[Drama sequels] Drinking Solo 2: An imaginary round two

by Guest Beanie

By WishfulToki

Drinking Solo, the popular and quirky slice-of-life comedy about students preparing for civil service exams and the teachers at their academy classes, was initially intended to have sequel. However, the tragic suicide of the junior PD and the controversial way in which the investigation was led resulted in shelving the idea of a sequel. Rightly too, because it was revealed that conditions on the set of Drinking Solo were — to put it bluntly — horrible.

The writer’s response to the tragic incident was another drama, a “healing” drama about physical therapists and hospital staff who find solace in poetry: You Who Forgot Poetry. Overall, it was an enjoyable drama, but it fell short of the magic of Drinking Solo.

So, Drinking Solo Round 2 will probably never happen, but I can’t help but dream of a second helping.

The nature of the Noryangjin academic setting means that teachers and students come and go regularly. A sequel could easily introduce new teachers, since Ha Suk-jin and Park Ha-sun’s romance seems like a dead-end. As a teacher, I also wish a sequel would give more attention to actual teaching. The gossiping colleagues provided laughs, but at times it could be grating. It was much funnier to see teachers team up to save a course.

The heart of the original Drinking Solo was doubtless the trio of Noryangjin Idiots: Gong Myung, Key, and Kim Dong-young. Students everywhere (and even non-students) could relate to the everyday problems and procrastinating techniques of these students. “Should I study or watch panda videos? Will I be able to afford to not lick yogurt lids when I get a job?”

Their romantic adventures provided much of the tragi-comedy, with Gong Myung’s puppy love, Key’s hapless crush on A-student Jung Chae-yeon, and Dong-young’s ongoing commentary that they were “pathetic idiots.” The original drama left enough room to keep exploring the lives of these three guys — I will personally go and plead with SM to free Key from SHINee activities for my imaginary sequel.

The realism of Drinking Solo gave us some of the most poignant food for thought (hur). The idea of eating and drinking alone is still taboo in many places and cultures. I was struck by the fact that Ha Suk-jin’s character (even if he was “high-quality trash”) ate alone because he needed healing time — no conversation or socializing required. Throughout the drama all the characters drank and ate alone at some point, for several reasons. I was inspired to try it too, but it ended disastrously.

One night a guy sat down at my table while I was enjoying my Chinese buffet, asking why I was alone and where my friends were. I was enraged but didn’t know how to react. In my imaginary sequel I would like to see a female lead with the sass of Soo-ji from Because This Life Is Our First (Esom) who can tell off such guys or punch them in the face if necessary.

Note that I do not condone violence, just leaving someone who wants to be alone, well, alone!

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