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5 Post-Military K-Drama Comebacks Viewers Hated (But I Love)

As a fellow K-Drama enthusiast, you're likely familiar with the bittersweet moment when your beloved actor embarks on their compulsory military service. However, the journey to stage a comeback post-discharge can be quite daunting. The fear of fading from fans' memories during the nearly two-year hiatus looms large. Meeting fan expectations and adapting to the ever-evolving trends in the dynamic Korean entertainment industry adds another layer of challenge to resuming one's career where it left off. It's undoubtedly a demanding endeavor.


In the following list, I explore five K-Dramas that attempted to reintroduce actors after military service but struggled to secure the audience's embrace.

 

“Hyde, Jekyll, Me” - Hyun Bin


“Hyde Jekyll, Me” is a romantic drama that follows the life of a man with a dissociative identity disorder. From bad scriptwriting and unrealistic scenarios to lackluster acting and an average soundtrack, Hyun Bin fans were left deeply disappointed in his first project back. It went largely unnoticed by viewers due to the popularity of “Kill Me, Heal Me,” which not only had a similar concept but was airing in tandem with this show. It also didn’t help that the writer of “Hyde, Jekyll, Me” accused the writer of “Kill Me, Heal Me” of plagiarism on Twitter shortly after the shows started airing, adding more fuel to the fire.



Why I liked it: “Hyde, Jekyll, Me” was Hyun Bin’s first K-Drama in almost five years, which gave him the chance to distance himself from the cringe-worthy drama themes of the late 2000s and early 2010s. The tempo and general themes throughout the drama were always adapting, going from serious and slow to warm and happy, which kept the drama from being predictable. Lastly, it was based on a webtoon, it included fun comic book-style moments, including freeze frames, quotes, excerpts, and more to complement the episode.



“Melting My Softly” - Ji Chang Wook

For all the potential that “Melting Me Softly” offered in original content themes, it failed to be anything other than over-the-top. The humor was obnoxious, the romantic chemistry between the leads felt awkwardly forced, and the whole story felt underdeveloped - leaving the expectations of loyal Ji Chang Wook fans severely unmet. Plus, when compared to other dramas airing at the same time slot, “Melting Me Softly” really isn’t anything too special to capture viewers' attention.



Why I liked it: This drama is a lightweight romance that breaks the usual K-Drama stereotypes about non-consensual romance. We saw a gentler, more sensitive side to Ji Chang Wook than in previous K-Dramas, which were heavy on action. He effortlessly conveyed his emotions and feelings with sincerity to the point that I wanted to cry, scream, or tell him it was okay.


“Born Again” - Lee Soo Hyuk

“Born Again'' is a romantic melodrama that tells the story of a woman and two men who become involved in various periods by reincarnation and fate. While the drama started with a bang, it failed to keep viewers interested after the first few episodes. The storyline deteriorated as the timeline moved from the 1980s to the present day and gave way to plot twists and turns that didn’t make sense. For all the good acting and character development, the female lead was a bust. She was inconsistent, made little sense, and would have been more interesting without the romance element.



Why I liked it: “Born Again” has a strong emotional pull that takes you on a rollercoaster ride throughout. The story is addictive, refreshing, and dark but not violent. The character development is well-timed, and the love triangle takes you on a yo-yo of emotions where, one minute, you’re shipping one couple, and the next, it’s reversed. Lastly, you can see how much effort Lee Soo Hyuk put in. You can tell he gave 110% to his comeback and goes above and beyond to prove he deserves the actor title, not the former model-turned-actor title he had before.



“The King: Eternal Monarch” - Lee Min Ho

From big-name leads like Lee Min Ho and Kim Go-Eun to blockbuster writer Kim Eun-sook, “The King: Eternal Monarch” had quite a few things going for it before its debut, so why was it received so poorly? The storyline and pacing left much to be desired, including no build-up to the romance, lack of world-building between the two parallel universes, too many side characters with little to no development, and the main villain being too much of an afterthought, to name a few.



Why I liked it: Whether he’s fighting to protect the ones he loves or crossing the universe to get the girl, Lee Min Ho does a great job at embodying every girl’s damsel in distress fantasy - it also doesn’t hurt he dons a Navy dress uniform at one point. The cinematography of “The King: Eternal Monarch” is truly a fantasy drama. Each scene has such detail of colors and grandeur that it feels like a big-budget movie.



“Lovestruck in the City” - Kim Min Seok

Currently airing, this romance comedy mockumentary depicts the "real" stories of six young people tackling love and relationships from their viewpoints. Viewers have already begun to express various issues with “Lovestruck in the City,” including unfamiliar storytelling mechanisms, the overuse of monologues, the frustratingly slow pace, and the weird after-credits scenes that make no sense to the main story. At its current pace, it feels like this drama will be wrapped up haphazardly at best.



Why I liked it: This drama strays away from the traditional K-drama format and is a little more experimental, leaning into a more Western storytelling approach that exhibits a combination of multiple genres and subject matters (some of which are very mature). The chemistry between the characters and their intertwined relationships feels natural and realistic, that it has you cheering for the reunion of the main characters. As a supporting lead, Kim Min Seok is everything you’d expect him to be. Funny, honest, and loyal to a fault that leaves you wanting more.

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