Going International

When it comes to pop culture, it's unavoidable when you are immersed in the culture itself. So sometimes it can get overbearing, and I like to explore the entertainment world beyond the borders of the United States, which is made possible thanks to the internet.

Since I was little I've always watched Hong Kong drama series (somewhere between TV shows and soap operas), then the computer came along and I had access to all kinds of media that highlights the pop cultures from different countries. From my own experience I've come across Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Mainland China, Korean, and Japanese pop cultures. Some I've delved into more than others, but it's interesting to see the contrasts between the pop cultures between these countries.

My favorite resource for english subtitled dramas is Mysoju. Within the Asian drama community, there is a lot of cross cultural influence and remediation. For example, there is a manga that originated from Japan called "Hana Yori Dango," which was made into a live drama in Taiwan (Meteor Garden). The series was then remade in Japan, and then Korea, and then Mainland China (Let's Go Watch Meteor Shower). The story is still the same, but each country takes the story and adapts it to their local culture and to match their ideals. The music industry is also highly subjected to this adaption, where popular songs would be covered or translated into other languages and be a hit single as well. It really brings into the question of what intellectual property laws are like, since there are so many

This is just an example of one of many cross cultural and media convergence. My examining this phenomenon itself is a convergence because of this cross-cultural exposure that I would other-wise not be able to experience if not for the internet.