Currently Watching: My Mister
"Experimenting, succeeding, failing, and after succeeding, repetitively using that plot formula to the point where you just want to whack a book on your head" is the most standard rule in Korean dramaland. Recently, as all of you must have noticed, makers are trying to set a new tone to our dramas.
Now take a moment to close your eyes and recall dramas you might be currently watching. A confident female lead might come to your mind; some might be picturing a scenario with a middle class or even poor background while others might be imagining a practical male lead. And this is exactly what a Slice of Life Drama is meant to be.
I'm going to do an open-ended debate on the appeal of Slice of Life dramas versus that of other typical Korean dramas which I will refer to as Old School dramas. Arguments made in favor of Slice of Life will be in GREEN while those in favor of Old School dramas will be in RED. Understanding the appeal of various dramas will help us appreciate Slice of Life dramas more.
My three R's of Slice of Life: Real, Relatable, and Rational.
Case A: Plots and Cliches
"Steering away from cliches and predictable plots is necessarily a good thing."
Argument: Freedom of the Convict
Slice of Life dramas have taken the initiative to steer away from average cliches and predictable plots. I'm so glad producers have taken a step forward on letting loose the chains of our thinking boxes, breaking stereotypes, and not deciding on what's "ideal for us" and "likable by us." Our empowerment, by letting us delve into unpredictable plots, is the greatest attraction of all.
I like to think of humans as a fancy version of 'curious cats.' A fresh and innovative plot is always a welcome prey. It hasn't been long since the reign of balloon-headed jerks, crying damsels, and evil mommas, and I'd be more than happy to keep talking about it in a past tense.
Argument: The Convict's Paradise
Old School dramas made cliches a part of our essential vocabulary. I think it would be safe to say that if I read everyone's guilty pleasure list, cliches would be on most of them. Yes, cliches are 'old', 'overused', 'overdone'. But contrary to the common thought that cliches are in decline, I think over time they've gone through refinement. "Survival of the fittest," they say. There are some things you can never get bored of, like your favorite t-shirt or cliches, in my opinion.
Predictability doesn't make or break a drama. Rather than blaming cliches, I say that the producers should be responsible. A cliche is like rice. Have steamed rice morning, afternoon, and night, and you're bound to get bored. However, a bowl of fried rice is a mouthwatering sight. In this way, a drama that is "spiced" correctly by producers is nothing you'd want to miss.
Personal Verdict: Slice of Life
Case B: Nature of the Story's Elements
"Elements of reality are necessarily the greatest attraction in a drama."
Argument: The Superhero Theorem
As children, Superhero and Princess themes invaded our closets, bedrooms, clothes; even our cupcakes! Why? Because we liked them, because we were inspired by them, because we dreamed of being like them. Now we may not waste our money anymore on plastic jewelry and mini capes but we still continue to 'want', just differently.
Fantasy/unreal elements follow the same theorem. We all have crazy fetishes and silly wants that we may not express openly. And sometimes, Old School dramas let us live them at our own convenience, at our own will, on our own screens. Porn watchers also follow the same concept, although it's more of personal opinion.
Argument: The Grouping Theorem
Let's go back to elementary school. Imagine an activity has been decided in class and you have to form groups amongst your classmates by yourselves. Who will you form a group with? In the most probable situation, you're going to gang up with your friends and annoy your teacher to hell. But why just your friends? Because you understand them, can relate to them, and connect with them on an emotional level. And that's my theorem: Compatibility/Likability is directly proportional to the ability to emotionally connect or relate.
Slice of Life dramas' greatest attraction are their elements of reality to which we can relate and connect. But besides that, there's another more subtle reason for our interest.
Reality centers around society. Society is made of many different people with different opinions. Often, our instinctive dominating human nature doesn't let us appreciate others' views, even if the other might be similar to us. Elements of reality in Slice of Life dramas basically show us events that might happen in our own lives. But then these events are shown in different lights, with different approaches to the same situation. After all, each human is unique and has a unique approach to life. If this isn't fascinating, then I don't know what.
Personal Verdict: Tie between Slice of Life and Old School
Bonus: Audience Type
Personally, my grandmother, mother and I watch Old School dramas together. From this, I can conclude that Old School dramas cater to a larger audience as compared to Slice of Life dramas. Not many people are immune to hot guys and typical family plots. But despite a large audience, I find individual emotional investment is varying, from sometimes high to mediocre or just low.
Slice of Life dramas may have a more restricted audience. When they focus on reality elements, they can focus on only one aspect. For example, they might focus on issues middle-aged people face in their work and personal life. Now while this might attract the middle-aged community, it might exclude teenage viewers. A slightly smaller audience but a dedicated audience.
Personal Verdict: Old School dramas
All in all, Slice of Life dramas have finally overthrown the reign of Old School dramas and this has come as a welcome change for many, if not you.
Shout-out to readers: This is an amateur endeavor at attempting to contemplate the highly perplexing psychology of K-Drama viewers by a teenager. In short, please go easy on me in the comments.
Thank you for taking the time to read my ridiculously long article on what you already know!
