one question
I may not have answered yes to all of your criteria but there are others like forsaking bathroom breaks just cuz the episode ended on a cliff hanger and I MUST find out what happens before my bladder is relieved. HAHAHAHA I too am super appreciative of fansubbers. I am constantly amazed at how MUCH they translate (some of them even put explanations of stuff in parentheses). THANK YOU!!
And darn those 2nd generation chaebol…they’ve completely ruined real men. HAHAHA jk..I hope.
Im guy but I’ll admit, I’ve watched some k-dramas, usually it takes ONE episode to get me hooked but that episode has to hit all the right marks.
My top 3 are:
Bulsae (Firebird) - Lee Eun Joo was the sole reason
Boksoo HyulJun - cuz it was cool.
Dunno the title - korean family consisting of 2 sons and mom and dad, moves to California, face hardships such as racism, appendectomy, own a drycleaner, then a gas station, then the LA Riots occur.
anyone know the name of this drama? I was around 8 or 9 years old when my parents rented it from the video store.
Ahhh.. I plead guilty to all of the above. I can also identify myself as a non-Korean speaking WITH S2 translator who spends 2+ hours a day on kdramas, as well as balancing a high school life ^^. I have, on many occasions, indulged in kdrama marathons while cramming for final exams or typing a thesis paper. LOL, it’s an unbearable addiction.
hahaahhaa. yess to 1, 2, 4. God. i’m so addicted. thanks for the article tho. i enjoyed it!
OMG im a total addict to dramas! i LOVE FANSUBBERS! absolutely!! im basically only fluent in english so they are my link to the kdrama world. i would LOVe to help but i not completely fluent in all the languages i know except english.. which wouldnt be much help.. but hey…
FANSUBBERS ROCK! ^^ they are often underappreciated.. they give up time from their lives to help us nonkorean speakers.. thank you to all fansubbers out there!
Heh, the post made me laugh! I answered yes to all of the questions xD If anyone has Facebook, there is a *huge* group called “Addicted to Asian Dramas” (I’m the creator lmao) and there’s several Kdrama groups too I think.
I love fansubbers and appreciate them for all their hard work ♥
i knew i’m KDA..! i always glued infront of my pc doing nothing but watching my downloaded drama every available time i could find especially during holidays and weekends.
i luv u guys subbers! because of u guys i able to enjoy watching all my favourite otherwise i’ll be lost!
i really impressed and really appreciated all their time spent for us downloader. i would say 1 of my fav watching fansubbers’is the small details they provide in some occasions like what’s the diff of ‘oppa’ and ‘hyung’..etc.. and yeah karaoke with sub too hehehe.. those i cant find in original vcd or dvd. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!
I answered yes too…I think we are really catching the Korean wave…thanks to all who helped to translate…Can’t thank enough…however am hoping to learn up the language itself to understand more… ^_^
Don’t need to take the survey - I already know I’m addicted to K-dramas! Long Live the Korean Wave! To ‘parkerlewis’ - although you did not mention the stars’ names, I suspect the drama you were referring to is ‘Dong Qing - Emotion’. It stars Jung Woo-sung, Shim Eun-ha.
Surely addicted.. thanks to the fansubbers..that open the door to the all the good korean drama fans like me that only understand English.. Without you all… how could I be addicted
THANK YOU.. FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. APPRECIATE IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART…and not forgetting all the wonderful blogs..makes me laugh and make my day too ! Keep it up and cheers…
Thank you for posting this! hehehe
Thank you for posting this! hehehe Emily told me about it, and I personally think this is quite a cool idea!
And hopefully fansubbing will keep exist for a very very very long time.
Cheers!
YES i am a KDA ever since i saw my first korean drama in december xD
so THANKS to WITH S2 who are subbing most dramas 
the koreaven wave totally got me ;>
kdramas are one of the greatest series ever
I am a KDA & will not stop at it.hahahaha. Thank you subbers for helping me w/ my addiction! Spending countless hours to help me understand what the dramas are saying, cuz w/o you I would still be a KDA who doesn’t understand what I’m watching.THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN!!
