Though we only have two new dramas this week, let’s enjoy this breather before the May onslaught begins. Our dramas this week are two love stories, one about a triangle reunited after death and the other a story about first loves reunited in midlife.
Born Again
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: KBS
Genre: Melo, mystery
Episode count: 32 (35 minute episodes)
Reasons to watch: Whenever I watch a reincarnation story, I end up asking myself if rebirth is a gift or a curse? I’d bet the three protagonists may feel the same way. Jang Ki-yong, Jin Se-yeon, and Lee Soo-hyuk are three sides of a love triangle that begins in the 1980s. From the start, their relationships and emotions are tangled in some complicated knots, and love is ultimately the reason our trio meet their ends–but also the reason for the reincarnation in the present day. Though their lives and social statuses change drastically from the ’80s to now, it seems that fate won’t let them move away from each other. I have mixed feelings about a loveline that crosses time, but I’m hoping for a story that can tie together the past and present in a compelling way (and hopefully a cap on the number of scenes with Jang Ki-yong’s 80s wig).
When My Love Blooms
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: tvN
Genre: Melo, romance
Episode count: 16 episodes
Reasons to watch: Yoo Ji-tae and Lee Bo-young play two characters who fall in love at two different points in their lives, first in college and again in the current day. Back in the ’80s, Yoo Ji-tae swoops in to rescue Lee Bo-young from danger during a student protest. Though there’s a mutual attraction, their relationship fizzles out (the four years he spends in jail due to his activism may have played a part) and they strike out on different life paths. Over the years, Yoo Ji-tae has had great financial success and developed a coldness to him, while time gives Lee Bo-young hardships and a quiet sadness. When they meet once more in the present, it’s clear they’ve never forgotten each other. Love blooms again and our protagonists learn that there’s a second chance at lost love. Though this drama is billed as a melo, it also refers to itself as a love letter to all young people (whether you’re young in years or young at heart), so I hope that’s a signal that we’re in for a sweet, warm love story.