Mental health is a major topic in the world. As society changes and the weight of the world becomes worse, many people deal with mental health issues in different ways. A common but serious mood disorder is depression. Many people experience depression and the condition can sometimes be hard to deal with. Depression takes away your enjoyment of things you once loved and is much more than simply feeling sad. The representation in media is a vast spectrum.

K-Dramas have broken the taboo of discussing depression in shows. Increasingly, more shows choose to address topics of depression and many of them have it as the main focus of their series. Each series is different in how they display their characters' coping mechanisms and symptoms of depression. These 6 K-Dramas address depression throughout the series but all have their unique ways of doing it. Here is how they differ and how K-Dramas have juggled such a difficult topic in their series.

 

1. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" Shows Anyone Can Feel Depressed

Probably one of the most realistic depictions of depression in a series, "Daily Dose of Sunshine" talks about a kind nurse who works in a psychiatry hospital and tries to bring sunshine to her patients. Setting in a psychiatry hospital, the series dives deeply into depression and mental health issues for each episode. One that stands out the most comes from the main character herself, Jung DaEun played by Park BoYoung. Jung DaEun sees the mistreatment of mental health patients in society's eyes and has to juggle a difficult job. A tragedy from a patient she was close with sent her into a spiral of guilt and depression.

The drama depicts her depression as various forms of self-sabotage and emptiness. She goes as far as overworking herself, even though she doesn't want to work, to try and ignore her depression. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" was impressive with their depiction of depression and reminding everyone that it does not have a certain look. People may not expect mental health workers to feel a certain way since their main job is to help others but depression is not linear and anyone can experience it.

 

2. "Our Blues" Reminds Us Depression Isn't Just "Feeling Sad"

"Our Blues" focuses on a hometown in Jeju and the daily lives of its residents. As they navigate the ups and downs of life, they must also face the problems that life randomly throws at them. Min SeonAh, played by Shin MinA, is a character in the series who suffers from depression. A single mother whose husband left her, the series shows just how much depression can affect a person's time. She has no organization and has a lack of interest in life.

It gets so severe that she even forgets to pick up her son from school because of her mental health. What makes it even more interesting is the choice of colors for her as she is often shown in a blue hue, showing her "blues" and depression. The series shows that depression can have varying effects. It isn't simply feeling sad; sometimes people can not function normally because of it.

 

3. "Doctor Slump" Shows That Depression Doesn't Have One Look

"Doctor Slump" further reminds us that depression does not have a certain look to it and even if someone seems "perfect" you never know their struggles. The main character HaNeul, played by Park ShinHye, is a perfectionist and wants to succeed in everything she does. So when she realizes she is depressed, she wants to ignore it, resulting in her feeling worse than before. Despite HaNeul's perfect demeanor, she is battling with her mental health and finds comfort in the male lead of the series.

"Doctor Slump" gave some clarity on what depression looks like. Many people may have the image of someone who is untidy, lazy, and cries all the time but that is not always the case. Depression can sometimes be the hard-working doctor who comes into work smiling or your classmate who tends to keep to themselves. The K-Drama tackled the issues and taboos of depression in a wonderful way.

 

4. "Juvenile Justice" Shows Negative Effects Of Depression

"Juvenile Justice" has a devastating but realistic depiction of depression in the series. This K-Drama follows the story of a judge who does not look kindly on juveniles in the system and various cases of juvenile delinquency cases. One plot line focuses on a group of students cheating on a major exam soon being exposed and tried. Kang ShinWoo, played by Kim JunHo, is the son of the main character, Kang WonJung. His father also happens to be the chief of the Juvenile Justice Division.

When ShinWoo is found to be involved in the cheating scandal, his father chastises him to the point he tells him if he plans to end his life, he shouldn't involve his family. This results in ShinWoo attempting to end his life, leading his father to feel an immense sense of guilt. However, this arc in the series shows that ShinWoo was severely depressed with his academics. He never seemed to do well like his brother and being the son of a prominent figure only made him feel even more inferior.

 

5. "Weak Hero Class" Shows Us Outside Forces Can Cause Depression

In a similar fashion to "Daily Dose Of Sunshine", "Weak Hero Class" addresses the main character's depression and his forms of self-sabotage. Our protagonist, SiEun played by Park JiHoon, comes from a broken home with neglectful parents. They are too busy to deal with him and most times they are not even at home. Without any guidance or support from them, he chooses to isolate himself from the world. He studies despite not enjoying it anymore.

He doesn't have friends and feels a sense of emptiness in his everyday life. SiEun's reasons for his depression show that many things can trigger someone into depression. "Weak Hero Class" did an amazing portrayal of how outside factors can negatively impact an individual to the point they can fall into depression.

 

6. "Sweet Home" Shows How Depression Is Not Linear

"Sweet Home" shows the many layers of depression and how sometimes people fall into it due to various factors building up over time. "Sweet Home" is about a boy who has to deal with mysterious monsters after a strange incident in his apartment. Our main character, Cha Hyunsoo played by Song Kang, intentionally isolates himself and plans to end his life due to his depression. Bullied in school, and isolated from his classmates and family, he has many layers to his depression and what led him to his decision. The major turning point in his mental health was when he was the only survivor of a car crash that ended the lives of his family.

