Rows Of Legendary And Most Influential Drakors For The South Korean Entertainment Industry

Ilustrasi (Ilham Amin / VOI)

In the inaugural article, "Historical Roots of Korean Drama: Invasion of the Classical Mask Theater Stage," we have reviewed the long history of Korean drama (drakor), including tracing where it originated. Continued from VOI's signature Series, "Korean Drama Invasion". Let's reminisce, looking back at the best Korean drama titles, which are not only big, but also important for the pace of the industry.

Today we are lulled by the drama of home life that smells of infidelity. Yes, what is the best drakor about pelakor (ushering men of people) if not The World of the Married. Before The World of the Married, we wisely followed the dilemma of Park Sae-roy (Park Seo-joon) with all the conflicts and grief over losing his father in Itaewon Class.

Before that, the love story of Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) and Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) stirred up emotions through Crash Landing on You. The bombardment of the release of the Korean drama title (drakor) feels right in the past few months. In particular, all of the titles above were successful. The World of the Married recently broke the record for the highest viewership in the history of the South Korean television network.

South Korean Nielsen records quoted by Kompas.com show the 14th episode of The World of the Married reaching a rating of up to 24.33 percent nationally. That figure led The World of the Married to surpass the record previously held by Sky Castle. The 2018 release drama series recorded a rating of 23.78 percent.

The Itaewon Class is no different. The title achieved the highest rating on the last episode of its broadcast on Saturday, March 21. The episode recorded a rating of 16.6 percent nationally and 18.3 percent for the Seoul region. With that record, Itaewon Class ranks second as the most consumed spectacle. At that time, Itaewon Class was under Sky Castle, before the featured drama was shifted to The World of the Married.

Crash Landing on You too. No need to look a lot of data for this one. Just look at the social media chat regarding Drakor, then you can still find the names of the players mentioned in the warganet conversation.

The most enjoyable part of this achievement is actually the growth of fresh ideas on the industry menu. Drama lovers around the world can find a wider selection of genres and themes now. Not just romance. Drakor themes are getting wider, even touching the fantasy and colossal genres.

If you have been a regular audience for Drakor since ancient times, you will have noticed that development. And if you've been a loyal Drakor audience since antiquity, you'll enjoy the nostalgia in this article. For new audiences, this article can be a reference to add to your 'drakor's' repertoire. Here it is, five legendary drakor titles.

1.Endless Love (2000)

Endless Love or also popularly known as Autumn in My Heart was released in 2000 in South Korea (South Korea). This drama stars a number of well-known actors, such as Song Hye-kyo, Song Seung-heon, Won Bin, and Han Chae-young. This drama is about two girls who were born in October. They have the same birthday, grew up in the same village, and in the same school.

Their fate is different. One female character named Eun-Suh lives a happy life with her loving parents and older brother, Jun-Suh. However, another female character named Shin-ae lives the opposite way. He was raised by single parents and lives in poverty.

One day, Eun-Suh gets into a car accident. Then, in the blood test, it was found that Eun-Suh and Shin-ae were switched at birth. The two of them were finally returned to their original place. Jun-Suh is very confused and saddened by the fact that the younger sibling whom he loves must return to his real parents.

Shin-ae and Jun-suh finally carried off by their parents abroad. Years later, they return to South Korea and find that Eun-suh lives in poverty. Jun-suh who initially sympathized with Eun-suh finally had the seeds of love for his "former" sister.

This drama is in great demand because it manages to convey the emotions of the audience. The life that has suddenly changed drastically, the separation, and the emotional play on the ties of family relationships are presented nicely by the players. This drama successfully became number one in China and Japan with ratings reaching more than 40 percent.

The sensation of the Korean Drama Endless Love also hit Taiwan. In 2001, the drama topped all soap operas, even though at that time it had only aired six episodes. This is the first time a non-Taiwanese production work has reached the top of the ladder. Endless Love today is accessible via a number of video streaming platforms.

2.Winter Sonata (2002)

Winter Sonata was first released in South Korea in January 2002. It has quickly become one of the most popular dramas on television. Produced by the director who also handled Endless Love, Ho Yunseok, the drama, played by Bae Yong-joon, Choi Jiwoo, Pak yong-ha, and Mr. Sol-mi, also gained immense popularity.

Reporting from the Korean Film, there is a reason why the Winter Sonata touches so many hearts, especially women of all ages across Asia. In fact, this drama does not only offer a complex love story. This drama has a really interesting storyline. The acting of the players was considered topnotch.

Ho Yunseok's cold hands managed to concoct impressive scenes in Winter Sonata. Remember how awe-inspiring winter scene draped with melancholy music in one iconic scene of this drama?

This drama presents mastery of cinematic techniques that touch one's emotions, such as sound effects and big screen visuals that effectively capture the audience's imagination. Regarding the theme was superior. This drama addresses the theme of eternal love in all of its complexity.

Naive, but is considered a dish right in the middle of a dynamic and often changing society. What's special, Winter Sonata also removes many cliches. Especially about the ending. The conclusions presented in the Winter Sonata are bitter.

Winter Sonata's story opens with Joon Sang (Yong-joon) and Yu Jin (Choi Jiwoo), two high school students who fall in love for the first time. Unfortunately, their love suffers a cruel blow because Joon Sang dies in a car accident.

Ten years later, Yu Jin works on a ski resort project with Min Yeong who looks exactly like Joon Sang. Strangely, he is dating his high school rival, Chae Lin (Park Sol-mi). As a result, Yu Jin's uncontrollable attraction towards Min Yeong jeopardizes her engagement to Sang Hyuk (Park Yong-ha).