I answered yes to all 5 questions. *hardcore* ;.;
i answered yes to 4 questions.
A big big thanks to all the fansubbers out there. Thanks for dedicating your precious time to sub the dramas.
Thank you!
yes yes and yes. is my answer to the question. definitely an addict. and its good to know that people look at fansubbing in a different light. i appreciate all the fansubbers have done and helping me to get to my addiction. hehehe ^^ let’s support fansubs! though they get lost in translation at least now its better than being totally lost at all.
i almost answered all of the questions… i really appreciate the fansubbers , it really helped me a lot to understand kdramas because i’m not that fluent enough to understand and speak korean language… so to all fansubbers…
—- kumasumida..
To parkerlewis:
I think the drama you’re talking about is called “Eel jjum oh” as in “1.5″ — if that’s the right one, than I totally watched that too! And, “Boksoo” is the one with Ahn Jae Wook, right?
I also love:
“Byuleun nae gaseumae”
“My Name is Kim Sam Soon”
“My Girl”
“Delightful Girl, Choonhyang”
I’m currently watching “Witch Yoo Hee”
Most of these I either watched during the early 90s on actualy video tapes with my parents, or I watched online without subs…BUT, for I have seen at least one or two with subs and I just want to thank the subbers for their time and dedication! THANK YOU!
hihi
first of all, i wanna send out a big hug to all the fansubbers. without u guys - i doubt i will enjoy (or understand) my ride on the korean wave so much. thank you thank you thank you!
it is a pity that there are people out there taking advantage of the hard work of these subbers. i wish there is something us as fans can do something about. like track them down and stone them or something. *evil grinz*
anyways - keep up the good work lovely subber teams! ^_^
last but not least - thanks for making this post!
^_^
im addicted to K-dramas..!!! As-in..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im from the Philippines..! But i adore korean actors and actrsses more..!!!
Yes!!! i’m a certified K-drama addict!! i didn’t even have to answer the questions.. but anyways.. my answers are all YES!!
To the fansubbers, thanks for taking the time and effort in translating these dramas to English for us non-Korean speaking watchers. Thanks thanks!!!!!!! I really appreciate and salute to your dedication and hardwork. =)
Has anyone been on Kimook.com. I’m having trouble contacting them. I had ordered a korean drama and they gave me the wrong one. I sent them an email regarding this but didn’t get a response. This is pissing me off! Help anyone?
i m so freaking addicted..its not funny. i just want to come home and see the shows..its all pricess hour;s fault.
toTAlly…..
k drama adict!!!
i just really like there dramas n the way they twist the stories…
whether series or just a movie….
i just like them…
i really like them……
after seeing your post, i discovered that i am really a kdrama addict, is there a rehabilitation center for that? lolz
though i never knew korean language, i totally rely on the subs which sometimes gives me headache for the subs dont make any sense or couldn’t be understood, sometimes and sometimes feel frustated coz the characters are saying like 10 sentences already but the subs aren’t “moving”…but as i say, i am a kdrama addict, i make my own dialogue in my head so i can understand the scene.
i hope someday i could learn more korean to understand better not just your language but also your culture, which is not so different from mine.
thanks for all the updates. i would definitely visit this site regularly.
and tnx to all fansubbers for all their efforts and hard work on the translations. AJA!
