Descendants of the Sun

Descendants of the Sun directed by Kim Eun Sook and Kim Won Seok is a 2016 Korean Drama television series that centers around the romance between a charming captain of the Korean army Special Forces unit, Yoo Shi Jin, and ER doctor Kang Mo Yeon. The drama begins when the two characters cross paths and develop feelings for each other. Unlike many other Korean Drama series, the romance gets established early in the Korean drama, as early as in the first four episodes. However, the plot gets more dramatic as we see the moral dilemmas develop. The new relationship doesn’t last long since Kang Mo Yeon is rarely free since she basically lives in the hospital. Also, Captain Yoo Shi Jin is often sent on secret missions where he disappears without notice. On top of that, there is an obvious clash with their relationship dynamic. Kang Mo Yeon’s job is to save people while Yoo Si Jin’s job forces him to kill people and sometimes even use his own body as a shield or weapon during war. Eventually, the pair break up but fate reunites them when Kang Mo Yeon, along with several other humanitarian doctors, get sent on a medical service trip to the same place Yoo Shi Jin has been deployed: a fictional European country called Urk.

 From there, the plot gets packed with melodramatic situations as the two main leads reunite. Moral dilemmas, which have been established as a common aspect of the melodrama genre, arise amongst the characters. Some of the dilemmas they face are conflicts between job vs. romance, family vs. romance,  and ethics vs. politics. What makes this drama so unique and interesting to viewers is the unusual pairing of a soldier and doctor as the main leads. Also, the majority of the drama takes place in a military setting in a fictional Middle Eastern country, which also contributes a lot of action, special operations, an earthquake, and disasters amongst the complicated relationships. As one would expect of a Korean Drama, this drama does present a lot of heavy emotions from feeling happy to heartbroken. However, particularly with this drama, there’s also the constant pressure, vulnerability, and also fear that the characters have to face being in a war environment and under army regulations. Yet, there is a lot of humor and wit despite the dark background of the plot. This balance between lightheartedness and seriousness delivers an enticing melodramatic drama that either leaves viewers crying or on the edge of their seats at certain moments.

Descendants of Sun has been a major hit throughout Asia and several other countries around including United States. Its popularity has increased the fan base for Korean dramas. While this drama has not been the first war-related romantic drama, viewers had high expectations since its production. Why have Korean dramas continue to gain so much attention from its viewers? There are several reasons that I could think of. First, Korean dramas present a fresh programming that international audiences may not be used to, which makes it more exciting. Also, there could be a cultural appeal from the way that viewers can learn about different societal norms, Confucian values in friendships, love, and family relationships by watching the day-to-day lives of the characters. In this way, Korean dramas can easily draw in a universal audience, and when they combine these traditional values with Western values the appeal extends to a global audience. Another good reason I can think of is that Korean dramas, often consisting of 16-20 episodes (longer than a movie), can leave viewers emotionally invested. The viewers can resonate with the characters after going through all the ups and downs. With TV dramas, there are also cliffhangers and tension built up at nearly every end of an episode to keep the viewers coming back for more. As Korean dramas continue to expand its universal fan base, the dramas will continue to be available on free streaming websites such as viki or Drama Fever with fan-made subtitles.