134

Five drama recommendations… with unique professions


Dramaland loves to use a character’s profession as a way to give heroes their mountains to climb and battles to win. Admittedly, dramas are not always creative with their choice of workplaces and professions, though, and there are an inordinate amount of dramas about lawyers, prosecutors, doctors, chefs, detectives, news anchors, executives, and athletes. But every now and then there comes a drama that throws a more unusual profession into the mix, and we can enjoy how the drama uses it to create a unique setting, layer, or backdrop to the story. Here are some of our favorites.


 


Oh Hae-young Again (2016)

 
This drama isn’t a favorite of mine, but its biggest standout for me is the male lead’s profession. Eric played a movie sound director and I spent several episodes wowed by how sound directors work. My favorite scenes – aside from the explosive wall kiss, of course – were those where he went with his team to record sounds from various places and objects, and it was so fascinating to see how these sounds are blended together and inserted into the final product we watch on screen.

His job wasn’t really integral to the plot, and could have been replaced with any other one, but for once, it was really nice to see a character work in a niche profession in dramaland as these professions need representation too! Sound plays such a vital role in movies and on TV, and as a fan of good sounds, it left me with a deeper sense of respect to the guys behind the scenes putting all these together to appeal to our auditory senses. –@unit

 


I’m Not a Robot (2017)

 
While Jia (Chae Soo-bin), the leading lady of I’m Not a Robot, may have a part-time gig pretending to be a robot — which is undeniably a unique profession — I’m more interested in her true passion: inventing whimsical products designed to spark joy. Like most small-scale inventors who aren’t part of a team of scientists and engineers being bankrolled by a big name company, Jia’s work is relatively unknown and under-appreciated by the masses. See, she doesn’t create products with consumerism and profitability in mind. Instead, she thinks of the individuals who might one day use her inventions, and she dreams up creations that will bring them happiness. Who wouldn’t be charmed by a set of heart-shaped lamps that are programmed to light up simultaneously whenever someone touches one of the lamps? Or a seemingly magical umbrella that goes from opaque to clear at the push of a button?

I admire Jia’s creativity, but even more, I like the fact that — as far as drama heroines go — her artistry is expressed through a nontraditional medium that has a bonus practicality to it. –@daebakgrits

 


Run On (2020)

 
Run On is an underrated gem with some of the best dialogue, a second female lead with a killer fashion sense, and a walking green flag of a male lead. But my spotlight here is on the female lead, Mi-joo (played by Shin Se-kyung) who translates movies into Korean. As someone who relies on subtitles to watch non-English content, I have the biggest appreciation for translators who put in all the effort to pull out the nuances of foreign languages so they can be enjoyed by a local audience. And for us as international K-drama fans, we have to admit that these guys are the unsung heroes of our community.

In terms of how our heroine’s profession worked into the plot, Mi-joo’s skills got her a translating gig with the male lead and that was pivotal to the start of their love story. But what I particularly liked was her dedication to her job, and how happy she is to see her name in the end credits of the movies she translates. It’s something I can relate to, because I also look out for drama translators as the end credits roll (and I really like the fancy names of some of the subbing teams). Their names may not be written in big fonts like the “major” players, but there is nothing minor about the work that they do, and we thank them for their service! –@unit

 


Business Proposal (2022)

 
Would Business Proposal even be Business Proposal without the white kimchi ravioli, cabbage tossing, and endless toil in the test kitchen? I would argue that it would be a very different drama — after all, it was their well-tuned palates, likemindedness around food, and deep work ethic, that created common ground between GoFood CEO Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop) and recipe-creator Hari (Kim Se-jung). Well, that and a case of mistaken identity, cosplay dress-up, undeniable attraction, and a whole lot of other hijinks.

Rom-coms with a workplace setting are common in dramaland, but it’s rare that they become such an integral — and fun — part of the drama’s plot. Business Proposal was able to take the yawn-factor (well, mostly) out of the age-old archetype of the young and seemingly cold chaebol CEO/heir who’s in conflict with his chairman. And how did they do that? With a sheet mask-wearing and drama-watching chairman, and enough of a behind-the-scenes look at our characters’ work to make us care whether their latest frozen food venture was a success. Business Proposal became proof that quality food — just like a quality drama — can get straight to our hearts. –@missvictrix

 


Kiss Sixth Sense (2022)

 
Office romances are a dime a dozen in dramaland, but most of the time our cubical-working characters shuffle around papers and discuss work using vague business lingo, which provides very little insight to the actual ins-and-outs of their professions. Kiss Sixth Sense, however, is one of the few dramas that actually follows the characters’ latest assignment from start to finish, and when Ye-sool (Seo Ji-hye) and her marketing team are tasked with creating a television commercial for a motor vehicle company, I was as emotionally invested in the outcome of the project as I was the romance between our leading characters.

