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Sunday Debate: Which K-drama genre do you prefer?
With Squid Game being a surprise hit, two Korean drama fans take sides. And you: are romcoms or dark stories your thing?
“K-rom-coms get traction as we don’t see that romance in real life!”
By Megha Marwah
If I had to pick between Little Things, Bridgerton and any Korean rom-com, I’d pick K rom-coms blindly.
I first thought Korean shows were too slow. But this year when friends nudged me to watch It’s Okay To Be Not Okay and Crash Landing On You, I was sold. Currently, I am obsessed with Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, a sweet series, and I’m in love with the actor Kim Seon-ho’s character; all women hope for a boyfriend like him. Someone chivalrous, kind and gentle who doesn’t cross boundaries.
I prefer Korean rom-coms to Bollywood’s output because Bollywood’s definition of romance is stupid and toxic. In Korean rom-coms, the rapport between the protagonists is cute and funny, not in your face or crass. And the shows are believably dramatic because they keep things basic, such as a date at a no-frills coffee shop.
English rom-coms are too physical, but K-rom-coms are about the emotional connection. At most, there’ll be a kiss in the ninth episode. This refocus of love is refreshing.
These rom-coms are getting a lot of traction now because people are not getting enough romance in the dating scene! We all want to be courted. Yes, guys like that don’t exist but ek tapak jaaye koi aisa ho is the prayer as we watch!
Megha Marwah, 32, is a writer in digital advertising. She’s a big fan of Kim Seon-ho.
“In dark dramas, human relationships are well-researched and detailed”
By Medha Hegde
The most popular Korean shows today are rom-coms, but the assumption that these are the only K-dramas is incorrect.
Dark dramas like Flower of Evil have compelling storylines with unexpected twists. The way the plots unravel show the complex human side of a person, with emphasis on details. I love Beyond Evil, a detective-drama. In this show, even the gory scenes don’t make you cringe. But that’s not the point: the show also addresses how what happens to a person in their childhood can affect them as adults.
In Squid Game, there are multiple characters and multiple stories, such as how people give in to temptation and how that affects people’s behaviour towards each other and society. All this is done without confusing the main plot.
The Oscar-winning movie Parasite shows the huge divide between the rich and poor, misuse of power and corruption, which is relatable for Indians. Their horror productions like Train to Busan have brilliant picturisation. The zombie movie is almost completely shot in one train and I would pick that over World War Z.
Korean legal dramas like Miss Hammurabi focus on honesty, which I found addictive, and also remains focussed on being a courtroom drama, unlike Suits.
The cherry on top? The background scores!
Medha Hegde, 33, is an advocate partner of MV Partners. She now only watches K-dramas.
From HT Brunch, October 24, 2021
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