Ok-Dramas in 2022: Actual individuals, actual issues, horror, and romance

2022 was a yr of highs for Ok-Dramas and whereas many of those highs may very well be attributed to the success of breezy, tropey reveals like Enterprise Proposal, it was additionally the yr the place characters and their lives acquired actual and rooted on display.

Among the many stand-out reveals this yr, My Liberation Notes, an affecting slice-of-life story of three siblings residing on the outskirts of Seoul, their weariness and seemingly exhausting on a regular basis routines struck a chord regardless of its sluggish preliminary tempo. The present tremendously benefitted from stand-out performances by all its leads; Lee Min-Ki together with his wide-eyed monologues, Lee El’s fixed skilled and romantic entanglements, Son Suk-Ku’s brooding unhappiness, and Kim Ji-Received at her melancholic finest.

Perfecting the slice-of-life style

There are lengthy, dreary commutes, a loneliness that hangs heavy round all of them, more and more irritating work ambitions, and the determined want to interrupt out of this all that My Liberation Notes completely encompasses. “I don’t know the place I’m trapped, however I really feel trapped. There’s nothing in my life that relaxes me. I really feel cramped and stifled. I need to break away,” says Ji-Received, as Mi-Jeong on the present, who additionally constantly will get essentially the most memorable strains. This was actually the yr for the slice-of-life style, headlined by My Liberation Notes.

A nonetheless from ‘My Liberation Notes’

Louisa Might Alcott’s much-beloved novel Little Girls, which was tailored by acclaimed screenwriter Chung Web optimization-Kyung as a Ok-Drama of the identical identify, is ready towards the backdrop of modern-day Seoul which brings with it financial misery, the category divide, and corruption amongst a bunch of different socio-economic points. What might have been a no brainer thriller is elevated via nuanced writing and stellar performances by its ensemble forged.

Celebrating mature relationships

2022 was additionally the yr that we celebrated extra mature relationships on display. In Our Beloved Summer time, one among this yr’s earliest hits, a pair that dated via highschool and college must face one another as soon as once more to shoot for a documentary that they have been part of practically a decade in the past. The present, nevertheless, wasn’t simply one other run-of-the-mill romance. The limitations that Choi Ung and Yeon-Soo (performed by Choi Woo-Shik and Kim Da-Mi) must surmount are actual and relatable — there’s a haunting reminder of previous insecurities, lingering dredges of self-pity, and a quest to seek out one’s true ambition and identification.

A nonetheless from ‘Our Beloved Summer time’

Whereas the current romance Ok-Drama  Love is For Suckers starring Lee Da-Hee and Choi Si-Received finally petered off to frustratingly-cliched territory, the beginning confirmed a lot promise as properly. Da-Hee performs a actuality present producer in her late thirties, who’s single and sometimes unsure about her work, and the loneliness that comes together with her age and relationship standing begins to envelop her.

Relatable and recurring themes

These have been a number of recurring themes throughout reveals. The currently-airing  Summer time Strike, starring Seolhyun and Im Siwan, has its feminine lead make a snap choice to go on ‘strike’, go away behind a poisonous job and escape the emotional aftermath of getting dumped. Downsizing her life to a backpack, Yeo-Reum strikes to a small, quaint seaside city to spend her days frequenting the library there, all of the whereas forming sluggish and but significant connections with the residents there. Sooner or later, we’ve all been the place Yeo-Reum has; she simply desires to take off with out an agenda, and go away behind the hustle and all of the emotional burden.

In the meantime, the second season of Yumi’s Cells introduced again the much-loved animated cells encompassing Yumi’s ideas and feelings, and labored very properly as a relatable relationship drama. Yumi (Kim Go-Eun) falls head-over-heels for the charming and chivalrous coworker Babi (Jinyoung). As Yumi navigates new love, this season additionally sees her on a journey of self-discovery as she embraces her goals of turning into a author.

