K-dramas about cheating wives boosted by strong soundtracks
Shows' appeal boosted by weepy ballads
These days, TV series about adulterous women seem to be all the rage in K-drama land.
I had recently finished the slow-burning On The Way To The Airport and now, I'm hooked on another drama exploring a similar topic -cheating wives - the funny, bittersweet My Wife Is Having An Affair This Week.
As a K-drama fan who prefers solid storylines that delve into life's hard-hitting questions, I applaud the producers' courage to take female infidelity out of the shadows.
Globally, the number of female philanderers is increasing and studies show that most women stray due to a lapse of some sort - sexual or otherwise - on the part of their husbands.
When women have affairs, they also seek something more emotionally meaningful than their male counterparts.
All these make for highly interesting yet uncomfortable lead characters on television.
The protagonists might be played by gorgeous actress Kim Ha Neul (On The Way To The Airport) and Running Man star Song Ji Hyo (My Wife Is Having An Affair This Week), but audiences will struggle to empathise with the adulteresses.
Both thought-provoking dramas are boosted by strong soundtracks featuring top Korean musicians.
My Wife Is Having An Affair boasts one of the saddest, most depressing ballads I've heard in K-pop history - If We, sung by underrated singer Park Won.
If We's excellent lyrics, which goes perfectly with the drama's themes of infidelity and marital breakdown, will make all lonely souls cry: "If you're going to do this, you shouldn't have left/ If you're going to keep this up, you shouldn't have left... It's not gonna work between us/ There's no hope."
Female singer Morra's soulful tune, Only You, gets played in almost every episode of On The Way To The Airport. It is a winner, thanks to its tender, emotive quality.
Unlike If We, Only You's lyrics are not specific to the drama's plot. It is a beautiful, simple song for ordinary folks to serenade their loved ones with.
"The only one who has my heart/ Among the countless people/ You are the only one standing in front of me," sings Morra and my heart melts.
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