2020’s been a lot of things — but one great way to look back on this year is to recognise it as the year that countless Pinoys fell in love with K-dramas. Even those who swore they’d never get on the bandwagon found themselves giving K-dramas a chance! This being said, we shouldn’t have too hard a time shopping for gifts this holiday season. After all, there’s so much cute K-drama merchandise being sold everywhere!
To help get you started, we’ve come up with a list of some of the most giftable K-drama merchandise you can purchase online. With just a few clicks, you’ll surely be able to get a whole lot of holiday shopping done in no time!
Also read: 7 Emotional Stages of Watching a K-Drama Series While Quarantined
Where to buy: 3 Broke Chingus, Chris Clemente
These K-drama themed canvas totes are a personal favourite — they’re functional and cute! The next time you go on an errands run, skip the plastic bag and grab one of these gorgeous tote bags instead. 3 Broke Chingus’ lineup of designs include those inspired by popular K-dramas like Start-Up and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (IOTNBO) and others that offer the perfect way to flaunt your love for oppas like Hyun Bin and PSJ!
Local artist Chris Clemente (Clems on Paper), on the other hand, beautifully recreates K-drama scenes and allows us to carry them around with us. Wearable art is the best kind of art, don’t you think? Available designs include scenes from IOTNBO and Crash Landing on You, but commissions are welcome, too!
Also read: ‘Start-Up’ K-Drama: 5 Life and Business Lessons for Millennials
Where to buy: Artsy Pots by Mabel
Not only has 2020 been the year of K-dramas; it’s the year that a great many plantitas and plantitos were born, too. Know a lot of people who’ve fallen in love with K-dramas and discovered that they have a green thumb? These “K-pots” make for the perfect gifts!
Artsy Pots by Mabel has little plant pots with adorable illustrations of your fave K-drama characters from Goblin, Itaewon Class, IOTNBO, and more. The pots double as cute decor for your work from home stations as well!
Also read: A Rundown of Our Favourite K-Drama Houseplants of 2020
Where to buy: Experience Philippines
If you haven’t heard of Experience Philippines just yet, this online store specialises in creating themed surprise gift boxes. These fun, personalised boxes are thoughtfully put together with specific personalities and occasions in mind. Their K-drama series gift box, in particular, was especially created for anyone who loves having seemingly endless K-drama marathons.
As for the surprise contents? They’re just that — a surprise! Hints include “things that can be used,” “things that can be eaten,” “things that you will be delighted to read,” and “things that will bring back fond memories.” There’s only one way to find out: add this gift box to your virtual cart!
Also read: 8 Easy Korean Recipes for Your Next K-Drama Night
Where to buy: Aegyo Korean Merchandise or Shopee
As someone who hasn’t seen IOTNBO myself, I freaked out a little when I spotted my mom’s creepy-looking Mang-tae doll! But when she told me the story behind it, I realised that giving it to someone as a gift is actually such a meaningful gesture — especially if the recipient is aware of its significance.
For anyone who hasn’t seen this particular K-drama, here’s a little insight as to what exactly the Mang-tae doll represents: In It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the doll is actually a nightmare catcher doll. One of the main characters, Kang-tae, sewed the Mangtae doll himself for his brother Sang-tae, when they were children. Years later, he gifts it to Moon-young after he discovers that she suffers from bad dreams. You can get one of these dolls yourself in K-drama merchandise stores like Aegyo Korean Merchandise, or various online stores on Shopee!
Where to buy: Aegyo Korean Merchandise or Shopee
Music lovers and true-blue K-drama fans know: sometimes, loading an album on Spotify just isn’t enough. As CD players have become less common over the years, some of us have forgotten about the magic that is album art! Buying CDs always used to give me a thrill because of all the photos, printouts of lyrics, and special posters that come with them. Nowadays, though, CDs are starting to make a comeback — so best to get back to collecting the OSTs of your fave K-dramas, ASAP!
Where to buy: Jinco’s Printing, Kdrama Kpop Kmom Merchandise, Chris Clemente, Oppa Planner
As many of us are confined to our at-home workstations, now is the perfect time to gift our loved ones with stationery items! Printing companies and K-drama merchandise stores actually sell a whole bunch of oppa-fied planners, notecards, notepads, and calendars. For an extra thoughtful touch, you can even choose to have them personalised!
Also read: 2021 Planners: Our Top Picks & Where to Buy Them
Where to buy: Michelle Reyes-Sacramento, Shopee
One of my favourite gifts to give my K-drama loving friends and family? K-pillows! While we can’t exactly gift our loved ones with their oppas, we can get them the next best thing — printed pillow versions of their fave leading men, so they can cuddle with them as they drift off to dreamland! All it takes is a quick browse through Shopee, and you’ll find countless options to choose from (they’re super budget-friendly, too). Or, for tried-and-tested, high-quality pillows, check out Michelle Reyes-Sacramento’s official Instagram page!
Where to buy: KDramerch PH, Aegyo Korean Merchandise, Shopee
Statement shirts have also been making a comeback over the past year — and they’re such cute Christmas gift ideas, too! After all, what better way to declare our passion for our fave K-dramas and oppas than by sporting them proudly?
From prints straight out of today’s most iconic K-dramas to shirts that allow us to profess our love for the likes of Lee Min Ho and Park Seo-joon, there are so many fun designs to choose from! For official K-drama merchandise, you can check out official resellers like KDramerch PH and Aegyo Korean Merchandise; but you’ll find that so many Shopee stores are already brimming with cute, affordable options!
Where to buy: ArtScenery and Double J stores on Shopee
A recent learning: No matter how “old” we get, my friends and family can’t seem to get enough of cute stickers! Stick them on your tumblers, protein bottle shakers, notebooks, planners and even your phone cases — they just make everything so much more aesthetically pleasing, it seems! More than just photos printed on sticker paper, you’ll find that local artists have come up with some amazing illustrations of elements from their favourite K-dramas, such as Reply 1998 and Start-Up.
Where to buy: Kdramamerch.ph Aegyo Korean Merchandise
If you or your loved ones are attached to your smartphones, then these K-drama themed accessories are a must-buy. And with such cute designs, any certified K-drama addict certainly won’t be able to resist. Our recommendations? Check out stores like Kdramamerch.ph and Aegyo Korean Merchandise, and choose between smartphone cases and phone grips — or both!
Also read: Why So Many People Are Obsessed with K-Dramas Right Now
With so much K-drama merchandise to check out, you definitely won’t have a shortage of options to choose from this holiday season. We’re pretty sure the true challenge will be narrowing down your choices, and of course, making sure you shop for your loved ones and not just yourself! Sending unli ‘finger hearts’ your way — happy shopping!
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