Fantasy period dramas hottest TV genre

Park Bo-gum in “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” / Courtesy of KBS

Crown princes

make stories

more intriguing

By Park Jin-hai

The two hottest fantasy period dramas, “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” and “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” are heating up the local broadcasting industry, which has remained largely uneventful in the wake of the mega-hit drama “Descendants of the Sun” earlier this year.

Park Bo-gum, who plays the crown prince in “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” based on the eponymous web novel, is now at the center of media attention. The newly coined term “Bo-gum magic” has become popular among drama lovers, which means once you look at Park you cannot take your eyes off the star.

Park, who only began captivating fans with his most recent appearance in “Reply 1988” as the Go player Taek, had not been expected to soar to this much popularity, together with co-star Kim You-jung, who was better known as a child actress. Producer Kim Seong-yun had forecast an 8 percent viewership on average initially. But after three episodes, the drama’s viewership doubled, surpassing the 20 percent mark in just seven episodes.

Lee Joon-gi in “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” / Courtesy of SBS

KBS has the viewers’ attention with Park’s “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds,” rivaling broadcaster SBS which has star Lee Joon-gi of “Moon Lovers,” another much-publicized time-slip fantasy period drama.

Against the backdrop of the growing fandom for fusion period dramas, “Hwarang, the Beginning” and “Saimdang, the Herstory” are expected to join their ranks once they begin airing in December and January, respectively.

Fusion period dramas add contemporary touches to period settings, usually with a lighthearted story and casting of young actors.

They deal with historical facts in the big frame but are not exactly “historical,” since most parts are re-created with the magic of directors and screenwriters. The viewers have no emotional barriers to understand the situation that those characters of centuries ago faced. Scenes even feel like contemporary dramas.

“Saimdang, the Herstory,” featuring Lee Young-ae and Song Seung-hun, goes back and forth in time, while tvN’s “Bride of the Water God” tells the story of human beings and gods. “Hwarang, the Beginning” is about a group of elite youths growing up during the Silla Kingdom and “The King Loves” has a touch of melodrama, featuring Im Si-wan and Yoona of Girls’ Generation. SBS’s new fusion period drama set to star Joo Won is a romantic comedy drama based on Jun Ji-hyun’s megahit film “My Sassy Girlfriend.”

Fusion period dramas are popular among producers because they are often guaranteed a rather large nationwide audience of all ages. They are also intriguing for Chinese and Japanese fans following the successes of some period dramas, including “Heo Jun” (1999) and “Dae Jang Geum” (2003).

“Being able to cast young male actors usually in their late 20s and 30s makes it easier for producers to find investments for the drama,” said an official of a broadcaster.

From actor Kim Soo-hyun, whose popularity skyrocketed with his role of the Joseon crown prince in “Moon Embracing the Sun” which bagged an impressive viewership of 42.2 percent at the time, to actor Park of “Moonlight,” many more are lined up through the first half of next year. The crown princes of those dramas are leading the fantasy period drama boom.

Culture critics say the crown prince’s position, different from that of the king, makes the drama more dramatic and intriguing.

“Since they aren’t kings, they aren’t always strong and powerful. They have to watch over their political opponents threatening the throne and stand in a position where their legacy can be reduced to a tragedy in history at any moment. Their peculiar situation doubles the interest, encouraging viewers to easily emphasize with them,” said culture critic Kim Heon-sik. “Since they are young, they could become objects of romance in the palace, yet they are not strong enough to protect the women they love from the outside, faced with endless anguish.”