9 Upcoming Dramas Of Fall 2019 That You Should Be Waiting For

Is your K-Drama watchlist ready for the new load of upcoming dramas? Here are 9 upcoming dramas of fall 2019 that you should be waiting for.

Laure, Kpopmap Editor
6 min to read · Published : Aug 8, 2019

Marie Claire / tvN

Is your K-Drama watchlist ready for the new load of upcoming dramas? It should be because there are plenty of exciting dramas scheduled to air between the beginning of September and the end of December.

The lineup is full of promising dramas of all genres with more or less known actors and also with some based on webtoon and novel.

Here is a selection of 9 dramas that will air sometime soon in the last months of 2019. Which drama are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

1- "Arthdal Chronicles" Season 3

tvN

When: From Sep. 7

Cast: Song JoongKi, Kim JiWon, Jang DongGun, Kim OkVin

Summary: It tells the stories of various heroes writing different legends of the mystical and ancient country of Arthdal.

Why watch?: With the season 1 and 2, the drama has loyal viewers who are eagerly waiting for the season 3. The end of season 2 and little glimpse onto to season 3 left fans in suspense. The new upcoming season promises to be epic too.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

2- "A Day Found By Chance"

MBC

When: From September

Cast: Kim HyeYoon, SF9‘s RoWoon, APRIL‘s NaEun, Lee JaeWook, Kim YoungDae, Jung GunJoo, Lee TaeRi

Summary: It tells the story of a girl who realizes that she is a supporting character inside a romance manga named “Secret”. She tries to change the fixed story for her love and life.

Why watch?: The drama cast is composed of rising actors and that is one of its quality. Actors are also young to portray the sweet love story of high school students. The drama has elements of fantasy making it even more interesting. Moreover, its story based on a popular webtoon is already well-loved by many.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

3- "Melting Me Softly"

tvN

When: Second half of 2019

Cast: Ji ChangWook, Won JinAh, Golden Child’s Bomin

Summary: It tells the romance of a man and a woman who participated in a project of being frozen for 24 hours. Because of a mysterious reason, they only woke up 20 years later. There are side effects of this, to be able to survive they need to maintain an average body temperature of 31.5°C and have to control their burning heart.

Why watch?: The main reason is the return of Ji ChangWook to the small screen after his military service. The actor's perfect acting in this romantic comedy cannot be miss. The story sounds pretty interesting too.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

4- "Mung Bean Chronicles"

Dongah Company / E&Tstory Ent. / FANTAGIO / STX Lion Heart / J Wide Company / JSpictures / BF Ent. / Next Studio / JG company / Noon Company / Neos Entertainment

When: From Sep. 30

Cast: Kim SoHyun, Jang DongYoon, Kang TaeOh, and more

Summary: It tells the romance between a man who is disguising as a woman to infiltrate a community for widows and a girl that hates the idea of becoming a gisaeng.

Why watch?: It sounds like a fun romantic comedy set in Joseon with its own originality. This time, it is not a woman disguising as a man but the opposite! Moreover, Kim SoHyun in a historical drama is a must-see.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

5- “Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency”

JTBC

When: From September

Cast: Kim MinJae, Gong SeungYeon, Seo JiHoon, Park JiHoon, Byeon WooSeok

Summary: The king meets the Flower Crew – the best matchmakers agency in Joseon – to transform his first love from a poor background into a precious noblewoman. The king and the Flower Crew risk their lives to protect her.

Why watch?: If you miss the F4, this drama should be in your watchlist. This "Flower Crew" is composed of handsome actors ready to steal the viewers' heart. The love triangle between Kim MinJae, Gong SeungYeon, and Seo JiHoon also sounds already captivating.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

6- "My Country"

JTBC

When: From September

Cast: Yang SeJong, Woo DoHwan, AOA's SeolHyun, Jang Hyuk

Summary: The story is set in the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon Dynasty. It is an action historical drama telling the story of two men who are pointing their sword to each other for what they call "my country". They are driven by their desire for power and protection.

Why watch?: It is time for action in Goryeo dynasty. If you are missing some cool actions scenes with swords -by handsome actors-, this is for you. The drama sounds already epic. Moreover, the production team had a high budget for the show.

7- "Emergency Lands of Love"

VAST / MSteam Entertainment

When: From November

Cast: Son YeJin, Hyun Bin, Kim JungHyun, SeoJiHye

Summary: The absolute top secret love story of a chaebol heiress who made an emergency landing in North Korea because of a paragliding accident and a North Korean special officer who falls in love with her and who is hiding and protecting her.

Why watch?: The story might sounds cliche but it seems like a must-watch love story with action. The chemistry with the top actors Hyun Bin and Son YeJin sounds promising.

8- "People With Flaws"

COSMOPOLITAN / ZWC

When: From November

Cast: Oh YeonSeo, Ahn JaeHyun, Kim SeulGi

Summary: A romantic comedy about a woman who has an aversion for flower boys and a man who has an obsession with appearance as they overcome the prejudices against people with flaws.

Why watch?: The story seems engaging, promising, and funny. It looks like a must-watch.

9- "Vagabond"

When: From September

Cast: Lee SeungGi, Suzy, Shin SungRok

Summary: The story of an ordinary man who got involved in a case of a civilian plane crash. In the middle of a hidden truth, he tries to dig up a huge national corruption. It is the story of vagabonds who lost their family, affiliation, and name in a frank and extremely dangerous adventure to discover the truth.

Why watch?: It is clear that the drama is highly awaited among international viewers. Many cannot wait to see this action drama with high production cost acted by Lee SeungGi and Suzy. Moreover, many fans have been waiting for the reunion of the two actors that have previously acted together.

The drama is finally airing.

For more information, characters description, posters, and teaser you can check our cast and summary here.

Ji ChangWook

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KDRAMA STORIES

The Analysis Of Depression In Different K-Dramas: How Do They Portray It?

Depression has become a main theme for some K-Dramas but each have their own way of discussing such a hard topic. How do they do it?

Kianna, Staff Writer
5 min to read · Published : Apr 22, 2024

The Analysis Of Depression In Different K-Dramas: How Do They Portray It?

Wavve / JTBC / Netflix

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.