Is The Shorter Limited Series Format Better For The K-Drama Genre Than The Standard 16 Episodes Format?

The perfect K-Drama length has been a debate as old as time for any K-Drama lover. Whilst K-Dramas have been known for having a standard 16 episodes (depending on the genre), in recent years we've seen more and more changes to K-Drama lengths and formats. We've especially seen the commonly Western limited series format being adopted by more K-Dramas. Regardless of the format, they all raise similar questions. Is this the most effective way to tell this story? Have the characters been developed enough? Was this storyline element necessary to the plot? These are some of the questions that we'll be investigating today as we compare the limited series format in K-Dramas versus the typical K-Drama format that we've all grown familiar with. What's your take on the matter? Make sure to let us know in the comments at the end of the article. What is a 'Limited Series' Format in Comparison to the Average K-Drama Length? The Average K-Drama Length The average K-Drama and the series length that most K-Drama viewers are familiar with is a 16-episode series. In most cases, K-Dramas consist of a single 16-episode season in which one can watch an entire story play out from start to finish. These would be K-Dramas like "True Beauty", "Crash Landing On You", "Twenty-Five Twenty-One", and more. There are, of course, many exceptions to that rule. For example, there are several K-Dramas with multiple seasons. This year, as well, there are plenty of K-Dramas that will release sequels in the forms of second and third seasons. For a comprehensive list of 2023 K-Dramas that will have a sequel check out this article. Recently, there has also been a trend of dividing a 16-episode K-Drama into two parts. For example, most recently the "The Glory" franchise divided the series into two parts of 8 episodes each, making 16 episodes in total over two seasons. With a short break in between, they were able to build suspense for viewers who were looking forward to finding out the conclusion of the story. This also helped keep audiences engaged in each episode and thus season, instead of overwhelming them with too many episodes all at once or even making them lose interest in tuning into the episodes over the period of a month or so. There's also the exception of K-Dramas which have 12 episodes (less than usual) or 20 episodes (more than usual), these seem to be becoming more and more common formats these days, too. Some would even argue that the 12-episode format is the better format as it gets rid of any unnecessary plot elements and makes room for fulfilled and complete storytelling. More on the advantages and disadvantages of different K-Drama lengths later in the article! The Netflix Definition of a 'Limited Series' Whilst K-Dramas have always been considered short format in terms of television series. Netflix has reinvented the definition of short with the advent of limited series. According to Netflix, a limited series is a show that has a self-contained story and a predetermined number of episodes. Unlike a regular series, which can be renewed for multiple seasons, a limited series is designed to be a one-time event with a definitive end. The purpose of a limited series is to tell a complete story in a short amount of time, without the need for ongoing storylines or open-ended plot threads. You could argue that a standard 16-episode K-Drama is also a limited series. In some cases, however, a limited series may also be referred to as a 'mini-series'. The exact number of episodes in a limited series can vary, but it is typically between 4 and 10 episodes. This is still shorter than the average K-Drama which could be between 12-20 episodes long. Some classic examples of Netflix's Western shows with fewer episodes include "The Queen's Gambit" (7 episodes), "Maid" (10 episodes), and "From Scratch" (8 episodes). Some K-Drama examples that could fall into this definition include "Love to Hate You" (10 episodes), "Remarriage and Desires" (8 episodes), "My Name" (8 episodes), "Squid Game" (9 episodes), "The Silent Sea" (8 episodes), and more. One of the examples that we mentioned above, "Squid Game", is set to have a season 2 in 2023. The rest of the examples are singular season series.* Advantages vs. Disadvantages of Watching Limited K-Drama Series Advantages of Watching K-Dramas with a Limited Series Format There are plus sides and downsides to anything in life, even the length of a K-Drama. In most cases, limited series are praised for their efficiency. You can get more bang for your buck as the limited amount of episodes makes for compact storytelling. As there is limited time, the series can become more focused and concise without unnecessary fillers that take away from or don't add anything to the plot. Limited K-Drama series also leaves less room for confusing and convoluted plots as the directors and screenwriters are forced to get to the point. This might be done through fewer characters or even fewer sub-plots. Additionally, the budget of the drama can be used better if there are fewer episodes to produce. With fewer episodes to produce, the production value of each episode can often be higher. This can mean more impressive sets, special effects, and more time for the cast and crew to get things just right. For example, "Love Alarm" earned a lot of praise for its high-quality cinematography and graphics that enhanced the drama's visuals. Arguably one of the biggest drawcards of limited K-Drama series is that you'll have to either wait less time to finish the entire drama or you might even be able to watch it all in one big happy binge session, depending on how the drama is released. Of course, this is a rather subjective point as some K-Drama fans may not like the idea of getting into a K-Drama slump at an accelerated speed after finishing a good K-Drama too quickly. It's a glass half-full, glass half-empty situation. For example, "Love to Hate You" made for one of the best K-Drama viewing experiences of 2023 so far. The drama's length felt perfect and there was no need to add or subtract any number of episodes. Each of the characters (even the support roles) was well-developed and had complete character arcs. There were no loose ends or unresolved issues either. This goes to show how succinct and impactful storytelling can improve the quality of a drama. Disadvantages of Watching K-Dramas with a Limited Series Format We've touched on some of the disadvantages of limited series in K-Dramas above. Let's take a deeper look at them. As much as having fewer episodes may force the production crew to create a more concise drama, sometimes the lack of episodes works against them. Sometimes the lack of time in a series means that characters are left underdeveloped. There might not be time to flesh out their backstories or even develop their character arcs. This may lead to a lot of flat characters. The same logic can be used for the motivation/justification of the plot or character motives. For example, the K-Drama "Remarriage and Desires", unlike the name, left much to be desired by the end of the series. It felt as if the characters and their motives were underdeveloped and thus felt like the story lacked a driving force. Had the drama had more episodes and had the breathing room to explore the characters and their character arcs more, then perhaps the viewing experience would be different. At the same time, if the production crew tries to overcompensate for the lack of episodes by adding too many elements into the story, the K-Drama might turn out to feel rushed with unresolved issues and details glossed over. Again, these advantages and disadvantages just depend on the way you look at things and one's personal preferences. These are just a few of the factors to keep in consideration when debating the length of K-Dramas and their effect on the narrative. What do you think about the limited series format being used for K-Dramas? Do you think it suits the K-Drama genre or would you prefer the original format? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.