K-drama Premieres: March 2020
A new month, and many new premieres! Are you anticipating spring, or looking forward to fall? Wherever you are, we wish you health and comfort in the midst of this scary global health crisis. On the bright side, if you stay indoors and watch dramas, you’ll probably be safe. (We are always looking for new ways to justify our addictions, am I right?)
1 | Nobody Knows / 아무도 모른다
Mar-02, Mon-Tue, 16 eps, SBS
Murder, mystery, thriller
Stars: Kim Seo-hyung, Ryu Duk-hwan, Park Hoon, Ahn Ji-ho
Synopsis: Cha Young-jin (Kim Seo-hyung) is a detective. She lost her friend 19 years ago to a serial killer. Cha Young Jin still carries guilt and trauma over the death of her friend. The serial killer case then begins again after 19 years. Cha Young-jin chases after the killer.
SKY Castle‘s Evil Coordi Kim Joo-young returns, but this time she’s the hero!
Screenwriter’s only other credit looks like a drama special back in 2015
PD’s last project was Falsify…
2 | Memorist / 메모리스트
Mar-11, Wed-Thu, 16 eps, tvN
Supernatural mystery thriller
Stars: Yoo Seung-ho, Lee Se-young
Synopsis: Detective Dong Baek has the supernatural ability to read people’s memories when he touches them. He loses his memory as he stumbles upon a mysterious case of serial murders.
Based on hit webtoon of the same name
Sounds like his last melo, Remember-Son’s War meets He Is Psychometric
It may be derivative BUT DO I (Saya) CARE?
You get points if you get the right answer to the above
3 | Hospital Playlist / 슬기로운 의사생활
Mar-12, Thu, 12 eps, tvN/Netflix
Life, Medical, Workplace, ensemble drama
Stars: Jo Jung-seok, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, Jeon Mi-do
Synopsis: Five doctors who all attended the same medical school are now friends and work together at the same hospital – a place known as the microcosm of life, where someone is being born and someone’s life ends. The five doctors are long time friends of 20 years who started their undergrad in 1999 in the same medical school, and now they are colleagues in the same hospital. The drama will also deal with a story of a band formed by the group of doctors.
Original title: Wise Doctor Life/Smart Doctor Living, from the same “franchise” as Smart Prison Living/Prison Playbook and the Reply series, helmed by same duo, PD Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung
Second season already confirmed for 2021 (a comment on MDL says it was planned to have 3 seasons from the start); the genre potentially suits multiple season format
Trailer is really good: https://youtu.be/xqIM2cenBAs
And a band! So JJS will sing!
4 | Kingdom 2 / 킹덤2
Mar-13, 6 eps, Friday (all eps), Netflix
Historical supernatural thriller
Stars: Joo Ji Hoon, Bae Doo Na, Ryu Seung Ryong, Kim Hye Joon
Synopsis: In S1, the Crown Prince of Joseon investigates a mysterious disease and uncovers a cruel truth which threatens the country.
S2: In an attempt to save the people during a plague, the crown prince Lee Chang returns to the palace to find the source of the disease and uncovers other secrets and plots within the palace.
Netflix Original, sequel to last year’s hit opener
Fully preproduced, with a third and final season still to come.
Both S1 and S2 originally planned 8 episodes, but cut to 6 as they went over budget. (and old news but remember Song Joong-ki turned down this role before it was offered to Joo Ji-hoon, lol now we are in a post-Arthdal world…)
Drama based on manhwa, Country of God (신의 나라).
5 | Rugal
Mar-16, Mon-Tue, 16 eps, OCN/Netflix
Sci-fi action crime thriller
Stars: Choi Jin Hyuk, Park Sung Woong, Jo Dong Hyuk
Synopsis: The story of a police officer (CJH) whose attempt to bring down a nationwide criminal organization ends up with him losing not only his beloved wife, but also both of his eyes and the person he once was.
He’s forced into becoming a murderer, and after he receives artificial eyes with unique abilities created by the special organization Rugal’s biotechnology, he sets himself on a mission to wipe out the criminal organization.
Based on the 2016 webcomic of the same name by Rilmae (릴매)
These posters are kickass!
Was this preproduced?
6 | Find Me in Your Memory /그 남자의 기억법
Mar-18, 32 eps, Wed-Thu, MBC
Romance, melodrama
Stars: Kim Dong-wook, Moon Ga-young
Synopsis: The story revolves around a man with hyperthymesia, a condition that gives him the ability to remember nearly every detail of his life, and a woman who has forgotten the most important moments of her life. The two people with similar scars fatefully cross paths one day and come to love each other.
