Kdrama Posters: The Message They Didn't Mean to Send

One of the reasons we wrote some of our recommendations posts is that it can be really difficult to sift through all of the dramas out there to find one you really love.  While I usually rely on reviews from bloggers who seem to match my tastes to help direct me to new dramas, I have to admit that I'm also really heavily swayed by advertising.  A great drama poster can push a show to the front of the line, while a ridiculous one can sometimes prevent me from starting something I might otherwise really enjoy.  Sometimes, the posters are so random or poorly planned that I have to wonder what advertising executive signed off on it in the first place.

With that in mind, here are some of my favorite random kdrama posters:

1. Shark

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What it should be about: A man with some sort of brain injury is very sad, so a nice lady lets him drool on her breasts for comfort. Then she is also sad.  They are both very, very sad.

I have seen this picture popping up all over Pinterest, but I just can't get past this poster to give it a real chance. 


What it's actually about: (from Wikipedia): "Han Yi-soo (Kim Nam-gil) narrowly escapes death and loses his father because of the owners of Gaya Hotel Group, the family of Jo Hae-woo (Son Ye-jin), his first love... 12 years later he returns to Korea with a new identity and carefully plots to avenge his family."

So at least I was right about the sad part.  Good job, advertisers!


2. Twelve Men in a Year

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What it should be about: With the help of a gigantic book/magic carpet, Cupid helps a sassy Korean girl discover the wonderful world of reading!

According to the movie poster, this show should be something like Wishbone, just more Korean.  And maybe with a love story. Now that I mention it, that sounds like an awesome premise for a show!  And probably better than the actual premise, which I quit after one episode.

What it's actually about: (from Dramawiki): "Na Miru, a twenty-nine old woman, starts a dating column and dates twelve men for each astrological sign in the calendar."

3. Full House, Take 2

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What it should be about:  A cross-dressing Golden Girls impersonator is torn between his split personalities: a nice college student named "Danny" and a rich, permed playboy named "Alfonso."

What it's actually about: (from Drama wiki) "This series pivots around a hapkido teacher Jang Man-ok (Hwang Jung Eum) becoming a stylist of top idol group TAKE ONE, composed of the perfectionist Lee Tae Ik (No Min Woo) and a free yet kind guy named Won Kang Hwi (Park Ki Woong) and getting into a romantic relationship with them."

Sooooooooo, that lady in the middle gets to be the stylist?  Somehow, that doesn't sell me on the show.


4. Secret Garden

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What it should be about: A Korean businessman almost dies and wakes up as Mary Poppins.  He falls in love with his "charge," and they use his new powers to fly to Bavaria!

What it's actually about: (from Wikipedia) "The drama tells the story of love story between Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won) and Kim Joo-won (Hyun Bin). Gil Ra-im is a poor but proud stunt woman who has supported herself since her father's death. Joo-won is an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection. . . . A strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies."

5. You're Beautiful

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What it should be about:  A ragtag gang of angels kidnap a grumpy man.  They teach him all kinds of useful things, like how to shoot lasers out of his hands and that he shouldn't wear tunics over suits.  He returns to earth a better man.

What it's actually about: (from Wikipedia) "Go Mi Nyu (Park Shin-hye) is a sister-in-training. Her twin brother, Go Mi Nam successfully auditions for the musical band A.N.JELL but is forced to leave for the  United States to correct a botched plastic surgery. Mi Nyu is approached by Mi Nam's manager to pose as Mi Nam while he recovers. . . . Mi Nyu enters the group A.N.JELL and meets its members: Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Keun-suk), Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong-hwa) and Jeremy (Lee Hongki)."

This is another case of a series that would have been better off just following the poster instead.

Which K-drama advertisements have left you scratching your head?