Multigenre dramas dominate small screen as viewers seek deeper storytelling
by KoreaJoongAngDaily
A scene from the Netflix original series “If Wishes Could Kill,” released April 24. The series follows high school students who face death after making playful wishes on an app called Girigo that grants wishes. [NETFLIX]
Korean dramas are getting more crowded — in a good way. Instead of sticking to one or two familiar genres in one show, a growing number of new series are packing in horror, romance, action, mystery and more all at once in a bid to keep viewers hooked.
The shift, visible across both streaming originals and traditional TV series, reflects a broader industry push to satisfy audiences who increasingly want several kinds of entertainment from a single title. But critics say the formula works only when the mix is carefully controlled — done well, it creates a hit; done badly, it becomes an experiment.
Recent examples now airing on streaming platforms and TV channels show how far the trend has gone. The Netflix original series "If Wishes Could Kill" revolves around a cursed app that grants wishes, while "The Scarecrow" follows a detective in 2019 tracking a serial murder case from the 1980s. The Disney+ series "Gold Land" features a customs officer attempting to make off with gold bars worth 150 billion won ($103 million).
From top, Kang Mina, Jeon So-young, Hyun Woo-seok and Baek Sun-ho, from the Netflix original series “If Wishes Could Kill,” released April 24. The series follows high school students who are warned of death after making playful wishes on an app called Girigo that grants wishes. [NETFLIX]
In the past, series were traditionally built around a single genre, whether that be a romance drama, an action drama and a sageuk, or a Korean historical drama. But starting with shows like “Kingdom” (2019-21) and "Squid Game" (2021-25), an increasing number of series have begun mixing multiple genres into one production. "Kingdom" blended sageuk with zombie horror, while “Squid Game” was a psychological thriller survival story.
Released in full on April 24, the eight-episode series "If Wishes Could Kill" is perhaps the clearest example of this growing multigenre trend.
The series follows a group of high school students struggling after being warned of impending death because of a curse tied to an app that grants wishes. As the premise suggests, it combines school drama and horror. It then adds action through the help of a shaman, while episodes unraveling the background of the curse also take on the attributes of a human drama.
Shamanistic elements featured in “If Wishes Could Kill″ are seen in this still photo. From left, Noh Jae-won, Jeon So-young and Jeon So-nee. [NETFLIX]
The performances of rising actors Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok and Lee Hyo-je drew praise as being fresh, while the shamanistic elements that appear as the students try to lift the curse prompted social media reactions comparing the series’ polish to that of the hit film “Exhuma” (2024).
The show stayed on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list for about two weeks after release and held the No. 1 spot in Korea’s Top 10 series from its release through May 5, according to FlixPatrol.
“Gold Land,” which released its first episode on April 29, tells the story of a protagonist who comes into possession of gold bars belonging to a smuggling ring and tries to survive amid greed and betrayal in an attempt to keep all the gold. The drama unfolds through a blend of drama, romance, noir and action. The finale of the 10-episode series will be released on May 27.
“Gold Land” drew attention by casting popular actor Park Bo-young in her first action noir and thriller series.
It also made the series easier to follow by beginning with the story of the lead couple before moving into the larger criminal mystery. Since its release, it has held the No. 1 spot among Disney+ Korea’s Top 10 TV shows on May 6, according to FlixPatrol.
A still from the Disney+ series “Gold Land,” which has been streaming since April 29. The series is drawing attention as Park Bo-young’s first foray into the genre. [THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]
The rise of mixed-genre works is not limited to streaming services' originals. As production companies increasingly place the same dramas on both TV and streaming platforms, the multigenre pattern has become a broader trend across the industry.
A representative example is “The Scarecrow,” produced by KT Studio Genie and released simultaneously on ENA and Tving platforms beginning April 20. The drama takes the Lee Choon-jae serial murder case that happened between 1986 and 1991 as its subject and borrows the narrative structure of a typical crime investigation drama, using a case already widely exposed in the media.
