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Kate Hiewon Ahn || Editor-in-Chief, Writer
The scope of Korean television is one that is diverse, constantly-evolving and unique; regardless of its popularity, Squid Game (regardless of how good it is) only scratches the surface of a thriving entertainment industry that tackles all kinds of different topics and themes. On that note, here are two (completely different!) Korean show recommendations for April.
1) Thriller / Horror: Kingdom
Duration: 2 Seasons (12 total episodes + 1 spin-off episode)
Taking the classic zombie-outbreak trope and putting it in the midst of medieval Joseon-era Korea, Kingdom is at once a historical drama, political thriller and horror with its share of well-executed action. Based on the hit webtoon series The Kingdom of the Gods, Kingdom follows the story of Crown Prince Lee Chang, who, in his attempts to investigate what happened to his ailing father, finds himself in the forefront of a desperate struggle to contain a zombie outbreak across the country. As the audience follows the protagonist throughout infected Joseon, they eventually realize that Lee Chang is not only fighting the plague outside, but human corruption within.
Typically, I tend to avoid watching horror; however, Kingdom kept me hooked because its plot didn’t use horror as its only driving factor keeping the story going. Instead, the show introduced a meticulous storyline of deception, strategy and action that gave the series depth that was hard to find in other typical zombie fare. From a visual perspective, the historical restrictions of Kingdom (such as lack of modern technology) challenged the characters to find fresh ways to combat the plague– think bamboo shafts and fire traps– which was portrayed in cinematography that successfully brought out the atmosphere of Joseon-era Korea.
2) Slice-of-life / Comedy: Reply 1988
Duration: 1 Season (20 episodes)
1988: for many South Koreans, it represents a year of political turmoil, the ‘88 Seoul Olympics and a turbulent, if not interesting, time to live. If Kingdom sounds too heavy (and oddly close to home in the midst of a pandemic), Reply 1988 is a solid choice for slice-of-life comedy. Beloved across South Korea on its first release nearly 7 years ago, it follows the story of five childhood friends and their families in late-1980s Seoul as they navigate their teenage years and beyond. While there may not be much suspense or drama in comparison to the likes of Kingdom, each episode is crafted to evoke deep affinity for each of the characters and the undeniably ordinary, yet tumultuous, decade they live through. One character, Deoksun, struggles with the menial amount of attention she gets for being the middle child and ranking a dismal 999th in her school, while another, introverted Taek, contends with the burden of dropping out of school to pursue his professional baduk (Go) career.
Although the show is full of Korean 80’s teenage references– some of which might go over your head if you didn’t live through them– the show’s overall sense of humor is highly accessible for anyone. Exploring values, family and relationships through a fresh perspective of living through 1980s South Korea, Reply 1988 is worth seeing through all 20 episodes.
image credits: both from IMDb
