Korean dramas can be any genre: romance, mystery, action/adventure, fantasy, historical, sports, and more. Romance is extremely popular, and includes many sub-genres and tropes. For example, a K-drama in the romance genre can be light and fluffy, comedic, or melodramatic. A lot of the same tropes are often used because the audience enjoys them. Some of these well-known tropes are: rich man/poor woman, love triangle, kind second male lead and evil second female lead.
It’s not just about the genres and tropes though. There can also be trends that K-dramas follow. I remember when a ton of noona romances (dramas where the female lead is older than the male lead) started coming out because audiences responded well to them (for the most part). Or when every drama seemed to be about time travel.
There are just certain things you see a lot in K-dramas and certain things you don’t. When it comes to sports dramas, a lot of them are centered around soccer or baseball because those are popular sports in Korea. Sometimes you’ll see characters that practice taekwondo or Olympic-related sports like swimming or track and field. It’s very rare that you see dramas about cheerleading.
That’s where “Cheer Up” comes in. It’s a drama about cheerleading starring Han Ji Hyun (“Penthouse“) and Bae In Hyuk (“Why Her”). It’s actually one of the few K-dramas about this fun, morale-boosting sport. The other is a drama called “Sassy Go Go” that was released in 2015. Both dramas also double as a coming-of-age tale because they’re about the challenges and new experiences people face growing up. “Cheer Up” takes place in university, so the characters are a little older and there’s an interesting mystery storyline as well.
Cheerleading is a big part of western culture. Many sports (like football and soccer) have cheerleaders on the sidelines, and there are even competitive tournaments. American movies like “Bring It On” have greatly impacted western pop culture, and many people are so fascinated by it reality shows have been made about cheerleaders.
Cheerleading looks a bit different in Korea. Instead of acrobatics and stunts, it’s more about the synchronized arm movements and elaborate costumes. This brand of cheerleading looks much different than its western cousin, so it’s interesting to compare and contrast. Both look really fun, though.
So, if you’re interested in watching a unique story about something you don’t usually see in K-dramas, check out “Cheer Up” on KOCOWA+. Hopefully if enough people show an interest, we’ll get more cheerleading dramas in the future!