The visual nature of marketing — and all the behind-the-scenes planning and storyboarding — naturally translates well to television, but the drama also does a good job of integrating the ups and downs of creating an advertisement into the plot of the drama. So as the Zeu.Ad employees are trying to impress their client and sell a car, the drama itself is selling the commercial — and the story behind it — to the audience. –@daebakgrits

 
RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , ,

134

Required fields are marked *

This is great. I am always pleased to see the dramas where they show the effort that goes into the tasks of the job like calligraphy I notice fonts now after watching More than friends. I have been more aware of sounds when I watch dramas after watching another Miss Oh, and publishing and the plight of books after Romance is a bonus book.

18
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I watched one drama about paediatricians which ended each episode with one of the Drs talking to camera about a specific childhood ailment and ways to treat it. I thought this was a really good way to raise awareness about first aid and certain conditions.

8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought the professions shown in Just Between Lovers were fairly novel or at least shown in a novel way. They were also well-integrated into the story. Their work was both an outcome of their history (working in architecture after suffering tragedy through a building collapse) and a way to heal (building a meaningful monument to the deceased)

17
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was waiting for Just Between Lovers too! Even in the last episode, the second male lead's newfound crush's passion in her job( which was installing wooden framework of houses) left a deep impression on me

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Putting GIANT brackets around workplace romances with power differentials, which are mostly a bad idea most of the time:

Business Proposal and KSS would have been so much less fun without their leads’ unusual lines of work and how those were integrated into the storylines, and the workplace parts really carried the dramas when the thwarted-romance or angsty elements made the plots sag. Although the ad-making was intriguing, I’d much rather work for GoFood than Zeu.Ad, even if I would be unable to resist continuously stuffing product samples into my face.

Others that come to mind:
Romance Is a Bonus Book, with its depictions of how book editors do their work - and all the ins and outs of book-publishing, right down to making new employees learn what happens to books that don’t get purchased.

The FL as a stuntwoman in Secret Garden.

I’m not sure that Healer’s job really exists, or that I want it to, but it sure was fun to watch him do it.

25
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love how RIABB is not only depicts the profession, but was like a love letter to the profession and to authors as well.

I would totally work for GoFood. The Zeu.Ad layout is all dark and depressing and there are parts that felt weirdly open so there would be no privacy. And the employees there seem a bit toxic.

The other food place I would totally work for is the one in Hello Me (heroine worked for a snack development company), especially since the company lunchlady is Kim Young Kwang and they have daily company dance routine.

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Company lunch lady. 😂 I really liked that show.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I still look at beautiful baked goods and think of Kim Sam Soon and her story about how she became a patissier instead of something else (she came upon it in a book and said she could just as easily have picked up a book about chicken sexing and ended up working at that ). Little did I know I’d end up having a friend irl whose family owned a chicken sexing business, and the job showed up in Minari as well.
*call-out to Daniel Henney figuring out KSS’s job and repeating in hyper-English “bakerrrrrrrrr” 😆

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I LOVED that Kim Sam Soon was very competent in her work and had a passion for it.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I guarantee you that in the shady sides of the world everywhere, a version of Healer's job absolutely exists. But it's definitely the version that gets him framed for murder and almost killed several times, more than the flashy fun version that we like watching...

9
reply

Required fields are marked *

1. Art Curator in Her Private Life - Art appeals to almost everyone. But here I got to see the immense work that goes into procuring and most importantly keeping the work safe from the wear and tear of time. The best part of the work of a Curator that stuck in Her Private Life was them reviving some of Lee Seols works that had gotten damaged. I didn't know that was possible.

Don't forget about fan-girling though.

2. The just concluded Kiss Sixth Sense is another. Advertising isn't something I pray to work on but I was wowed by the facet of advertising I saw here. It's different from what I'm exposed to.

3. You Are My Spring's Concierge Manager. Nothing much just that I fell in love with the job title.

4. A Wedding Dress Designer in The Spies Who Loved Me.

5. Fashion Designer in Glass Mask. Even though this later took the back seat and replaced by conglomerate power tussle, the work behind the scenes on how designs come to be was engaging, and a learning moment. Cross-stitching technique, and Kang Yi-kyung's ingenuity with respect to to her designs is one job mastery I like to see around clothing fashion.

11
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Business Proposal was sort of genius - they gave the heroine a new and interesting profession from the webtoon, and they were able to market Bibigo, a korean brand made for the global market. I can look at a bag of my Bibigo dumplings and think of Shin Hari working hard on the next product.

I really liked WWW, which showed the jobs of the people behind internet search portals. Hot Stove League showed all the sports-team-management work. Forecasting Love and Weather sort of fell apart in the last third, but I loved how it showcased the weather forecaster profession, and I gained a new respect for it.

