K-TRAUMA
When I first started watching K-dramas, one of the major reasons that drew me in was their happy endings. The guy might be an alien and the lady a star actress and yet they found a way to stay together. Whether they were gods or grim reapers, they found a way to make their love work, but then Korean writers were introduced to this tragedy called “realistic endings” and the world feel apart with the advent of Scarlet Heart Ryeo and a truckload of disasters.
You can trust Korean writers to take what they learn a little too far. They met the normal world of thrillers and have brought a wave load of tragedy into our little princess books. Sorrows and tears have now become the major theme of their dramas and they just love to watch us with our hearts beating out of our chests from the first episode.
Some people say its cathartic to watch other people’s trauma. Well then, this list is for you. To every man, his own. If you, like me, avoid high blood pressure, then this list is for specific times when you want to see how fast you heart can race. However, as funny as it seems, K-traumas, as I like to call them are so carefully interwoven that you keep watching each episode, even as you massage your heart that has beaten its way out of your chest in your palms.
Here are my top K-traumas to keep you on the edge of your seat.
1. All of us are dead.
The first time I mentioned this drama to a friend, her first reaction was adorable. “God forbid”, were her first words and while I agree, All of us are dead, is one to watch.
Students at a high school need to figure out a way out of a precarious situation as the world is hit by a zombie infestation. As with all life- or-death situation, the true human nature is revealed. The pushers, the pushed, the people who you just wish are turned into zombies already and the ones whose nature shine so bright, you understand why there is beauty in the world.
As all of us are dead continues, you come across some mutants that throws a major spiral in the turn of events and we can’t wait for Season 2.
2. Squid game
You know it, I know it, we all know it. Squid game took 2021 by storm. You may not have watched it but you saw your friends in green tracksuits and others in red hazmat suits and covered faces. That was our fate.
Why the writers took adorable children’s games to games of blood and tears is what I am yet to comprehend. The bloody war for 45.6billion Won was definitely not child’s play.
The whole journey was increasingly weird. In some games, our favourite players were eliminated one after the other and when Ali was eliminated in through Sang woo’s trickery, tears rolled down our cheeks as we rained abuses and insults on Sang Woo. When Sang Woo amidst all our prayers eventually eliminated himself, I am sorry to say but I felt no pity for him More like a feeling of this should have been done earlier. Eith er way, the winning was more for Gi Hun keeping his life than gaining the prize money weird as that may seem.
Ready for some of the saddest deaths laced with confusion, squid game is just right.
3. Night has come
This drama taught me that most of these writers probably didn’t have the best of childhood and schooling system because what is what is with turning childish games into crime scenes. In Night has come, the simple mafia game is turned into a blood bath.
Students are trapped during their school trip and forced day after day to select one individual as the mafia who eventually loses his/her life in the most gruesome manner possible. It seems a major part of every thriller is to bring out the most annoying of parts of individuals ever seen.
Whether this exercise was punishment enough or too much, is left for you to decide in Night has come.
4. Duty after school
As I said earlier, I have concluded that most thriller writers probably had terrible childhoods. First there was a zombie attack, then a cyber game attack and in this one we have carnivorous alien attacks.
The world is attacked by flesh-eating aliens and naive students in their penultimate year are drafted into the military to make up for the shortage of manpower. As if the fact that they are teenagers is not enough crime, they are teenagers with guns in their hands, with tongues sharper than their brains, still as daring.
The 2- season drama takes us on a roller coaster of emotions with each death laced with tears.
5. Pyramid Game
This drama takes the case of bullying up a notch. There is an entire stage set up for the sole act of bullying for the love of God. The bullied is decided by an application that conducts a mini popularity contest. It’s scary because the bullied face the dread and terror day after day and if their prayers are not answered remain in the same position for months un-end. This is until the sharp daughter of a military officer comes in and puts everyone in their place after she has had her fair share of settling in. This is one of the better ones on this list, since we all have to agree that man’s worst enemy is man not zombies, not aliens, not love of money even.
NB: I have to say I was impressed by Shin Seul-ki’s (from Singles Inferno) performance here.
Honourable mentions
6. The smile has left your eyes because why would a drama be so moody, creepy and devilish from scene 1 to the end with the most annoying male lead ever lived. This is no right romance.
7. Hell is other people because why would all your neighbours be dubious, creepy, shady characters.
8. The Red sleeve because in my opinion, no love is worth constricting the life of another until it leads to their death. I don’t care how much love it is. Once that happens, it becomes horror to me.
If you need horror to forget your own horror or need horror to avoid horror. I am here for you. As I said, whatever helps you sleep at night. Remember self-love is the true beginning of love even if you need thrillers to light the way.
ENJOY YOUR DAY TRULY.
