By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
December 17, 2019
K-Dramas are a great escape from reality. Even though we know the characters we love are fictional, some of them are so likable that we want to be them. At least for a while. Here are some of our favorites:
Cheon Song-yi (played by Jun Ji-hyun) in “My Love From the Star”
Song-yi was a gorgeous and selfish movie star who wasn’t the brightest person on earth — at least in the early part of this superb series. So why would we want to be her? Well, for one, she was able to make Do Min-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun) weak in the knees and pass out after kissing him. (Granted, that had more to do with his inability to share bodily fluids with human beings, what with him being an alien and all.) Without giving away too much of the plot, I loved how she grew as a person. And, not for nothing, but I also fell in love with her wardrobe! Jun is a style icon and so was the character she played. So it’s not surprising that everything she wore on the series sold out instantly. I wanted it all — the baggy sweatpants, the cute hair accessories and the slim, double-breasted Balmain military coat.
Nam Hong-joo (played by Bae Suzy) in “While You Were Sleeping”
Who wouldn’t want to be the leading lady in this K-Drama when the two men competing for her affection are portrayed by Lee Jong-Suk and Jung Hae-In? Suzy portrays a smart, resilient journalist who risks her life to fight corporate corruption. While there are damsel-in-distress moments, she has ownership of her life and refuses to be bullied at work or at home, when her mother tries to interfere with her burgeoning love life. Would I have put myself in as many dangerous situations as Hong-joo? No. But the reasons she was willing to do so were admirable.
Chae Young-shin (played by Park Min-young) in “Healer”
While Suzy played a star reporter in “While You Were Sleeping,” Park Min-Young plays tabloid journalist Young-shin. Though she knows all the dirty tricks to getting the scoop, she aspires for more and works diligently to rise above her current position. Smart and definitely a go-getter, she perseveres, even when faced with her most feared phobias. She is also a protector, who sacrifices her own safety for those she feels responsible for. This includes Ji Chang-wook‘s titular character, who needs no protecting. But she didn’t know that when she tried to shield him from the bad guys.
Eun Chan (played by Yoon Eun-Hye) in “Coffee Prince”
Eun Chan had a difficult life. Since the death of her father, she was the sole source of financial support for her mother and sister. Whether by choice or not, she passed for male and took advantage of the jobs she was able to get when employers thought she was a man. This included working at a coffee shop staffed entirely with handsome princes and run by Choi Han-gyul (played by Gong Yoo). What I loved about Eun Chan was that though everything was stacked up against her — poverty, loss of a parent, having to work multiple jobs to keep her family safe — she was a survivor who refused to lose. She showed that when pushed, we are more resilient than we think we are.
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