In Still 17, the male lead works as a set designer, which was a pretty cool job, though the drama didn't delve as much into it.

14
25
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree the weather forecast profession was really helpful because I often thought the random rain on K dramas was just to get an umbrella scene in but they showed it really was unpredictable at times. The other side of the forecasting was shown with the presenters on Jealousy incarnate and the battle of the teams and the sponsorship of their wardrobes.

Home made makeup was shown by one of the students on Beautiology 101.

4
24
reply

Required fields are marked *

On the other hand you can still usually tell when a rain scene in kdramas IS staged, and just a giant hose, and not actual rain, and therefore definitely just used to get an umbrella scene ... Despite Korea's rainy season being temperamental 😂😂

6
23
reply

Required fields are marked *

I assumed they were all staged but I just couldn’t understand the unexpectedness. In the Caribbean the locals know when rain is coming even if it doesn’t look like it will come to anyone not local. I have experienced being told it will rain, I ignored the warning because it didn’t look like it would happen in the two minutes it would take me to get to my destination which was the next nearest place of shelter and 30 seconds later being soaked!

2
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

In My Girlfriend is a Gumiho we are specifically told that there are many instances of sudden unpredicted rain in Korea.

1

I don't think I've ever really questioned the validity of the unpredictability and genuine meteorology much myself tbh- maybe because I live somewhere where the 4 seasons in 1 day thing is very much a thing- but also maybe because when it is staged, not necc meteorologically but for the script- it's usually so obvious to me that I get distracted, by how ... it's not raining in the background... for example 😂
Production nitpicking wins over scientific nitpicking lmfao
I remember Korea in July though. Lots of random downpours of rain, on and off quite constantly.

5

The two nature related things that pull me out of emersion in dramas is the fascination with filming the sun through the leaves of a tree, I just don’t get the point they are trying to make. The other is blossom falling instead of snow because it always has a serious flurry with loads of it and it lasts for ever. I have never seen that happen in real life so wonder how big the tree must be for that much to fall for so long and what is making it fall when it’s not windy and nothing is shaking the tree. So the romance of these moments is completely lost on me!

2

😂😂😂 what, you mean you don't trust the anime petals?!!? 🤣🤣

2

The opposite of staged rain is filming in winter. Sometimes it is snowing so hard the actors are visibly red and shivering with cold. It becomes distracting to me when in some shows, especially sageuks, and some romances, the scene just goes on and on and on.

It becomes hilarious when the snow, or hard wind, keeps changing pace and direction between shots because the scene has taken so long to film.

3
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Uh huh or the opposite again is when they're filming when it's cold but have to pretend like it's not THAT cold, but you can still see the actors' breaths... ಠ_ಠ

2

I really felt it for the actors in the 25, 21 scene where they were playing with the taps and getting soaked in T-shirts as they said they filmed that in winter🥶

2

Do you think the old woman in me is coming out when I see the breathe of the actors and think I hope they are wearing thermals?! Having said that I wear winter coats when everyone else has fallen for the 10 seconds of sunshine and think it’s time for summer gear!

4

Lmao nope! Whenever I see it I immediately go " oh no it's bellow 7..."
I also do that whenever they are filming in winter and are not hiding that and they're STILL not wearing enough because *style*... Or else everybody else can out up with cold kidneys and ankles more than I ... ಠ﹏ಠ

3

I’ve just been watching Dream High and they keep being like “it’s now three months later” yet everyone is still clearly freezing cold and you can see their breath. So summery!

3

(answering to your comment below about actors wearing too few layers of clothing in the cold)
Do you know it is not a drama style thing, Koreans actually do this? A friend of mine was in Korea on a business trip in winter. They said the weather was so cold that they felt their breath freezing in the air. But the girls on the streets were all wearing warm tops with mini skirts and shorts. Their legs were practically blue from the freezing cold. They asked their guide about this and he said trends and fashions dictate clothes not the weather!!!!

3
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

There are places in the UK where it’s a running joke that the young people in those places do that too! So it’s fashion rather than location and weather dictating the clothing choices.🥺

2

@reply1988 Oh really?? So it truly doesn't have anything to do with the Koreans' extreme pressure for beauty and style! Other places are the same too! Good to know.

2

@midnight @reply1988 I lived in Newcastle upon Tyne in the 1990s. On some Friday evenings I'd be walking home bundled up like a polar explorer, while women in babydoll dresses (it was the 90s!) sauntered in the opposite direction. Perhaps alcohol helped, but they still had to make their way to the pub first...

2

Everyone knows they had the first round at home 🤣🤣

Did you need a translator and have you got the accent now? I worked in Wolves for a while and it contaminated me so I now say ‘How am ya?’ Way too easily!

