K-drama screenwriter seems to be fond of affiliating their characters with animals these days
On several online forums, there have been comments comparing the K-drama world to a zoo. As it turns out, these netizens are referring to the increasing animal affiliations in both recent and old K-dramas. And true to tell, there are indeed various animal-related characters that have been gaining great attention in the K-drama world.
Kim Jung Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) – Reply 1988
Right from his first appearance, Kim Jung Hwan in “Reply 1988” has received the nickname “Gae Jungpal”, with “gae” meaning dog in Korean. As a result, many audiences start to regard Jung Hwan as a grumpy dog, and even the actor, Ryu Jun Yeol, is often affiliated with such a nickname.
Therefore, this makes Kim Jung Hwan one of the most iconic characters when it comes to animal references in K-drama.
Park Jae Eon (Song Kang) – Nevertheless
All viewers of the K-drama “Nevertheless” know of the butterfly image in the show. From the male lead Park Jae Eon’s butterfly tattoo to the name of the female lead Na Bi (“butterfly” in Korean), this animal is just everywhere in the show.
In addition, Jae Eon also flirted with Na Bi using an excuse related to the butterfly, and would draw a butterfly drawing on women he felt attracted to.
Shin Ha Ri (Kim Se Jeong) – Business Proposal
For the female lead Shin Ha Ri in “Business Proposal”, her animal nickname, “octopus”, came from a rather hilarious situation. In particular, this character was mistaken as a mistress and was beaten by the wife, and in an attempt to ruin her blind date, she claimed that she’s a two-timer.
Then, Shin Ha Ri took it to the next level, and tried to make the worst impression by saying that she would date 8 guys at a time. Since an octopus has 8 arms, she compares herself to this animal, and the nickname sticks even after the series ends.
Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo Seop) – Business Proposal
If the female lead Shin Ha Ri has an animal nickname, then the male lead Kang Tae Moo of “Business Proposal”, is also no different. In the show, he’s dubbed as an “ancestor bird” by Ha ri, who simply found similarities between the two. It was a huge blow to Tae Moo, who has always been confident about his appearance and character.
In the end though, we did get the iconic “octopus – ancestor bird” couple, who never failed to deliver laughs with antics as wild as their nicknames.
Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) – Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Alongside her father, kimbap, her best friend, and her lover Lee Jun Ho, the female lead of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”, Woo Young Woo, also has a lot of love for whales. In addition, the image of whales also appears constantly throughout this K-drama, reflecting Woo Young Woo’s personality, moments of revelations, and emotions.
For example, Woo Young Woo first related to a whale who struggles to fit in and craves for a close relationship with its mother. Then, as she slowly wormed herself into the hearts of people, the whale in her mind started to swim alongside many others, representing Woo Young Woo’s expanding connections and relationships.
Park Chang Ho (Lee Jong Suk) – Big Mouth
Finally, the male lead Park Chang Ho in “Big Mouth” was framed as the notorious criminal “Big Mouse”, and so assumed this identity to survive in prison. As the entire series focuses on finding the true identity of “Big Mouse”, this image just sticks to the audience’s mind.
As the search for “Big Mouse” continues to go on, the cunning mouse that hides behind the shadows will continue to be rather memorable.
It seems that in 2022 alone, there have already been 4 animal nicknames placed on major characters. It seems that the statement that compares K-dramas to a zoo is not entirely far-fetched.
