Well, previously we have discussed Kdramas that’s fairly popular to the western audience,
you know, to the point that they were going to get Hollywood remakes.
But honestly, those are not the only Kdramas appreciated world-wide, as other foreign countries
have also attempted their own versions of Kdramas.
Today, let’s discuss successful and interesting series that got foreign remakes, and who knows,
maybe you can find a decent adaptation in your own language!
Signal Released in 2016 - a year filled with legendary
Kdramas like Reply 1988, Descendants of the Sun, Goblin, and so on, yet Signal wasn’t
at all overshadowed, winning both Best Drama and Best Screenplay at the prestigious Baeksang
Awards.
And it sure did deserve it, as the series combined the fantasy and investigation genre,
and had our male lead Park Hae Young find a walkie-talkie that can connect to the past.
Packed with intense mind battles, strong writing, and an extremely talented cast including Lee
Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, and Cho Jin Woong - Signal is a must-watch drama to whoever is interested
in mystery and investigation.
The series had enjoyed international success, particularly in China and Japan, so it came
as no surprise when Signal announced Chinese and Japanese adaptations.
The Japanese version, in particular, started airing in 2018, and was also named ‘Signal’.
It received a fair reception, and was broadcasted in 7 other countries, including Indonesia,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
One of the series’ OST, ‘Don’t Leave Me’, was sung by the famous Kpop boygroup
BTS, and thus, also came to great attention from the public.
Meanwhile, the Chinese version, named ‘Unknown Number’, was aired exclusively on Tencent
Video - which means it is sadly unavailable to the rest of the world.
Descendants of the Sun Boasting a famous cast including Song Joong
Ki and Song Hye Kyo - Descendants of the Sun gave us quite the chaotic love story between
a soldier and a doctor.
Full of iconic moments, it was massively popular both domestically and worldwide - with ratings
surpassing 35% in South Korea and translated into 32 different languages for broadcasting
in 32 countries.
The series was particularly successful in China, and was the first Korean drama to be
simultaneously released in the two countries.
Rights to stream the series amounted up to 250,000 USD per episode, in China alone - which
speaks volumes about its popularity.
And it seems that Descendants of the Sun was attractive enough for other countries to want
their own versions.
In 2016, a Chinese remake was announced, though it was planned for film format, and unfortunately,
still hasn’t seen the light of day.
The Vietnamese version, meanwhile, was released in 2018 with 48 episodes, though it wasn’t
too well-received domestically.
Philippines also attempted to adapt this famous series in 2020, which was streamed online
on Youtube and has a total of 65 episodes.
The Phillipines version did quite well, with ratings surpassing 10%, and even won itself
the Most Popular Foreign Drama Award at the Seoul International Drama Awards.
Have you given any of these versions a try?
Oh My Ghost Despite being released on a paid network way
back in 2015, Oh My Ghost had achieved a 7.3% rating in its final episode - which is a respectable
feat at the time.
Starring famous actresses Park Bo Young and Kim Seulgi, as well as Jo Jung Suk, the series
combined fantasy with mystery to give us a fun, yet thrilling journey.
It follows the timid chef-in-training Na Bong Sun, who had the ability to see ghosts, and
ended up being possessed by the ghost Shin Soon Ae.
This switched up her entire life, including her arrogant boss Kang Sun Woo, and one thing
after another, they ended up seeking the truth behind Soon Ae’s death.
It was hilarious yet serious at the same time, and was quite the journey.
While not as big as our aforementioned series, Oh My Ghost actually gained quite the popularity
in South East Asia, particularly in the country of Thailand.
This nation purchased the rights to the drama right after it aired, and eventually released
their own adaptation in 2018.
You can actually find the Thai remake on Netflix under the same name, Oh My Ghost, and from
personal experience, it is pretty enjoyable, if not even on par with the original!
School 2015 School 2015 takes the setting of the prestigious
Sekang Private school, and follows the twin sisters Eun Bi and Eun Byul who live completely
different lives.