2

Aiyooo. Yeahp. Hence the last comment because I suspected that this was a possible reason lmao. I've seen similar here as well.
Fashion is a crimE!!!

1

@knewbie 😂😂

1

@reply1988 So true re: the first round at home...

My vowels did change a little after a few years in Newcastle, haha.

1

It always makes me roll my eyes when it "pours" but you can clearly see shadows in the background meaning it's really a sunny day.

3
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

🤣🤣 love it.

1

Right?
I mean sunshowers happen but... Not QUITE like that lol

2

A unique profession in a drama was with Lee Je-hoon in Move to Heaven. I always thought that the family takes care of the belongings of a dead relative, I never knew that you could pass it on to someone else to do the job. Nowadays, several dramas featured the job of a shaman and/or magician. I liked Ji Chang-wook in The Sound of Magic, Park Hae-jin in From Now On, It's Showtime!, and Seo In-guk in Cafe Minamdang!

28
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought of the trauma cleaners too! I'd heard of this profession before, and it makes sense - you wouldn't always have family that is willing or able to handle the cleanup, and dead bodies have to be taken care of in an appropriate and sanitary way - but I never would have thought it could work so well in a drama. I loved the way it provided a poignant backdrop to the developing uncle/nephew relationship.

8
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

One of the best Korean dramas.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

This article really clicked with me as I have always taken notice of the creative jobs/careers that kdrama characters are shown to have.
Some others-
1. Your House Helper- Professional house cleaner/organizer
2. Goblin- Goblin and Grim Reaper
3. 25/21- Fencers
4. Hotel Del Luna- Manager of hotel for ghosts
5. Forecasting Love and Weather- Various weather professionals

6
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Also tv reporters in the 90s in 25/21 - I didn't know they had to run to a pay phone to deliver the news, and that there was a race among the reporters to get to the closest phone.

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes that was new to me too. Being in the field but not having a designated place to make the necessary call sounded like unnecessary stress added to an already stressful job. I bet they were so grateful for the arrival of the mobile phone.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I just finished Tomorrow, so that's what I thought of immediately. I get that a supernatural job might not be completely in the spirit of the post, but one of the things I loved about Tomorrow was how un-supernatural many of the jobs were in Jumadeung really were. Yes, you had the flashy team who actually escorts the souls to the afterlife, but you also had folks editing videos of peoples' lives, and in charge of recruiting new employees, and taking care of the tech that all the other departments need. I thought it was a really fun depiction of the afterlife, and definitely portrayed some non-traditional jobs.

4
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

That made me think of the staff in Script my destiny which was funny because it was just considered unfortunate if you got a rookie who had no imagination and therefore would mess up your life script🤣

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Was gonna say there are a lot of architects in kdrama but now I can only think of Ji Jin Hee in The Man Who Can’t Marry, so maybe that’s an unusual job, too.

I was very interested in the character who placed PPLs in dramas and all she had to go through in Be Melodramatic.

11
11
reply

Required fields are marked *

Whenever a badly-placed PPL occurs in a drama, I think about Be Melodramatic. There was a weird virtual golf PPL in Showtime Begins, and it was either the last or second to last episode...I thought of how that character in Be Melo was trying to desperately get the jelly PPL into the drama and the director blowing a gasket because they were shooting the last scene (some motorcycle action scene), and there wasn't any other place to sensibly put it.

4
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I always think of the giant massage chair that ended up in their apartment as part of meta-PPL 😂

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I get reminded of The King of Dramas

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I saw randomly placed PPL that required weird camera angles so they could show ‘look no hands’ when a car was self parking. They literally had the shot within a shot of the steering wheel and on the actors talking about something completely unrelated and the outside so you could see how neatly it was. It was like watching an advert on YouTube when they just interrupt the show. It was on the last episode of 20th century boy and girl. They had been in car parks for most of the car scenes so it could easily have been featured less obviously. The girl was famous and her friends were not and so they requested she buy them expensive bags so they integrated that PPL really well. So she could have been giving them a lift and they notice it and comment on how the rich don’t even need to get valets to park their cars now.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

@bbstl: Another one is played by Lee Ki-woo as Seo Joo-won in Just Between Lovers.

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, I missed that drama.

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

@bbstl: JBL is the only one I know with an architect in it!😊

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

The ML in LOVESTRUCK IN THE CITY is also an architect- and I am still upset that he ends up with the FL. hmph!

1

Ji Chang Wook is an architect in Lovestruck in the city.
And Lee Min Ho in Personal taste.
It's not as frequent as lawyers, but not really rare either.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Be Melodramatic gave me sympathy for that job and now I am more patient--except SubWay!--with PPL. Ha!

