Dramaland Characters: I Envy You!

Dear MDLers,

For the both of us, this is our maiden attempt in writing an article on here! This being our first, we are naturally feeling nervous, excited, and are hoping that our readers, being fellow drama-watchers, will enjoy reading our thoughts and can come to relate to us through this!

The Supernatural theme often finds itself in the plot of a K-drama, sometimes with an entire world created and dedicated to it. So if you claim to be a K-drama lover, it is almost impossible that you haven't been exposed to the sweet world of fantastical elements, ranging from beautiful Gumihos to gorgeously cute yet clueless mermaids and the most dashing goblins and grim reapers (yes, they go hand in hand) to characters who have powers that are beyond us normal humans. That brings us to our topic, where we intend to focus on those dramas which are set in an ordinary world with just a hint of fantasy or science fiction, namely in the form of superpowers that are within the main character's possession, and we have come to envy after seeing them! We have attempted to bring them to our world and tried to realistically opine about each power by putting ourselves in the shoes of those who had the power in the drama.

So...here is a non-exhaustive list of dramas featuring characters with supernatural powers in an ordinary setting and our thoughts about each of them!  

Mystic Pop-Up Bar

Everyone’s fate is decided by the heavens. But the heavens are more easily moved than you might think. Little things that you say and do may change your fate. If changing your fate is called a miracle, then miracles may be happening every day. The miracle of being alive, the miracle of having that person next to you, and the miracle of being able to have a drink with that person. - Wol Joo

This drama is about a prickly woman, Wol Joo, who runs a mysterious pojangmacha (bar) along with a chef and a part time worker. Wol Joo, as a punishment from the heavens for having done something rather reckless, had been tasked with helping a 100,000 people. The trio get together and help people with their problems by going into their dreams.  

 Ever since she was a child, she had the mysterious power of being able to enter people's dreams and heal their emotional turmoil. But being on a time limit to meet the target of helping a 100,000 people, she sought out Han Kang Bae, a warmhearted and awkward man with another supernatural ability, that is, with a touch he can make people confess and pour out all that is in their hearts. 

For me, both the characters' powers seem fascinating. Wol Joo's ability as a human dream catcher does relieve so many of the pain of facing injustices, by seeking  revenge in the perpetrator's dreams, helping her coax nearly a hundred thousand losers into becoming better human beings! Kang Bae also with his passive ability that compels people to tell him their secrets when he touches them, brings out an honest and unabashed version of people which he may not appreciate as much, but I surely do... frankly, it is the way their powers  complement each other, that makes it so special and beautiful. 

So every person who needs to be avenged by Wol Joo's oddly gratifying ways of getting back at someone requires a Han Kang Bae for being able to voice their troubles and concerns! With both these powers I would surely work as a psychologist, it would help all those who come to me, voice their troubles without a veil and if it were that someone was the cause of their trouble and they needed avenging, I would have that sorted too! 

Bring It On Ghost 

Do you think you can do it? Well that depends on you. There's no other job that can make you happy other than a job that makes others happy. You can lead the dead to peace. That's not a curse, that's a gifted talent. - Monk Myung Chul

The story revolves around Park Bong Pal, a college going student who has grown up with the ability to see ghosts. He uses his power to work as an exorcist, banishing ghosts to make enough money in order to undergo a surgery which will take his ability away. On one of his exorcism expeditions he encounters Kim Hyun Ji, a feisty high school student who is wandering as a ghost and doesn't know the reason of her death. The two draw up a mutually beneficial contract and come around to becoming ghost busting partners and more!  

Bong Pal hires himself out as an exorcist initially, but rather than employing any mystical tactics, he just beats the crap out of the ghosts until they leave their chosen haunting grounds. As he starts working alongside Hyun Ji he finds that together they can fight against even stronger ghosts but also comes to the realization that not all ghosts are malevolent but rather they are lost in a world that fears and shuns them.

Watching this show, one comes around to believe that ghosts are stuck in the realm of the living not by choice but rather they either have unfinished business, or were wrongfully killed. As a viewer, I consider myself as like that in Sang and Rang's shoes (members of the university ghost hunting club: Blood Sausage Soup, I know the name's rather random) as they, like me, have no ghost seeing abilities yet exhibit keen interest in this field. If all ghosts in reality were just as helpless and lonely, unable to find their way to the afterlife as the world had wronged them, I would love to have this ability in order to avenge them and lead them to eternal peace. It seems only fair that if one passes away, they are able to leave this madding crowd, to where they belong...

