Netflix Foreign Shows I watched and Totally Loved

Monday, September 24, 2018



Netflix Foreign Shows I watched and Totally Loved



Hi Divas

I have always absolutely adored watching foreign series and films. The fact that Netflix has an array of options to choose from makes me extremely happy. Now depending on which country, you live in and what languages you can speak, what is foreign to you might not be the same for me. I live in South Africa and speak English and Afrikaans on a daily basis. Therefore, anything outside that circle is considered foreign language series and films to me. I studied French in high school for a few years and have picked up on a few Arabic words while working in the Middle East. My ear therefore is quite accustomed and trained to pick up on certain words and common phrases. What I enjoy most about watching foreign dramas, is the fact that the brain can easily store and memorize phrases and words from other languages. I feel like I learn a new language while being entertained at the same time. It's honestly such a wonderful experience to me. Sine watching series I would be able to greet, say thank you and ask how are you in Hindi and Turkish too. How crazy is that? I'm still working on Korean and Urdu though, as those are the hardest for me to learn. Besides learning new languages for free I love the unique story lines and dramas that each country has to offer. They use different formulas and filming styles compared to Western media. I have studied film studies in university and can easily pick up on these different styles and techniques of telling stories. If you can get passed reading subtitles, as most people cannot stand it, you would really open up your horizon to different cultures, unique stories and learn a few new words. Below are my absolute favourite shows that I have enjoyed watching and recommend.


1. Love is In The Air/ Yer Gok Ask (Turkish)
Based in the beautiful Turkish city Cappadocia a poor village girl, Havva, with the help of her aunt develops a devious plan to trap a rich and handsome business man, Yusuf, to fall in love with her. The ultimate goal is to marry him and gain wealth for her family, as Yusuf's family is the most prominent within the area. Her plan starts to fall flat as she starts to develop real feelings for him and her games are about to be revealed. The story is filled with intrigue as each minor character has their own selfish agendas and end up back stabbing each other for their own gain. It is one of the best drama love stories I have ever watched as each character is not one dimensional. They show different lengths each one would go to fulfill their own desires. There are two seasons to this show but Netflix currently only has one. The episodes are quite long, so it's worth a watch and getting invested into the show.

2. Hello, My Twenties (Korean)
I randomly stumbled upon this show one fine day and immediately fell in love with it. It's about 5 university students living together in a student house, each coming from different backgrounds. They have to navigate living peacefully with each other while dealing with clashing personalities and different life goals. Each girl has a secret or insecurity that gets revealed within the episodes. The girls unknowingly help each other to overcome their past fears, failures and teach them life skills. It's a wonderful story filled with comedy, thriller and full on drama. I could truly relate to this series as I lived in women student houses for four years during my university studies. No matter what age you are you will enjoy it has it is a coming of age story and we have all been through it or are still going through it. There are two seasons to the show and the episodes are not that long.

3. Secret Of The Nile (Arabic)
This has to be the only Arabic series that I have come across on Netflix. It is based on the original Grande Hotel series which is also featured on the website. The story is set in the 1950's in Egypt and has only one season. It follows a man named Ali on the search for his missing sister Doha. She has been working at the grand hotel but stopped sending letters or any form of communication to her brother. Ali realises that his sister has mysteriously vanished and may have been murdered. He decides to take up a waitering job at the hotel to do his own private investigations as to what truly happened to his sister. This show is filled with intrigue, surprises and thriller. I just love the way it was filmed and how each character was so genuinely portrayed. It's a wonderful story with great acting. The mystery of Doha will seriously surprise you as it does not follow a conventional missing person route. Watch it for the suspense!


4. Badalte Rishton Ki Dastaan (Hindi)
The title of the show is translated into 'A Tale of Fickle Relationships'. The series opens up with grieving Nandini, a recent widow to her husband Anirudh. He died in a fatal accident and leaves his wife and family empire behind. They were a young couple about to start a family. Shock and surprise knocks at the door as Meera, Anirudh's girlfriend rocks up at the family home to sympathise with them while carrying his unborn child. Nandini has no idea Meera was her husband's mistress and Meera has no idea Anirudh was even married. The complete dismay sends shock waves through the house when the whole truth is revealed. Since Nandini is Anirudh's lawful wife she has every right over his estate but Meera is carrying Anirudh's heir. Anirudh's father takes all wicked measures to ensure he gets his hands on his unborn grandchild, to carry on the family line. This story is filled with the typical Indian dramatic melodrama which I love. It is very entertaining and you cannot wait to see what happens next in the following episodes. The series has one season with only 37 episodes. You could binge watch it over a weekend, LOL.

5. Oh My Venus (Korean)
This series is comedy gold at its best. If you are looking for something light hearted and a guaranteed chuckle then give this one a try. The story opens up with Kang Joo- Eun, a once popular and beautiful teen girl now turned into an ugly obese yet successful lawyer. Her high school boyfriend breaks up with her as she no longer fits the gorgeous standards she once upheld. Upon accident Kang Joo- Eun meets a celebrity famous personal trainer, John Kim, who promises to get her back into shape and turn her life around. Her journey to lose weight is hilarious and so relatable. She goes through many humiliating scenarios and you truly feel her pain and have an emotional connection to her. I must note that even though she is considered obese in the show, her body type actually looks like mine on a normal day after eating a burger and fries, LOL. Korean beauty standards on what is considered over weight are very different compared to the rest of the world, but that is a discussion for another day.

6. Zindagi Gulzar Hai (Urdu) 
The show translated in English means 'Life is Fruitful'. Set in Pakistan, the two main characters come from totally different upbringings, class and financial statuses. The pair meet at university where they compete with each other in the lecture rooms. The female lead Kashaf comes from a lower-class family and has had to sacrifice and overcome many hurdles in her life to reach university. Zaroon, a spoiled wealthy boy has never had to work for anything in his life and therefore sees the world as his play ground. They clash due to their different views on life but end up falling head over heels in love with each other. What I like most about this show, they don't use the wealthy good looking man has a means to save the poor girl, as most stories and fairy tales would go. Instead they show, that even though they are in love, Kashaf does not need a man to save her and her family. Instead she gets her education and empowers herself without the help of Zaroon. She uses hard work and dedication to uplift herself. Their love is of equal standards and one did not uplift the other financially in the realionship. This drama is very relatable and heart-warming. I truly enjoyed it.


*Have you watched any of these series? Do you enjoy foreign content? Do let me know in a comment below. Thank you for reading. *


Lots of love!
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx









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6 comments

  1. Wow, thank you lots for this post. I am missing out on good content. I don't watch much foreign films but these series sound interesting. Great post. Xxxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your feedback. Let me know what you decide to watch and if you enjoy it. 😊💕

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  2. These series sound good. I do enjoy foreign films and TV shows. Thanks for recommending these. I would like to see them. Thanks for an interesting and entertaining post, Diva Desle! :)

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    1. Thank you for reading Saundy. Lots of love. 💕

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  3. I admire your series stamina! I've attempted to watch some Hindi and Urdu series and can't bring myself to finish them (even though I'm Indian and speak and understand the languages) because of all the drama...so so much drama. All Indian series tend to make mountains out of molehills and then the camera zooms in bajillion times on a character for added effect�� lol!. Maybe I should give it another go...

    Vina❤ (Chimocollate Blog)

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    1. My mom feels the same way as you that's why she doesn't watch much Hindi series. I honestly love all the drama and over dramatic camera angles. It truly makes me laugh. 😂💖

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