In such a situation, I watch short, funny, completely devoid of any deeper content webdramas. In the end, I'm so infused with the sweetness and simplicity of these dramas that I'm starting to crave something more substantial and diverse.

Usually I'm looking for another entertainment other than drama or movie for 1 year. Like sport. I have 1-2 years of hiatus from watching drama. And it work. Watching another drama for other country doesn't work for me anymore.

Drama slumps? Well most of my drama slumps comes from being choked with the real life activities so much that kdrama airing during that time do not interest me, no matter how buzz worthy it is, or how interesting the drama is. But there always happen to be one drama I stick with despite the slump. I remember sticking with Hospital Playlist 1 and Monthly Magazine Home despite my slump.

But for the kind of drama slump that's described in this thread - when everything veers on the side of the disappointing, repetitive, or not-worth-the-gamble, what I do is wait for what interests me to begin airing and I'm back on the high road.

I trace back favorite actors to watch their previous works.

Or, if I can't find anything interesting, I look to k-movies to fill the gap.

When I first watched asian dramas, I watched alot of the same things because I was trying to compare the different versions (ex: boys over flowers, the japanese version, the taiwanese version (I don't even remember if that was the third version) same with other dramas that have multiple adaptations & mediums)
So, it's definitely fair to say I was seeing *alot* of the same. But beyond seeing the same concept, I was seeing the same tropes when I watched tried other shows which were the jerk (rich) guy and the stupidly nice, naive, puts up with everything girl. I loathe seeing those types of female characters. Seeing those relationships numerous times was... draining to say the least. I stopped watching dramas until Squid Game.

I think I'm in a slump now; it's harder for me to finish the shows I start and I'm often thinking more about "why" is something happening rather than enjoying it. I think I've only looked forward to 3 dramas weekly airings (the law cafe, the heavenly idol, and taxi driver 2).

I don't know if this is doing anything about my slump but I've been watching older shows and shows with shorter episode lengths. I also rewatch clips or fanvids of shows I liked.

I have never been in a drama slump. Probably because a year and a half in Dramaland (and around 100 dramas watched) is a short period of time, so I'm not bored yet.
There are lots of series to watch, but I'm more interested in "old" dramas than in the new ones.

For me:

1. Revisit older dramas that have slipped under your radar.

2. Rewatch some of your all time faves.

3. Explore genres and formats you usually ignore,

a great example of this is weekenders, they still give off that classic Kdrama feel from the 90s and 00s, they are safe, and you are guaranteed a happy ending, for Chinese dramas Wuxia dramas are always reliable the tropes are universal and good always wins against evil.

Generaly, it's because there is no Kdrama that makes me feel excited or interested. Sometimes it's because I was burnt by the same theme : law, medical, ghost, time travelling, etc.

If I watch mainly KDramas, I watch some J/C/TW/Thai dramas too and western TV shows. So I just focus on the others, old or recent ones.

I'm in a drama slump now. I think part of the reason is how i started watching dramas which was going back to the classics. I thought if Bread Love and Dreams had nearly an entire country watching, it must be good. I felt the same way with Boys Over Flowers. I think it set me up for unrealistic expectations that all dramas could be so addictive. But for every addictive drama there are 20 that are not. It is also really hard to watch an average drama after a great drama. It just feels like a let down. Then there are many dramas that people have loved that turn out to be dull to me (It's Okay Not to Be Okay, Crowned Clown). I think there are too many dramas being made now and with so many dramas I'm less loyal and forgiving to the drama I'm watching since I can easily stop and start another. The hour plus episodes make it even harder to watch as it increases the possibility of boredom or distraction. Then I would add the constant ending of actor careers-most recently Yoo Ah In. I might have gone back and watched all his dramas after seeing him for the first time in Secret Love Affair (a great drama) but now, that feels like a nearly futile exercise as I know I'm likely not going to see him again on the screen in the future. I'm not sure I have a way out of my slump. I've just started Giant with the hope that a really long, classic drama will help me get back to watching. I do go back and watch favorites (Flower Boy Ramen Shop), but that only works so many times. I'm going to try the new Stealer-The Treasure Keeper if it is available because the preview made me laugh. The truth is, I've been bored to often during drama watching these days and I'm not sure what to do.

I often feel like I’m in a slump nowadays because there are too many shows airing at the same time and there are so many old shows that seem interesting and promising. In other words, my slump comes from being exhausted because there are too many choices.

And because people can choose to watch any drama anytime, it makes me less committed to the drama I watch because there is no peer pressure in DB LOL.

The way I use to get through my slumps is doing other things that interest me more at the time. It might be reading some interesting books, exercising, eating out, hanging out with friends, etc. And there will come a time when there is at least one drama that I really really want to watch because the mood strikes me. An example is now I’m watching Alchemy of Souls for the first time.