P.S: If someone's wondering whether I've lost my mind and in actuality have started believing in ghosts, don't worry, I'm only just stating a hypothetical situation where such an ability and these circumstances are possible. ;)

He Is Psychometric

The world he sees through his power is full of lies. Even love, happiness, and sadness. It's all a lie. - Kang Sung Mo

Lee Ahn, our protagonist, after losing his parents in a fire, acquires the power of psychometry and decides to use it to combat criminals. Jae In, a smart young woman whose father was framed for arson, first met him in high school and then again as a patrol police officer while he was aspiring to become one too. Together, along with Kang Sung Mo, a prosecutor and Lee Ahn's legal guardian/adoptive brother, they begin unravelling an elusive case that had been haunting them for years, and in the process heal each other through the past, present and future to find the culprit.

Hmm, so psychometry as portrayed in the show allows him to “read” memories from people or objects upon direct skin contact, building the central conceit of the show. With no inherent ability to control it or switch his ability off, the perpetual onslaught of unwanted information—secrets and trivialities alike, leaves him shying away from every form of physical contact, however slight. This brings in the need for him to learn and control his power as it’s a constant reminder that his ability is a vulnerability, and that’s the only way he can protect himself from the world. 

Often, when I go into places like antique shops or buildings of historical significance where one can find sitting around objects that used to belong to someone, I feel the presence of a fascinating energy. To be able to perceive impressions such as images, sounds, smells, and even emotions is what I would consider a cathartic experience and a power that I would come to cherish. 

One can get overwhelmed with memories of people and the histories of objects but I hope to be able to learn and control it as time progresses. To become a historian or an archaeologist with such an ability would actually help unravel so many mysteries of the past and act as a huge advantage... 

As our hero in the show, to use this power to catch criminals also does sound like a sweet deal, but my only is question is: How is he so calm and smiley while touching dead bodies? *clears throat* I digress, it's just that I'm not sure of how well I'd deal with all that... So the thought of knowing a person or object's past simply with the help of tactility is something that excites me and others may not share the same thoughts as I do, so please don't judge me for it!  

Tomorrow With You

If I could be with her for even one hour, no...if I could see her for even ten minutes, I would just want to go back. - Yoo So-joon

The story revolves around Yoo So-joon, a CEO of a real estate company, who has the ability to travel through time via a subway, and his wife-to-be, Song Ma-rin, who works as an amateur photographer. After seeing his death in the future, he discovers a mysterious connection to Ma Rin and enters into marriage with her to try and prevent it. But the closer he grows to her, he realizes how much his life is hurting her and tries to figure out the best way to love and protect her.

It is after surviving a subway accident that he obtains the ability to time travel. He uses his ability for his own benefits of winning the lottery and establishing the company’s property. The company always succeeds because So-joon already knows ahead of time whether the target would succeed or not, and he has the principle not to be involved in the lives of others who have the ability to time travel. It is only as the drama progresses that the viewer starts questioning as to whether the ability to time travel is the real antagonist in the larger scheme of things.

Time traveling is a concept of walking forward or backward to a different point in time, much like we move in space. Of course, pertaining to science we probably couldn't survive it. The behavior of the matter and energy follow physical laws, that are predicated on the linear flow of information. So either the traveler themselves would become an anomaly or there would have to be multiple branches to time.  

Keeping the logical aspect aside, looking into the future would help make the right decisions by weighing out all of one's options. Many would choose to know the lottery numbers, invest in cryptocurrency or even stash some valuables that would be worth a fortune in the future! Seeing how anything pans out, would facilitate making correct choices. The ability to correct past errors, both your own and other people's would be beneficial to all. I myself, being a highly indecisive person, this would surely spare me the agony of overthinking my every little decision as nothing would remain consequential, but if everyone makes all the right choices, wouldn't life be just as boring, as tiring making decisions is now? And yet often even in the dramas, one does come to realize that fate isn’t something that can be changed and prevented, but can only be slowed down, so does knowing what's to come beforehand a curse or a blessing? I choose the latter, it is now up to you to decide what you'd consider of this power! 

