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.

Here are all the K-Drama ratings of March 2024.

 

Friday-Saturday-Sunday Ratings

Friday-Saturday-Sunday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" started on SBS on March 29th.

"Wonderful World" ratings increased and the drama reached 11.4% with its 9th episode which is one of the best ratings of MBC since 2020.

"Queen of Tears" ratings increased and reached 16.1% which is one of the best ratings of tvN.

"Beauty and Mr. Romantic" ratings were quite similar overall to last week.

"Hide" (Coupang Play web drama) ratings increased from last week.

"The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" started and its ratings decreased on its second day.

 

Wednesday-Thursday Ratings

Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

There is currently no Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas airing.

 

Monday-Tuesday Ratings

Monday-Tuesday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Wedding Impossible" ratings decreased from last week.

"Nothing Uncovered" (Monday drama) ratings decreased.

 

Friday-Saturday-Sunday Ratings

Friday-Saturday-Sunday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Beauty and Mr. Romantic", the new KBS weekend drama starring Ji HyunWoo and Im SooHyang started on March 23. "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" will start on SBS on March 29th.

"Hide" with Lee BoYoung and Lee MooSaeng is a Coupang Play web drama airing on JTBC as well.

"Flex X Cop" ended with 9.3%. The drama started at 5.7% and reached its best-ever ratings at 11.0% (8th episode).

"Wonderful World" ratings decreased. For information, the drama reached 9.9% with its 5th episode (March 15th) which is one of the best ratings of MBC since 2020.

"Queen of Tears" ratings increased and reached 14.1% which is one of the best ratings of tvN.

"Beauty and Mr. Romantic" started and its ratings increased on its second day.

"Hide" (Coupang Play web drama) started with around 4%.

 

Wednesday-Thursday Ratings

Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

There is currently no Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas airing.

 

Monday-Tuesday Ratings

Monday-Tuesday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Nothing Uncovered" with Kim HaNeul, Yeon WooJin, and Jang SeungJo started on KBS.

"Wedding Impossible" ratings decreased from last week.

"Nothing Uncovered" started and its ratings decreased on its second day.

 

Friday-Saturday-Sunday Ratings

Friday-Saturday-Sunday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Beauty and Mr. Romantic" is the next KBS weekend drama starring Ji HyunWoo and Im SooHyang to start on March 23. "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" will start on SBS on March 29th.

"Live Your Own Life" ended with 22.0%. Its ratings were quite similar to last week.

"Man and Woman" ended with 0.2%.

"Doctor Slump" ended and ratings were higher than last week. For information, the dramas reached 8.2% which is one of JTBC highest K-Drama ratings with its 10th episode and ended with 6.5%.

"Flex X Cop" ratings were lower than last week.

"Wonderful World" ratings significantly increased and reached 9.9% which is one of the best ratings of MBC since 2020.

"Queen of Tears" ratings doubled from last week and reached 13.0% which is one of the best ratings of tvN.

 

Wednesday-Thursday Ratings

Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

There is currently no Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas airing.

 

Monday-Tuesday Ratings

Monday-Tuesday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

On March 18th, "Let's Get Caught by the Neck" with Kim HaNeul, Yeon WooJin, and Jang SeungJo will start on KBS.

"Wedding Impossible" ratings decreased from last week.

 

Friday-Saturday-Sunday Ratings

Friday-Saturday-Sunday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

The awaited drama "Queen of Tears" starring Kim SooHyun and Kim JiWon started on tvN.

"Live Your Own Life" reached its best-ever ratings with 22.1% once again.

"Man and Woman" ratings increased from last week.

"Doctor Slump" ratings decreased from last week. For information, the dramas reach 8.2% which is one of JTBC highest K-Drama ratings with its 10th episode.

"Korea–Khitan War" ended and reached one of KBS best ratings since 2020 with 13.8% on its final episode (excluding weekend dramas).

"Flex X Cop" ratings were higher than last week.

"Wonderful World" ratings significantly increased and reached 8.0% which is one of the best ratings of MBC since 2020.

"Queen of Tears" started and rating significantly increased with its second episode.

 

Wednesday-Thursday Ratings

Wednesday-Thursday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Queen Of Divorce" ended with its highest ratings this week. For information, the drama started at 3.3%.

 

Monday-Tuesday Ratings

Monday-Tuesday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

On March 18th, "Let's Get Caught by the Neck" with Kim HaNeul, Yeon WooJin, and Jang SeungJo will start on KBS.

"Wedding Impossible" ratings were similar to last week overall.

 

Friday-Saturday-Sunday Ratings

Friday-Saturday-Sunday K-Dramas’ ratings are back!

"Wonderful World" started on MBC with Kim NamJoo and ASTRO's Cha EunWoo.

On March 9th, the awaited drama "Queen of Tears" starring Kim SooHyun and Kim JiWon will start on tvN.

"Live Your Own Life" reached its best-ever ratings with 22.1%.