That happened recently for me, i just accept it and not force myself to like the dramas that I started that no longer hold my interest. If it didnt click it just wouldnt. I spent time watching k-varieties or non k-movies to fill the downtime. Or venture into other hobbies. A better kdrama will come up down the line.

I'm in a bit of a slump right now, but fortunately it's easy to still get my kdrama fix by dipping into random episodes, e.g. last night I watched episode 3 or 4 of I Remember You, and the beginning of Awaken. Sometimes it allows me to appreciate some well executed aspects of the show, e.g. Awaken has really cool opening credits, and I was just admiring the sound and camera work in Another Oh Hae-young.

Hm, for me it's simple; I'm back to watching Western shows or anything that Netflix recommends to me. In 2021 I was in a slump, then somehow Netflix's algorithm recommended Lupin. I immensely enjoyed both seasons of Lupin.

Last year I was in another slump, I guess I got busy with work, then one of my co-workers suggested Peaky Blinders .... and just like everyone else I developed a crush on Shelby. Tee hee.

After watching both shows I'm getting my feet back again to dramaland.

Personally although there may be a slump period where there are no dramas that pique my interest and watching the few that seems promising but dropped after a few episodes, I do get a little upset. How do I get over this slump? To be honest, these are a blessing in disguise because it forces me to do chores that I know should be done but always tell myself I will do them later like cleaning the interior of the car, keeping in touch with friends and relatives to say hello etc. I am someone who tend to procrastinate and the slump is good for people like myself.

I'd catch up on Chungmuro or watch non K-dramas so I'm not always inside the Kdrama bubble.
I'd give writers I like more than 4 episodes, and favorite actors, I can clean my room or ff to their scenes. 😆
Thanks to "My Liberation Notes," I got over my long slump, but sadly, I don't have many drama to be excited about so I'll have to repeat that cycle again.

Variety shows fill the void!

I get into a slump when:
1. there are too many interesting dramas on, it's overwhelming,
2. I'm fatigued from bingeing too many shows back to back, and
3. too many of the dramas I looked forward to turn out to be less interesting as I had hoped

I find that variety shows are the perfect palate-cleansers -- travel shows in particular, because they're no brainers, rarely stressful, very entertaining, and don't require a lot of commitment. I can drop and pickup a show midway through a season, and sometimes even mid-episode. 2D1N is my go-to, but the new shows are great as well (Bros on Foot, Europe Outside Your Tentc, No Math School Trip, House on Wheels, etc...)

I’m not in a slump - dramas are. There’s only one show I’m livewatching and when that ends, there’s not much I’m really excited about coming up. This has happened before and I’ve used the time to check out older dramas, but it’s been pretty hit-or-miss and starting something that quickly falls flat makes a slump even slumpier. Like @isaGC, I haven’t been in Dramaland long enough to get jaded, but long enough that now I am better able to pick older ones that I have a higher chance of enjoying. I revisit and cull my to-watch list, choose something near the top, and - silly as it sounds - put “Start [Drama]” on my calendar so I have something to look forward to and don’t spend endless time spinning my wheels in indecision.

This is probably just me but even if I'm in a slump, I can usually just rewatch the works of an actor that I like. I can just kinda zone out on it.

I have been disappointed recently as my preferred style of no brainer light and fluffy rom com or character driven slice of life dramas are getting harder and harder to find in the recent releases. I have given myself permission to drop a drama if, even after all my research, there is a feature that pops up that is not a good fit for me. I look for web dramas and dig into the archives for normal length dramas; 2017 is proving to be the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks to all the beanie recommendations, I am discovering some great dramas from 2014-2019 era.

I also go to Chinese dramas for romance and or slice of life. There are so many to choose from and I have writer I like now so can go through their projects. I go to Japanese dramas for the shorter episodes and more unusual topics like deafness or bar/diner based slice of life. The episodes tend to be shorter and the series is usually less than 12 episodes so easy to binge.

I believe that drama slumps are there for a reason, so I let them run their course naturally.

I started watching BLs, first from SK then other countries. I got sucked down that rabbit hole pretty quickly. Probably 75% or f what I watch are BLs.

When I'm in a slump I do a lot of what has already been mentioned here - watching webdramas, c-dramas, working through my non-Korean watchlist, watching movies (in any language) - but sometimes if none of that works/if I'm not in the mood for any of the above, I find that watching/catching up on kpop content sometimes gives me some 'freshness' - whether that be going on an MV marathon, finding new artists on Spotify or watching idol variety shows.

Or if I need a break from media and screens in general, I pick up a good book instead!

Kdramas are in their flop era. In this moment, the issues are with kdramas, not the viewers, heh.

I sometimes experience two different kinds of slumps. One is from over-saturation from binge-watching. When this happens I take a short break and focus on other things. The other kind is when nothing on my To Watch list interests me at that moment. In this situation I'll often rewatch sections of my favorites or look up fan made music videos of my favorite dramas.