While You Were Sleeping

I don't believe your words. I don't want to believe it. I will never believe it even if I dream the same thing again. I don't care who dies in my dream. I'll have to save whoever is dying. If I can't do that, I'll have to blame myself endlessly, I can't handle that. Can you handle that ? If you can't, ignore all your dreams as if they never happened. - Jung Jae Chan

Set in dreams where imagination meets reality, While You Were Sleeping introduces you to Nam Hong Joo, a young woman with bad premonition dreams who lives believing that fate cannot be changed and lives her entire life in distress because of her dreams. Eventually, she meets two people who suddenly develop the same ability of being able to see the good and bad events before they happen. However, she is often unable to do anything about it. One of them being Jung Jae Chan, a rookie prosecutor, and his younger brother, Seung Won, who move in across the street. And the other being Han Woo Tak, a young police officer. 

One day, Jae Chan has a strange premonition dream about an accident involving Hong Joo and Lee Yoo Beom, a ruthless attorney who used to be Jae Chan’s tutor. Jae Chan decides to interfere in the course of events and ends up saving the lives of Hong Joo and Han Woo Tak at different instances. When Jae Chan, Hong Joo, and Woo Tak start having dreams about one another, they realize that their lives are now somehow intertwined. But can the three discover the reason that they were brought together, and can they prevent the people closest to them from getting hurt?

Okay, now just like Nam Hong Joo, even I don't wish to see people around me dying, and at the same time me not being able to do anything about it. But then why do I still envy her power? Well the way I see it, this power is nothing but an opportunity, a chance to save my loved ones. Well, I am sure all of you have know that regret is the most painful thing you can ever experience in life. For me this power is nothing but a way that would leave me with the least amount of regret. I don't know if I can win against fate but as long as I can try I'd be more than happy. Even the thought that I tried my best to save someone would leave me with less regrets than the thought that I couldn't even try. Aren't all the nightmares worth it if I can prevent even one of them from turning into reality.

Fight against fate, winning sounds as impossible as me receiving the power, haha! I know fate is too big of an enemy to mess around with and we all know that what's bound to happen will happen no matter what you do. But you know what sounds more scary to me, not doing what I could do. Everyone including me to an extent might agree that knowing the future is more of a curse than a blessing, but even then I'd still want that power, not for cheating in my exams and scoring a 100/100, not for winning a lottery and neither for investing in the stock market (they were my ideas as well) but now when I look back, if I could see the future maybe I could have helped in dealing with the pandemic and maybe all those who lost their lives could have an opportunity to live. 

Knowing the future is scary,

 trying to change it needs a lot more courage than you think , 

 not being able to do anything, might be the worst feeling in the world,

 but having an opportunity to save a life - Isn't it worth enough to risk all you have?

 for me, it is!!!

I Can Hear Your Voice

There are two types of noises in my world. One is what everyone else hear. And the other one… is only what I can hear. – Park Soo Ha 

I Can Hear Your Voice brings you the story of Park Soo Ha, a 19-year-old boy who has the ability to read other people’s thoughts simply by looking into their eyes, and Jang Hye Sung, a bold, apathetic, materialistic, and jaded lawyer. Ever since an accidental and fated encounter in their childhood, their lives gets intertwined. The story progresses as they meet again, fall in love, and fight together against a person who's after their lives.

Even though Park Soo Ha might not want to be special in reality, a lot of us might envy him including me. There are lot of times when I wish I could find out what the other person is thinking. Because we all know there are a lot of hypocritical people around us. Imagine a world where we could figure out what was going on in the other person's head, it's scary but at the same time there would be no misunderstandings, no miscommunication, just transparent emotions. 

We would be able to have a better understanding of other people's behavior. You will know that irrational behavior is driven by irrational thoughts, but that these do not define the person thinking them. It might even help you develop a more compassionate approach to your fellow man, knowing that you are more alike than you could have ever imagined. But is a world with no secrets such a good idea? For instance, we would also be able to see true colors of everyone because we all know - not everything can be categorized as black or white .

On a lighter note, this ability also helps me bringhappiness to my near and dear ones... I could make my parents happier by knowing about what they wish and trying to fulfill their wish, I have always had trouble picking perfect gifts, so problem solved! Also, I am sure somewhere and sometime each one of us might have wished someone would figure out their problems without them having to speak it aloud, if I ever get this power, I'd do everything possible to help the people around me!

