In a world where many Western television series welcome multiple seasons, K-Dramas are often wrapped up in at least 16 episodes, sometimes even more. And while daily dramas often sit at the cusp of 40+ episodes, they never crest over one singular season.
The Korean film industry followed this model for a long time, however, in recent years, the landscape of K-Dramas has greatly evolved with the roaring tide of the Hallyu wave. Following the globalization of Korean entertainment, production companies and film crews are starting to take a new approach, splitting one K-Drama into two different parts.
Now, before we explore the success of this new approach, let’s take a look at the evolution of the typical K-Drama.
One Story, One Season
SBS
There is no doubt that the main allure of K-Dramas is the fact that many end within one season. Working with this model for so long, film crews, writers, and directors understand what it takes to create a compelling K-Drama that audiences will love.
Within the first few episodes, they introduce the main characters, the core focus of the plot, and the looming obstacle that stands in the main characters’ way. Then over the course of the series, there’s internal struggles, a multitude of disagreements, and at times, heart-fluttering romance in between. But regardless of how many things happen over the course of a drama, viewers know that by the final episode, most, if not all, questions will be answered and any loose ends will be promptly tied up.
This tried and true formula has led dramas like “My Love From The Star”, “Secret Garden”, and “Coffee Prince” become shining examples of what a classic K-Drama should be. Many viewers will fondly remember committing 16+ hours of their time to these dramas without a second thought.
Multiple Seasons Approach
SBS / tvN
Although a majority of K-Dramas continued forward with its usual format, there has been a recent rise in multiple season shows. Some of these include “Uncanny Counter”, “The Penthouse: War In Life”, and “Taxi Driver”.
Despite not having a definitive end, these shows reached mass success from the public both locally and abroad, and as a result, fans were more than happy to hear of their renewal. These dramas kept viewers at the edge of their seats and by the time the final credits rolled, they were understandably asking for more.
Now, not all successful dramas end up having a second season, as highlighted by the many years of K-Drama history. But the ones that do usually receive thunderous applause from viewers that makes it difficult to not have a second, or even third, season.
Despite their obvious success, not everyone is on board for these changes. On forum sites like Reddit, many argue that multiple seasons take away the initial appeal K-Dramas had in the first place and the risk of leaving behind too many unanswered questions due to cancellations or other issues. While this might be true for some, many multiple season dramas are still able to properly close the door on the series, allowing fans to move onto the next big thing.
The Rise Of A New K-Drama Model
TVING
Seasons aside, there seems to be a new K-Drama model coming to light: one story, split into two parts.
This can be seen through the highly successful Netflix-produced “The Glory” and TVING’s “Death Game”. These shows contain the typical flow of the classic K-Drama model, however, the main difference is that they are split into two separate parts. In the case of “The Glory”, the first 8 episodes were released on December 30, 2022, while the final 8 were released on March 10.
Now, with a number of shows split up into two separate parts, there’s more shocking cliffhangers, more mysteries waiting to unfold, and more time to ruminate and fully digest the events of a drama. And while the wait between the first and second part isn’t nearly as long as a K-Drama with multiple seasons, a bit of patience is required to fully appreciate the entirety of a drama.
Of course, dedicated fans in addition to a great storyline will keep viewers excitedly waiting for part 2, and ultimately the conclusion of the drama, however, for more casual viewers, this might cause them to lose interest and move onto something else.
This newer model of K-Dramas will not please everyone, but it seems like it’s growing in popularity as more shows adopt its structure. Now comes the question: will it work? Outside of "The Glory", looking at the success of shows like "Island", "Duty After School", and etc., K-Dramas split into two separate parts continue to retain a majority of their viewers. However, there is the danger of waiting too long or going up against a surging series with high viewership. If these conditions are met, this might mark a significant fall in viewership compared to the first part of the series.
But as seen from these previous works, the right story, cast, and amount of hype make it possible to create a drama that many people will love and continue to support worldwide. In the end, this newer model of dramas is establishing a firm foothold in the scene, and there's no doubt we will see more of it.
Which K-Drama model do you prefer the most?
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