Even thoughNetflixhas become the go-to streaming platform forK-dramafans, other streaming giants are finally catching up to the fact thatSouth Koreanseries have the potential to attract a whole new slate of viewers. And it happens pretty fast:Disney+’s new K-dramaJeongnyeon: The Star is Born, for example, has just reached the milestone of becoming one of themost-watched titleson the platform. Theperiod dramacenters around a young woman who is born in the 1950s with a talent for singing but is harshly reprimanded by her mother.
Jeongnyeon: The Star is Bornis led byKim Tae-ri, a South Korean actor who took the world by storm after she starred inThe Handmaiden— which is considered a twisty thriller that usually ranks high among the best titles that the country has produced. It was directed by world-renowned filmmakerPark Chan-Wook. After that, Kim starred in acclaimed TV series such asAkgwi,Mr. Sunshineand, most notably,Twenty-Five Twenty-One. The cast ofJeongnyeon: The Star is Bornalso featuresShin Ye-eun(The Glory),Ra Mi-ran(Honest Candidate),Jung Eun-chae(Dr. Frost) andKim Yoon-hye(Shooting Stars).
The new K-drama is yet another example that fans ofSouth Korean storiesdon’t necessarily look for themost twistyand action-packed story to watch, but rather the ones in whichyou can get easily invested in the charactersand the world they inhabit. The conflict ofYoon Jeong-nyeon(Kim) is pretty simple: she wants to make the best of her talent and follow her dream. At the same time, it’s easy to understand why her mother would oppose it. In the context of the series, Korean society is fresh out of a war, meaning that pursuing a career in arts could result in even more financial struggle.
K-Dramas Are Far From The Shallow Now
It’s pretty easy to understand whyJeongnyeon: The Star is Bornreceived the very familiar subtitle overseas. Both the series and the movieA Star Is Bornhelmed byBarbra Streisand(and thenLady Gagain the remake) talk about a young woman who is led to believe she doesn’t have what it takes to excel at her art — but she decides to go for it anyway. In both cases, believing in the dream is worthwhile, but we’re also reminded that you do have to sacrifice a lot if you want to explore your talents.
Jeongnyeon: The Star is Bornreached #10 among the most-watched titles on Disney+, meaning that this past week the K-drama had similar numbers to other more famous titles such asAgatha All Along,The Old Manand even cartoon seriesBluey. For K-drama fans, this is excellent news, because it signals to Disney+ and other streamers that viewers will show up every time a new K-drama hits, and it doesn’t matter on which platform.
You can stream all twelve episodes fromJeongnyeon: The Star is Bornon Disney+ now.
watch on disney+