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me too! I think about how that ppl got there, but I do still laugh out loud when it’s blatant 😆

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Timpanist in I Wanna Hear Your Song.
I always thought that was a particularly unusual or lesser known musical career and orchestral position to cover, especially in a kdrama lol.

4
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don’t remember anything about that show, except that. And the Baby shark song played on the piano. 😆

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I remember lots about it, namely that it should've been as dark and as weird and as dysfunctional as the first half the whole way through, and that my kdramas need to stop chickening out from having their FLs actually kill someone - however I don't remember the baby shark cameo at all 😂😂

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

There was a Melona sighting too.

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh yeah!!!! The list of Melonia Approved dramas is a wild one 🤭🤭

2

And she barely played... I hate when they give a job to a character who ends up doing something else. The worse was Glory Jane, Park Min-Young was a nurse and Chun Jung-Myung a baseball player but they worked in a big company...

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes... Music took a bit of a backseat alas.
I hate it too- when the job or career, or even just a quick or trait of a char, is just a side gimmick to either get the show started or prop up the character without being integrated into the story and then is often just forgotten by the half way mark... Rip

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

So no one’s gonna talk about the Korean/Italian consigliere extraordinaire, Vin-CHEN-zo KWAssano??

Cuz I will :’)

10
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

One that comes to mind for me is The Package, where FL is a Korean tour package guide in France! That was a first for me in general, I don't think I've watched a show, in any language, where one of the leads is working as a tour guide (not that they don't exist, but I just haven't seen it before).

Not sure of this counts but my favourite arc & character in Welcome to Waikiki (1&2) was Lee Yikyung's 'aspiring actor' character - obviously the profession isn't exactly a unique one BUT I did find the fact that he was largely working as a stunt man/extra to be a bit of a refreshing take and also it provided the whole series with a great emotional anchor because it's hard not to love & root for the guy who's trying so hard with the little roles he's given to make it big.

12
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I really Enjoyed watching the PR team at sh**ting stars. Made me curious about the people who write the Instagram posts on behalf of their actors.

12
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

There have been quite a few PR professionals in dramas over the years. The one that has always stuck with me is Choi Hwa Jung in The Greatest Love who called herself "an image-maker" which is very fitting if you ask me!

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah I wanted more of their work - it looked both hilarious and terrible.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sometimes a drama will actually improve on an element of the story from what was in the original writing. Ha-ri's profession in BUSINESS PROPOSAL was just one such stroke of genius: In the original webtoon she is simply a member of 'Finance Team Two' (cue a yawn here). Making her a food researcher was a vast improvement.

6
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

To name a few that haven't been mentioned already:

Jung Ryu Won and her coworkers in a radio program in Bubblegum.

Tae In Ho in Life. I don't exactly know his job name, he talked to families of terminal patients about organ donations. He did such a fantastic job of his role.

Lee Joon Hyuk in the Naked Fireman. As a Fireman.

Kim Dong Wook in Special Labour Inspector Jo. As a Special Labour Inspector.

Nam Sang Mi and her team in Chief Kim as accountants. It might not have been very unusual, but it showed the job in depth.

Lee Si Young in Wild Romance as a failed national judoka ended up as bodyguard for hire. In the beginning it felt more played up for comedy when she guarded 6-foot Lee Dong Wook, but later in the story when she was hired to keep a woman in the process of divorce safe from her abusive husband, and another woman from a stalker, the job felt very real to me.

5
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

These are great especially the organ donation as when they showed it on Hospital Playlist it was the first time I realised the level of research they do in that role to protect people from exploitation.

I keep thinking of jobs but can’t find the source despite desperate Googling. I think it was a KBS special where they showed social workers working with the elderly, they showed home visits to assess needs and the running of day centre activities as well as the elderly lying to maintain their independence. What was good was some boys were sent to do ‘volunteer’ work because of their bad behaviour and one of them I think he was the victim of bullying ended up keeping a relationship with one of the clients as she treated him better than his mum in terms of remembering he had an allergy.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh! Wait! I have seen that show! Or something very similar. Was it a special? Let me see if I can find it..

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Brilliant, I love the Beanies they always find the answers to the things that elude me. ♥️
I assumed it was a KBS special as it was definitely a one off episode. I am sure I only saw the social workers in that one drama but they definitely have had day care centres in other longer running dramas.

There was one where they roped a chef in to run a course for the elderly because they were concerned about malnutrition as cooking for one was boring. One of the men was grumpy and didn’t engage with the others but he cooked with the group so he could make a lunch box for his wife/daughter (can’t remember which it was) who was in a home with dementia.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I renember Jo Jung Suk had a similar job in movie My Love My Bride, which led him to find an elderly poet. But I think I have seen a show with the same job too because I felt familiar with it...

