They Don't Kiss Until Episode 16

The Fourth of July is the United States’ celebration of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is a major holiday in the United States featuring copious grilled meats, fireworks, alcohol, and doorbuster sales.

If you’ve watched even one Korean drama then you know that Korea (at the time called Joseon which included North Korea) was colonized by Japan for 90 years. Moreover, the efforts to remove Japan as overlords in the country eventually led to the Korean War, and to the division of the peninsula at the 38th parallel.

Whew! That was a lot of history

My point is, K-dramas make no qualms about casually or very obviously bringing up this period of history, even if the drama is not historical. So I thought, there has to be some type of independence day or celebration relating to ending Japanese occupation. Lo and behold there is! A quick google search landed me on the official Visit Korea website and I learned that there is in fact a July 4th-esque holiday…

Independence Movement Day

Celebrated on March 1, Independence Movement Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence proclaimed on March 1, 1919, while under Japanese colonization.

That is precisely the reason we celebrate July 4th. Same. Same. However, Americans don’t typically make continual reference to this period in movies. There are movies about colonial America and biopic films about the key players, such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, but rarely do you see a historic film about the everyday lives and struggles during this period. But in K-dramas you do.

So in honor of the American Forth of July celebration, here are three K-dramas about fighting Japanese occupation in Korea that you should watch.

3) Chicago Typewriter (2017)

Starring Yo Ah-In (Alive), Lim Soo-Jung (Search WWW), and Ko Kyoung-Pyo (Reply 1988) this drama has everything: guns, romance, reincarnation, and ghosts. That’s right! Chicago Typewriter is a supernatural take on Japanese occupation in Korea. Yo Ah-In stars as Han Se-Joo, a national bestselling author who is suffering a serious case of writer’s block. Lim Soo-Jung plays Jeon Seol, a veterinarian, super fan of Han Se-Joo, and once upon a time Olympic shooter for the Korean national team. Finally, Ko Kyoung-Pyo portrays Yoo Jin-oh a literal ghostwriter. He is a ghost.

Jeon Seol and Han Se-Joo are reincarnations of resistance fighters from the 1930s named Seo Hwi-Young and Ryu Soo-Hyun, respectively. As for the ghostwriter, we learn he is from the 1930s, a fellow resistance fighter and best friends with Hwi-Young and Soo-Hyun. Except he wasn’t reincarnated. What happened? You have to watch to find out and the reason will bring you to tears.

Despite the comedic moments courtesy of actors Jeon Soo-Kyeong and Oh Na-Ra, the drama does give us a window into mental health, friendship, trust, and most of all just how difficult it is to love in war. The colonizer won’t let you be great. Oh, and there is a love triangle. It is not the best drama ever, but it holds your attention for all 16 episodes.

2) Hymn of Death (2018)

When I tell you this is haunting, I mean it is haunting. Hymn of Death is a mini-series based on the true-life tragic romance of Korea’s first soprano Yun Sim-deok and playwright Kim Woo-jin (or Kim U-jin). U-jin is already married when he goes to Japan to pursue a career in drama whilst majoring in English at the prestigious Waseda University (in real life he had a child but the child is not a character in the drama). It is in Japan where he meets Sim-deok who is studying music at the Tokyo Music School, the first Korean ever to do so.

Why include this show on the list? Because it is not just U-jin’s marriage that stands in between him and Sim-deok’s love. You get to see how these two Korean people must battle against Japanese ethnocentrism, which affects every aspect of their lives including their general success in their respective careers, not because they aren’t talented but because they are Korean.

Their love doesn’t end well. But with only four episodes and starring the incredible Lee Jong-suk (Romance is a Bonus Book, Doctor Stranger, and Pinnochio) and the remarkable Shin Hye-sun (Mr. Queen, The Legend of the Blue Sea), it’s totally worth the watch. Just don’t forget your tissues.

1) Mr. Sunshine (2018)

Hands down, still my number one favorite K-drama or show I’ve ever seen. Period. Unlike the previous dramas discussed, Mr. Sunshine takes place right at the start of Japan’s official annexation of Korea or rather, Joseon. Lee Byun-Hun stars as Eugene Choi, a former runaway slave who escapes to United States and rises up to serve in the American military. Just suspend reality and let it be.

If you are a bit confused as to how that is possible, according to the State Department, The United States established diplomatic relations with Joseon in 1882 and would continue this relationship until Japan’s official annexation in 1905.

Japan’s upping of tensions causes Eugene to be sent back to Joseon for the first time in decades. While there he falls in love with an aristocrat’s granddaughter, Go Ae-Shin played by Kim Tae-Ri who is secretly a resistance fighter, trying to boot the Japanese out of Joseon.

As the theme for all these shows has been up to this point, the colonizer won’t let love thrive. But this show is amazing because it shows just how much of Japan controlled Korea before the official annexation. You get a love story and a history lesson in one. Not to mention, the show does a great job at giving the audience second leads you absolutely love and root for.

This drama is entirely binge-worthy. You won’t laugh a lot, but you will feel all the feels and be compelled to learn a few things about Korean history.

Honorable Mention

Here is a more concise list of tv shows and movies that focus on this period but I haven’t seen them all so it wouldn’t be fair to list them on a blog where my goal is to rate, rave, and review. But honorable mention goes to Pachinko (2022). Pachinko is a K-drama starring the luscious Lee Min-Ho. I haven’t seen it because I don’t have Apple TV. But I did read the book by author Min Jin Lee and I can tell you the book was FANTASTIC. If the show was half as good as the book then I know the show had to be amazing. Plus Lee Min-ho is a great actor.

The second honorable mention goes to The Handmaiden (2016). I haven’t seen it, but a review on TikTok once said it was great. Plus, it stars Kim Tae-Ri, who is also the lead in Mr. Sunshine, and as you know, I love Mr. Sunshine.

HAPPY WATCHING!