Recently, the dramas which focus on jobs (so called “job dramas”) become popular. In the past, there were heroes who’re doctors or lawyers. However, they didn’t treat their work lives in earnest. In the past, the vocations were no more than background, but the latest dramas lay emphasis on the hero’s vocation.
Why are these dramas so popular? The main reason is that the viewers don’t want typical and unreal melodramas. The drama producers immerse the viewers in the job world and give them interest. These phenomena are common in some countries that have strong cultural contents like U.S.A. and Japan. There are many “job dramas” abroad which describe coroners, veterinarians, sommeliers and so on.
This high popularity of “job dramas” could also be explained by more accurate reflections of society, the right function of dramas. It relates to the nature of the drama, which reflects various figures in our society. When people watch dramas, they can indirectly experience many sorts of vocations as if in the hero’s shoes. These dramas include many things people don’t know about, such as  power struggles and absurdities in some job world, which makes tension in the plot and creates interest for the viewers.
The vocations, not only in these “job dramas” but also in any drama, intimate the real world. If new jobs appear or existing jobs change, it must be reflected in the drama as in the previous. For instance, the lawyers in the drama “Partner” are no longer intellectuals and rich. From a law firm staff who hunts for copyright pirates to a lawyer who lengthens his case for fees, there are many unique characters and they cause troubles which we haven’t ever seen before.
Whatever the main material of the drama is, it must reflect our society. Since the cinderella syndrome has dominated TV for a long time, is it natural for “job dramas,” the opposite paradigm of the cinderella syndrome, to succeed in Korea?