K-Drama Trends In 2014: The Serious, The Supernatural And The Second Time Around

K-dramas have something for everyone, a little comedy, some melodrama and plenty of delicious fantasy. But we did notice five trends that several dramas had in common this year.

Here they are:

1.     Dramas featured better jobs for women. There are fewer Candy girls struggling or marrying their way to the top. This year's selection of heroines is educated and often well employed. There were plenty of reporters, including Park Shin Hye in "Pinocchio," Park Si Yeon in "The Greatest Marriage," Park Min Young in "Healer," Yoona in "The Prime Minister and I." It was a popular job for k-drama heroes and heroines. There were also doctors, played by Gong Hyo Jin, Kang So Ra, Jin Se Yeon and Song Ji Hyo. Other heroines were musicians, prosecutors, CEOs, legal and business interns, fashion executives and house painters. It changes the dynamic of a drama if a woman has her own career and a decent income.

2.     The supernatural remained a favorite. There were ghosts in "Bride of the Century" and "The Night Watchman's Journal," an alien in "You Who Came from The Stars," a mermaid in "The Idle Mermaid" and some unexplained time travel in "God's Gift - 14 Days."

3.      Mental issues were not taboo. Psychiatric issues featured in a few dramas, even if one of them was a made-up syndrome. There were sociopaths in shows such as "Bad Guys" and "Gap Dong." Jo In Sung presented a portrait of a very sympathetic character suffering from trauma-induced delusions in "It's Okay, It's Love." Gong Hyo Jin was his therapist and his girlfriend. Park Shin Hye hiccups when she lies in "Pinocchio" and that's known as Pinocchio Syndrome. Okay, that psychiatric syndrome does not really exist. Several upcomign dramas focus on characters with multiple personality disorder.

4.     It was a year of actor reunions. Choi Ji Woo and Kwon Sang Woo reunited after 11 years. The "Stairway to Heaven" couple played lovers in the series "Temptation." Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk were a favorite reunion. They previously starred in "Successful Story of a Bright Girl" and reunited in "Fated to Love You," then the special "Old Goodbye." Lee Jun Ki and Nam Sang Mi played a couple again in "The Joseon Gunman." They previously appeared together in "Time Between Wolf and Dog."

5.     K-dramas took on some serious topics this year, including divorce. With divorce becoming a fact of life around the world, it's only natural that dramas reflect this. In many cases, the divorce k-dramas featured reconciliation. Exes Choi Jin Hyuk and Song Ji Hyo meet again in "Emergency Couple." The couples in "One Warm Word" come close to breaking up. Yoo In Na meets her ex, played by Jin Yi Han and corrects a misunderstanding. Only in "Temptation," did the marriages suffer damage from which it was impossible to recover.

Have you noticed any other trends in k-dramas this year? Let us know.