Silliness that Works: "Dramaworld"

Synopsis

Claire Duncan is a 20-year old college student obsessed with Korean Drama and is dissatisfied with the the normal state of her own life. She often spends her days watching her favorite actor, Joon Park, in ‘Taste of Love’ and one day wishes more than anything to be able to live in the world of K-drama. As the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for” as with a touch of magic, Claire ends up sucked through her smartphone into the world of ’Taste of Love’ and comes face to face with Joon Park himself.

More than entering the world of ‘Taste of Love’, Claire has in fact entered ‘Dramaworld’, a world where all of K-drama takes place as everyday stories. She soon falls under the wing of Seth Ko, a waiter who was also magically transported into the world of dramas years ago and learns that she in fact has a role in this new world. Apparently, she has been brought to Dramaworld to assist in moving along the story of ’Taste of Love.’ For if the main characters do not achieve true love, Dramaworld will cease to exist, meaning the end of K-drama.

The Good

The way that the series pokes at the different aspects of K-drama is what makes the series so fun. From the way it shows the silliness at certain aspects such cliches to mixing it together with an “actual drama”, the series is clearly shows a care for the K-drama genre. Also the way that the series shifted from the initial drama to its original story was rather smooth and added another plus with the series.

The way it handled its main characters is also something to note, especially with Claire. Her character development was the most prominent from the beginning of the series to the end with the way she shifted from an unsure fangirl to a determined lead. With the other characters, they play their role well and the dynamics that they form a pretty good dynamic with one another. Joon Park was a solid character, especially in how he shifted from the typical male lead to a different sort of character with Claire. The portion where he learns he’s a drama character was really well-acted on the actor’s part

The Bad

The thing with the series is that it does well in terms of comedy, but the way it is inserted into the presentation of the villain takes away the potential they had in the beginning. Sure enough, there was a touch of foreshadowing on the first episode alone but they could have done more in building him up rather than show how villainous he can be. And let’s not even get started with weird rap sequence he did in one episode. It just feels like rather than a villain that could have really strong, he came off as rather exaggerated and a tad wacky, which in hindsight is par for course with the series.

Conclusion

This is a series that both pokes and shows an appreciation for the many aspects of K-drama. The character development was good and the dynamics that are formed between them are well done. The only real issue with the series is in how it worked its villain given the potential that was shown with him in the introductory portion of the series. Overall, this is a great show to watch for those who are fans of K-drama and are looking for something that leaves a good laugh and smile.

Rating: 7.5/10