"Captivating the King" ended this week and ratings were higher than last week. It reached its best-ever ratings with its final episode at 7.8%. The drama started at 4.0%.

"Man and Woman" ratings decreased from last week.

"Doctor Slump" ratings decreased from last week. For information, the dramas reach 8.2% which is one of JTBC highest K-Drama ratings with its 10th episode.

"Korea–Khitan War" reached one of KBS best ratings since 2020 with 12.9% on its 30th episode (excluding weekend dramas).

"Flex X Cop" ratings were lower than last week.

"Wonderful World" started and its ratings increased on its second day.

 

With all the amazing webtoons-based dramas that have been released in the past couple of years, we have only become more excited about upcoming K-Dramas linked with webtoons.

The webtoon "The Mermaid I Loved" is a special case because the story was first written as a script for a drama production. The drama production is on its way and the webtoon was pre-released. The drama's production company, Group Eight, thought that in releasing it first as a webtoon they could showcase some of the various deep sea adventures of the story and also help garner attention for the drama.

The romance fantasy adventure webtoon “The Mermaid I Loved” ("내가 사랑한 물고기," literal translation, “The Fish I Loved”), written by Cosmic Bom Bom and Bubal (우주봄봄 and 부발), tells the story of a man whose intermittent transformations into a mermaid become increasingly uncontrollable as he experiences the emotion of love and spends time with a woman who he finds himself more and more attracted to. The season 1 of the webtoon ended on March 13th with 31 episodes.

Given the webtoon’s popularity, Group Eight is looking forward the positive effect the webtoon will have on the upcoming drama’s viewership. They have built a solid portfolio with dramas based on webtoons like "Taxi Driver", "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" and "A Good Day To Be A Dog". Among their awaited projects is the reboot of the popular drama "Princess Hours" (2006).

Currently, there are no actors cast for “The Mermaid I Loved”. Fans of the webtoon are waiting for the announcement of the cast. We can already think of actors and actresses who would be perfect for the roles!

We at Kpopmap have thought up a cast of actors who would suit this drama amazingly.

 

1. Sim Kai (심카이), a mermaid and 3rd generation chaebol

Sim Kai is the lead male character. He discovered he was a mermaid 12 years ago and he pretends to be a human.

When he shares physical touch with a woman, his fish scales begin to appear and he transforms back into his mermaid form. Because of this, he avoids all contact with women and has been single his whole life.

But due to his handsome looks, he has a lot of girls chasing after him, so he hired YaNa to pretend to be his girlfriend. However, he can’t help himself from having physical contact with YaNa even if it means he won’t be able breathe.

Kai is the son of the jewelry brand Inoroo, or 3rd generation chaebol, but he is not interested in the family business and instead prefers performing as a mermaid at the aquarium.

The actor must possess features suitable for long hair and a muscular physique to be able to portray a mermaid. He should exude charm and look dazzling in a suit, while also being capable of conveying a mix of cynicism, cuteness, and panic in his expressions. Comfort with underwater filming is also mandatory.

Moon SangMin, WEi's Kim YoHan, Baek SungChul, Kim MyungSoo (INFINITE's L), and Chae JongHyeop could be a good match.

Not only would they look stunning with long hair and looks amazing in suits, but their facial features would perfectly match the character's. Beyond their physical attributes, all five actors possess the talent and ability to convey Kai through the right facial expressions. The genre of fantasy romance suits them impeccably. Each actor would bring their unique colors and charms to the character, making him stand out on screen. Additionally, we can anticipate excellent chemistry with the lead actress.

Vote for your pick in the poll below!

 

2. Jung YaNa (정야나), an easy-going part-time student

Jung YaNa (24 years old) is the lead female character. She is a student who works a part-time job and has an easy-going personality.

She accidentally kisses Kai when she meets him for the first time, and shocked to see him suddenly fall very sick, she calls the ambulance. She ends up more shocked when she sees him put his face into a dirty bucket of water used for cleaning.

The actress should possess a mix of cuteness and strength, capable of expressing a wide range of emotions, and especially comedy. The character experiences rapid and extreme changes in emotions, so the actress should be able to show these transitions convincingly. Additionally, she should look just like a regular student, but be able to become a stunning lady with expensive clothes.

Kang MinAh, WJSN's Bona (Kim JiYeon), Chae SooBin, Girl's Day's HyeRi, and Seor InA could be a good match.

All five actresses have demonstrated their talented acting and are well-suited for a character like YaNa. Each of them possesses the ability to portray the youthful, cute, and fiery vibes of the female lead character. Comedy and expressive acting would not be an issue for any of them, so it would be a smooth portrayal of the character without overdoing it and making viewers laugh. No need to mention that they would all bring great chemistry with the lead actor! Being a romance, it is crucial.

Vote for your pick in the poll below!

 

The webtoon is not available in English officially yet, but you can read it in Korean here.

Let us know who you want to see cast!

Note: The aim of the vote is for Kpopmap readers to share their opinion about their preference for the cast. It is not affecting the cast of the production team.