Star-studded K-dramas that stumbled on their plots
Several Korean dramas with big casts and budgets have been criticised for weak storytelling, including Sisyphus: The Myth, Snowdrop and Bride of Habaek.
Several South Korean dramas have drawn criticism for weak storytelling despite strong casts and large budgets. Sisyphus: The Myth, starring Cho Seung-woo as a genius engineer and Park Shin-hye as a soldier from a ruined future, was criticised for time-travel rules that seemed to change to suit the plot, and for villains who appeared mainly to extend chase scenes through Seoul.
Snowdrop, written and directed by the team behind SKY Castle, paired Jung Hae-in with Jisoo in her first lead role. Set in 1987 Seoul, it spent roughly half its run on a hostage standoff in a women's dormitory, which critics said left little room for the romance at its centre.
Bride of Habaek, featuring Nam Joo-hyuk, Shin Se-kyung, Lim Ju-hwan, Krystal and Gong Myung, moved its water deity to modern Seoul. Fans of the original webtoon said the adaptation barely resembled the story they knew.