▲ A still image from "Squid Game 2," provided by Netflix on Aug. 1, 2024, shows protagonist Sung Gi-hun. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- Just a few years ago, even if a drama in Korea achieved great success, it was difficult to get a clear answer about plans for a second season when the series ended. 

 

Production teams often deflected, saying, "Even if we want to, coordinating the actors' schedules is key," and in reality, it often took years before a follow-up season could be released.

 

A prime example is the SBS drama Dr. Romantic, which aired in 2016. Its second season did not arrive until three years after the first, with the third season airing another three years later, last year.

 

▲ A poster for "Gyeongseong Creature" is shown in this image provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

These days, things have changed. According to industry sources on the 20th, some series are being pre-produced and released at intervals of a few months, similar to American dramas, capturing viewers' attention. For instance, Netflix's recently released Gyeongseong Creature was filmed with both Season 1 and Season 2 planned from the outset, with both seasons being released within a year. After seven months of filming and post-production, Season 1 was divided into two parts, released in December of last year and January of this year, with Season 2 following roughly eight months after the second part of Season 1.

 

Netflix's Sweet Home and Squid Game also followed this approach, pre-producing the remaining seasons after their initial release. Sweet Home released Seasons 2 and 3 seven months apart, while Squid Game plans to release its second season on December 26, with the third season scheduled for release next year.

 

While season-based drama production is expanding, especially with Netflix at the forefront, experts caution that this approach does not necessarily guarantee success. Cultural critic Jeong Deok-hyeon noted, "In Hollywood, a pilot series is typically used to gauge audience reactions, and they secure continuity in production by contracting actors and staff on a season basis. This system is not yet fully established in Korea."

 

Moreover, it is uncertain whether subsequent seasons will match the success of the first. In fact, among domestically produced OTT dramas, there are few examples where a second season outperformed the first. For instance, D.P. Season 1 garnered attention for its portrayal of military misconduct through the lens of a unit tasked with apprehending deserters. However, its focus shifted to power struggles within the military in the second season, which critics said diluted the original tone of the series. Similarly, Sweet Home faced criticism for trying to overly expand its universe, resulting in a loss of direction.

 

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Industry experts agree that for the season-based drama format to take root in Korea, it is crucial to clearly conceptualize intellectual property (IP) suitable for such a format from the planning stages and develop storylines that can unfold over a longer narrative arc. 

 

Jeong suggests, "To make season-based dramas successful, it is important to map out a larger narrative from the beginning and unfold the story in stages. A bold departure from the traditional mindset that each season must have a complete story is needed."

 

Cultural critic Ha Jae-geun added, "Korea is currently in a transitional phase where season-based dramas are just beginning to establish themselves as a production style. Dividing a long story into seasons introduces new challenges in terms of pacing and narrative structure, but as experience accumulates, we might eventually see long-running series like those with 10 or more seasons in the U.S."

 

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