Two of the ongoing Korean dramas on weekend have two things in common. One is that they tell the stories of ordinary individuals as they go about their daily lives. Another is they are penned by award-winning screenwriters who were recognized at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards.
First of the two writers is Noh Hee-kyung, who won the Baeksang Arts Award for best screenplay in TV twice for “Lie” (1999) and “Dear My Friends” (2017). The latter also took home the best drama award.
Noh—who also wrote “Live,” “The Most Beautiful Goodbye,” and “It’s Okay, That’s Love”—is back with the new drama “Our Blues” that air on tvN every Saturday and Sunday.
With so many characters and storylines, “Our Blues” features a rare ensemble cast. The premiere week focuses on the characters played by Cha Seung-won (“A Korean Odyssey”) and Lee Jung-eun (“Law School”), but the drama also has Lee Byung-hun (“Mr. Sunshine”), Shin Min-ah (“Hometown Cha-cha-cha”), Han Ji-min (“One Spring Night”) and Kim Woo-bin (“Uncontrollably Fond”). All these big names portray characters living in Jeju Island who have their flaws and realistic stories to tell.
“My Liberation Notes,” the new weekend JTBC drama from writer Park Hae-young, is no different in terms of realistic depiction of relatable characters. It centers on three siblings—played by Lee Min-ki (“Oh! Master”), Kim Ji-won (“Arthdal Chronicles”), and Lee El (“When the Devil Calls Your Name”)—who struggle day by day and feel stuck in their exhausting, unremarkable lives.
Park previously wrote the IU starrer “My Mister,” which also won Best Screenplay and Best Drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2019. The series was also nominated for seven other awards including Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
“My Liberation Notes” and “Our Blues” both premiered on May 9 and so far the latter is winning in the ratings. The third episode of “Our Blues” achieved a 7.9% rating that translates to 1.97 million viewers, according to Nielsen Korea.
Despite airing at a later time slot, “My Liberation Notes’” latest episode recorded only 2.6% and pulled in 574,000 viewers, making it the least-watched primetime drama on April 16.
Both series are available for streaming on Netflix.
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