The drama shows how this has built up over time with all of the tragic events in his lifetime. There was not one main reason for him to feel depressed but various factors affected him mentally. What makes "Sweet Home" so interesting is the use of horror and monsters as battles of mental health issues. Confronting and battling his inner monster in this series gives the illusion of tackling his inner turmoil and depression. The series hits the nail on the coffin when HyunSoo chooses to help himself. No one forces him out of his depression and it is not magically cured, it's something he will need to improve on because he wants to.

 

As more and more K-Dramas discuss the topic of depression, many of them will choose to talk about it in their unique ways. Whats important is that these series are bringing to light a serious topic that needs to be discussed more in media.

Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!

One of the most polarising K-Dramas released in recent times is "Chicken Nugget" on Netflix. Viewers who have watched "Chicken Nugget" have been divided into two categories: one, completely loving it, and the other, totally unimpressed.

For those who might not know, "Chicken Nugget" is a sci-fi comedy K-Drama about a young woman who turns into a chicken nugget after entering a mysterious machine.

You read that right! Kim YouJung's character MinAh, turns into a chicken nugget and remains a chicken nugget for the majority of the drama!

To bring MinAh back to human form, her father Choi SunMan (Ryu SeungRyong) and her secret admirer Ko BaekJoong (Ahn JaeHong) join hands and risk their lives, even if that means having to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe.

The cast is phenomenal and was reason enough for many viewers to tune into "Chicken Nugget". However, for many others, even the cast could not make them watch the show.

Amidst mixed reviews, I am of the stance that "Chicken Nugget" is meant for a very specific audience. I personally thought it was a joyride that is not only worth watching but worth rewatching!

A kooky "Rick And Morty"-esque comedy with a strangely comforting and hopeful tone and a distinct humor code reminiscent of absurdist stage plays, "Chicken Nugget" perfectly mirrored the webtoon's unique offering and left me wanting more.

However, I know there are many who couldn't even complete the drama.

So, if you're wondering whether you should watch "Chicken Nugget", you've come to the right place!

Here are 3 very specific types of people who would enjoy "Chicken Nugget" on Netflix!

Of course, this is just for fun and not meant to stereotype viewers of the drama. 

 

Who Should Watch "Chicken Nugget"?

1. People who don't/don't want to take life too seriously

A prerequisite for watching fantasy or sci-fi dramas is the suspension of disbelief. However, "Chicken Nugget" takes it one step further. There's a limit to which viewers can suspend their disbelief, and "Chicken Nugget" is the type of work that tests this limit. So, to watch and enjoy "Chicken Nugget", you need to suspend not only your disbelief but also your seriousness.

None of the characters in "Chicken Nugget" take themselves too seriously. None of the character designs are serious, none of the settings are serious, and of course, the very premise itself is the definition of unserious.

Even the so-called villain is the most tropey mad scientist joined by his 45-year-old-looking 25-year-old nephew, and the two basically have a Pokémon battle towards the end of the drama!

"Chicken Nugget" is filled with parodies of K-Drama tropes, subverting expectations at every turn without a single dull moment.

You simply cannot take anything seriously if you want to enjoy "Chicken Nugget" and if that's not in your nature, this might not be the right K-Drama for you to watch.

On the other hand, if you WANT to take things less seriously than you do, "Chicken Nugget" will be perfect for you too!

 

2. People who don't like playing by rules & logic

Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres where world-building and logic can make or break the plot. However, "Chicken Nugget" does away with this idea entirely.

After all, what else would you expect from a K-Drama that refuses to take itself seriously?

"Chicken Nugget" constantly establishes certain rules, breaks them, throws in a few red herrings, introduces a new logic, turns it around, forgets it for a bit, brings it back again, catapults it to another universe (literally), and finally hands it to us on a platter. Do with it what you will!

So, if you're the type of K-Drama viewer who needs some sort of universal logic to hold the worldview of the story together, you are probably not going to like "Chicken Nugget".

However, if you're ready to be one with the chaos, embrace the illogical, and happily let go of loopholes, then you definitely need to give "Chicken Nugget" a try.

There's an eccentric order in this K-Drama's seemingly nonsensical unpredictability, and that is exactly what will help you sail through the episodes and reach the sweet ending like the last bite of a chicken nugget.

 

3. People who like side quests

"Chicken Nugget" gets more and more flavorful with time. You really need to get the hang of this drama's outrageous ideas and peculiar humor, familiarize yourself with it, and re-adjust your expectations to watch and start enjoying "Chicken Nugget".

In other words, "Chicken Nugget" is like an acquired taste, an experience, and it takes some time to get to the good part.

So, if you're the type of K-Drama viewer who enjoys tight plots with no fillers or detours and prefers getting to the crux of the matter as soon as possible, "Chicken Nugget" will probably not be your cup of tea.

However, if you're willing to take a leisurely stroll with the K-Drama, stop and smell the roses, a.k.a the star-studded cameos, don't mind diving into little back-stories, are happy to complete some side-quests, meet some loveable NPCs, giggle at some good old references, and could do with some Dad jokes sprinkled along the way, then "Chicken Nugget" might just be your favorite K-Drama of the year.

It's quite literally the most stress-free K-Drama you'll find!

Do you fall into any of these three categories? Did you watch "Chicken Nugget" on Netflix and enjoy it? Tell us on X!

You can watch "Chicken Nugget" here.