But since we don't have this power for now all we can do is be kind.
"for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Do you think I don't get hurt when I get into fights ? I get hurt too . I may not ache physically but my heart does . For being physically stronger than others my heart is much weaker. - Do Bong Soon 

As you might have already figured from the title, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is the story of Do Bong Soon, who's a petite, unemployed, honest and kind woman and belongs to a family where women have been gifted with Herculean strength for generations, to use for the greater good. If abused however, their power will be taken away. Due to a chance encounter, this power of Do Bong Soon is discovered by Ahn Min Hyuk, CEO of Ainsoft, a gaming company, who now wishes to employ Bong Soon as a bodyguard after being threatened by an unknown enemy. 

Chaos follows when Min Hyuk falls for Bong Soon, who has eyes for In Guk Doo, who's a police officer and childhood friend, but that's not all... after a series of kidnappings in Do Bong Soon's hometown, she must decide whether to use her strength and stand up to evil, or play it safe and keep her powers hidden from the world.

Data shows that even if you are just three times stronger than the world's strongest person, you could lift a compact car. But if you plan to have super human strength, your body needs to change drastically, your bones and muscles would need to be a lot more dense to accommodate your superhuman strength and your bodily systems would have to change as well, one perk is that you get to eat more (*for me it sure is). But what's the use of being healthy and in better shape if you can't leave the house, think about it, everything we interact with is designed for humans but you are a super human... with your strength, door handles or even doors will rip apart or maybe thrown across the room, or across the street. And it wouldn't just be floors crumbling under your feet but likely earth and concrete as well, so it would be hard, if not impossible, to interact with any object in the world without destroying it. You'll need special clothes, special shoes, but any attempt to pay for them with paper money would result in its shredding at your touch. And that's me ignoring the even bigger question, which bank is going to let someone in who can open the vault with their index finger?

The other major thing is pressure, super hero movies and dramas tend to ignore this but if you remember that pressure is equal to force over area; then when you look at the palms of your hands, you'll realize you have got a lot of force distributed over not a lot of area. Due to tremendous force being exerted over such a small area, the pressure would be so great that superman would actually end up going right through the airplane. Not exactly the kind of rescue you were hoping for, is it?

But then that's not what I envy, well what I envy is the dramaland version of superhuman strength where everything works out and all we need to do is implement some strict laws for drugs and alcohol consumption because of the increased chances that you might drink too much and throw a car at your neighbor. Except for that, you can be of help in military or be a professional sportsperson and gain worldwide recognition or you could change your name to 'hulk' or 'Do Bong Soon' and make a lot of money with a Marvel comic franchise or a kdrama. So in short, being able to lift cars is cool, what isn’t cool is being unable to open a bottle without shattering it and dumping the contents on the floor...  

Memorist

Protecting people is what makes us strong, we need to endure it until the end and make sure we don't get eaten by their memories. - Dong Baek

Memorist introduces you to Dong Baek and Han Sun Mi. Dong Baek possesses an extraordinary ability which allows him to peer into the memories of whoever he touches. He has a get it done attitude with a nasty temper, even so, he is fervently revered worldwide as a superstar detective. Han Sun Mi is the youngest to have passed the bar exam, obtain a doctorate in criminal psychology, and become a senior superintendent in the police force, and is a genius profiler. These two highly-skilled professionals do meet their match—a serial killer with abilities that transcend theirs combined. And I'm sure you already know what follows, exactly - the war begins!

Trying to read people's memories, I am not sure if it's such a good idea but then every coin has two sides to it. The result depends on what you choose to do with the ability if you ever get it. Would you erase the unfavorable memories, or use their scary past against them or help them to ease their pain and guide them to a new happy life... it's all your call! Because, the one who wears the crown bear's it's weight, it's you who decides how and what to do with the power you possess. 

I don't think it's a good idea to intrude in one's personal space, but then at times, we feel alone and think that it'd be good if we could share our pain or happiness with someone. I'd like to use my ability for that purpose. I'd like to help with catching culprits like Dong Baek. If someone wants, I'd like to erase their painful past as well. I know it doesn't change the fact that all that happened, but sometimes even I feel it would have been good if I could forget the pain and live believing that nothing ever happened.

