From the cast to the plot, director and writer - all information regarding the newest Kdramas
are often revealed super early on - for one simple purpose: to attract attention.
Afterall, the first impression of a drama may determine its eventual success - and we are pretty
easily convinced by popular casts or a trustworthy director. Still, not every first impression is
true, and sometimes, it’s the unexpected that wins the heart of the audience. So, today,
let’s tackle underdog Kdramas that seemingly came out of nowhere, only to become madly successful.
The World Of The Married Adapted from the hit BBC
series Doctor Foster, The World of The Married was all about affairs and revenge.
It revolves around Ji Sun Woo - who seemingly has a perfect life as a doctor slash associate
director at Family Love Hospital. She married the aspiring director Lee Tae Oh, has a son with him,
and mingled with a lot of just-as-successful friends. Yet, she was soon faced with the truth:
her life was miserable, her husband was having an affair, her friends were lying to her,
and her son was completely distant from his mom. It’s not a new plot so the series didn’t start
out too strong: the drama recorded 6.2% viewership for its pilot episode, falling behind competitors
like KBS’s Once Again and SBS’s Hyena. It will also face a strong competitor in the upcoming
‘The King: Eternal Monarch’, so prospects for the series weren’t looking quite bright.
However, things took a wild turn when The World of The Married saw ratings rise to 14%,
18%, and eventually, 28%, squashing all of its competitors - a feat never achieved
before by any cable drama. So, what happened? Apparently, the public was thrilled to see
a plot that moved refreshingly fast, with no boring scenes, and mad wild directing.
Combined with that is Kim Hee Ae’s crazy acting skills,
showing us a wide range of emotions that make us sweat under her gaze.
And have I mentioned how hot Han So Hee was All in all, don’t be fooled by what you
think is a mediocre storyline, because you may be in for a pleasant surprise.
The Red Sleeve
It’s no exaggeration to say that The Red Sleeve basically rescued MBC from slump, seeing that
it’s the network’s only drama whose ratings surpassed the 10% mark in the last 3 years.
It’s also the KDrama with the highest viewership rating at the moment,
and considering its competitor consists of huge hype series like Jirisan,
Now We’re Breaking Up, and Happiness, that’s quite the feat.
As a simple historical drama that had neither the hype nor the intense fighting,
The Red Sleeve entered the kdrama field quietly, telling the tale of crown prince Yi San, who
falls in love with his court lady Deok Im, who in return, only wants to live a life of her choice.
The two characters were portrayed by 2PM’s Junho and actress Lee Se Young, who had delivered
spectacularly, drawing out every feeling of their complex characters, and successfully
portrayed a fun yet heartfelt love story. Junho in particular, was said to have broken the prejudice
against idol actors - proving himself as a true and seasoned act, set out to move our hearts.
Starting from a 5% viewership, The Red Sleeve had managed to double its rating half-way through,
and was set to get extended one extra episode due to its huge popularity. Watching the series,
it seemed as though we were transferred through time - with the series’ beautiful set, outfits,
dialogue, and every detail nailed down to a T. Contents and visuals all nicely done,
so why hesitate to check out this underdog series that’s getting its rightful attention?
Work Later Drink Now All the more special is Work Later Drink Now,
which is broadcasted exclusively on the streaming platform TVING. This means that the series isn’t
even on television, and yet, it got so madly successful, that it got confirmed for a second
season. Despite being a paid content, víewership for the series had increased four times from
the first episode, and cuts of notable scenes also received overwhelming views on Youtube.
So, what created the charm of this no-name series that just randomly took Korea by storm?
Especially when it is neither romance nor action, has no big name in the cast,
and barely got any promotions? Instead, it is just about the life of three 30-year-old,
single women, who believe that it is necessary to gather and have a drink at the end of the day.
The answer is just as simple as the plot: it’s relatable and enjoyable, fitting for each and
every of us who has struggles in life. The series has moments of both joy and sorrow,
and every single detail just feels so natural, as if it is ripped straight from any piece of life.
And of course, we have to praise the acting. Having a cast full of idol actors,
from JQT’s Lee Sun Bin, Secret’s Han Sun Hwa, Apink’s Eunji to Super Junior’s Siwon - and yet
the acting is so lively and natural, you feel like it’s just a fun documentary, unscripted.
All in all, Work Later Drink Now breezes through like a wind, and you will finish it before you
realize it. It is also a really inspiring yet light work, encouraging us to live our ways -
simple yet interesting. Be beware though, this is a 18+ rated drama, so it’s probably not for all.
Squid Game Well, do I need to talk about the
massive success of Squid Game? It literally was the biggest drama series debut ever on Netflix,
and has now earned three Golden Globe Nominations for Best Drama TV Series, Best Actor in A Drama TV
Series, and Best Supporting Actor in a Series. The series had drawn in 1.65 billion hours of viewing
within 28 days since launch, everyone literally dressed up in some variations of it for Halloween,
and yet, somehow it is in this list? Apparently so, because Squid Game had
actually been rejected for a whooping 10 years, before finally reaching our screen.
As the plot of this series revolves around a game where people are killed for entertainment,
and literally would murder others for money, local film studios thought it was “too grotesque”
and “implausible” to be successful if ever aired. According to Hwang Dong Hyuk, the
series director and screenwriter, at the time, he was financially struggling to the point of having
to move back with family, halting screenwriting, and selling his only laptop for money. However,
it was this challenge that inspired him to improve Squid Game further, and the “class struggles”
depicted in this death game series was convincing enough for Netflix to pick it up in 2019.
Which is frankly, a win for all of us, because Squid Game is a good series with ample messages,
and it has helped bring Kdrama further to the world. The good old local film studios must be
in deep regret by now. Hot Stove League
Enough talking about the world, now let’s go back to Korean reception, this time with Hot Stove
League - a staple of the underdog. While this drama does consist of famous and seasoned actors,
like Nam Goong Min, Oh Jung Se, and Park Eun Bin , its baseball theme and no-romance
synopsis was kind of a set back, leading to the series launching with a meager 3% viewership.
However, this number doubled in episode 3, tripled in episode 5, before reaching a rating peak of
19.1% in its finale, spurring two special episodes - which speak volumes of Hot Stove League’s huge
success. The series is also critically-acclaimed, winning many grand prizes in the year of release,
including a Baeksang, a Daesang, and many, many more awards and
nominations for its actors and actresses. So, what exactly made the series so good?
Well, it is all about human, character developments, and relationship bondings,
told in a story of a baseball team and its staff. Here, we get to see the journey of
‘The Dreams’ - a professional baseball team that had placed last for four consecutive seasons and
were on the verge of disbanding. At their wits’ end, they decided to hire sports manager Baek
Seung Soo to replace their old manager, despite the fact that he never dabbled in baseball before.
Hot Stove League is a rare Kdrama that managed to deliver strong throughout the entire run.
It has humor, meaningful messages, and fleshed out characters that were well-developed till
the very end. It was that kind of drama that let us immerse in each and every scene, feel
the story of each and every character, and when it ends, we feel as if we’d miss this great journey.
So, I have to give the Koreans a kudo this time, for not missing out on such a great series.
So, had you ever been pleasantly surprised by a
Kdrama? Like you expect so little of them and yet they went on so strong?
Don’t hesitate to share with us your nice surprises in the comment section. And If you want
more videos like this, like, share and subscribe to Bbali Drama. We'll comeback soon. See ya!