A scene from the drama “The Scarecrow,” produced by KT StudioGenie and currently airing on ENA and Tving. The period crime drama is inspired by the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case. From left are Lee Hee-jun as prosecutor Cha Si-young and Park Hae-soo as detective Kang Tae-joo. [KT STUDIO GENIE]
But it distinguishes itself through a concept that moves between the 1980s and the 2010s, and through a relationship in which two protagonists who had once been perpetrator and victim during their school years reunite as a prosecutor and detective assigned to the same case.
“We combined a psychological thriller that moves between conflict and cooperation centered on the protagonists with the historical backdrop of the 1980s to give the work a depth that sets it apart from others,” said a spokesperson for KT Studio Genie. “From the production side as well, we put a great deal of effort into carefully designing its complex genre characteristics.”
The show has been gaining momentum through word-of-mouth as a “well-made multigenre drama,” rising from a 2.9 percent viewership for its first episode to 7.4 percent for the sixth episode, which aired May 5, according to Nielsen Korea.
“The Scarecrow” also works as a period drama. Kwak Sun-young, center, appears as a reporter who doggedly tracks the serial murder case beginning in 1988. [KT STUDIOGENIE]
“Reverse,” a drama that aired on the streaming platform Wavve and KBS from April 17 to May 8, is billed as a mystery, melodrama and revenge drama. The show follows characters confronting the truth behind an explosion at a villa and likewise aims to broaden its appeal through a complex genre mix.
“Combining several genres can produce an appealing result if the central axis of the main genre is clear,” director Im Geon-joong, who wrote and directed “Reverse,” said.
“I wanted to go beyond the limits of a single genre, which can feel boring or slow-paced, and to deliver both the fun and the meaning of the story more effectively.”
A still from the Wavve original drama “Reverse,” released April 17. Seo Ji-hye, pictured, stars alongside Go Soo and Kim Jae-kyung. [WAVVE]
Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik said the change in genre reflects changes in the streaming market itself.
“Netflix initially gained popularity mainly through genres aimed at niche audiences, but now its subscriber base has grown considerably,” Kim said. “For dramas with specific genres to succeed now, they need to add localized Korean elements while also showing differentiated qualities for newer mass audiences.”
Still, simply mixing several genres does not automatically satisfy viewers, according to cultural critic Jung Duk-hyun.
“Viewers’ understanding of dramas with specific genres has become very sophisticated,” Jung said.
“If the mix works well, it becomes a hit. If it does not, it becomes an experimental work. The key issue now is how to handle multiple genres effectively enough to satisfy audiences.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
Reference Written by CHOI HYE-RI [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr] Provided by Korea JoongAng Daily
※ Picks respects the rights of all copyright holders. If you do wish to make material edits, you will need to run them by the copyright holder for approval.
more from
KoreaJoongAngDaily
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Football legends from FC Barcelona, Liverpool to clash in Seoul friendly match this June
2026-05-18 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Incheon to deploy traps, helicopters, and drones for an invasion of lovebugs
2026-05-17 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Crypto market cooling as investors shift to stock market amid historic rally
2026-05-16 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
It pays to propose: Wedding cash gifts rise to average of 117,000 won
2026-05-14 00:00:00
BEST STORIES
Travie
Korea Train Booking on Klook: Discounts for Foreign Travelers
2026-05-13 00:00:00
The19th
Polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS, has a new name
2026-05-16 00:00:00
Knowable Magazine
Do you take after your dad's RNA?
2026-05-12 00:00:00
Street Food Guy
How Digital Tools Are Changing the Way Travel Creators Share Food Culture
2026-05-15 00:00:00
Entertainment
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Bingsu for one: Retailers role out small-portion food products as inflation fuels 'micro consumption'
2026-05-10 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Seoul bases 'touronomics' plan on visitors' growing preference for longer stays, consumption-based experiences
2026-05-04 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
Leeum's installation art exhibition explores women-led history of genre
2026-05-03 00:00:00
KoreaJoongAngDaily
BTS remains in top 100 on British album, singles charts for sixth consecutive week