While Eun Bi is an orphaned child ruthlessly bullied at school, Eun Byul was adopted by
rich parents, and was her school’s star swimmer.
Well, one thing leads to another, and Eun Bi lost her memories and assumed her sister’s
identity.
It’s a good series that delivers a strong message against school violence, and at the
same brings us romance in the form of a love triangle.
Heed with caution though, if you are team second lead.
Now, as the 6th installment of the School franchise, ‘School 2015’ didn’t do spectacularly
well compared to its predecessors (namely School 1-4 and School 2013), however, its
international fame, particularly in China and Thailand, was a different story.
The Thai remake, in particular, was released in May 2020, on the Youtube Channel of GMMTV
- with English subtitles, just in case you are curious.
Meanwhile, the Chinese adaptation made it to the screen way back in 2017, under the
name When We Were Young.
By the way, if you are a hard-hearted second lead fanatic, and wished the original series
to end with two couples, the Chinese version is the way to go.
My Love From The Star Starring Hallyu stars Kim Soo Hyun and Jun
Ji Hyun, the 2014 series My Love From The Stars, gained a massive following in Korea
with a sky-high average viewership rating of 24%.
Introducing the love story of a celestial being and a famous actress in her decline
- the series also made its way to the heart of many international audiences, having been
to nearly twenty countries and acquired by top streaming platforms like Viu, VIKI, Netflix,
and iQiyi.
It also became a cultural phenomenon, mind you not - as everyone was craving for the
female lead’s favorite Korean fried chicken and everyone admired the series’ stunning
fashion.
China, in particular, was obsessed with the show.
It was one of the most-viewed shows on iQiYi, with 14.5 million streams in just 3 months
since it aired.
The series was also re-edited into a feature-length film and re-released in Chinese cinema in
2014.
My Love From The Stars also attracted Hollywood’s attention, and productions were planned for
an US version in 2014.
Sadly, it didn’t come through, despite ABC and Sony Pictures having bought rights to
reproduce the series.
In addition to these two events, you can also find a Philippine remake on GMA Network, which
achieved notable fame.
A Thai Remake, meanwhile, was aired on Channel 3, and didn’t attract much attention.
She Was Pretty Now, let’s delve into what is probably the
Kdrama with the highest number of remakes in history - and yes, that was no other than
She Was Pretty, which starred Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon, back in 2015.
The series’ plot was pretty simple: our leads, Hye Jin and Sung Joon, were childhood
friends, until Sung Joon suddenly had to move.
Hye Jin’s family later went bankrupt, leading to her experiencing constant hardship and
losing her beauty.
When Sung Joon comes back, Hye Jin was too embarrassed to meet him, and so coerced her
attractive best friend Ha Ri to go in her stead.
At the same time, Hye Jin ran into constant panic at the office, as Sung Joon turns out
to be her own boss.
Well, the motif may sound basic, but at the time of air, She Was Pretty was the big thing.
The show’s viewership ratings skyrocketed from a meager 4.9% to over 17% - and the series
was later broadcasted officially in the Philippines, Latin America, Ecuador, Peru, and Indonesia.
It also got a whopping SIX adaptation in total, starting with a Turkish version that aired
in 2016, followed by a Chinese adaptation in 2017.
Next, we have an 2018 Indian remake in Tamil, followed by a Vietnamese version, which started
airing in 2019.
Even in 2021, She Was Pretty seemed to still retain its heat, as the year boasted a Japanese
remake and a Thai adaptation - all in the same year.
It seems like the show is well on its way to become an international classic.
. Of course, these aren’t the only Kdramas
with their own share of adaptations.
There are also other notable series like Coffee Prince, You’re Beautiful, My Girl, Good
Doctor, etc., with their fair share of adaptations.
Have you watched any of these series or their remakes?
Which did you prefer: The original or The adaptation?
Let us know in the comment sections!