I feel like I'm in a slump at the moment and I know exactly what is causing it - I'm not finding any recent dramas that fill the need of my current mental state for screwball comedies that may dip temporarily into dramatics but never get TOO serious. The most recent that I've seen like that is Business Proposal - Sh**ting Stars came incredibly close but had a deeper more serious dip for longer than I was fully expecting based on the rest of the series. I'm re-watching What's Wrong With Secretary Kim for the thousandth time to get my fix but I'd love a new screwball series to come sweep me away from the real world too.

Funny, but that's exactly where I have been - drama slump - but I found a different way of solving the problem.

What I Iike most about Korean dramas is the development of the characters, the fact that events and interactions change the dynamics of relationships and for most of the time, for the better. There is no country that portrays the importance of families, whether biological or by friendship, in the same way, with such warmth and sympathy, so that often you end up sad that your own family isn't like that!

I don't like the American equivalent at all, the Brits probably it best after that, but I turned to Chinese and Japanese dramas out of curiosity, at first being extremely disappointed by the shallowness of the characterisations and the awful squeaky voices and predictable behaviour of the hero's and heroines, and the banality of the stories.

However, the landscape in China drama is changing. I recently watched "Lighter and Princess", and although I'm not normally into that sort of thing I was completely hooked and it is now on my list of top favourite dramas. I will certainly watch it again. It is dramatic, heartbreaking, and ultimately extremely satisfying.Then I found a much older Japanese drama called "Pride" and again, although it is about (of ALL things) an Ice Hockey team it contained all the elements I liked. The hero is not particularly attractive to start with but is a superb actor, it is a great story, few cliches here and there and a very heart-warming romance too. I've just finished "Road Home". It has the usual Chinese stereotype of a military hero who is handsome, brave, patriotic, loyal, talented, etc. etc. etc. but he and his girl are an extremely charismatic couple and their story is attractive and heart-warming.

So, I'm totally wrapped up in "Call it Love" and can hardly bear to watch the last two episodes, after which I want another Business Proposal, Crash Landing on You, DOTS, Secret Garden, Red Sleeve, something with a darned good story which doesn't have to be believable in every detail, characters who develop as the story progresses, a suitable villainous Bad Guy if possible, and a very happy ending. And a brief standing ovation for the Beanie recappers who have pulled me into dramas with their witty and articulate recaps, long may you continue your good work.

Watch Kmovies!

I've only had two real drama slumps that I can remember. The first one was back around 2016/2017. (I think. Me and dates don't get along well, lol.) I'm pretty sure it was a combination of being a never dropper who forced herself to finish dramas even when she couldn't stand them and also being a drama hoarder who had set herself the mission to watch every Asian drama ever made in the history of ever. Seeing as forcing yourself to watch things you don't enjoy eventually becomes an act of torture, and it is physically impossible to watch every drama known to mankind, my brain began to check out of dramas before I even realized it was happening. Once I did figure it out (after probably six months of denial), I decided I needed a drama break, and I didn't watch anything for maybe 6 months.

The second time was specifically a Kdrama slump somewhere around 2018/2019 that's still kind of going today. I occasionally watched dramas from other countries before then, but most of what I watched was from Korea, and things were beginning to feel...unsatisfying. I wasn't finding myself interested in a lot of the Kdramas coming out, wasn't feeling that spark with most of the ones I did watch, and I just wanted something different from what Kdramas have to offer. That's when I finally hit my stride with Jdramas. (Took me almost ten years, but we got there eventually, lol.) I slowly started watching more and more Jdramas, and now they make up a lot of what I'm watching (and enjoying).

So for me, my answer to slumps has been to take a break or to try a different country.

The thing is, and this will sound silly, but my first drama slump hit me kind of hard. Part of why it took me so long to realize I needed a drama break was because I didn't want to admit that I needed it. I'm a bit of an obsessive person when I love something, and that was true with dramas, so the thought of not watching them was difficult for me to accept. I feared that if I took a break, I might never come back.

Now that I've been a drama lover for over 15 years, I've realized that was a silly fear, as dramas are clearly a very important staple in my television diet that aren't going to go away. Me and Asian dramas are clearly fated to be together for life, lol.

I’m in a kdrama slump now. Ha I wish my slumps only lasted two weeks! My slumps usually last months if not YEARS! After 2017, I barely watched any dramas for a few years and then suddenly out of nowhere I became frantically obsessed again. But now sadly I feel burnt out.

I’m not sure what will bring me back, I’m eagerly awaiting FAMILY: THE UNBREAKABLE BOND but alas nothing else interests me at the moment. I might have to vary my media consumption for the foreseeable future.

Still waiting for the next instalment in the Answer Me series tho…