1
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I just looked that film up and realise that I have seen it☺️ but that’s not the one because it was a woman who was the social worker. I will watch the film again because I don’t remember much about it but I am sure it was really funny and had that feel good factor.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Just finished watching that film again I loved it what a classic I need to record the name this time. Proper feel good factor and laugh out loud moments while also showing the ups and downs of relationships. Thank you for mentioning it, it was just what I needed.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You're welcome! I like it a lot too!

1

Ah yes. Still too few firemen dramas tbh. Top many cops, not enough firemen! 😂

5
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Especially good looking ones like my LJH 😁

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yup. We need more firemen dramas ASAP. I’m tired of too many cops running wild.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

There is a naked firemen calendar photoshot in Please don't date him.
The drama is average, but the FL is a electrical engineer and that's cool.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes this is one of the about three (ergo, "too few") Firemen related dramas.

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Another one I remembered:

Choi Ban Do in Go Back Couple. He was a pharmaceutical visitor.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Uhhh, Song Joong-ki as a mafia consigliere in Vincenzo? Idk why that’s the first one that immediately came to my mind. Everyone else had such creative answers too. I’m especially disappointed in myself for completely forgetting some of my favourite dramas lol.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the engineers in My Ahjusshi (structural engineering) and On the Verge of Insanity (software and hardware engineering for home appliances). OTVOI also has a human resource manager.

7
11
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ohhh, my Ajusshi😍😍😍😍
Indeed, I loved the focus they gave to Dong hoon's profession.
I even felt I learned somethings from it...
Plus I fell in love with him, of course 😅😅😅

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes I thought My Ahjusshi not only provided interesting facts about structural engineering but also used it to illuminate the positive aspects of Dong-hoon's character, like his competence and his strong sense of responsibility.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Just about to write a comment about those two shows since both professions are so important in the modern world. Surprised that no one mentioned park rangers in Jurisan. Guess all we can remember about that show is the scenery!

3
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I desultorily watched one ep of Jirisan one dinnertime. It was the one where some of the rangers were stuck in a cave with a bear or something wandering around outside. The show seemed strangely stilted, but I enjoyed watching the park rangers go about their daily lives.

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Stilted is one good word for it.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okay. Totally understand the allergy thing. My personal allergy is time travel. Done well it is crack. Done poorly, like Signal, it is crazy-fying.
Just looked up lemons in plots and came up with the plot mountain. I used this to teach plot to 6th graders. I was blessed that year to have "Sharknado" as a teaching tool.
'Sayin.

0

Lmao! Et tu, Brute? I am also allergic to Time Travel! 🤣🤣

1

I liked both the scenery and the normal park ranger stuff. The crime and fantasy parts were weird.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe because we're all still scarred from that mess of a show, with its lemons, bees, and sentient mountain 🥲.
(Scenery wise- I actually thought Jirisan had terrible cinematography and didn't showcase Korea's natural beauty nearly as much as it could've or should've lol 🙊🙊🙊)

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Alchemy is doing a better job of location shots loaded with natural beauty. The rock outcrops alone are awesome.
I have completely blocked lemons out of my Jirisan memory but strangely recall yogurt drinks.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm not watching because I'm allergic to the Hong Sisters hahaha so I'll have take your word for it for now I guess!
Honestly, in my experience, sageuks have had the best scenery and cinematography of said scenery anyway. Kingdom, Bossam, etc.

Oh the lemons is a joke hahaha, if you recall my comment on the first recap- there were only metaphorical lemons in the show 🤭 (mores the pity, imagine had there been real ones!): https://www.dramabeans.com/2021/10/jirisan-episode-1/#comment-3891740

3

What would we call, or name the profession Kang Jae (Ryu Joon Yeol) had in Human Disqualification aka Lost?!

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think it's called a "rental family service" in Japan. There are some interesting articles about it online, like this one: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2017/11/paying-for-fake-friends-and-family/545060/

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

What an interesting article. I think that it sounds great for adults making informed decisions but not so sure how a child will feel when they grow up to find their dad was an actor paid to spend time with them as their real dad couldn’t be found and was too dangerous to have in their life.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Shin Se-kyung was also Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryoung. That was a fascinating job because it was the lynchpin on which good governance in the Joseon era depended (at least in the drama). A parable for today about how society depends on institutions, and institutions depend on the integrity of the people who make them work.

6
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Chief Kim and the finance team in Chief Kim! There was a fair amount of waving receipts and arguing with other departments about audits which kept the drama grounded.

