Korean dramas are beloved worldwide, but they are often criticized for leaning on familiar clichés - Cinderella love stories, rich princes, and predictable love triangles. However, a new wave of K-drama is breaking these molds, offering fresh narratives, complex characters, and plots that offer a deeper reflection on complex topics. So here are some of the Korean dramas that kept the familiar plotlines while offering a different twist that challenge the very tropes audiences have come to expect.
1. ‘Hometown Cha Cha Cha’
Happiness in life doesn’t always mean a stable job, wealth, or living in the city. A profound message delivered through the series ‘Hometown Cha Cha Cha’ is the fact that Hong Du Shik loved living his life by the sea, taking in each day with a heart of gratefulness. While some may judge and say that he’s taken a step back from progressing into a better life, to Captain Hong, that didn’t matter. He simply loved the way he lived, and sometimes all it takes is just the simple life for us to find joy in the world.
2. ‘She Was Pretty’
Friendships shouldn’t be sacrificed just because of falling in love with the same guy. The fact that Kim Hye Jin didn’t fully go on a rampage upon learning that her best friend continued to perpetuate the farce of pretending to be Kim Hye Jin because she began developing a crush on Ji Sung Joon speaks volumes about the type of friendship that these two besties have. One’s long-term friendship shouldn’t have to suffer just because an extra person has come in the picture, and this series taught was well what it means to value true friendship.
3. ‘Cinderella at 2AM’
Practicality and rationality over the fantasy that love overcomes all things. What was such a refresher when it came to ‘Cinderella at 2AM’ was the fact that the main character, Ha Yoon Seo, actually took the money being offered to her from her wealthy boyfriend’s mother. A cliche we thought would never be broken, but alas, sometimes, when life is difficult to stay afloat, you just have to take the practical route.
4. ‘My Mister’
Instead of a romanticized healing relationship, ‘My Mister’ explored the depths of emotional wounds between two broken people. Thus making this drama more personally relatable to viewers.
5. ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’
With an autistic attorney as the core character, this series by far outdid the typical cliche that those who are mentally disabled are not ones who can function in society. Just because one may be mentally disabled doesn’t mean they don’t have the necessary means or skills to do well in society.
6. ‘Misaeng’
The lack of wealthy heirs and romance just really provided a great perspective on the reality of office life within South Korea. The ever pressuring expectations to outdo one another, the despair, and daily challenges that come with trying to make it in the corporate world, made this series one that stands out from other corporate dramas viewers have seen.
7. ‘My Liberation Notes’
This series was interesting because the main message centered around the idea of ‘loneliness.’ Living out a day-to-day life without being knowledgeable of one’s efforts, but just being there, following a routine. This drama was also different than others because of the pace; rather than the fast-paced blooming of a relationship, viewers were treated to a slower pace instead.
8. ‘Twenty Five, Twenty One’
Not all couples have a happily ever after. Sure, some viewers might have been disappointed in the ending of this series; however, when we look back, the fact that the main two characters never got their happily ever after, with each growing their own separate ways, making a career for themselves, was more realistic to what actually does happen in life.
SEE ALSO: Man who posted "IU is a spy" receives suspended prison sentence in first trial
SHARE
