'Dynamite Kiss' tops Netflix with new kind of chaebol romance hero

A romance between a wealthy, good-looking man and a poor but kind-hearted woman has long been a common cliche in Korean romantic comedies. The ongoing rom-com “Dynamite Kiss” may start with a familiar Cinderella-style setup, but what sets this 14-episode Netflix hit apart is its leading man. Unlike the traditional chaebol characters, he stands out for his gender sensitivity and thoughtful, attentive approach to relationships — qualities that reflect a growing trend in contemporary K-dramas and strike a chord with today’s viewers. Premiered on Nov. 12, “Dynamite Kiss” soon climbed up Netflix's non-English series chart on Nov. 30 and remained there for a week, as fans expressed their fondness of the drama on social media. At its core is the romance between Kong Ji-hyeok (Jang Ki-yong), the heir to a wealthy conglomerate owner family, and Go Da-rim (Ahn Eun-jin), a financially struggling woman searching for a job. After a chance meeting on Jeju Island, the pair are swept into a fake relationship-turned-real love, and circumstances eventually lead them to an explosive kiss thatWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times