I know you might be wondering, Should a person's memories be toyed with so lightly? Good or bad, these events define who we are, it’s the reason why amnesia is so scary. Well to be honest I agree with you, for it's really scary to imagine someone reading my memories... 

SPECIAL MENTIONS 

I am sure there's one question that will forever remain unanswered, "what happens after we die?"

Is there a hotel where we relax before going to after life like what's suggested in Hotel Del Luna, or is there a boat of salvation like mentioned in Save Me, or do the spirits who couldn't find peace roam around like what's shown in Oh My Ghostess?

Well, nobody has the answer... if only we could see ghosts we might have known, but then again we can't. Well it's not something to be disappointed about as the best part about life is it's uncertainty and our fear of the unknown! Isn't it so beautiful to not know what happens next? It is that surprise element that makes living worth it... but if you still wish to imagine how it would be like, then dramaland will help you!

Black

You're not a cursed monster. What you have is a gift, not a curse. The fact that you can foresee someone's death is really a cool thing because that means you can save people's lives. - Hang Moo Gang

Black follows the story of a Grim Reaper (Han Moo Gang), who comes into the world of the mortals and finds himself falling in love with a woman (Kang Ha Ram) who can foresee death. Their lives are inextricably intertwined by circumstances that happened two decades before they happen to meet again.

The Game: Towards Zero

If the deity has chosen our fates, I'd like to ask him something, is murder the result of the deity's negligence or is it derived from our arrogance? - Tae Pyeong

The Game: Towards Zero tells the story of a man (Tae Pyeong) who sees everyone's moments of death... except for one woman (Jeon Young), who he meets and falls in love with, who convinces him that maybe his visions are not set in stone and are subject to changes if one desperately wills it to.

Children Of Lesser God

Now I realized , why I was born with this fate...I will fight bravely. - Kim Dan

Chun Jae In is an elite detective with a genius IQ who is guided by only facts, logic, and numbers. Meanwhile, Kim Dan is a rookie detective who has the ability to see people's deaths in certain cases, sometimes before and sometimes after the actual death takes place. They work together to uncover a conspiracy involving a powerful organization.

I am sure you might have heard that if we watch too much TV or read too many mangas, we may end up with unrealistic expectations hopes and ideals... just take me for example... envying fictional characters! But to be honest, not everything needs logic. Sometimes, you just need to shut your brain and believe all the lies they tell you. Because in my opinion believing in magic is as important as believing in logic!

And now that we are talking of magic, it's a must to mention the wizarding world here, cuz that's where all this envy began from... Yes, you figured that right, I am that 11 year old kid who waited for Hagrid to break the door at midnight, and I am sure he came all the way from Hogwarts to pick me but unfortunately, due to my building's tight security and super alert security guard, he just couldn't reach my house. 

(And now you must want to ask how can a mere muggle security guard fight against Hagrid... how dare you look down on our security guard?! He can even fight the dark lord, let alone Hagrid!)

Also, the owl that was supposed to bring my acceptance letter must have lost its way (I am not being delusional, I swear, that's the truth!). Maybe someday, the owl might find its way back and I might possibly visit Hogwarts, too... But till then, you will find me lurking around in the feeds or maybe writing another article!

Well, finally you have scrolled all the way down the article, and this is about it! We hope you had a good time reading it and we are sure there might be some supernatural power that you might envy as well... So, we would love to hear about what they are and what would you do if you get that power! So make sure you drop down a comment below!

Thanks to the editors and viewers for your valuable time... Have a good day!

 Credits:

We do not own any of the images; credits go to their respective owners. The images are from drama screenshots, official posters and stills, official OSTs and behind-the-scenes clips. Gifs are made by us, from clips, trailers and episodes that were available on YouTube. Some of the ideas of what we would do if we had the superpower may be considered to be inspired from existing content on different websites. If so, the credit goes to the original thought owners.

Also, a special shout out to Saarthak for bearing with me for what I assume was a very tedious discussion on Time Travel and for helping me out with a gif... so, thanks buddy! :) 

And a bunch of thanks to devitto for putting up with me and my silly queries, this article couldn't have been possible without your help... thank you so much!

^{Edited by: devitto (1st editor)}