People discover such wonderful hobbies in high school. My discovery included Korean Dramas (KDramas). This form of entertainment isn’t like any other. It’s so unique and there’s something for everyone. It’s also very uplifting. Personally, I find that American TV shows, however much I loved them, are extremely sarcastic and sexual, and it seemed that no matter how innocent the plot these themes were involved.
Certainly there are Korean dramas that have those same themes, but as a whole they offer a wider range of viewing. They approach a storyline from a perspective that is not often seen on American TV. In all honesty, most of their plots would never become famous in America, but they are so ingenious and explorative- with themes, plots, and even camera action. My favorite part about KDramas is that they don’t have to be very long. An American TV shows can go beyond three seasons (I don’t usually keep up so this sounds amazingly long to me) whereas most Korean dramas are around 16-20 episodes and the show is sweet and complete but not overdone.
So without further adieu, here are my top choices for KDramas (I may also cheat and include a Taiwanese drama simply because it was so amazing).
1. To the Beautiful You
This you simply have to watch because it was my very first KDrama. In all honesty, if an American critic were to analyze it, the plot is well…lame. But that’s only looking through an American lens. Anyways, I have always been a sucker for bad but sweet plots. Based on the Japanese anime Hanazakari Kimitachie, it’s about a teenage South Korean girl, living in the US, who upon hearing that her favorite track and field idol was about to quit, decides to go to his school – an all boys athletic school (think of art high schools). To do this, she cuts her hair to look like a boy, and enrolls in the school, easily, as she was also a star runner in her high school. And yes, there is romance: a love triangle – no, a love quadrilateral – at that.
2. W – Two Worlds
W – Two Worlds (or just W) was released earlier this year. It’s a suspense and fantasy series (of course it includes romance) about a young woman, Oh Yeon-Joo, who’s a surgeon and whose father is a webtoon comic artist. In finding out that her boss is a fan of her father’s work she is sent on a mission to see what the plot is for her father’s next chapter spurred on by rumors of him killing off the main character. However, she calls one of her father’s staff only to find that her father is missing. Like the good daughter she is, she rushes over to her father’s rescue.While searching her father’s office for clues to his disappearance, she gets pulled into the world of the webtoon comic. Here, she meets her father’s main webtoon character, Kang Chul, who is dying and who was framed for the death of his family and is dedicated to finding the real killer. She save his life, and Kang Chul is then determined to find Yeon-Joo after she leaves without a trace, as he thinks she is the key to helping him find the real killer of his family. Meanwhile, Yeon-Joo returns to the real world to find that her father has called home, saying that he simply went for a walk to clear his head. And, of course, Yeon-Joo and Kang Chul fall in love.
3. Uncontrollably Fond
Warning: This is a love story. This is about a love story between Shin Joon-Young and No Eul. Joon-Young is a character who was raised by a single mother, after his father – now a promising political figure – abandoned his mother. He later tries to follow in his father’s footsteps to make his mother proud but quits and becomes a celebrity instead. No Eul, in contrast, is motherless (and later) fatherless, due to a hit and run by a drunk driver. Joon-Young’s “father” takes on the case but due to political favors, does not bring justice for No Eul. This sets her off on a wrong path in life. The two later meet, and Joon-Young tries desperately to win her back in the midst of having a life threatening illness that he tells no one about.
4. Cheese in the Trap
College student Hong Seol is self-preserving and works nonstop to put herself through college because her family has made a great investment in sending her brother to America to study. Yoo Jung is the son of a rich business owner, and as I’ve seen in most dramas, this seems to be the formula for a bad attitude and character. So bottom line is, it’s a love triangle, no (another) quadrilateral, involving Baek In-ho, and his sister, Baek In-ha. By this description alone it seems shallow, but it really explores themes of over-dedication to family, child favoritism, and manipulation in relationships.
5. Marriage Contract
This is a bittersweet story. Much like Uncontrollably Fond, it’s a love story between two people with one character having a terminal illness. Kang Hye-Soo, is a debt straddled widow, with a young daughter. She works at a restaurant that Han Ji-Hoon, the male lead runs. Ji-Hoon’s mother needs a liver transplant, but he cannot be a donor, so he must find someone else to do it. However, the only way someone else can donate a liver to his mother, is if they are family. Having no other relatives, he has to marry someone in order to help his mother legally. Coincidentally, Hye-Soo finds out that she has a brain tumor (this is Korean Drama for you), and can’t pay for any medical procedures to take care of it. She enters into a marriage contract with Ji-Hoon, so her daughter can have money to take care of herself after she has passed away. During this time, however, they begin to fall in love, and Ji-Hoon spends his time caring for his sick wife.
6. Dear Mom
This is the Taiwanese drama I said I would include because of how amazing it is. It explores the cultural differences between a mother and her four daughters. The eldest daughter, has fulfilled her mother’s dream; she has made a family and even moved to America. However, she has had a divorce, and has come home under the pretense of visiting. She has not told any of her family. The third daughter is a career woman, which her mother cannot seem to understand. She doesn’t want to find happiness in having a child or just marrying. However, she is in love with her boss, and boundaries are beginning to be crossed as her boss is married. The second daughter doesn’t have strict oppositions to having a child or marriage, neither does she aim towards being the ultimate career woman. She just lives her life and finds love in the process. The youngest daughter is a frivolous college student, who spends most of her time with her boyfriend and being young. She doesn’t care much for the events in her household. This drama also explores a failing marriage. The girls’ father, after continuous failed business attempts and thereby the inability to care for his family, is convinced that his wife no longer loves him though she never really says so. However, her actions do show this, and he embarks on yet another business venture as a farmer to win back his wife’s respect and love.
Watching KDramas is a unique experience and there is something for everyone to enjoy. For me, it has also provided a way to instantly connect with other people just by talking about it, and they are some of the most amazing people! They’re so tolerant and understanding of preferences of any sort. I have found some of the best friends through KDramas (and anime, but that’s a whole different story).
Happy watching and make sure to comment with your favorite KDrama!
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