A New Wave of Talent: Discovering the Rising Stars of South Korea
Hi! My name is Silje, and I’m an 18-year-old girl from Sweden. By diving into mental health issues, it should be needless to say that this article is gonna be a bit deep, but I’ll try to make it as entertaining as possible.
Warning: I’m going to tap into subjects such as suicidal thoughts, epilepsy, panic attacks and school problems.
Having an interest, like watching dramas, is amazing. My therapist always told me that that was the brightest part of me; all of my various interests. Although I sometimes (maybe a bit too often) used dramas as a way to distract myself from my thoughts or as a way to escape reality, at least I was happy at the moment. I lived through all of my rough years, thanks to my interests and watching dramas. I didn’t avoid topics that hit too close to home, in fact, I felt it was important to truly feel those feelings instead of holding it all inside. I don’t like to burden others with my problems, so it was refreshing to freely feel, just being on my own with a blanket and a drama.
Here are some dramas and movies that stirred up a lot of those feelings for me:
Summary: Takashi Aoyama is having a really hard time at work and decides that he wants to take his own life but gets saved by a man. The man is called Yamamoto and he stirs up Takashi’s life for the better.
Summary: Chen Nian is being severely bullied at school and is struggling at home because of her mother's debt. One day, she sees a young man on the street getting beat up by a bunch of guys and decides to step in. The two end up influencing each other's lives. The man decides to become her protector.
Summary: Kakeru is unsatisfied with his life and is a loner at school until he meets the new transfer student called Mizuho. She takes a liking to Kakeru, and after the two become closer, they decide to form a band. Together they start to write their first song called Control Tower.
35 Year Old High School Student
Summary: A woman called Baba Ayako goes undercover as a high school student and influence her classmates' lives as they deal with the darkness surrounding school life.
Summary: A young girl is living a difficult life with her abusive parents and the bullying at school. One day, she gets kidnapped by a man in a mask. He names her Sachi and gives her a place to stay. The two form a twisted relationship as they are on the run.
Summary: Boo is living a difficult life, dealing with his depression and living up to all of the expectations of him. He decides that he doesn’t want to live anymore, but gets distracted by a group of skaters. They form a strange bond as Boo decides to take up skating himself.
Summary: The home tutor Yoshimoto is hired to get the youngest son of the family back to school. But he quickly discovers that the family has more than just one problem. Yoshimoto's methods of teaching are questionable, and he himself seems a bit mentally unstable.
I have a hard time crying. I even get frustrated with myself as I can’t cry, but I know it would make me feel better.
My reaction when I quit school for the second time because of my suicidal thoughts: “Wow”.
My reaction when I lost all my childhood friends: “Oh”.
My reaction when they told me I had epilepsy: “Life happens I guess”.
I just didn’t feel sad, but I know I had to be, because omg it’s getting a bit heavy to carry all of this. I had enough of this greyness, and I just thought to myself: “Cry ffs!”. So, I found something sad to watch lol. Crying is healthy. Contrary to what I’ve written, I’m actually quite sensitive lol, so I cry during a lot of movies/dramas... I don't know if these will make you tear up, but I’m still gonna recommend some shows that made me cry (like proper crocodile tears) if you ever feel the need to let your tears fall:
Summary: 27-year-old Huang Yu Xuan is terribly missing her boyfriend, Wang Quan Sheng, with whom she used to live before hearing that he was missing, presumed dead, after a flight accident a couple of years ago. One day, she receives a mysterious gift; a walkman and a music cassette. As she listens to it, she wishes to see her boyfriend again. She wakes up in a hospital bed and sees her dead boyfriend sitting beside her. But his name isn’t Wang Quan Sheng, it’s Li Zi Wei. On top of that, she learns that she isn’t the 27-year-old Huang Yu Xuan, she is a high school girl named Chen Yun Ru. Confused, she questions her reality.
Summary: Mika meets Hiro at school. The two quickly become attracted to one another. They live their lives happily together, but fate has other plans for them.
Summary: Dojima Otaro is a host who carries the belief that love makes people unhappy. One day, a mysterious woman appears in front of him and kisses him. He falls dead, but then he wakes up and discovers that he’s 7 days in the past.
