K-DRAMA NEWS - JAN. 2025
By Sharon Stern
Author note: We are working on publishing the newsletter earlier in the month. In K-drama-land, that means that I might not know by the date that we publish where some of the K-dramas will be streaming in the US. As that becomes clear, I will include updates on dramas that dropped in previous months, as they become available in the US.
One of the things I love about K-dramas is that even though, when you read a synopsis of the story of the drama, you think you’ve seen that story a hundred times already, each and every drama approaches the same theme differently. There is always something new to the story and the individual actors bring different details to a storyline that you might have encountered over and over again. I am realizing that brief descriptions of the plot of dramas fall way short of revealing their potential to you as a viewer. You just have to dip your toe in the water and watch the first episode to get a feel for whether the vibe of the drama is for you or not.
Love Scout - 나의 완벽한 비서
Viki – Starring: Han Ji Min, Lee Joon Hyuk, Kim Do Hoon, Kim Yoon Hye
Genre: Rom-Dram
I don’t like the English title of this drama at all, but that seems to often be the case with dramas. This drama features a female CEO (yay!) of a headhunting company who lives and breathes work and work alone, to the point of not functioning at anything other than work. Her secretary is a single dad who cooks and cleans (yay!) and is a perfectionist and keeps his CEO moving forward and functioning. Of course we end up with a romance between the two! The description sounds a bit like a gender role reversal of What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. It’s getting pretty high viewership in Korea, so far. As is with all “rom” or “dram” dramas, they always have elements of both. This one starts with quite a bit of humor as well as a good dose of animosity between the two lead characters. It should be fun to watch.
When the Stars Gossip - 별들에게 물어봐
Netflix – Starring: Lee Min Ho, Gong Hyo Jin, Oh Jung Se, Han Ji Eun
Genre: Rom-Com, Sci-Fi (sort of – not what you would typically depict as Sci-Fi, though it covers science that is fiction)
This drama has a completely new setting for K-dramas: the International Space Station. I love space and all things space connected, so I’ve been looking forward to this drama. The cast itself is chock-a-block full of stars. If you’re a Lee Min Ho or Gong Hyo Jin fan, you will most likely love this drama.
The plot follows an Ob/Gyn (Lee Min Ho) sent to space as a space tourist by the chaebol father of his girlfriend, supposedly to sneak a very private, family-connected experiment on board. The commander (Gong Hyo Jin) is a seasoned no-nonsense astronaut. Both have relationships back on earth, but begin to see things differently when very closely confronted with each other in this confined space. I love the setting. There is a hint at a bit of a raunchy overtone that I’m not thrilled with yet, but it looks to be a very entertaining drama.
The Queen Who Crowns - 원경
Viki – Starring: Cha Joo Young, Lee Hyun Wook, Lee Yi Dam, Lee Shi Ah
Genre: Historical Drama, Melodrama
This historical drama tells the story of a queen from the early Joseon Dynasty. The description from Rakuten’s Soompi site says: Although she was described in historical records only as “King Taejong’s wife” or “Mrs. Min” without her full name, the drama will reimagine history from the perspective of Queen Won Gyeong, who lived an independent life without losing herself in spite of devastating betrayals and harsh reality.
The plot and cast descriptions note that the relationship between king and queen begins with an intense connection, eventually growing more complex as the queen manages the king’s concubines. Add to that internal palace politics involving the prince and clan loyalties and you have the elements that make saeguk dramas interesting.
The drama was filmed in over 100 locations, making it visual breathtaking. The history is covered at a very fast clip, more like aspects of some modern dramas.
Motel California - 모텔 캘리포니아
Viki – Starring: Lee Se Young, Na In Woo, Choi Min Soo, Kim Tae Hyeong, Choi Hee Jin
Genre: Coming-Of-Age, Romance
This drama is based on the book Home, Bitter Home by Shim Yoon Seo, published in 2019. This story is about a woman (Lee Se Young) from a rural area who was raised in a motel, but runs away to try to find happiness. She returns 12 years later and reencounters her first love (Na In Woo), now a veterinarian, and returns to her past, which she thought she had sealed away and forgotten about.
Unmasked - 트리거
Disney+ – Starring: Kim Hye Soo, Jung Sung Il, Joo Jong Hyuk
Genre: Office Humor, Action Thriller (what?)
A group of investigative journalists could lose their job over a report that angers their station’s sponsors. They have a final chance to save themselves by solving a 20-year-old cold case about an actor that disappeared. The investigation reveals many secrets and conspiracies.
The categorization of office humor and action thriller is certainly an interesting combination!
The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call - 중증외상센터)
Netflix – Starring: Ju Ji Hoon, Choo Young Woo, Yoon Gyung Ho, Ha Young, and Jeong Jae Kwang
Genre: Medical Drama
A new doctor with unconventional surgical methods, collected in time spent in war zones around the world, joins the ER department at a university hospital. Because his approach and methods are unique, he encounters conflict with the existing team, but eventually earns their respect and improves the quality of the entire team.
This drama is based on a web novel, Trauma Center: Golden Hour, that was made into a webtoon by Naver in 2019.
Weak Hero Class 2 – 약한영웅 Class 2
Netflix – Starring: Park Ji Hoon, Yoo Soo Bin, Ryeoun, Bae Na Ra, Lee Min Jae, Lee Jun Young, Choi Min Young
Genre: Coming-Of-Age, Action, Thriller
This is the second season of this drama based on the Naver webtoon Weak Hero. Only the lead character from the first season returns in this second season. The story is about an apparently weak student who won’t give in to bullies at his school. The series (both seasons) look at the dark realities of school bullying and beyond that to gang intimidation.
From webtoons.com (picked up from Netflix):
“Once the bullies target you, it’s game over. The school is run by tyrants whose favorite hobby is tormenting the weakest kids in class. But then Shi Eun arrived. This mysterious new student threatens to dismantle the established order. He may be small in stature, but his calculative and brutal fighting leaves unsuspecting opponents lying on the floor begging for mercy. Now the school’s toughest bullies have to scramble to take down this new and unusual hero.”