My hats are off to you fansubbers - you’re amazing in sharing with us not only the hours of work but your generosity! thnx to you all! and yes I’m addicted to kdramas since watching Lovers in Paris! I got all the symptoms & I’m not ashamed of it!(smiles) I sometimes neglect my own personal matters since I’m succombed to watching more & more of it! I loved LIP and second on my list is Cloud Staircase! I really love Shin Dong Wook! thnx again!
omg! i said yes to almost all of the questions!! popseoul.. i am loving you banner!!! Lee Junki rocks! his new drama is amazing! TODAW rocks!!! keep up the good work!
i’m definately a KDA!!! yes, yes, yes no doubt about it. i’ve watched my first k drama my girl and the rest are history….thanx to the fansubbers - gr8 job guys!
omg. i answered 4/5 yest. man, im so addicted. it’s bad sometimes b/c i hve homework that i procrastinate. ahhhh
i steffanie gargantos
21, L.A. california
la mirada city to be exact ,,,,
just want to say THANK YOU to all the subbing teams!!!!!!
with all my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<<33333
*smiling* YES YES YES YES!!!! except for Q5… that means im a certified KDA… *sigh*
*smiling* because of K-dramas i only sleep for 3 hours even on schooldays… i cant even hold a book when im home cuz im busy with finding what kdrama to watch next….
when im watching drama i dont want to be disturbed so i cant do anything except to watch sit and eat… bwahahha
is there any cure for this kind of addiction??? *cant stop smiling*
i plead guilty ahhahha… kdramas are jus so addicting and i cant express enough appreciation for the subbers… thank you so very much..
wow. i definitely an addict
to the fansubbing community: AJA!!!
keep up the good work
Yes yes i’m addicted to k-dramas without even answering those questions.Thanks for the team who alway upload it with english sub.
MY FRENS ALL TELL ME THAT IM ADDICTED….. I GUESS I AM BECAUSE I ANSWERED YES TO MORE THAN 2 OF THE QUESTIONS. ANOTHER QUESTION U SHOULD PUT UP IS “DO YOU MISS TURNING IN ASSIGNMENTS, OR STUDYING FOR EXAMS BECAUSE YOUR TO BUSY WATCHING YOUR KOREAN DRAMAS?” I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE LIKE ME!
Um I guess I’m addicted. I first saw Time Between Dog and Wolf-got addicted. Slacked off hw, skipped a couple classes…yeah. Then watched Goong-same thing. This is bad guys!
Yes to 3 questions! I am definitely addicted! Maybe you should also add up this question: DO YOU suddenly have the urge to learn the Korean languange including their culture? My answer…another “DE” !!!!
Kudos to the funsubbers! mabuhay!
ahaha.too funny.OMG, i answered all questions with a YES.
Oh my .. O_o
I’m K-drama addict .. I answered YES to all the 5
Waah I love k-drama .. I hope someday I learn the Language
omg!!what a co-incidents we are just the same.I’m k-drama addict my day is not complete w/out watching those “kakainis na salita na di ko maintindihan”LOL!!!!!
wow that’s really amazing! i mean it takes a lot to translate a language. kudos to the fansubbers!
Yo tambien soy adicta a esos dramas koreanos y me encanta el idioma, y tiene un sonido hermoso-comparado con otros ideomas como por ejemplo el Dutch, Papiamento, Aleman, son algunos q tienen un sonido horrible…y tengo una pregunta, esos koreanos tienen costumbres bien raras–como ese respeto a sus padres, eso en verdad es asi? si los padres no autorizan q se pueden casar con alguien pues no pueden? y eso de siempre cargar a alguien que no puede caminar o por la gran borrachera q se tienen, pues los tienen que cargar en la espalda..son unas interrogantes que siempre tengo..si alguien puede sacarme de esta por favor contesten, y gracias
yo tengo una ventaja ya que si no lo encuentro en English pues lo puedo leer en Spanish…ahy un actor de “Wish on a start” algo asi se llama el drama–un deseo en la estrella–que creo q la actor principal se mato es eso cierto…por fa contesten
i am totally addicted tooo. my exams are coming in a week and i havent studied…lol….wont be laughing when i fail…
k-dramas rock:D
MBC for me has given the world the best kdramas!
goong…
dae jang geum..
jumong…
coffee prince…
east of eden(still airing)
and my fave….
THANK YOU(gomabseumnida)
great job MBC!
yep
yep
yep
yep
YES!