K-dramas that were successful internationally but went wrong in Korea

The popularity of k-dramas, the serial productions of South Korea, only increases! During the first half of last year, Netflix revealed in an engagement report that content in other languages ​​represented almost a third of all views on the streaming platform, with South Korean titles, such as “Queen of Tears”, accumulating 29 Millions of views, “Parasite: The Gray” 25 million, and “my favorite demon” reaching 18 million.

Still, some dramas that were very well accepted by subscribers around the world, did not have the same acclaim of the South Korean public, as revealed by the Koreaboo portal by listing the reasons why “okay not to be normal” and “The King Eternal “were unsuccessful in their country of origin.

1. “Okay not to be normal”

Starting with “Okay not being normal”, the production released in 2020 by TVN follows Ko Moon Young, character of SEO YE JIwhich is a children’s book writer who knows Moon Gang Tae, lived by Kim Soo Hyuna caregiver of people with mental illness after being by chance and discovering a way to healing and emotional overcoming.

The novel, which deals with matters related to mental health in an exciting and chemistry plot between the couple, was one of the most watched K-Dramas on the Netflix internationally-but in Korea, it aroused criticism due to the performance of Kim Soo Hyunwho returned the TV after a three-year break related to mandatory military enlistment for South Korean men. In the opinion of some netizens in the country, the actor did not convey emotions in a natural way.

In addition, there are also some controversies related to the content presented, as some do not consider this a good k-drama to see in family, just as there are discussions about possible non-consensual actions between the characters.

2. “The Eternal King”

Also in 2020, SBS transmitted “The Eternal King,” a plot that has the following synopsis on Netflix: “A Korean emperor goes through a mysterious portal and enters a parallel world where he knows a stubborn detective.”

In the cast there are names like Lee min ho, Hwan woo, Kim Go Eun, Kim Kyung Nam and Jung Eun Chae – which received criticism during the drama display for having an affair with the singer Jung Joon Ilthis being one of the possible reasons why the title has not become popular in South Korea.

Other reasons listed by Koreaboo include:

• Possible Japanese references: The relationship between South Korea and Japan is delicate due to actions taken during the Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945) and World War II (1939 −1945), so references to the Rising Sun Land They are often not well digested by the South Korean public. In the case of k-drama, possible allusions architecture and Japanese war ships were not seen as welcome by the public.
• The fantasy genre: The title mixes fiction with magical and supernatural elements, which does not please the South Korean audience that prefers more realistic topics.
• Excessive advertising: called Product Placement, this type of marketing suggests that advertising messages are subtly passed on to the public. However, there are complaints about the excessive use of this strategy, which would have disturbed the flow and immersion of history.