Gone are the days when Korean dramas and movies portrayed life through the rose-coloured spectacles with prince-cinderella love stories.
Instead, nowadays most works exploit more thorny topics that may be difficult to watch but more truthful. More importantly, it also reveals the true nature of human beings. Let’s take a look at such works.
My Mister: Lee Sun Kyun, IU
Released in March 2018, My Mister revolves around the story of a 40-year-old man and a 20-year-old girl who sympathize with each other when going through so many pain and events in life together. They face problems in both work and relationships. They work together to earn a living, then pay their debts, and heal each other in a life full of burdens.
At first, My Mister was controversial and many viewers felt that the drama’s story was very sad because life was too tough and unvarnished, but the more viewers watched it, the more they felt the reality. The world may be full of cruelty and sadness, but there is always love and also a beautiful light in the dark. From the pain of the past, the main characters are more stable in the following days.
Strangers From Hell: Im Si Wan, Lee Dong Wook
Adapted from the famous Korean webtoon, “Strangers From Hell” tells the story of Yoon Jong Woo (Im Si Wan), a young man who has just moved to an apartment complex in Seoul when he encounters many strange phenomena. There are often many strange noises. Jong Woo loses consciousness and when he wakes up, he finds himself lying on the bed. Everything gets worse with time.
The drama exploits the intense topic of how to treat people, about how people can be cruel to each other when involved in animosity, as one character says: “There is no such thing in this world that is scarier than humans”. It can be said that in this drama, there is no good person, no gentle stories full of humanity, only a society that uses any kind of tricks to overcome others.
Extracurricular: Kim Dong Hee, Jung Da Bin, Park Ju Hyun
Extracurricular is a series that Netflix released in 2020 with a very attractive school setting. It centers on an introverted former high school student who is often harassed by his friends, whose goal is to try to pay his tuition fees and escape a dull future. To achieve that goal, he does not hesitate to perform many unimaginable tricks.
The male lead Oh Ji Soo is portrayed very clearly as a two-faced man who is both powerful and dangerous. Outwardly, he is docile and inquisitive, but inside he is a ruthless man who plays tricks. The drama revolves around schoolgirls but explores the dark corners of human nature, exposing the reality of school life. This work is like a wake-up call to the audience about today’s young people.
Squid Game: Lee Jung Jae, Jung Ho Yeon
Squid Game, the series that is swirling around the global social network at the end of 2021, is also a clear story about humans and how dangerous they can become once their ambitions are pushed to the climax. The plot is set in the context of traditional children’s games. Whoever wins will get a huge prize, and if they lose, they will have to face death.
With simple but dangerous games, the characters begin to reveal their nature, find ways to overcome challenges, and reach the finish line with their own goals. The male lead is an irresponsible man to his family, but he still has a good heart and cares for other contestants. This reflects the trend of the society, in which we always disregard family members while valuing outsiders. Every thought that arises in the adversity of each character is exploited in great detail and that is one of the attractions of this hit blockbuster.
Hellbound: Yoo Ah In, Kim Hyun Joo
In 2021, Netflix is really hitting the social and survival themes, the drama Hellbound is also one of such works. Hellbound is adapted from the famous webtoon of the same name, bringing viewers to discover, examine and better understand the innermost thoughts of people. The drama also talks about the point that people can judge right and wrong at all times, but it is difficult to choose good or evil for the sake of personal gain. Many thriller details also make the drama more attractive.
Although the above works exploit different angles, they all have many interesting and sensational details. If you’re a fan of survival and slice-of-life genres, you should definitely watch them right away.
