[2023 Year in Review] Aspect plots, supporting characters & spin-offs

[2023 Year in Review] Aspect plots, supporting characters & spin-offs

by Unit

I’m considerably of an Oliver Twist, so even after I spend 16 hours of my life on a drama, I generally nonetheless need extra. However I’m not simply pulling my greed out of nowhere. Some dramas are wealthy sufficient to have facet plots that intrigue me sufficient to wish to watch a fleshed-out model, whereas others are so unhealthy that in the event that they’d expounded on a portion of the plot and deserted others, the drama would have been higher for it.

Typically, I feel a deeper perception or a contemporary perspective on a few of the facet tales in dramas can be good to discover — which leads me to my 2023 prime six facet plots that I’d completely watch a spin-off of. Though with dramaland’s observe file of second seasons and spin-offs, I ponder if I’m jinxing these storylines by placing them on the market…

The star-crossed romance of Aeng-cho and Mu-jin (Destined With You)

I are typically cautious of the previous life plot in dramas, however Destined With You’ was surprisingly higher than I anticipated. It did its job and didn’t overstay its welcome — which is greater than I can say in regards to the previous life parts in different dramas. The previous life scenes in Destined With You captivated me with the cinematography (these snowy plains the place Aeng-cho breathed her final will at all times get me), the star-crossed romance, and most significantly, Aeng-cho herself.

Aeng-cho was a lot smarter, quick-witted, and undoubtedly extra compelling than her present-day reincarnation. And in the event you give me 16 episodes of the civil servant whose largest drawback was that nobody needs to eat together with her, I feel I deserve one other 16 (or 12) episodes of the “lowly” shaman who confronted the king on the danger of dying and ended up dying.

If there’s any subplot ripe for a spin-off, it’s the Joseon portion of Destined With You. It has all of the substances for an honest sageuk: childhood connection, forbidden romance, palace politics, noble idiocy, angst, you identify it! I wish to watch the total love story of Aeng-cho and Mu-jin in all its tear-jerking glory. However since I’m Crew Completely satisfied Endings, in my model of the spin-off, Aeng-cho will survive Mu-jin’s stabbing through a handy plot twist, they usually’ll stay fortunately ever after below new identities — and really distant from Hanyang.

CheongChan’s school life (Twinkling Watermelon)

Relating to Twinkling Watermelon, there’s a transparent separation of the timelines in my head. Grownup Yi-chan and Cheong-ah are technically the identical folks as highschool Yi-chan and Cheong-ah, however I see them as two totally different units of people. And whereas I do know marriage and youngsters have been of their future, I feel we deserved extra moments with the younger Cheongchan after they turned canon.

I like the drama to items and there’s not a lot I can complain about. However I used to be a bit bummed that we didn’t get to see Yi-chan navigating his deafness, Cheong-ah as a help system for him, and each of them exploring school collectively. I see potential within the school arc as a result of it was kinda like a factor within the drama already. Once we met Yi-chan, he had no school plans. He solely modified his thoughts in direction of the ending due to his grandmother and Eun-gyeol’s affect.

Then we noticed from his resume within the modified current timeline that Yi-chan went to the identical college as Cheong-ah. However final we noticed of Cheong-ah prior to now timeline, her dad mentioned she wasn’t returning to Korea — and he or she didn’t even know that Yi-chan had misplaced his listening to. So now I ponder. How did she discover out about his listening to loss? How did they find yourself going overseas collectively? What was their school life like? What was her dad’s response to all of this? So many questions that may solely be answered by a spin-off — as a result of this isn’t a narrative I wish to piece collectively in my head as a concept, it’s one thing I wish to see play out step-by-step.

The Maeng sisters’ story (The Matchmakers)

The Matchmakers is an incredible present with quite a lot of potential spin-off plots. And whereas I like Sam-soon-gu to items (and can completely watch a spin-off solely primarily based on them), I’m extra inclined to discover the story of the three “outdated maidens” of Joseon.

Ha-na, Du-ri, and Sam-soon are as totally different as could possibly be, however their sisterly bond is a delight to observe, and it’d be good to dive into their story. I wish to see how the sisters grew up with a father who liked being a scholar over being a household man, and a mom whose job was appeared down upon. I’m curious to see how the household dynamics modified when their mom went blind, and the way the expertise solid the sisters into being the characters they at present are.

