Good luck with your paper! I'll answer:

1. I first got into dramas via Japanese drama after seeing that one of my favourite manga had been adapted as a live-action drama.....started watching Korean drama after going to the northeast of my country where it was really popular because that's the only way people there got to see people who looked like them on tv.

2. Soompi, usually.

3. Info - I usually want casting information and news on upcoming productions, including info on writers, casting rumours etc. And post-project, interviews of actors and writers/PDs on their dramas.

4. It's a pretty big barrier, we're pretty much entirely dependent on translators because it's not always clear when something is just a rumour, or confirmed. Which is why I'm so grateful to those who do translate.

1. The first Korean drama that led me into addiction was Dae Jang Geum (2003).It was showing on cable and Ji Jin Hee's chiseled bone structure hooked me in.

2. I'm almost always on Dramabeans, sometimes I visit Dramas ROK and The Talking Cupboard for the cultural aspect of dramas, especially sageuks. Basically, I visit blogs that specialize in Korean dramas.

3. I look for everything that you listed except for actor gossip, it messes with the separation of real-life personalities and on-screen personalities for me.

4. The language barrier is extremely difficult for me to overcome especially when it comes to soundtracks. I use Shazam to identify OSTs but it tags the songs in Hangul, which I don't understand and so I just end up with a list of all the songs I wanted and all the information concerning where to get it etc BUT I can't read Hangul so yeah to number 4.

Hope that helps!

you guys are awesome! Thank you so much! :)

Cool topic!

1) I got into dramas when I was couch-ridden with a foot injury. Couldn't find anything good on tv, started browsing Hulu and Playful Kiss popped up. I think it was 2010.

2)besides DB, usually Soompi, sometimes Allkpop or Kpopstarz but not as often as first 2. Also other blogs like eatyourkimchi, couch kimchi...

3)I like reading recaps/reviews, actor gossip. I don't really care about film/drama stills. I watch dramas (streaming) subbed on Viki or dramafever or kdrama.com, depending on who has subs out first since I tend to watch simulcasts. As far as language learning, I use livemocha and talktomeinkorean.com to pick up phrases (and learned Hangul that way too) but I don't find them so useful for grammar. I find I learn more from watching subbed dramas, lots of phrases get repeated so I have learned a lot of short sentences!

4) the language barrier makes it very difficult to get info, as Pogo mentioned, we are at the mercy of the translators, for whom I am also very grateful. I find eatyourkimchi is great for discovering music, and I often download songs of the day on DB

1. How you got into dramas
I was in-bed, recovering from surgery and Netflix kept pestering me to watch Faith. I clicked, loved how different it was from American shows, and the rest is history. Well, spending those pain-pill addled days watching endless hours of LMH didn't hurt either...LOL

2. Where you get your information (besides here ;) ),
What interests me most right now is Korean dynastic history. So usually Google.

What also interests me is analysis of story structure. Haven't found any good source for that other than the limited information presented here in the recaps. *hoping DB gals set up something...even if it's something I have to pay for* Usually the most help you find online is commentary that goes like this: "Although this drama has it's flaws...blah, blah, blah." I say 'blah, blah, blah', because no analysis is presented about what the flaws actually are.

3. What information you look for:
Actor gossip? No
Release dates? No, but similar: 'what show airs tonight?'
Filming photos? No
Reviews? Recaps only.
Language learning help (to not need subs, or to help sub etc)? No. I wanted to do this, but then decided that - even more - I want to be able to enjoy dramas with idols. Not being fluent keeps me blissfully ignorant of their shortcomings. :-)
Where to download/buy subbed versions? I subscribe to streaming services instead of downloading or buying. Why buy when they're available online? I'll use the download features from the sites I subscribe to for viewing when I'm not near a secure wifi connection. I don't download from other sites because most sites are illegal and I believe artists (and their financial backers) should get paid for their work.

4. How the language barrier (if you have one) affects your experience searching for information.

Hinders the search for historical information. I haven't yet found english translations for the Annals of the various dynasties. It would be helpful. An indexed version would be golden.

Good luck with your project!