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I enjoyed the depiction of an editor in Moonlight and found the combinations of scriptwriter, director and producer both hilarious and informative in Melo Is My Nature.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The sound engineering in Another Miss Oh was by far my favorite part of that drama. I learned so much I didn't know and it was pretty fascinating to the point where I think about that aspect of production when I watch now. I also loved the editing/publishing part of Romance is a Bonus Book and learned a lot as well. I was hooked on My Ajusshi from the opening scenes since the structural engineering part seemed so real. By the same token I dropped Just Between Lovers as soon as the "architect" FL started talking nonsense about columns not being properly designed. Absurd since it's impossible to know unless you've actually engineered the structure. An architect would never say such a thing, esp a junior one.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

And how cleaver to do the opening sequence as foley work.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The Red Sleeve: court ladies.
WLFKBJoo: weightlifting fairy.
Waikiki: erotic writer.
Zombie Detective: zombie detective.
Doberman: military prosecutor.

Bonus:
The Fiery Priest: kick-ass priest and nuns? lol
Terius Behind Me: housewives (and househusband) detectives.
Happiness: Sae Beom's job, aka. being a badass.

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Run On : Translator. I began to appreciate translators after watching this show. One may understand a bit of the language. But translators are the one who make us understand the whole picture and situation. She didn't just translate the conversation as it is. She translates it according to the scene. Thank you so much to kdrama translators for helping me understand so many great shows.

Our Beloved Summer : Artist (Ung-a). I didn't know that it's a hard work to produce a great drawing. This show shows that one can be at the bottom at the school but still be successful when you pursue your passion. And also talent makes impact when you work hard. Talent alone is not enough - Ung took the initiative to take art classes and further his study in art to improve his skills.

Wok of Love: Chef. Love watching Jun Ho creating recipes and showing the importance of Wok and Ladle.

Now It's Showtime : Shaman. I love everything fantasy especially if it's about solving cases. This reminds me of Mystic Pop Up Bar! (But I'm not sure what's the female lead job is)

Racket Boys : Coach. This is the first kdrama that I learned about the job of a coach, a badminton coach. I used to have a judgment that coach only yell and instruct their players. Oops, I'm totally wrong! Coaches are the mastermind. It blew my mind that they even study how opponents play in recorded video and create a strategy from there. Wow!

4
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh my heck Wok of Love. I'm on vacation right now and binge watched this show. So good. So much Korean-Chinese food.

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hadn't you watched it before? I'm rewatching it for the hundredth time right now. It is one of my most favorite shows ever!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Apart from all the occupations already mentioned, here are some more that I liked:

1. Dali and Gamjatang: Dali works as the owner/ chairperson of an art museum, so I got to see how they run the museum and how much money a museum needs and in what ways they can have it (e.g., from sponsoring). Moo-hak also has an interesting job, a chain restaurant owner. We got to see many scenes in which he had to eat pork made into different dishes.

2. Forecasting Love and Weather: The FL's sister works as a writer and illustrator of children books. I think it is a very cute occupation.

3. Chocolate: I love how it shows us what it might look like in a hospice. I love that people working there (at least as depicted in this show) show so much care for everyone who is there.

4. Start-up: It was a really fun watch as I think many people found it super engaging and interesting to see how people invest/ create a start-up. I think it was a hit partly due to the fact that the subject matter (a start-up/ investments/ funding) appealed to people this generation.

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Another one that left a deep impression on me was Kim so hyun's character as a radio show writer in radio romance. Even before diving knee deep in kdramas, I spent a lot of time watching radio shows and even do till now ( my latest favs are BTOB's kiss the radio, naver now shows, EBS's pentagon night radio) and my overactive imagination never considered the dynamics between the idol RJ and the writers. Although the drama fizzled out towards the end, it was still interesting how hard radio show writers work to make the program more interesting.
Even now I think how "harmonious" the relationships actually are
I know (G)-IDLE's Miyeon is practically a daughter to the radio show writers

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I may need to rewatch--and try to finish-Radio Romance. I had forgotten about it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Let me add to being a fan of unique occupations depicted in our dramas. Certainly, the sound engineer's job was an eye-opener. The translator's role in Run On, too. I still am looking for her calendar that is just the right fit by her keyboard. I cannot find that size. Move to Heaven's clean up squad i never knew existed. A cdrama take on cost engineers was fascinating, even as I thought project management can't be made exciting. I think the artist profession in Our Beloved Summer was interesting and made me a fan of pencil drawings of ordinary town settings. Indeed, the profession of the leads, well-tied to the story, is one that attracts me to the drama.

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

We've had some great dramas for that lately ahahaha

1. Sh**ting Stars: We have a lot of dramas about the actors themselves... not so many about the people who clean up after them.

2. Dark Hole: now, we don't actually get to see him at work all that often... but for those who remember, Yoo Tae Han was a tow truck driver at the beginning of the series!

3. Flower of Evil: I think people who create jewelry are just super cool.

4. Just Between Lovers: This show made me want to learn how to build miniature models of things like buildings. That's such a cool job! Construction workers aren't often featured in dramas either, so that's fun.

