A K-Drama Nollywood movie? We were not expecting that

• It’s hard to believe that Nigerians would produce a K-drama series in Nollywood.

Korean dramas are not new to Nigeria, but it’s surprising to see a filmmaker inspired to create a Nollywood K-drama.

Do you remember chatting about K-dramas after long school breaks? If you’re a Nigerian girl, you likely had a crush on Gu Jun Pyo from Boys Before Flowers or the hero from City Hunter. Honestly, can you call yourself a girl if you didn’t? I like to think of myself as a Lettuce from the Caribbean. Not sure if they grow lettuce there, but you get my point.

Nigerians are familiar with emotional storytelling, as our films often pull at the heartstrings, especially with those classic rags-to-riches tales. It’s no surprise we’re drawn to Korean dramas, especially the ones featuring the poor guy and the rich CEO bully.

Korean cinema and television offer Nigerian audiences a glimpse into their cultural values and social customs. With the rise of K-dramas globally, their effect in Nigeria has shifted rapidly.

It’s hard to believe that Nigerians would produce a K-drama series in Nollywood. I didn’t expect that. I understand the excitement that drives young people to learn the language and form K-drama fan clubs, but a Nollywood movie? That’s impressive.

A couple of weeks ago, we came across videos of girls in secondary school uniforms speaking a language that sounded strange to us. We leaned in to understand, but it was still hard to follow. Looking more closely, we discovered that these Nigerian school girls were speaking Korean. I initially thought it was a comedy skit, but it’s actually a film by Kemz Mama (Kemi Ikuseedun), also known as Mummy Wa from Mr. Macaroni. My Sunshine explores high school life with themes of love and friendship, much like Korean dramas, but in a Nigerian context.

You might wonder, “How did she choose the cast?” The film features a famous lineup with Mr. Macaroni, Chinedu Ikedieze, and Olayode Juliana. It is directed by the experienced JJC Skills and is now available on YouTube.

This is definitely something new and fun, making it nice to watch after a busy day at work. However, I’m not convinced it will become a popular trend. It still feels a bit odd for us Nigerians, but who knows, maybe a generous person will want to invest in larger Nigerian K-dramas. We’ll just have to wait and see when that might happen.