After all, we can not go away their respective romantic companions out of the spin-off. However I mainly simply wish to see the Maeng sisters dwelling their finest lives as the celebrities of their very own present. I wish to see Ha-na being a wise and supportive crown princess (and finally queen), Du-ri increasing her needlework enterprise, and Sam-soon lastly releasing her romance novels below her personal identify. She nonetheless owes me that story in regards to the soldier and the feminine murderer, anyway.

Little miss Mo-rae (Castaway Diva)

Castaway Diva was the Search engine optimisation Mok-ha story — and rightly so (once we weren’t enjoying the Ki-ho guessing sport). But when there was one character who drew my consideration, it was lil miss second place: Eun Mo-rae. Whereas the drama (and Ran-joo unnie) set Mo-rae as much as be Mok-ha’s rival, I didn’t see her as that. All she did was enter the competitors as a fellow Ran-joo fan and place second. She didn’t ask for Mok-ha to be caught on the island and he or she undoubtedly didn’t power Ran-joo to signal her on as a substitute. In a approach, Mo-rae was a sufferer as a result of it appeared like Ran-joo resented and blamed her for Mok-ha’s predicament.

Alternative Diva My Mo-rae spin-off is the story of an idol fangirl who was thrilled to “win” a contest, solely to study — from her idol — that she was a substitute winner. We’ll see resentment construct as she goes from a wide-eyed trainee to an idol singer who battles with shallowness points. We’ll watch her grapple with the burden of “second place” and push herself to be the most effective — not for her sake, however to show some extent.

We’ll journey together with her as she pushes herself to the brink and finally involves the belief that she is certainly deserving of her place no matter who the unique winner of the competitors was. And no, she now not must spell the F phrase with peanut shells as a result of she is worthy. She is sufficient.

The untamed Wild Animal (The Heavenly Idol)

I wish to faux that this drama didn’t exist, however the extra I give it some thought, the extra it annoys me. How can we’ve a drama about an idol group and we barely received to see them idol-ing? There have been no outstanding songs, not sufficient stage performances, and undoubtedly not sufficient alternatives for Kim Min-kyu to indicate off his dimples. As an alternative we received an evil spirit chasing the male lead from heaven to earth, a multiverse of insanity, a bizarre cult, and a seaweed. Ugh!

I would like… no, I deserve a spin-off that options Wild Animal as simply that: a failing idol group that works its approach to success. Insert catchy songs, the shenanigans in a testosterone-filled dorm, the key courting lifetime of idols, and their journey to rank primary on the music charts. And if the spin-off insists on inserting a fantasy factor like within the unique, I can handle to incorporate the good-looking grim reaper moonlighting as their street supervisor. There! Doesn’t this sound significantly better than the idol drama we received?

The adventures of Kim Jae-won (Excellent Marriage Revenge)

This could be my favourite one but, as a result of it’s as unhinged because the thought course of behind it. Do I would like a spin-off in regards to the quiet secretary who was secretly plotting his boss’s downfall as a result of he believed she was chargeable for his father’s dying? No. However do I need it? Hell yeah!

Jae-won was conveniently hovering across the plot till he was activated to facet with the heroine, and that’s after I began to concentrate to him. After the makjang reveal that artist Solar Jin was his father, my curiosity in him reached an all-time excessive, and now I wish to watch the drama from his standpoint. I’m so interested by his pipeline from orphanage to secretary. Did he stalk Lee Jung-hye to know when she was hiring? How did he current himself on the interview that received him the job? Was it his in depth information about artist Solar Jin’s work? It will need to have damage to leverage on his daddy points to get the job.

What was it like working for the enemy? Did he spit in her espresso when nobody was wanting? Did he journey her over every now and then? Change her pizza order and blame it on the supply man? I wish to know, as a result of he completely offers off petty vibes behind the duvet of his glasses. And now that he’s the star of the present, we must always undoubtedly pair him with a pleasant girl who’s simply as in love with Solar Jin’s work as he’s. Possibly that good girl who dodged the Se-hyuk bullet will do if we don’t wish to supply a personality exterior the drama. Okay, I actually ought to cease theorizing at this level.

 
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