The first half of 2022 saw several titles on Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, generating buzz among viewers across markets. This included Korean dramas such as Shooting Star, Woori the Virgin and Again My Life. From June to August 2022, Viu’s upcoming titles include nine highly anticipated Viu Original series from Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, continuing the platform’s commitment to producing and delivering quality content from Asia, for Asia.
Korean drama Why Her?, a Viu Original, sees Seo Hyun-jin, best known for her leading roles in Another Miss Oh and The Beauty Inside, pairing up with Hwang In-yeop of True Beauty fame in a romantic drama set against the backdrop of a law school. What’s interesting about this series is the plot of a student falling in love with his professor, who was originally a talented lawyer, and how they shared a bitter past from 10 years back that had resulted in him being falsely accused of a crime and her being demoted. Why Her? is currently airing on Viu.
Today’s Webtoon, South Korea’s remake of the famous 2016 Japanese drama Sleeper Hit! which is based on a manga series, revolves around a rookie contract webtoon editor On Ma-eum, who struggles to adjust to her new job after she is forced to give up on her career as a national judo athlete due to an injury. On Ma-eum is portrayed by rising star Kim Se-jeong, whom many might recognise as Shin Ha-ri from her hit drama A Business Proposal. On Ma-Eum’s talented co-worker in the IT department, Goo Joon-young, is played by Nam Yoon-su from the recent dramas Beyond Evil and The King’s Affection. This relatable slice-of-life drama depicting the hardships of working in the lesser-known webtoon industry is worth looking out for and will be released on 29 July.
The Law Cafe is hot off Lee Se-young’s highly successful 2021 drama Red Sleeve and sees her reuniting with Lee Seung-gi on the small screen for the second time after working together on A Korean Odyssey in 2017. Lee Seung-gi stars as Jung Ho, the landlord of the titular cafe and a prosecutor-turned-entrepreneur, while Lee Se-young plays Kim Yu-ri, his tenant and a former beauty pageant star who quits her job as a lawyer to open the said coffee house. Besides their current landlord-tenant relationship, they also discover that they were once high school classmates. Given that they have worked well together before, viewers can expect to see the chemistry between Lee Seung-gi and Lee Se-young, which would undoubtedly make their characters come to life even more.
Upcoming Thai drama My Coach boasts an interesting premise about Jenna, a 27- year-old football coach who was just about to take a break from her free-spirited dating life but now finds herself shaken by two men: the sponsor and a merry, ever-teasing young team captain, who happens to be the former’s nephew. This unique love triangle portrayed by Wawwa Nicha Chokprajakchat, Peter Corp Dyrendal and Perth Tanapon Sukumpantanasan with a sporty twist premiered on 7 June.
Lastly, to add to the attractive list of Viu Original titles, Malaysia will also be releasing an adaptation of a K-drama, She Was Pretty. The series sees award-winning actress Diana Danielle acting as the self-conscious Nadia, who asks her glamorous BFF Kejora to pretend to be her when long-lost childhood friend Haniff, played by A-list actor Aiman Hakim Ridza, reaches out for a reunion, as Nadia is no longer the beautiful girl Haniff remembers. This small, supposedly one-off white lie turns into full-time deception when Nadia discovers that Haniff is her new boss at the magazine where she works and Kejora finds herself having to pick between love and friendship after she falls for the man her bestie has unintentionally set her up with. To find out about the choices these three characters will make, tune in to the drama on Viu from 23 June onwards.