"Koreans flat out 'own' Netflix."
This was how Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. described Netflix's Korean content after watching one of the newest shows "KDramaland" has to offer on the streaming platform.
Locsin made the statement after watching "Bulgasal: Immortal Souls", a drama about how an immortal man's life becomes intertwined with that of a woman who lives with a cycle of death and reincarnation.
The 16-episode series, produced by drama production company Studio Dragon, entered Netflix in December last year, the same time it was airing in South Korea via broadcaster tvN.
In a tweet, the veteran journalist couldn't help but express how he liked the show.
"BULGASAL. Staggeringly strong; inexpressibly beautiful; love, hate, killing across 600 years of reincarnations," he said.
BULGASAL. Staggeringly strong; inexpressibly beautiful; love, hate, killing across 600 years of reincarnations. Koreans flat out “own” Netflix. And they can film it in strictest pandemic constraints because it is all in close ups of the protagonists’ eyes. No need for location.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 12, 2022
He then proceeded to say that South Korea has been dominating Netflix and expressed admiration for its filmmakers for they can make quality outputs despite strict pandemic restrictions.
"Koreans flat out 'own' Netflix. And they can film it in strictest pandemic constraints because it is all in close-ups of the protagonists’ eyes. No need for location," he said.
This was not the first time Locsin hailed Netflix's Korean content. In April last year, he said he was "stunned at the sheer breathtaking beauty" of the Korean movie "Night in Paradise".
The 2020 film starring Uhm Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, and Cha Seung-won tells the story of a mobster who meets a woman who has given up in life while he is hiding in Jeju Island after a brutal tragedy.
Awesome, no? I’m still stunned at the sheer breathtaking beauty of it. https://t.co/JdcXBnnqBg
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 15, 2021
"Jesus Christ. It's another kind of out-of-this-world movie like Goblin but with eviscerations," he said about the movie.
"Looks like I'm good for another year-long lockdown. Wow, Love in the Time of Korean Carnage. Watch it," he added.
@ConstantKC Are you watching NIGHT IN PARADISE with Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been? Jesus Christ. It's another kind of out of this world movie like Goblin but with eviscerations. Looks like I'm good for another year-long lockdown. Wow, Love in the Time of Korean Carnage. Watch it.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 15, 2021
Korean shows have been dominating the streaming platform not just in the Philippines but worldwide. As of February 12, the Korean zombie drama "All Of Us Are Dead" is Number 1 on Netflix Philippines. "Squid Game", which is confirmed for another season, likewise stayed in the same spot for weeks.
Among the Korean shows that made the Top 1 in the Philippines were "Vincenzo," and "Hometown Cha-cha-cha", both by Studio Dragon.