I glad I am not the only one with this passion. Hope this helps and good luck on your research:
1. My girlfriend gave me Glass Slipper DVD to watch, but the conclusion was unplayable. Frustrated, my son said,"Don't worry Mom, you can find the ending on the computer and you might enjoy IL Mare and My Sassy Girl movies too." My husband thought I had gone nuts, crying and laughing at the computer screen. I was hooked..that was 9 years ago and I've watched over 1,000+ Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese dramas and movies.
2. Two of the sites I used to watch were taken down. Now I watch Dramabeans, Dramafever, and Viki and some others.
3. I go to some Asian stores that sells DVDs with English subs, but some DVDs have really bad translations and do not make sense or have anything to do with the story. Luckily, I've seen it on the computer already. I do not download because it is too tedious and time consuming.Sometimes, my girlfriend and I trade DVDs.
4. For some reason, I was ignorant and thought South Korea was like North Korea when I first started. The actor and actresses names confused me and I was totally ignorant of the historical monarchy. I started trying the Korean dishes which my sons introduced to me and tried to learn more about the culture.Because I've watch so many, I have remembered some Korean words and phrases through osmosis; however, I still have to use the Hangul characters cheat sheet in trying to learn to speak Korean.

1. Mine started way back with the Endless Love series, specifically with Son Ye Jin in Summer Scent. I watched on cable then (Arirang, I think). Then I went to college and some friends suggested films which got me to look up other projects of those actors. Yoon Eun Hye, Son Ye Jin, and Ha Ji Won were some of my eternal favorites. I didn't follow as actively for some time until I stumbled upon mysoju(dot)com and Boys over Flowers got me started in watching through streaming since.
2. Aside from dramabeans, I also read koalasplayground, couchkimchi, soompi and at times, allkpop. Add to that some drama streaming sites.
3. Reviews mostly. if I'm completely inlove with the actors, I look for past and upcoming projects and fashion spreads to supplement the craving. :D
4. I've always preferred subs over those dubbed in our local language since a lot already gets lost in terms of cultural context and nuances. For some dramas where actors are criticised for slurring their lines, I get to appreciate it better since I don't get affected by it and only focus on the actors performance along with the production work.

Hope this helps!^_^

Ok, Beanies are the best ever. You guys have been totally awesome, and this is perfect! Thanks so much!!!! :D

I've once said to myself that if I am in college or grad school and if I have to do a paper on East Asian dramas!
1) When the local stations in our country aired a dubbed dramas. For me its not actually East Asian actually but Mexican. We got tired of watching never ending local soaps so watching a drama that ends in 3 months is a breather. So when the East Asian dramas were dubbed I am so used in watching what I hear doesn't match what I see they say.
2) soompi, wiki
3) I look for pictures only! No, I look for the actors' works especially if I find them haha! I remember buying 15-20 CDs for one drama from my Chinese student. Now I download in d-addicts subs in subscene. Of course learning the language helps. First you don't have to wait for the subs, plus if the subs that you use didn't have translations of the OST it will be a sucker. I'm still in the early stages of learning Korean.
4) There is no way that I'll go to naver and use that as my search engine in looking up for information and use google translate after. I will still go to sites that shares the news or any information in English.
cheers and good luck!

Hi, I would also like to help :)

1. In 2009 my friend was obsessed with twilight, one day I decided to show her Vampire Knight and she loved it. She started doing research and discovered Korean dramas and she loved them. She would try to tell me about them but I would only listen but I never really was interested. One day we had a sleepover by the end of sophomore year and on the sleep over she showed me the first two episodes of Big. During the summer I finished the series searched for more and well here I am. :)

2.I usually get my information from Soompi, Koala's Playground, and the only English Korean free channel, Arirang Tv. I watch Showbiz Korea every day.

3.Yeah I usually research for everything I can, I like to learn about new actor the upcoming tv shows and sometimes the gossip. I have been watching Korean dramas for about 2 years now, it has been really helpful with learning the language. This is not really in your question but I will tell you. I have lived in my neighborhood for 14 years since the age of five and after watching Korean dramas I payed more attention and noticed that I live in a Korean community. We have about 5 Korean markets within a 5 mile radius, also about 6 Korean churches, and we have about 10 Korean restaurants within a 10 mile radius. Maybe I was ignorant and I was but I didn't even know my high school piano teacher was Korean, I knew she was Asian mind you but not Korean until I heard her speak one day. My mom and I we have this Korean friend who knows us because we visit her store really often, I also knew she was Asian but I didn't know her nationality and it seem rude to ask. I know now she is Korean because she sells hanboks and Porcelain dolls with hanboks, also her language. My point is that it really helps you understand the different Asian cultures and not just make the stereotype of every Asian being Chinese, which I am ashamed to say I use to do :/.Also is kind of cool to walk into a Korean Market and understand some of the words they are saying :).

3. Spanish is my first language and English is my second one. The language barrier it's somewhat big, I sometimes depend on subs and I definitely depend on written translations since I can't read Korean. Sorry If it's long :)