I don’t know if it’s just me, but it feels like ages since we’ve had some new dramas to sink our teeth into! This week (or weekend, rather), we’ve got two new dramas, both garnering a lot of attention. Is it the cast? Is it the premise? Will there be some drama magic here? Are we looking at a hit and a flop, or will these two dramas be neck to neck on the ratings charts? I can’t wait to find out. Or to watch both.
Backstreet Rookie
Time slot: Friday & Saturday
Broadcaster: SBS
Genre: Rom-com
Episode count: 16 episodes
Reasons to watch: Backstreet Rookie, I’m secretly rooting for you, because you’re not even out of the gate yet and you’re already an underdog. While a leading cast of Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung might put this drama on the radar, it’s already got 99 problems — the main ones being the OTP age gap, the raunchy source material, and the fact that this is Ji Chang-wook’s follow-up to the massive, painful flop of last summer (drama not named to protect the innocent). Anyway, what we have with Backstreet Rookie is a webtoon adaptation about a convenience store owner and his feisty new part-timer. While skeptical, there are a few things that I find encouraging. First, that Ji Chang-wook does derpy so well (Bong-soo shout out!) that if we’re bringing that back, we’re good. Second, that the drama looks really cohesive and fun in terms of its color and style. It’s a toss up as to where this show will land, but dramaland needs color, so let’s see!
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: tvN
Genre: Romance
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: They had me when they cast Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji. Then they had me again when our heroine turned out to be a prickly, super-elegant children’s book author. Then they had me again each time they released a still or a poster… it’s all so pretty! And by “all” I mean them. Kim Soo-hyun plays our earnest yet weary hero, working in a psychiatric ward, who crosses paths with our author. Sparks will fly. So will leaves of paper, if our teasers are any indication. All kidding aside, the excitement for this drama is real, and I’m hoping for a character-driven and chemistry-filled romance. I don’t know what I have to do to get a rich, well-rounded, and delicious story from dramaland these days, but by gosh, I’m gonna try to find out.