I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said 2024 has been an exciting year for Korean drama viewers so far. New OTPs, healing dramas, feel good scenes and not to forget, epic romance stories. Hopefully the streak continues in September!
If you’re an introvert, restricted by a tight budget, are stuck at home due to a worldwide pandemic, or all of the above, going out on regular date nights might not exactly be your cup of tea.
I was sure that Seon-gyeom’s love confession wasn’t going to let me down. The good news is that it was better than expected. Here’s why his profession of love is the highlight of the week.
Dramas like True Beauty, Run On, The Uncanny Encounter, and A Love So Beautiful are still running but a lot of new interesting dramas are in the pipeline. From BLACKPINK’s Ji-soo, NCT’s Jaehyun and many other Kpop idols making their drama debut to interesting plotlines, the lineup of dramas are sure to keep all of us busy this year.
Let’s take a look at some of the dramas that are releasing in the first half of 2021, mostly under the romance genre.
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol falls under the rom-com category and comes across as a feel-good drama during the first few episodes. When Ra-ra loses everything in the first episode, you sympathise with her but you know there’s going to be a way out. So, you’re not too bothered and look ahead at what’s to come. However there are plenty of unpredictable twists and turns in the plot that involve Ra-ra and Jun, which makes the drama a lot more serious than expected.
Waking up as one’s 18-year-old self and leading a normal life definitely falls under the category of fantasy. While 17 Again takes a comical approach to this fantasy story, 18 Again includes several real life struggles and incompatible relationships. The drama talks about teenage pregnancy and the consequences. It also focuses on the journey of a couple who struggle with their marriage who eventually get a divorce and and the repercussions.
Record of Youth covers several real-life issues including the life of upcoming actors in South Korea who have the pressure of succeeding before joining the army, the lack of support from middle class families for unconventional careers, struggles in the fashion and film industry, and the misunderstandings caused by generational gap. The question of whether the right person can appear in your life at the wrong time and the consequences is also touched upon.
If Ha Seok-jin is in a drama, there’s no dearth of good performance. Add Ji Soo and Im Soo-hyang to the lead cast and you have a compelling reason to watch When I Was the Most Beautiful.