Two Korean drama series coming to Singapore screens this week
Fans of Korean dramas would probably already know this by now: two of the most anticipated dramas in the first half of 2016 will be going head-on in a ratings battle of Korean TV.
While they may be competing for the affection of the audiences both in Korea and abroad, the aforementioned dramas: SBS’s “Come Back Alive” and KBS’ “Descendants Of The Sun” could not be more different from each other.
On one side is “Come Back Alive”, which stars Korean superstar Rain, leading K-drama actresses Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Min Jung, as well as comedy heavyweights Kim Su Ro and Kim In Kwon. While it follows the body-swap and gender-bender plotline that has been used in numerous Korean dramas, it also offers heartfelt storylines that emphasise familial ties and of course, life and death.
The series is based on the Japanese novel and movie Mr Tsubakiyama’s Seven Days, which tells of two middle-aged men who return from the dead to settle any of their unfinished businesses in the land of the living. The twist is that their spirits will inhabit the bodies of an attractive young man and woman during their time back from the dead.
In the drama, comedy actor Kim In Kwon plays the character Kim Young Soo, a middle-aged salaryman who gets a second chance at life with his widow Shin Da Hye, played by Lee Min Jung, but she doesn’t recognise him at all.
The other middle-aged character Han Ki Tak, played by Kim Su Ro, returns from the dead as a beautiful woman. Hilarious hijinks ensue when these two try to tie up the loose ends that they left behind when they were alive, including a primal attraction to each other while in their new bodies.
Video from Viu
On the other end of the ring is “Descendants Of The Sun”, armed with a more serious tone and a heavy romance element. It stars popular Hallyu actress Song Hye Gyo and audience favourite Song Joong Ki. This drama also marks the return of both actors to the small screen, after Song Joong Ki’s completion of his military service and Song Hye Gyo’s 2013 drama “That Winter The Wind Blows”.
Song Joong Ki plays military team leader Yoo Shi Jin, who meets and falls in love with humanitarian aid doctor Kang Mo Yeon (played by Song Hye Gyo) while they are dispatched to work in a fictional war-torn, country Uruk.
Shot in several overseas locations, “Descendents Of The Sun” offers a love story full of action, drama and a tinge of comedy to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Video from NEW
In Singapore, “Descendants Of The Sun” will air on KBS World, while “Come Back Alive” will air on Channel ONE on Starhub. And should anyone happen to miss the TV telecast, you can watch these new dramas on the go with the Viu app.
