Humanity has always had a fascination with the afterlife — an unsolved riddle embedded in some religions and cultures since time immemorial. Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation while Christians believe in eternal life.
The concept is also popular in Korean culture. The K-drama industry, in particular, isn’t shy when it comes to exploring death and rebirth so much so it has spawned a new genre — Second Chances.
There’s the time-travel historical drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), where the epilogue hints at the star-crossed lovers meeting each other again in the present time after a tragic ending to their previous romance. There’s also the fantasy-thriller romcom My Love From the Star (2013), where an immortal alien lead finds the reincarnated version of his true love who had died several hundred years ago. These two shows are some of the über-popular dramas touching on the concept of “second chances” — made available on top K-content streaming service Viu.
K-drama fans can access unlimited entertainment and seamless viewing experience using their PLDT Home Fiber. At P80/month, PLDT Home offers the cheapest Viu Premium access in the Philippines and charges it to every subscriber’s monthly bill hassle-free.
For those on the hunt for the biggest second chance shows, Viu has got you covered. For starters, there are Viu Originals Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; and Why Her — all of which are sure to take viewers through journeys of rebirth, redemption, and justice.
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What makes second chance dramas so popular? Maybe it’s how the viewers resonate with the characters’ quest to fix the “timeline” for the better and eventually redeem themselves.
Again My Life explores this arc. Based on Kim Hae-nal’s popular webtoon, the story follows Kim Hee-woo (Lee Joon-gi) — a man who rises from the bottom of his high school class to becoming one of his city’s hotshot prosecutors. Unfortunately, Kim Hee-woo meets his untimely death in the hands of unidentified men, found to be connected to a corruption investigation on a politician he is handling. But his story isn’t over just yet as a run-in with a sympathetic Grim Reaper gives him a second chance at life. Brought back to his time as a high school student, Kim Hee-woo now sets out on a retributive mission to solve the mystery that ended his past life.
Not everyone gets to be reborn, though. Redemption and second chances can also come through ghostly assistance. In the mystery romcom series From Now On, Showtime, a third-eye-possessing magician Cha Cha-woong (Park Hae-jin) reluctantly pairs up with police officer Go Seul-hae (Jin Ki-joo). As Cha Cha-woong’s special talent gets discovered, he is roped in Go Seul-hae’s mission to solve crimes in their city. To get to the bottom of these cases, the duo commissions the help of, yes, ghost witnesses and the victims themselves.
Similar tropes have been explored in K-dramas but with a magician as the main character, Cha Cha-woong makes crime solving a little more fun with his tricks and disguises.
Of all these stories, one might say the best kind of ‘second chance’ is when the character doesn’t have to die — just like in Why Her. This new Viu Original makes a perfect case for a second chance series rooted in everyday life.
Why Her follows the story of Oh Soo-jae (Seo Hyun-jin), the youngest partner of a top law firm known for her drive, desire to win, and take-no-prisoners approach to her cases. Her flourishing career comes crashing down when office politics and a corrupt law firm chairman demotes her for sticking her nose in a case involving the very firm she works for. Oh Soo-jae is then forced out of her company, taking a position as a professor in a local law school.
Unwilling to endure injustice and see the end of all she’s worked for, Oh Soo-jae stages a comeback by working on the case that has ruined her career. In the process, she meets law student Gong Chan (Hwang In-yeop) who may just be the key to break the case wide open and help Soo-jae get her second chance at the top.
Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; and Why Her — three different shows with distinct stories and character motivations, but carrying one message: that people can always right their wrongs and strive to be better.
Follow more trending K-drama series by subscribing to a Viu Premium account with your PLDT Home Fiber!
Watch Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; Why Her; and more of the hottest Viu Originals through a Viu Premium access – powered by PLDT Home’s fastest and strongest connections. Enjoy more of the biggest content in Korea and across Asia with no ads and with same-day subtitled releases for select titles at just P80/month – the cheapest in the Philippines – through your PLDT Home Fiber. Automatically opt for convenient payment by charging your Viu Premium subscription fee to your PLDT Home account. Subscribe now by visiting https://pldthome.com/viu.
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