Most importantly of all, Winter Sonata is the most influential title in the Korean expansion. This title is the first Korean Drama to penetrate markets outside South Korea. Winter Sonata is also the only drakor that has succeeded - at that time - penetrated the Middle East market. Iraq, to be precise, in 2005.

3. Full House (2004)

Another drama that has touched a wide audience is Full House. This title is very sticky, especially for the 90s generation. In fact, just listening to the song will trigger our memory of Han Ji-eun (Song Hye-kyo) and Lee Young-jae (Rain).

Full House tells the story of Han Ji-eun who is a script writer. He lives in a house called 'Full House'. The house was built by his late father. Once upon a time, he was awarded a free vacation trip. The trip was in fact a trick of his best friend.

However, when he returned home, he found his house had been sold to a top actor named Lee Young-jae. It's bitter for Han Ji-eun because she actually has a bad impression on Lee Young-jae. The two agreed to live together in the midst of incongruity and conflicting habits.

There is another story that circles the story of Ji-eun and Young-jae. The actor has actually been in love with his best friend, Kang Hye-won (Han Eun-jung) for a long time. More than a decade. However, Kang Hye-won has an interest in Yoo Min-hyuk (Kim Sung-soo) who is their senior.

Young-jae ends up proposing a contract marriage with Ji-eun to spark Hye-win's jealousy. In an effort to get her home back, Ji-eun agrees to be Young-jae's wife for a year.

In the life they live together, Ji-eun and Young-jae begin to learn about many things, especially related to married life, how they should support and care for each other.

This drama tries to answer the question whether two people can learn to love each other in a marriage that is approved only on paper. It also explores the meaning of family by presenting that no matter how harsh the present may be, the world is still a good place because it is the world that also brings hope into our lives. The drama can now be watched on Netflix.

4. Princess Hours (2006)

Princess Hours is a drakor that was released in 2006.The drama stars Yoon Eun-hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon and Song Ji-hyo. Princess Hours was the tenth most popular drama in 2006. This drama managed to be in the top ranking with a rating reaching 28.3 percent. The drama was also popular throughout Asia and also contributed to Hallyu, the invasion wave of the South Korean entertainment industry.

This drama depicts the 21st century that has maintained the monarchy and imperial family system since 1945. The series focuses on the life of the crown prince, Lee Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong.

Lee Shin's father, Emperor Lee Hyeon, is seriously ill. A gloomy look at the Emperor's health prompts the family to find Lee Shin a suitable empress who will allow him to take the throne if the situation worsens.

Despite falling in love with a ballerina named Hyo-rin, Prince Shin ends up marrying an ordinary person who was arranged by his late grandfather, Emperor Seongjo. His new wife is Chae-kyeong who is stubborn but easy to love.

Although the two of them felt nothing at first, love eventually grew between the two of them. Things are further complicated by the return of Lee Yul and her mother, Hwa-young, who were crown princesses before the death of her husband, Lee Soo.

Lee Yul and his mother were kicked out of the palace sometime after his father's death and it was revealed that this was due to allegations of an affair between Hwa-young and the current Emperor. Hwa-young returns to return her son to the line of succession to the throne, who she believes remains his.

5. Boys Over Flower (2009)

Boys Over Flower is a drama adapted from the Hana Yori Dango manga series by Yoko Kamio which was published from 1992 to 2004. The drama Boys Over Flower is also known to be a turning point for drakor love in Indonesia. Since Boys Over Flower, drakor in Indonesia has entered the flow of television industry culture.

The Japanese title Hana Yori Dango is actually a play on the Japanese adage "Dumplings on flowers". The saying refers to people attending Hanami, a flower festival. However, instead of enjoying the flowers, the visitors focused on the materialistic side of the event: culinary delights and souvenirs.

Set in a middle school that is famous for the rich, this drama tells the romance of a poor girl named Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) and a member of the F4 gang, Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho). F4 is a gang of rich kids led by the rude and fearless Gu Jun-pyo. Apart from Gu Jun-pyo, in the gang there are also the mysterious and handsome Yun Ji-Hu (Kim Hyeon-jung), So Lee-Jeong (Kim Bum), and Song Woo-Bin (Kim Jun).

One day, Geum Jan-di rescues a student (Jung Eui-chul) who jumps from the roof of Shinhwa Middle School. Hoping to avoid further scandal, Kang Hee-soo (Lee Hye-young) orders his secretary, Jung Sang-rok (Jung Ho-bin) to offer Geum Jan-on a scholarship. Jan-di didn't want to accept after hearing about F4. However, due to his family's insistence, he ended up attending this elite school.

F4 is also known as a gang containing the richest children and school tyranny. Geum Jan-di tries not to get involved, but ends up intervening when Gu Jun-pyo gets angry at Jan-di's new friend, Oh Min-ji (Lee Si-young). Seeking revenge, Jun-pyo sends him a red card, a signal for the other students to start cracking up on him.

When Jan-di was attacked by three students, Ji-hoo stepped in to save him. Jun-pyo switches tactics, spreading rumors about a Shinhwa student who is pregnant. Jan-di confronted Jun-pyo, punched and called herself "untouchable virgin." The fight between Geum Jan-di and Gu Jun-pyo has turned into love. The series can be watched on Netflix and Viu.

Next article: Exploitation of Emotions in The World of the Married and Other Drama Titles