Say hello to craziness, because makjang dramas are where it’s at with “what the fluck.” They are over-the-top, outrageous, logic-has-left-the-building shows that push the button on go-go-go, right off the cliff. But you know the characters survive because it’s a makjang. If normal dramas are a simmer, makjangs are a volcanic eruption. You feel me?
Koreans often call these types of shows “cider” dramas because, while the situations are intense, the villains are insane, and the drama is infuriating, the eventual revenge or “cider” moment is so crisp, refreshing, and satisfyingly over-the-top that it provides a sweet cathartic release for viewers’ real-life stresses. Basically, no matter how crazy your life is right now, there’s no way it’s crazier than a makjang.
Case in point, check out these makjang-ready tropes:
- The “Food Slap”: It’s exactly what it sounds like. Food is frequently used as a weapon, whether it be liquid, grain, greens, or meat. The “Kimchi Slap” is the famous food slap that kick-started this trope, first seen in the drama Everybody Say Kimchi. But pasta slaps, seaweed slaps, meat slaps, and bean paste slaps are also prevalent. Just watch out when food is around!
- The Birth Secret: You will be hard-pressed to find a makjang without a birth secret. Usually it revolves around a secretly wealthy child that was raised in poverty but that is not always the case. The reveal usually involves a dramatic gasp, a dropped glass of water, and a sudden zoom-in on the character’s face.
- The “Grave-to-Gala” Transformation: A must-have in makjangs, in my opinion. It reminds me of all those great Danielle Steel books featuring a ruined woman returning to glory. Basically, a character is wronged, disappears for a few episodes, and returns as a sophisticated, wealthy “stranger” to ruin their enemies.
- The “They’re Not Dead” & Doppelgängers: Other staples include the “they’re not dead” trope—where someone survives falling off a ten-story waterfall—and the “doppelgänger” trope, where a twin appears whom somehow no one has ever seen before. Those are just the contemporary tropes; once you bring in speculative elements, it’s a whole other level of nonsense. And we love it!
Recommended Makjang Starter Pack
To see the true “over-the-topness” of makjang dramas, start right here:
The Penthouse: War in Life
The ultimate modern makjang involving high society, murder, and classical music. It is a relentless cycle of characters falling from balconies, faking their deaths, and screaming at the top of their lungs while living in a 100-floor luxury apartment where no one is safe or without a luxury whip.
The Last Empress
An alternate-history Korea where the monarchy still exists. It’s fast-paced and completely unhinged, featuring a plot where a commoner marries the Emperor only to find herself dodging assassination attempts, secret rooms, and a bodyguard who underwent a total-body transformation for revenge.
Young Lady and Gentleman
A great example of a “Weekend Makjang.” It’s longer (50+ episodes), has adorable children, and birth secrets. At first glance, you would think it was mostly grounded, but it truly embraces the madness when the lead male character gets amnesia not once, but twice, regressing into the mind of a 22-year-old to reset the entire plot.
Once again, we don’t watch makjangs for the logic; we watch them for the glorious, unhinged escape.
Join us in the madness on KOCOWA+!
