Song Uses and Audience Experiences of Korean Idol Dramas: a Study on My Girl, You’re Beautiful, and Secret Garden
Date Issued
2014
Date
2014
Author(s)
Chu, Shu-Yao
Abstract
This study looks at how songs function in idol Korean dramas, and analyzes the visual and aural perception of these songs. Songs in Korean dramas help to increase female viewers’ identification with female protagonists, as well as increase their empathy towards the plot lines and the characters involved, thereby creating a stronger impact on the viewers. Musical analysis revealed that the contrasts in texture, melodic contours, instrumentation, rhythm and harmony between verses and choruses help reinforce plot developments and emotions arising from the drama. An analysis of the interrelationship between music, plot lines, emotions and cinematography techniques revealed that songs are more often used to reinforce the sorrow during “outside-in” situations (i.e. inner emotions stirred up by external circumstances), and are also often coupled with close-up shots of the protagonists’ faces. Finally, physiological measurements collected from nine female viewers knowledgeable of Korean dramas were used to analyze visual and aural perception, in an effort to gauge their emotional shifts while watching Korean dramas. The results show that humorous plot lines or manly actions from male protagonists evoke contraction of the zygomaticus major (i.e. causing them to smile); when the protagonist makes sacrifices out of love, or when viewers feel love and compassion on the part of characters in the drama, a rise in finger temperature in most viewers is detected; and close-up shots of a heartbroken protagonist cause the finger temperature in most viewers to fall. This study paints a preliminary picture of how songs are employed in Korean dramas, and offers a new approach for future studies in visual and aural perceptions through the use of objective physiological measurements.
Keywords: idol; empathy; theatrical music; audience study; physiological-emotional response
Subjects
偶像
同理心
戲劇音樂
觀眾研究
生理情緒反應
Type
thesis
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