What makes Korean dramas so unique?
From the mouthwatering ramyeon to its cultural appeal, Korea is taking the world by storm with its addictive KDramas. As the fans say, once you’re hooked, there’s no turning back. But what really makes Korean dramas so unique?
When I resumed my K-Drama watching in December 2022, I was amazed at the well-thought script and the versatility of the actors.
By default, I compared it with the Philippine TV series. But after watching an American TV series, it was then I realized the entire Korean drama production team has really upped its game.
If you’re not into Korean dramas because you’re too lazy to read the subtitles, these six characteristics I listed may change your mind.
You can spot a couple of recommendations in this blog based on the 26 series I watched in six months. Don’t worry, this is spoiler-free content.
Let’s get started.
1. All K-Drama scenes are essential.
K-Drama writers choose the right scenes, the right characters, and the right location. There is a purpose for each. They don’t waste your time adding a scene or a character that has no significance to the entire story.
One example of this is the bed scene, which is common in US and Philippine TV series. Usually, these productions use the scene to imply the relationship between the two characters.
I remember when the netizens questioned the addition of a bed scene to Voltes V.
I had the same sentiment, and I was like, is that really necessary for a family-oriented show?
This is where Korean writers are good at. They use photos to explain the backstory.
If they want the audience to understand where the character is coming from, they create a separate backstory for the character. They don’t let them lie on the bed and let the viewers imagine what really happened.
2. K-Drama has a well-thought plot and tight narrative.
One example of this is the Voice.
This TV series is about a voice profiler who works as the leader of the Golden Time team. The team receives reports through the 112 emergency calls, and the primary goal is to solve the cases in real time.
It’s like 911 for crimes.
It was expected the crimes they received varied. And it’s also expected the cases should be solved within the “golden time” period.
So, when you watch this series, you’re like watching a one-hour film at a time. Each episode has its own theme, and it ends with a resolution.
But as the episodes progressed, the crimes were actually interconnected from Season 1 to Season 4. And until the last season, the real psycho-villain was not yet revealed.
What’s amazing about how Ma Jin Won wrote the story was she created an intelligent villain who plotted mini crimes to trap the hero. The crimes get darker and darker every season.
Pro Tip: If possible, don’t binge-watch Voice 3. This season has so much going on. Not a single episode was slow.
3. Every K-Drama storyline is unique.
Of the 26 series I watched, I couldn’t remember a single storyline alike. I would joke around telling my friends that I learned a hundred ways of killing because of binge-watching the crime and law genre.
My favorites are Missing: The Other Side, Signal, Save Me, Juvenile Justice, and Partners for Crime.
Missing: The Other Side is about the story of missing people. These people stay in a strange village and leave after the authorities find their bodies.
Signal’s plot revolves around the investigation of a serial case in 1989 that turned out as a cold case. Through a walkie-talkie, the present-day detective Park Hae-young communicates with the detective who handled the cases, Lee Jae-han, to solve the case.
Save Me explores the danger of brainwashing a person into a wrong belief. Season 1 focuses on a cult, while Season 2 focuses on a scammer who uses religion to deceive people. What’s interesting about this series is that the two seasons are standalone series.
I love Juvenile Justice and Partners for Crime for the stiffness of the main characters. They don’t get swayed by their judgment. Instead, they decide based on the principle on which their duties are based.
4. Korean writers kill a character in the middle of the season.
The writers don’t wait until the series ends to kill a villain or a supporting role. If the character must die, even if it only showed up in a couple of minutes, they kill it. Regardless of who the actor is.
For someone who’s used to watching series and films with the “save the best for last” plot, watching a villain or a favorite grandma killed in the middle of an episode is unusual.
Korean writers do it with the right timing to introduce new conflicts and prepare the viewers for the shift in the storyline. I think it’s one reason they can keep the series up to 16 episodes per season. They cut the fluff for a cohesive story.
5. Korean actors are versatile.
Korean actors are really good. They can be a hero or a villain. They can also switch roles from a teenager to a young adult.
Kim Hye Jun, who played the queen in Kingdom, is 28 years old. But she played a high school student in Inspector Koo. The same thing goes with the 31-year-old Pyo Ye Jin who played a high school student in one of Taxi Driver’s episodes.
But my favorite was Kim Hye Soo’s portrayal in Signal. She played two roles in this series — a 20-year-old rookie and a middle-aged police officer. It is a challenging role because the story switches from past to present and vice versa. So, Kim Hye Soo must be able to show the difference between the two roles.
She showcased her versatility in Under the Queen’s Umbrella, Juvenile Justice, and Hyena.
Another favorite actor is Jo Jae Yoon and the Taxi Driver squad led by Lee Je-hoon.
6. K-Drama writers open and resolve conflicts.
K-Drama writers know their craft well. They are bold in opening several new conflicts in one series, no matter how complicated it is. That’s why their story is progressive and complex.
They don’t start a conflict without developing it. There are no loopholes in the story indicating they know the niche of their writing. Cohesiveness also plays a role in resolving minor to major conflicts.
K-Drama is a global brand.
Korean dramas have captivated global audiences because of their unique storytelling and high production value.
It’s able to give the audience the “value for money” and “value for time.” So even if binge-watching is not a good use of time, fans wouldn’t care because they get entertained, anyway.
I hope this commentary piques your interest in watching K-Drama. Here are my top picks if you’re into law and crime genre:
- Juvenile Justice
- Voice
3. Taxi Driver
4. Missing: The Other Side
5. Partners for Justice
6. Save Me
7. Signal
8. Jirisan
9. Hyena
10. Good Detective
11. Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation
