Everybody has found themselves in front of the TV or Laptop with endless options to watch, but we don’t know what to choose! Currently, thanks to the fascinating way in which the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has expanded, Korean cultural products are part of this wide menu. Various streaming platforms have a lot of K-Dramas for audiences from different corners of the world. Taking advantage of this, in this blog, you will find some recommendations of some dramas on Netflix starring the beautiful Kim Hye Soo 김혜수. So you will have several options when it comes to choosing what to watch.
Kim Hye Soo was born in Busan in September 1970. She studied Drama and Film at Dongguk University and completed a Master degree in journalism and communication at Sungkyunkwan University. She has participated in several TV programas and movies since 1986, making her debut with the movie Ggambo without having graduated from high school. She has definitely not stopped producing excellent movies such as The Thieves (2012) and A Special Lady (2017), her last project is the movie Smuggle which will premiere this year.
Regarding K-dramas, she has undoubtedly been in many, even making small cameos as in Flower Boy Ramen Shop (2011) (I recommend you to look for the tarot reading scene). Some dramas that stand out in her career are Home Sweet Home (2010) and The Queen of Office (2013), apart from the recommendations below. One cannot categorize this actress can not be categorized in one field/genre, thanks to her versatility; however, the suggestions made in this blog fall into the genres drama and crime. In fact, a good part of her filmography is connected to these, as it is something she is very good at! Next, I will talk about four dramas in which Kim Hye Soo worked as the main character.
Signal (2016)
Signal connects crime and time thanks to two policemen that communicate through a walkie-talkie while being in different decades. Their life stories are intertwined with several unresolved crimes. In fact, one of the cases is based on a true serial murderer that killed women in the 80s. This TvN drama was aired between January and March 2016, and starred Lee Je Hoon, Jo Jin Woong and Kim Hye Soo, the latter portraying a detective who changed from an innocent rockie to an experimented detective thanks to several circumstances. Actually, Kim Hye Soo won the award for Best Actress at Baeksang Arts Awards for her character. In Signal, suspense is around every corner with every scene, and it certainly grips the viewer as crimes are solved. If you like plots about serial killers, straight cops and a good script, you will love this drama. In my case, I have watched it three times and it has never disappointed me.
Hyena (2020)
Lawyer dramas can be very entertaining, and this one is a perfect example. You will find crime, secrets, drama, laughs, and you might even learn some legal jargon. In this series, it seems justice is just for those who have the ability to buy it; so we are introduced to a law firm that only represents the richest people in Korea and an odd lawyer, Jung Geum Jaa, who even suffers from having to keep her own office. Her only objective is to win, even if it means ignoring the law, her ferocity, and tactics lead people to call her Hyena. However, as viewers, we managed to empathize with her throughout the sixteen episodes of this SBS series. In addition, actress Kim Hye Soo received the award for excellence at the second version of the Asia Content Awards for her role in this series, aired in 2020, from February to April every Friday and Saturday.
Juvenile Justice (2022)
There is a preconception that heinous crimes are committed by adults; however, in this series, it becomes clear that even children can be horrible criminals. This drama brings up whether the legal measures against minors are too soft, letting them always escape any serious punishment, because of their age. Throughout the ten episodes of Juvenile Justice, the protagonist Sim Euk Seok, an elite judge who hates juvenile criminals, proves that just like any other criminal, they do not deserve to be treated leniently. This judge will handle the cases in the juvenile court in an unorthodox way toward the offenders. The drama shows very interesting cases, which you would not think a child could be involved in, and each episode leads you to empathize more with the judge, even though you may hate her at times as well. This riveting drama was released on Netflix in February 2022.
Under the Queen’s Umbrella (2022)
Mothers can do anything to protect their children, and in this historical drama Kim Hye Soo, who portrays Queen Hwaryeong, shows us a mother who loves her five children and only wants to protect them. This drama is full of lies, intrigues and deceit, which is to be expected from dramas set in a palace, under the context in which the successors seek to be the King at all cost. If you like to see traditional sets, beautiful hanboks and sexy men with long hair, Under the Queen’s Umbrella can be a wonderful choice. Also, the plot ties together in a way that catches the attention of the viewer, the performances are very good, and it generates a myriad of emotions that make you want to watch it till the end. This drama originally aired between October and December 2022, Saturdays and Sundays on TvN.
Sometimes, with such a wide range of choices, it is comforting to have recommendations on Netflix, which are very good productions and which also featured an excellent actress as one of their main characters. In addition, with each of these dramas, it is possible to enjoy great acting ability in different roles. I hope you are encouraged to watch them, and if you have already watched them, please leave a comment about what you think of them.
References
Hyena (SBS). (n/d). Wiki Drama. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://drama.fandom.com/es/wiki/Hyena_(SBS)
Juvenile Justice. (n/d). Wiki Drama. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://drama.fandom.com/es/wiki/Juvenile_Justice
Nate, P. (n/d). Kim Hye Soo. Wiki Drama. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://drama.fandom.com/es/wiki/Kim_Hye_Soo
Signal. (n/d). Wiki Drama. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://drama.fandom.com/es/wiki/Signal
Under The Queen’s Umbrella. (n/d). Wiki Drama. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://drama.fandom.com/es/wiki/Under_The_Queen%27s_Umbrella
Wikipedia contributors. (n/d). Kim Hye-soo. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://es.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kim_Hye-soo&oldid=147352602
Written by: Andrea Ramirez
Reviewed by : Luisa Quintero
