G Reviews: Descendants of the Sun
Not long after obsessing over Boys Over Flowers when I was 9 years old, I had a Korean drama hiatus because I entered the world of Western pop culture. It only came back when I was 15 years old — when Descendants of the Sun became famous all over social media. The hype made me decide to try watching it. And then… voila! I never stopped being a fan of Korean dramas (K-Drama) since then.
To briefly describe the plot of Descendants of the Sun, it is a love story between a soldier, Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki) and a doctor, Mo Yun (Song Hye Kyo) who were trying to find a happy ending in the warzone. But just like other K-Dramas, the side characters also have different backstories which will make you fall in love with the story more.
This K-Drama might just be a typical, cute and heart-fluttering drama for most of the viewers, but if a deeper sense of understanding were be used, the viewers would be able to detect different themes, lessons, takeaways and influences.
One of the major scenes of the drama involves an interaction with North Korean soldiers. One might think that this was a very tricky move by the entertainment industry since North and South Korea were not in good terms. Digging deeper into the context will make you realize that this drama manipulates the fear that South Koreans feel because of threats from North Korea. Song Jong Ki’s character and together with other soldiers portray a dashing special force that acts as a vehicle to promote desirability for soldiers. The soldiers were portrayed as loyal and warmhearted men serving other for greater good. The drama efficiently used the “national spirit” card and excellently advertised Korea’s conscription. This was a very wise move since there’s no easier way to advertise something than creating an influential drama that were interesting for the viewers.
Also, some viewers might have not observed how this drama advertised the products of the companies that sponsored them. Korean dramas know how to sell in a subtle manner. This K-Drama had a lot of sponsors such as vitamin drinks, instant coffee, cellphones, choco pies and even make-up. Song Hye Kyo’s Laneige Two Tone lipstick became famous all over the world because of this drama which started the rise of Korean beauty products. Even her bangs made it into stardom and was copied by a lot of fans.
All in all, Korean dramas definitely have a huge impact on our present generation. Personally, watching it makes my real life more bearable. It is an escape from reality. As viewers, we should be aware of how these drama and other forms of media can manipulate the way we think and live our lives in order for us to distinguish what is the right or wrong media to make use of.