5. One Spring Night: ...the pharmecist and the librarian. How nice!

6. Where Stars Land: I loved the atmosphere of the airport in this drama about customer service agents.

7. The Package: I don't think I'd last long as a tour guide...

6
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Shooting Star changed the way I look at idol and actors. While we might fangirling them, it's their team that helped them to appear in such and such image. To plan their works and projects ahead, to deal with many many thing regarding them. It's a not an easy task. It's teamwork at its best. The 'behind the scene team' strength contribute a lot to help push them up.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think all three siblings in My Liberation Notes had a fairly common profession in the real eorld but an uncommon one in dramaland.
Mi jung: Graphic designer
Literally every company needs one but dramaland does not have enough illustrators or graphic designers.
Chang Hee: While he's a manager, his work isn't mostly based in the office but in the department stores. I guess his other chosen profession isn't thar common in dramaland either.
Ki Jung: I'm still not sure what her profession or position exactly was but it dealt with research and statistics.
And then there's Mr Gu...

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Bossam – Bossam hunter…
Arthadal Chronicles – Bronze age hunter gatherer? That’s first… (Not recommended)
Doom - Well Doom is the doom. It's quite unique profession. (Not recommended unless you are ultimate fan of the cast)
The silent sea - unique for k-drama. (Again, not recommended unless you are fan of the cast)
Healer - Ajumma Hacker - There are many hackers in drama land but they tend to be very young. It was first time a saw an ajumma being a hacker.

4
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ahjuma Hacker is one of my all-time favorites.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I loved Another Miss Oh for the foley work, which has fascinated me long before I saw the drama. The insight into new professions is a reason I love slice-of-life dramas. I would add Thirty but Seventeen to this list too: he measured everything people mistook him for a pervert. hahaa
Our Beloved Summer didn't have an unusual career per se--artist--but the attention to it made some of my favorite scenes--and the art was gorgeous.

3
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Forecasting, love and weather. It is first Korea Meteorology Administration drama...there were many reviews from real workers saying it's realistic portraying how KMA works

2
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have no interest in the romance or characters, but the job sounds fascinating.

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

same...the lovelines get in the line...it would be more fun without it because the writer and the director really did it well with the careers part...the writer even went to KMA to do research for months

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed the second leads led to a lot of annoyance for me so I started fast forwarding thenI missed a couple of episodes and just read the recaps before coming back in but this would have worked well as a character led piece with the drama being played out by the weather and it’s impact on daily life.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah the second leads unnecessarily got more screen time than needed lol...i feel like they got more screen time than main couple...the drama could've been better if they stick to careers more

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh Hae Young is definitely one of my favorite. Here's few others not yet mention that i feel really highlight the profession:

Jealousy Incarnate/ Don't Dare To Dream: news reader

The Producer: variety show producer

Imitation: idols

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

A Piece Of Your Mind - Classical music recorder and AI developer

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes! I was going to say A Piece of Your Mind too :D

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

my unique profession dramas..
1. Forecasting love and whether.. cause it indeed had never used profession of kdramas. And i learnt a lot about forecasting.

2. Run On.. Shin Se Kyung's profession of translator was fascinating. It again helped me understand struggles of all people who translate kdramas for us and provide us subtitled files... so huge respect for them all.

3. Another oh hae young.. Eric's profession of Sound designer and Folly Artist was no less fascinating for me.. though i dint have much knowledge abt it then but still it was interesting to watch.

4. Kiss sixth sense... Ad agency, planning an ad, making storyboards, then shooting, editing videos and fighting for every extra edit.. hahahah i could never relate to a profession like this ever before. believe me i watched this show just for understanding more abt Ad world more than the plot itself (which was all recycled)

5. Naked Fireman... lol no reason to explain cause i love everything abt it cause it had not so used new profession for sure.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Absolute Boyfriend: special-effects props and makeup artist. The FL and her team casually fling around gruesome body parts and brew up buckets of fake blood.

Robot boyfriends, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh ..." Touch" was a drama around makeup artists

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh I might have some dramas woth uniqu professions:
In "secret garden" the FL was w stunt
"Move to Heaven" and a very unique job trouma cleaning
"Strong delivery man", which tells story of a delivery man
"One poem a day": rehab professionnels. It is somehow common yo see doctors. But rehab professionnals was a good idea.
Backstreet rookie: It is not uncommon to see actors play as a sales clerk, but a whole story around a supermarket was refreshing.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

In "Mi Rae's choice" we delved into work of screen writers. It was nice

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh and depiction of rangers in Jirisan was also unique

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Historian in Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung.

Historian are almost non existent in sageuk so it is an eye opener to see that historians are everywhere in the palace.

I also greatly admire their persistence to record fairly, despite all the pressure from court politics.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *