The Secret Element to Popular Dramas is 'Mystery'

With the wide variety of genres in Korean drama, it seems as if the main ingredient to success is adding a touch of mystery.  Recently, the similarities between beloved Korean dramas seem to be that mystery probes the minds of drama viewers.

SBS‘ “Man from the Star” is gaining immense popularity not only because of the star studded cast, but also because of the fun in untangling the mysteries surrounding the characters. As the drama follows Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), an alien who crash landed on Earth 400 years ago, the mysteries surrounding the identity of Chan Song (Jeon Ji Hyun), the death of actress Han Yoo Ra (Yoo In Young), and the relevance with sociopath Lee Jae Kyung (Shin Sung Rok) is thrilling and addicting.

In tvN‘s “Let’s Eat,” the drama follows Lee Soo Kyung and the mysteries surrounding the violence that have occurred in her neighborhood. The effects of the violence to those surrounding her cause Lee Soo Kyung to chase after the culprit behind the mysterious attacks.

Furthermore, tvN’s daily sitcom, “Potato Star” also follows a theme of an alien planet adjusting to life on Earth. Yet, the mystery that clouds the alien population is that of the bizarre accident of toy company CEO Min Hyuk (Go Kyung Pyo) that caused him to have a mental state of a seven year old. The producer of “Potato Star,” Kim Young Gyu, expressed, “The sitcom shows a different aspect in the story line that will make people curious and anxious throughout the progress of the plot. The element of mystery will make people focus on the drama, to the point where until the outcome of the story is told, people won’t be able to turn away. Currently the drama is showing the trend of how mystery captures the attention and focus of viewers, and the mystery plot carries along the story”

As mystery seems to be the special element that stirs success in today’s Korean drama, viewers can all agree that once you start watching these types of drama, you need to find out the endings. Are you watching any of these dramas? What other mystery dramas do you watch?