Living in someone’s shoes gets a whole new meaning in K-dramas thanks to body swaps. Across time, space, and even gender, these characters have found themselves in heartbreaking to hilarious situations. For many, it’s been an opportunity to realign and rethink, while for some it is to see life through another’s eyes. Here are six K-dramas where roles and souls were swapped with serious as well as comical repercussions.
“Mr. Queen”
Jang Bong Hwan (Choi Jin Hyuk) is invincible when it comes to his culinary skills. The chief chef at The Blue House, the official residence of the President, Bong Hwan is impudent to the point of being obnoxious, and his good looks only help enhance his arrogance. Life works in strange ways, and Bong Hwan meets with a freak accident, which transports him back in time and into the body of Kim So Yong (Shin Hye Sun), a queen in the Joseon period. What follows is a comic situation which is chaotic to say the least for Bong Hwan. The man is in a time and space far removed from his own, and to make matters worse, in the body of a woman. Bong Hwan, known to be a flirtatious playboy, gets a dose of his own medicine. Chaos and comedy unfold in the royal corridors due to the Queen’s uncharacteristic behavior, and with the influence of Bong Hwan’s curious nature, So Yong ends up unravelling several palace secrets. As the royal kitchen gets a taste of modern flavors, “Mr. Queen” also brings to the fore the socio-cultural biases and gender inequalities which existed in the feudal ages, as well as a refreshing take on love and power dynamics.
Shin Hye Sun aces her character and showcases her impeccable flair for comedy. She is complemented by Choi Jin Hyuk, and the two are in perfect sync with the other.
Start watching “Mr. Queen”:
“Secret Garden”
Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) is a stunt-woman who has always aspired to be a martial arts director. She is self-made and a very self-reliant and independent-minded young woman. Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin) is the super rich and self obsessed CEO of a department store, whose perfect world turns upside down when he meets Ra Im. She manages to ruffle his snooty feathers, and he is intrigued with this fearless woman who wears her scars as stripes and is proud of who she is, something he is not. Jung Woo has his traumas and unresolved issues, which he hides under his pompous exterior. He is in awe of Ra Im as she packs a punch, races and swerves the wheel at manic speed, and has the ability to scale heights. But something astonishing happens between the two. Their souls get swapped, and Ra Im finds herself in Joo Won’s body and he in hers. As their worlds collide and the two try to make sense of what’s happening around them, deep feelings emerge and an intense romance unfolds between the two. As the arrogant Joo Won transforms into an empathetic and caring person, the lonesome Ra Im, who is conflicted towards Joo Won, realizes that loving another does not need to be difficult.
Apart from its quirky narrative, it is the performances and scorching chemistry between Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won which makes “Secret Garden” a binge-worthy show.
Start watching “Secret Garden”:
“18 Again”
37-year-old Hong Dae Young (Yoon Sang Hyun) is going through an existential crisis. He is frustrated with life, lost his job, has deep-seated anger issues, and his family life is less than perfect. A freak accident, which becomes a blessing in disguise, happens, and he gets a chance to become his 18-year-old self (Lee Do Hyun) once more. The teenage Dae Young is a star basketball player, has the chance to go to the best university thanks to his sporting skills, and scores high on the popularity charts. He finally has the chance to live his life the way he had wanted to and undo the decisions that have led to his present state.
“18 Again,” an adaption of the U.S. film “17 Again,” is a classic tale of second chances. It also touches upon growing pains, first love, as well as peer and parental pressure. Lee Do Hyun excels in his part and does full justice to playing the part of a matured man in a young man’s body.
Start watching “18 Again”:
“Branding in Seongsu”
Imagine clashing with your boss, only to find yourself having switched souls with them. Kang Na Eon (Kim Ji Eun) is the intelligent yet icy marketing team leader at an agency in Seongsu. So Eun Ho (Lomon) is an intern at the agency, and despite being awkward, he is endearingly idealistic. Eun Ho believes in fair play and wants the small enterprises to shine along with the big guns. Though Eun Ho and Na Eon clash, he speaks his mind and respects her. And even though she finds him annoying, Na Eon has a soft spot for him. But the twist is that through an unintentional kiss, their souls are swapped, and Na Eon finds herself in Eun Ho’s body. A thriller element and a psychopathic killer also enter the narrative, giving you some jump scare moments.
“Branding in Seongsu” is a bit confusing and packs in a lot as it weaves in romance with several emotional obstacles as well as intrigue and revenge elements. The chemistry between the two leads is what comes in as the respite, as they uncover plots and switch back into their original bodies.
Start watching “Branding in Seongsu”:
“Miss Night and Day”
Lee Mi Jin (Jung Eun Ji) is in her mid-twenties and has been seeking a job for the past seven years. She lives with her parents, but their patience is wearing thin due to her inability to find employment. But she gets scammed and does not have the heart to let her parents know about her predicament. As she pours her heart out to a cat, in the morning she realizes she has turned into a fifty-year-old woman named Im Soon (Lee Jung Eun). As she figures out the configuration of her malady (the swap happens during the day), she also finds a way out of her jobless predicament. She enrolls herself in a program for senior job seekers and finds herself at the prosecutor’s office. She meets Gye Ji Woong (Choi Jin Hyuk), the prosecutor who finds himself entangled with both Mi Jin and her alter ego.
This fantasy comedy amongst the swaps and misadventures also explores issues pertaining to class and ageism, as well as the duality which exists between humans. Every individual comes with shades of lightness and darkness, and though this may sound deep, the drama has plenty of familiar tropes which help move it forward.
Hey Soompiers, which one of these is your favorite body swap drama? Let us know in the comments below!
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
Currently watching: “Nothing But You“