Summary: Nam Shin, a third-generation heir, falls into a coma. His mother creates an android named Nam Shin Ill to temporarily take his place.
Summary: A university student named Sawada Takuto learns that he has a disease called ALS and that he doesn’t have much time left to live. He decides to live his life activity despite his condition.
To Each His Own (again)
Summary: Shindo Minato is to start working at a hospital. But some people are against this because he has autism and savant syndrome, so they think it’s unfitting to hire such a doctor. Shindo Minato cares deeply about the lives of people and is passionate about achieving his dream and become a pediatric surgeon.
I like seeing people go crazy in dramas. Okay, I know it sounds weird, but I think it’s because I can’t do that myself. It gives me really... Good feelings I don't know how else to describe it. Hmm… Refreshing? Does it make me feel less crazy? Yeah, maybe. Anyhow, it works in a strange way. It might not be for you, but why not give it a try?
Warning: Some of these shows are 18+, horror and gore. Read the synopsis carefully before watching
Summary: Jin Seok and his family move into a new house. But one day his older brother is kidnapped. When he finally returns, he has no recollection of the event. Jin Seok always admired his older brother, but after the incident, his brother seems like a completely different person.
Summary: Ji Sun Woo is living the ideal life. She has a nice home, a rewarding job, has a son and is married to the person she loves. But one day she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her and even worse than that all her friends seemed to know about it except for her. A dangerous battle between two lovers has been initiated.
Summary: A bunch of high schoolers do various types of criminal acts to earn money. But it quickly becomes too dangerous.
Summary: Kim Moo Young finds himself becoming a murder suspect. He meets Yoo Jin Kang, who is warm and caring towards him. Yoo Jin Kang has a brother, who is a homicide detective and believes that Kim Moo Young is a murderer, so he strives to save his sister from this man.
Summary: Okumori Rei killed his father as self-defence as he was abusive towards him and his mother. He and his mother lie to the authorities and say that his father has gone missing. Years later, Rei is to get married to the person he loves when he starts to get blackmailed about his haunting past.
Summary: Ango Ishikawa is a detective. One day, he is shot in the head by a killer lurking by a crime scene. He survives the incident but ever since that day he can see and talk to the dead.
Summary: Han Tae Joo is a leader of a crime investigation team. One day, while trying to catch a serial killer, he has an accident. When he wakes up, he finds himself in 1988. He is told that he is a detective belonging to a team in a small city. As an attempt to go back to the present, he tries to solve a case he suspects is related to the incident.
Summary: Yoon Jong Woo has just moved to Seoul and is looking for a cheap place to stay. He finds Eden Goshiwon, and despite its shabby state, it is the best option that he has, so he decides to become a resident. He plans to save up money to move to a better place soon. But he soon discovers that mysterious incidents are occurring in the apartment building, causing him to start fearing the other residents.
Kazoku Game (again)
Summary: Seiji Hasumi is the most popular high school teacher at his school. He is also a psychopath. In an attempt to solve some of the school’s problems, he starts killing his students one by one.
What was the point of this article? Hmm… Getting strength. I hope that this article, or that these dramas/movies can make you feel better and less lonely. Dramas helped me to get the strength that I needed to deal with some of my problems.
But no matter how much we want them to; dramas are not a therapist. So if you do feel like things are hard, I strongly suggest that you seek professional help. I was really reluctant towards therapy and medication and all that, but it actually helped. It really can get better, I promise. I know it’s extra hard with the virus and everything going on at the moment, so it’s extra important that you don’t keep everything inside.
My personal development? I’m no longer suicidal, I stopped starving myself, and I can walk outside without having panic attacks. I’m still not in school and am instead of pursuing a career in music to free my mind. My parents are supportive of my decision. My epilepsy is under control at the moment. I have people who care about me, I’m sure you do too, although you might not be aware of them. I wasn’t.
Extra: for further help to feel better with yourself, I highly suggest becoming an ARMY (a BTS fan), getting a cat, becoming vegetarian, check out astrology, learn tarot, go out in nature, listen to music and try being creative.
Thank you for reading and go watch a drama!
