I like watching fantasy dramas made for audiences in other countries. When they refer to the folklore, myths, and spiritual beliefs of those cultures, it’s particularly interesting. In the past few years, I’ve seen some very good Japanese and South Korean dramas.

I often wonder how much creative licence the writers have applied to the traditional beliefs they base their stories on. Western writers continually build on and elaborate European traditions, so what do writers do in East Asia?

As an international viewer, it’s impossible for me to tell without reading a lot of books about those beliefs. I guess that’s something I’ll have to look into one day. I’d like to start with Shinto in Japan.

Shows that have me wondering include:

• The East Palace (2026): a Korean dark fantasy featuring folkloric monsters of the spirit world
• AARO (2024): a Japanese drama about the traditional gods of Japan and a supernatural investigation service
• Bulgasal (2021): a Korean drama about a monster doomed to live for eternity

Sometimes, fantasy shows present an interesting fusion of beliefs from various cultures. Last night, I started watching a Korean show called Genie, Make a Wish (2025). The main character is a Korean mechanic who brings a genie home from Dubai. The genie’s backstory is vaguely reminiscent of Paradise Lost (1667).

In the first episode, the genie picks up the mechanic and flies her high above a city. As they go, the mechanic makes a joke about flying vampires. I assume she was referring to the vampires in Western dramas like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries.

I’ve always enjoyed stories based on European folklore and tradition, but learning about the fantasy worlds of East Asia has made a refreshing change. Now that international drama is so readily available on Netflix, I wonder how long it will take for certain Japanese or Korean ideas to become as widely known as vampires and werewolves.