Cast members often add to the charms of K-dramas. However, several K-dramas are said to be so badly-written, the cast is its only saving grace.
Viewership ratings of K-dramas are dependent on a lot of things, from the writing of the series, the cinematography, to the fame and skill of the cast members. In many cases. A K-drama with excellent acting failed because of bad script, while good series may also be ruined with bad acting.
Below are some K-dramas where viewers have mentioned they “only watch for the actors and actresses”:
Penthouse
First released in 2020, “Penthouse” is the epitome of “drama”, with constant events, betrayals, and plot twists. The first season of “Penthouse” was actually quite decent, but by season 2 and 3, the audience can’t help but notice several drops in script quality. In particular, there are too many plot holes, unreasonable deaths, surreal events, no character development, and super repetitive plots.
Yet, the ratings for “Penthouse” is still sky-high, and this is all thanks to its outstanding cast members. Featuring veteran stars Lee Ji Ah, Kim So Yeon, Eugene, Uhm Ki Joon, Yoon Jong Hoon, Park Eun Seok, as well as rising actors and actress such as Han Ji Hyun, Kim Young Dae, Kim Hyun So, and Choi Ye Bin, even the most outrageous scenes of “Penthouse” was portrayed with excellence.
From emotional spats, action sequences, to jaw-dropping dramatic portrayals, it is impossible to take eyes off the screen, no matter how messy the story gets.
My Roommate is a Gumiho
When it was first announced, “My Roommate is a Gumiho” drew a lot of attention with the appearance of Jang Ki Yong and Hyeri. Unfortunately, after its release, the drama boasts a rather uneventful and dragging plot, with a niche sense of humor that not everyone can click to.
Nevertheless,”My Roommate is a Gumiho” is still watch-worth, simply for the cast’s performance. Jang Ki Young and Hyeri showed a rather explosive chemistry, viewers can be satisfied just watching the two of them together. On the other hand, Kang Hanna and Kim Do Wan made for an excellent side couple, and it’s an exaggeration to say that the cast single-handedly “save the show”.
Hwarang
“Hwarang” is a notorious case of a terrible script wasting an outstanding cast. In fact, when the cast of “Hwarang” was first announced, it immediately became the talk of town, and fans can’t wait for the day they get to see Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Min Ho, BTS V, Do Ji Han, Seo Ye Ji, Go Ara, and more, acting while dressed in the most gorgeous historical costumes.
Unfortunately, the script of “Hwarang” did no justice to its cast, and the styling team did a not-so-decent job at styling. It was only the chemistry between the characters and the outstanding performances of the actors and actresses that kept the series afloat.
My Sassy Girl
In 2017, the drama adaptation of “My Sassy Girl” was announced, leading to high expectations, especially after the success of the original film, which starred Cha Tae Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun.
Unfortunately, while still maintaining viewership ratings around the 10% range, “My Sassy Girl” drama version was showered in criticisms due to writing so poor it wrecked the original to shreds.
Fortunately, thanks to Oh Yeon Seo and Joo Won’s effort, even the forced humor in this drama turns to gold, and nonsensical romantic moments actually become heart-fluttering. “My Sassy Girl” is truly a prime example of the cast preceding the script.
Source: dienanh
