Experiencing a new culture can feel very uncomfortable. Even if you’re a pro with subtitles or rely on dubbing, there are still elements that feel strange. Kdramas are no exception and one of those elements was the genre’s unspoken contract with the audience.
American film genres meet a certain set of expectations regarding mood, pace, plot points, emotions, and in some cases, outcomes. Think about it: the emotional ride is not the same in a horror as it is in a comedy or drama. I expect a comedy to make me laugh and to wind up in 90 minutes. I expect a drama to be a deep story that will likely make me cry at the end. The plot twists in a drama are more subtle than the plot twists in a rom-com.
A Kdrama series that is a romance, or even a romantic comedy will likely start out feeling very light and fun in the first several episodes, but things turn more serious, get very complicated, and may even turn dark before the situation is resolved at the end. I’ll make some recommendations so that your experience isn’t such a shock, but just keep in mind to go with the flow.
The best place to start is with a series that is more Western in its presentation. Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Love to Hate You are excellent introductions to the world of Kdrama.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022). Woo Young-woo is a brilliant rookie attorney with autism who tackles challenging cases in the courtroom but finds navigating daily life and relationships problematic. She becomes increasingly competent with both while earning respect from her peers. Many episodes involve difficult ethical questions. One, in particular, sparked protests against South Korea’s zealous focus on childhood academia at the expense of play and the joy of just being kids.
You’ll fall in love with Kang Tae-oh, he’s handsome with a warm smile and delivers a character that is unusual for a romantic lead, given the perceived shortcomings of his romantic interest. Park Eun-bin is nothing shy of genius in her character portrayal. The show and the cast received numerous awards. (Legal drama; 16 one-hour episodes.)
Love to Hate You (2023). Yeo Mi-ran is a free-spirited attorney with a strong sense of social justice, especially as it relates to women. She enjoys men, but her opinion of them isn’t great. Nam Kang-ho is an A-list actor with a deep distrust of women. Yeo Mi-ran needs money. Nam Kang-ho needs to avoid a scandal, which would ruin his career. Both parties benefit when they’re contracted to date, but can these two get along?
I wasn’t sure I’d like this series. I wanted to like it, but I was skeptical for the first 10 minutes or so. Then, I liked it. Then, I loved it. Yeo Mi-ran, played by Kim Ok-vin, is feisty, spirited, unconventional, and untraditional—a strong female character. Yoo Teo, who plays Nam Kang-ho, is handsome, but he’s also brilliant at comedy and character. The kissing scene rehearsal in episode one had me in stitches and his kiss in episode five had me picking my jaw off the floor. The supporting cast is also a joy and the chemistry between Kim Ji-hoon and Go Won-hee was as interesting as the two leads. It’s a story I didn’t want to end and I’ve rewatched it several times. (Romantic comedy; 10 one-hour episodes.)
©2024 Caitlyn Frost. All rights reserved.
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