Female-Led Dramas Take Center Stage Over Romance
New Releases Starring Go Hyunjung, Lee Youngae, and Jun Jihyun Set for the Second Half of the Year
"I really want to work on a female-driven narrative."
This is a phrase that has been frequently heard among drama and film directors recently. Director Min Jinki, who was once called a pioneer of "military content" (a combination of military and content), has set aside his specialty of male camaraderie stories to direct "Salon de Holmes," a story about four middle-aged women chasing a criminal. This shift is because the standards for what is considered a "successful work" in the market have changed.
According to industry sources on August 26, the broadcasting industry and online video services (OTT) in the second half of this year are rolling out a series of dramas that put female narratives at the forefront. Moving away from the traditional formulas that relied on male-female romance and Cinderella-like fantasies, works centered on women's solidarity and independence have now become the main focus of programming. The common thread among new releases on major channels and platforms-such as Go Hyunjung's "Samagwi: The Murderer's Outing," Lee Youngae's "Eunsu's Good Day," and Jun Jihyun's "Polaris"-is that they are all "women's stories."
In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Samagwi," Go Hyunjung leads a revenge plot not as a victim, but as a serial killer. While tackling the familiar theme of revenge, the show removes the male-centered conflict structure and places the female perspective at the forefront. MBC's "Mary Kills People" is also a crime psychological drama that strengthens the female viewpoint.
Lee Youngae's return to KBS with "Eunsu's Good Day" breaks away from the narrative of middle-aged women confined to motherhood and sacrifice, instead depicting their personal daily lives and changes. The Disney+ espionage drama "Polaris," starring Jun Jihyun, portrays women not as passive beings enduring crises, but as protagonists who drive the events. tvN's "The Tyrant's Chef" combines cooking with a historical setting, presenting an independent female figure in the Joseon Dynasty. The character played by Yoona leads the story by using food as a weapon for survival and power.
Although these works differ in genre and subject matter, they share a common context in that they focus on women's voices, solidarity, and independence.
The trend is similar overseas. The globally popular Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" tells the story of the girl group "Huntrix," who are not only global stars but also demon hunters. The three members-Rumi, Mira, and Joy-share their wounds and anxieties, forming a strong bond. In particular, Rumi feels ashamed of her demon-like tattoo, but grows as she learns to accept her "difference." Director Maggie Kang, who helmed the project, described this as "a metaphor for coming out and facing one's own identity."
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" is not just a simple fantasy; it puts the solidarity and identity formation of its female characters at the forefront. The Guardian in the UK commented, "On the surface, it looks like a glamorous story about a K-pop girl group, but in reality, it is a clever work centered on a female-driven narrative," adding that "its structure, which subverts the formulas of the industry and genre, is a key factor in its popularity."
In the past, the genre that guaranteed stable success in the drama market was male-female romance. However, the main target audience-women aged 20 to 49-now resonates more with stories of growth and "solidarity" than with "romance." This is why production companies and platforms are strategically investing in content with female protagonists.
Popular culture critic Park Hyunmin analyzed, "Female-driven narratives have become not just an experiment in diversity, but a mainstream strategy that is actually changing the formula for success," adding, "Stories with female protagonists have proven that they can form sufficient connections with both domestic and international audiences." He went on to predict, "Going forward, there will be a virtuous cycle in which more opportunities and resources are invested in female creators and female-centered content throughout the entire production environment."
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