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[HanCinema's Feature] "Gold Mask" Confirmed for KOCOWA

This upcoming May 23rd will see the premiere of the nighttime soap opera "Gold Mask" on KBS in South Korea. Shortly afterwards, new episodes will be made available via KOCOWA, a major source for South Korean dramas throughout the Americas. South Korean dramas are not the only shows that are available to watch via KOCOWA, with variety shows, K-Pop performances, and docuseries also frequently appearing on the platform.

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But the prominence of KOCOWA as a rights-holder for a large number of South Korean dramas is often not well-appreciated by fans. "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" is a major serious historical drama dealing with the Joseon figure King Taejong. The controversial monarch was also detailed in "Six Flying Dragons" as a forceful figure who wanted the best for his country, despite his at times unsavory methods.

"The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" is notable as a historical drama more to the tastes of consumers in South Korea than for international audiences. Yet it provides worthwhile background for students of such histories, even if it lacks the more commercially minded flash of "Six Flying Dragons" which deals with a similar time period and some of the same characters, just with more realistic framing.

A similar argument for the relevance of KOCOWA can be made via the weekend family drama "It's Beautiful Now" which, as is common for the genre, deals in omnibus storytelling about a larger familial unit. The ninth episode grabbed particular attention for its culimination of a technically minor romantic subplot with two fairly compelling romantic leads. Such buzz often recurs with bigger projects down the line, centered around stars that domestic South Korean audiences have come to love.

"Young Lady and Gentleman" is another major KBS drama now available worldwide via KOCOWA that held its own domestically against such hits as "Twenty Five Twenty One" and "Business Proposal" due to its broad and often conservative-minded appeal. That simple romance dealt with a handsome father and tutor of his children searching for happiness. "Young Lady and Gentleman" also enjoyed significant buzz on Twitter in South Korea due to this simple relatability.

Not every South Korean drama on KOCOWA necessarily has such levels of social import. But it's also the chief distributor for such well-known titles from the teens such as "Splendid Politics" and "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo" in addition to "Suspicious Partner" and "Extraordinary You" from more recent years. KOCOWA may lack the flash of more major streaming services, but it certainly has content that may warrant a second look from K-Drama fans.

Written by William Schwartz

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