A present that broke many hearts owing to the sudden and nearly baffling writing selections in its previous few episodes,  Twenty 5 Twenty One will little question be remembered for years to return for in any other case being a heat, pretty coming-of-age story. It was a present that immersed viewers into the world of 5 pals, set towards the backdrop of the IMF disaster in South Korea within the late nineties. Whereas the present had us all tremendously invested in fencer Na Hee-Do and journalist Baek Yi-Jin’s (Kim Tae-Ri and Nam Joo-Hyuk in career-best performances) heat and love till all of it implodes, Twenty 5 Twenty One was, above all, a narrative that celebrated friendships, and Hee-do and her fencing rival Ko Yu-Rim (Bona) get essentially the most attention-grabbing trajectory.

A nonetheless from ‘Twenty 5 Twenty One’

Empathetic screenwriting

Rather a lot has been stated about one among this yr’s greatest world successes, Extraordinary Legal professional Woo. Park Eun-Bin, taking part in lawyer Woo Younger-Woo who’s on the autism spectrum, was backed by delicate, empathetic writing and the authorized drama delved into a number of points starting from sexist office insurance policies, discrimination, and abuse. It’s this form of writing that we hope to see extra of, and the promise of a second installment is thrilling. One other affecting authorized drama this yr,  Juvenile Justice, took a sobering have a look at juvenile crimes and society at massive via the eyes of a decide performed by Kim Hye-Soo.

The affinity to Sageuks (historic dramas) continued, and in reality, grew much more in 2022. If the yr started with the smash-hit  The Crimson Sleeve which acquired nice evaluations and viewership scores, it was adopted by the fantasy and interval drama  Alchemy of Souls in June, written by the Hong Sisters, which delved very engagingly into magic, mages and soul switching. The second season of the hit present is at the moment airing.  Underneath The Queen’s Umbrella, a Sageuk which has powerhouse performer Kim Hye-Soo play Queen Hwa-Ryeong has change into each a scores hit and is being lauded for its robust feminine lead; a Queen and mom who hustles to form her sons into succesful princes all whereas battling palace politics.

A nonetheless from ‘Alchemy of Souls’

The present hasn’t accomplished its run but, however  Reborn Wealthy is already this yr’s greatest scores hit. Following Vincenzo, it looks like Tune Joong-Ki is continuous his nice run with choosing scripts.  Reborn Wealthy has additionally launched many viewers to the powerhouse actor Lee Sung-Min, who performs Joong-Ki’s grandfather and head of the Soonyang Conglomerate. Razor-sharp writing with an excellent dose of nostalgia thrown in (given its setting via the ‘80s and ‘90s), this reincarnation drama has everybody on the sting of their seats.

A nonetheless from ‘Reborn Wealthy’

Prime developments and looking forward to 2023

Following  Squid Recreation, Netflix delivered one other winner this yr with the zombie apocalypse present All of Us Are Useless. Set in a highschool, the present didn’t simply cease with the quintessential gore and violence of the style, but in addition invested time in its characters amidst the following chaos. Whereas  Enterprise Proposal continues to development on Netflix’s high ten reveals eight months after its launch, there have been just a few breezy, romantic comedies this yr that managed to strike gold like they did.

After a shaky begin, Taking pictures Stars, starring Lee Sung-Kyung and Kim Younger-Dae, and set on the planet of leisure, had a number of candy moments, as did the smaller reveals like  As soon as Upon a Small City (which follows a hot-shot metropolis veterinarian transfer to a village), campus romance  Pricey M and sports activities drama  Love All Play. Reveals that got here with appreciable hype together with Tune Hye-Kyo and Jang Ki-Younger’s  Now We Are Breaking Up, and  Forecasting Love and Climate, starring Park Min-Younger and Tune Kang, didn’t fairly discover their footing.

In 2023, whereas there’s the opportunity of the sequels for a number of profitable reveals together with  D.P., All of us are Useless, and Candy Residence gearing up for launch , there’s additionally a rising dearth of feel-good romances that must be addressed . Nobody does an excellent, swoony romance like Ok-Dramas; right here’s to hoping there’s extra of that within the coming yr!

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