And no, we are not complaining. But there are some dramas that show life a little too closely, and brutally at that. They focus on the factor that rules in reality; money. Money determines one’s status and value in society. It is more than just living in comfort, but rather becomes an identity. And it is because of money that the society is divided into classes. Here are the top 3 K-Dramas of 2022, focuse on the divisions in society.
1. “Little Women”
The mega-hit drama caught everyone’s attention. “Little Women” tells the story of three sisters, InJoo (Kim GoEun), InHyuk (Nam JiHyun) and InHye (Park JiHu), who were raised in poverty. The three find themselves trampled in a situation where they have to fight against the most powerful family in South Korea. Being raised in poverty, the three sisters struggle to make their way into society. The drama centralizes the power and darkness behind wealth. It declares that money is the most powerful. It determines one’s happiness, self-worth and power that can make one do anything for it. The world of “Little Women” revolves around money. It shows the dark side of the world and how money rules over everyone. InJoo is the most ambitious one of the three. She dreams of getting married to a rich man and even did once, but he turned out to be a con. InJoo is also treated as an outcast at her place because she wears cheap copies of brands and doesn’t have enough money to meddle with others. So when the opportunity arrives at her doorstep, or shall we say, in the locker. She cannot resist the temptations. Even though she had always wondered what she would do with 200 million won, but when she got them. InJoo ends up buying minute, useless things instead. She also puts her life at risk to get 70 billion won in Singapore. Even so, “Little Women” does give importance to love. The eldest two feel like it is their responsibility to protect their maknae. They saved up so they could send her on the trip to Europe. Despite their efforts, Oh InHye still feels inferior and when Parks gives her affection, she gives in immediately.
2. “The Golden Spoon”
“Golden Spoon” tells the story of Lee SuengCheon (BTOB’s SungJae), a high school student from a poor family. He hates the fact that he is poor and wishes to change it. One day, an old woman offers him a gold spoon that could change his life. SuengCheon jumps on the opportunity and it really happens. He begins to live with his rich friend, Hwang TaeYoung (Lee JongWon), and is able to eat 3 meals a day. Fans expected it to be a light-hearted drama but it managed to touch their hearts. Yook SungJae perfectly depicts the reality of a poor child, and the doom they have upon them. The drama clearly classifies in the society into two classes, those born rich are the ‘golden spoon’ and the ones that are poor are the ‘dirt spoon’. SeungCheon looses his family and his friend, who commit suicide because of mounting debt. Like “Little Women” where the Oh family lose a daughter because they couldn’t take her to the hospital on time. Here too, loss of money becomes the cause of death. SungCheon is forced to live with his head down. His decision to take the golden spoon is due to the pressure of social status and things to change overnight for him, but at the cost of his freedom.
3. “One Dollar Lawyer”
“One Dollar Lawyer” tells the aspiring tale of Cheon JiHoon (NamKoong Min), a lawyer who charges only one dollar from his clients to fight against rich oppressor’s. He is the Sherlock Holmes of Korea as he fights sharply and is one of the most skilled lawyers. The show kept a sense of humor, but nonetheless, it did not falter from its main moral. The show also marks the inequalities and divisions in society. These dramas don’t necessarily isolate the concept of love or its impact, but it also represents the pattern of society. How powerful money is. Which one is your favorite drama?
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