Lee Jung-hoon is an anchor who is in charge of “News Live,” the No. 1 news station in Korea, and Yeo Ha-jin is an actress who has six years of acting experience but encounters endless controversies over her acting ability.
This is written by Kim Yoon-joo (Duel, 4-ep special Twenty Years Old), who was co-writer with Song Jae-jung on Queen In-hyun’s Man and Nine (after which SJJ went solo and her second half problems began)
So despite so-so plot synopsis, it might actually be alright
7 | 365: Repeat the Year / 365: 운명을 거스르는 1년
Mar-23, 24 (35 min) eps, Mon-Tue, MBC
Time-travel mystery crime thriller
Stars: Lee Joon-hyuk, Nam Ji-hyun, Yang Dong-geun
Synopsis: A story of ten people who get the chance to go back to one year ago and change their destiny, but unexpectedly mysterious situations start to arise and their fates are changed and twisted in the process.
Ji Hyung-jo (Lee Joon-hyuk) used to be part of the traffic police but was promoted 7 years ago when he arrested a wanted criminal. Shin Ga-yeon (Nam Ji-hyun) is a webtoon writer called “Hidden Killer”. She experiences a sudden incident.
Though Ji Hyung-jo is happy at first to have the chance to “reset” his life, he begins to search for the truth when a series of mysterious events befall the group of people he goes back in time with.
Adapted from Japanese novel “Repeat”
Rookie/nearly-rookie writers, but PD’s last project was Lucky Romance…
8 | A Piece of Your Mind / 반의반
Mar-23, 16 eps, Mon-Tue, tvN
Romance, comedy
Stars: Jung Hae-in, Chae Soo-bin, Lee Hana, Kim Sung-kyu
Synopsis: “A Piece of Your Mind” is a romance about an artificial intelligence (AI) programmer and classical recording engineer. It is a story told from the perspective of a man who believes that even a small fraction of his significant person’s heart is enough for him
Moon Ha-won (JHI) is an AI programmer who is the founder and brain of a portal site called M&H. Though he is firm about work, he is a kind-hearted rational thinker who never gets angry.
Han Seo-woo (CSB), a classical recording engineer. She always has an optimistic mindset despite her unstable lifestyle with no family or home, and she solves math problems to find comfort in difficult times.
Literal title is “half of a half”
PD Lee Sang-yeob of Familiar Wife, Shopping King Louie (and My Holo Love…he likes AI, huh?)
Writer’s last project was 2019 film Tune in for Love, where Jung Hae-in was also lead
Posters are quite whimsical, almost ethereal…seems more like a solid romance vibe than comedy
9 | Welcome / 어서와
Mar-25, Wed/Thu, 32 eps, KBS2
Fantasy romance comedy
Stars: L, Shin Ye-eun, Seo Ji-hoon
Synopsis: Hong Jo (L) is a cat who has mastered the art of transformation into human form. He wants to become human for his owner, and in order to stay by her side, he starts living a double life.
Kim Sol-ah (Shin Ye-eun) is an outgoing woman in her 20s, a graphics designer, who aspires to be a webcomic artist. She loves people and tries to protect the ones she loves. Hence, she attracts many cat-like people. Her father is like a Persian cat, her crush is like a Siamese cat, and others only make her worry and fuss. In the end, she brings Hong Jo home thinking he’s a cat but ends up in a completely different situation.
Also known as “Meow, the Secret Boy”, and formerly known as “Man Who Bakes Bread”
Based on 2009-2010 webtoon of the same name by Go Ah-ra (고아라).
Screenwriter Joo Hwa-mi also wrote Introverted Boss, Marriage Not Dating
I really like Shin Ye-eun (He Is Psychometric) and Seo Ji-hoon, and L is actually a decent actor these days so it doesn’t sound terrible even if it’s really…bizarre.
10 | The World of the Married / 부부의 세계
Mar-27, 16 eps, Fri-Sat, JTBC/Netflix
Melodrama
Stars: Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, Han So-hee, Park Sun-young
Synopsis: Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae) is a family medicine doctor. She is married to Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) and they have a son. She seems to have everything, including a successful career and a happy family, but she is betrayed by her husband and others.
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-oh dreams of becoming a famous movie director. He runs an entertainment business with the support of his wife Ji Sun-woo. Even though he loves his wife, Lee Tae-oh falls into a dangerous relationship.
Remake of the BBC One television series Doctor Foster
PD of Misty – this seems like a similar tone and genre
