We see Kdramas covering a lot of different topics these days, but this was not the case
in the past.
In fact, the many different genres we are watching at the moment are the result of blood,
sweat, and the popularity of pioneering series.
And today, we are discussing the classics, the first of its kind - K-dramas so popular
that they started a whole new genre.
1.
Boys Over Flowers, paved the way for Kdramas about rich students
‘The Heirs’, ‘Tempted’, ‘Extraordinary You’, even ‘Hwarang’ and ‘Sungkyunkwan
Scandal’ - all of these are super popular dramas that rock up our world.
But they all have another thing in common - their stories revolve around a group of
rich students and a poor female lead.
But before there were any of them - there was ‘Boys Over Flowers’ - the O.G ‘rich
students drama’ that basically started the whole genre.
Starring a handsome cast which includeđ Lee Min Ho and Goo Hye Sun, this was the series
that basically kick-started these actors’ fame, surged the Hallyu Wave, and brought
K-dramas to the world.
It’s hard to even summarize the popularity of the series: its viewership rating surpassed
30%, ‘F4’ basically entered the dictionary, the second male lead Ji Hoo was everyone’s
dream boyfriend, and the series OSTs, including legendary songs like ‘Paradise’ and ‘Stand
By Me’, are still being listened to.
Based on the Japanese manga ‘Hana Yori Dango’, but ‘Boys Over Flowers’ still has its
own flair.
The series basically includes all clichés out there - with amnesia, big eater female
leads, evil rich parents, and maybe a bit cringey to the audience now - but it was a
classic, and will never get old.
Now, if ‘Boys Over Flowers’ is all about sparkly rich students, next on our list is
a Kdrama that tells a much darker tale of the wealthy.
2.
SKY Castle, paved the way for Kdramas about ‘rich people problems’
‘Money can’t buy happiness’, people say.
And many Kdramas set out to prove this statement true.
From the popular ‘Penthouse’, the recent ‘Mine’ and ‘The Road: Tragedy of One’,
to the upcoming ‘High Class’ - all show fierce competition, clashes, and the immense
pressure of being rich.
While ‘talking about the rich’ was not exactly a completely new genre, the cutthroat
and suspenseful twist that we so often see in today’s drama all originate from one
darkhorse series.
And it is no other than SKY Castle.
If previously, the rich people’s problem in K-dramas is mostly fighting one family
for inheritance, SKY Castle shows a much grimer nature: with murders, cheating, fighting amongst
different families, and the pressure of being a child of the rich.
It shows strong women that will do everything to boost the life of their children, and was
packed to the brim with drama.
This means little room for humor, less righteous characters, and plot twists in almost every
episode.
But all these different points had made the series stand out, and from an experimental
series with ratings as low as 2%, ‘SKY Castle’ became the most successful drama in its years
of release, entailing a whole genre after it ended.
Ever since ‘SKY Castle’, no year goes by without at least one cutthroat Kdrama that
sheds light on the life of the wealthy.
They were all stressful to watch - but so damn good that we hope the trend won’t end
anytime soon.
But if you feel a bit too stressed from all these series, perhaps we should move on to
something more romantic?
3.
My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho, paved the way for Kdramas about human and non human relationships
As K-drama geeks, who are we to miss out on some sweet sweet romances.
And to spice up our experiences, many producers like to add a fantasy element, by making half
of the main couple something not-so-human.
Say, have you watched ‘Goblin’?
‘Doom At Your Service’?
‘Legend of The Blue Sea’?
‘My Roommate is A Gumiho?
All of these are dramas that follow such a trend, showing that love is not only possible
for the regular human.
But before ‘hot and supernatural love interest’ became the trend it is today, there was one
drama that popularized the concept, and it was no other than ‘My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho’,
played by the lovable Lee Seunggi and Shin Min Ah.
The series was short and sweet, and through it, we witnessed the charm of seeing an old
creature being naive in the human world.
It also introduces the challenges that supernature can bring, and how love managed to overcome
it all.
While ‘My Girlfriend is A Gumiho’ is not exactly the first out there that introduces
a super female lead, it was certainly the most popular, with viewership ratings peaking
over 20%.
The series grew hugely popular, boosting Shin Min Ah and Lee Seunggi both to the top star
status, as well as the human with non-human trope that we are still eagerly watching today.
And if you are wondering why didn’t we mention ‘My Love From The Stars’ for this genre,
then well, it’s coming right up!
4.
My Love From The Stars, paved the way for Kdramas with “crazy female leads”
One thing that Kdrama fans are growing really fond of is the appearance of rich and strong
female characters who are always ready to kick ass, super unafraid, and dress fashionably
as if they are making a statement.
Think of the women in ‘Search: WWW’, Go Moon Young in ‘It’s Okay Not To Be Okay’,
Kang Man Wol in ‘Hotel del Luna’, and even Yoon Seri in ‘Crash Landing On You’.
Compared to the female leads in older series, they are bolder, more chic, and more willing
to shoot people down.
And we have ‘My Love From The Stars’ to thank for that, because the character Cheon
Song Yi from this series is basically the O.G ‘crazy rich female lead’.
She’s wild and funny, jaded but still somewhat naive, and adopts a style that always places
her in the spotlight.
She’s the charm of the series, and together with Kim Soo Hyun, had created a Kdrama so
widely popular that its viewership rating came close to 30%.
Honestly, there’s no denying the popularity of the series, and if it had given inspiration
for great female characters, then who are we to complain?
Finally, we have ‘Coffee Prince’, which paved the way for Kdramas which include cross-dressing.
Yes, gender bender, or cross-dressing is no new trope in the drama world, but the first
series that actually help this genre gain relevance in Korea is no other than ‘Coffee
Prince’.
The series’ premise is nothing too complex: there’s a coffee shop, a gang of handsome
guys, and Gong Yoo as the male lead.
The only twist is that Yoon Eunhye, one of the shop’s employees, is a girl pretending
to be a guy to earn money for her family.
Simple and full of clichés, and yet ‘Coffee Prince’ can be said to be a Korean classic.
The series eventually reached an average viewership rating of 25% across Korea, and literally
every major member of the cast snatched a prize for their appearance.
And ever since the success of ‘Coffee Prince’, we started to see cross-dressing series popping
up every once in a while.
From those set in the ancient times like ‘Love in the Moonlight’ and ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’
to those set in the present like ‘To the Beautiful You’ and ‘You’re Beautiful’,
it seems that the trope isn’t going to get old anytime soon.
The genre had also spurned a twist where it’s the male lead who dresses up as the woman,
so give it a try if you want something more organic ;).
And that’s the list!
Did you enjoy all of these dramas and those that took their inspirations?
Did we miss out on any other series that were the first of its kind?
Feel free to let us know in the comment section.