South Korean Dramas have always been on another level. Perhaps it wasn’t that widely known in the last decade. Still, many shows have made such an impact that they always get remade and adapted in foreign countries. From past to present, here are some picks that you may not know have remakes or are being remade today.
#5 Train to Busan
The 2016 horror film Train to Busan is perhaps an example of how some classics should be left untouched. Yes, the western adaptation of this movie is entitled “Last Train to New York,” which doesn’t have the same touch as the original movie.
Train to Busan is a horror-thriller of a father fighting for his and his daughter’s life as the train they’re in is infected by a zombie virus. The movie mirrors some of the worst parts of humanity. The decisions and sacrifices made by the characters will truly leave food for thought.
You may watch Train to Busan on Viu and Netflix.
#4 Crash Landing on You
Movie and series adaptations often take place years or decades after the original. However, the 2019 series Crash Landing on You landed a deal after its finale. CJ ENM announced that the American remake of CLOY is in its final stages in planning and development. KDrama fans are not sure how the remake will appeal to viewers. Why? Well, one of the important parts of the plot that set the series from the rest is the tension between North Korea and South Korea. Many doubt that the adaptation can replicate the same effect as that.
Crash Landing on You is the story of an heiress who gets into a paragliding accident and lands in North Korean territory. There, she meets an army officer who hides and protects her. CLOY is predominantly a romantic comedy.
Crash Landing on You is available on Netflix.
#3 More than Blue
The 2009 film More than Blue, or Seulpeumboda Deo Seulpeun Iyagi, is a classic romantic tragedy that still haunts people today. This movie is so great that it was remade not once but twice. In 2018, it had a movie adaptation of the same name. Then, in 2021, Netflix released a 10-episode series based on the movie. (I haven’t watched the series yet.) it’s a timeless movie, and the movie adaptation gave it justice.
More than Blue, also known as A Story Sadder than Sadness, is a movie about a boy abandoned by his mother after his father died of cancer and a girl who loses her whole family in a car accident. The trauma and loneliness unite these two with a bond threatened by secrets and sickness. It is a kdrama that you’ll need a box of tissues for because, emotions.
The South Korean Version of More than Blue and the Taiwanese series is available on Netflix.
#2 The Good Doctor
Yes, The Good Doctor is a 2013 South Korean romantic-comedy and medical drama series. Surprisingly, not a lot of people know that the western series of the same name is an adaptation. The Hollywood remake of the same name debuted in 2017 and is still airing to this date.
The Good Doctor is a story of a pediatric surgeon with Savant Syndrome and a developmental disability. He has the mental age of a ten-year-old and has undergone a series of traumatic childhood events that affect him in adulthood. The drama shows how he navigates in a world that tries to limit his medical abilities due to his disability.
The Good Doctor is available on Netflix. The Hollywood adaptation is still airing on ABC.
#1 Always
The 2011 movie Always shows the versatility of kdrama. It had action, romance, comedy, and more, all compacted in a movie that will make you bawl your eyes out. The 2021 Japanese movie Your Eyes Tell is an adaptation of the iconic Korean movie. Perhaps what gave it an edge is BTS sang the official soundtrack of the adaptation.
Always is the story of an ex-kickboxer who leaves his illegal job and lands work as a parking lot security guard. In contrast to his glum personality, he meets a cheerful blind girl who mistook him for the old parking lot security guard. The connection slowly becomes more, and when all seems well, their story is threatened by a past incident that ties them together.
Always is available on Netflix.
Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho spoke of language barriers and how overcoming an inch of subtitle can open up a whole new world. There are reasons why other countries made adaptations of these classic shows. However, some are not as justifiable as to why it should be remade in the first place.
What are your thoughts on this list? Comment below
