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While Korean dramas have become the new “it” in TV shows, Dramaworld takes the popular themes and tropes and converts them into every K-drama fan’s dream come true. The 2016 series centered on a main female character who is a die-hard K-drama fan who finds herself transported into her favorite drama. Dramaworld Season 2 premiered in April 2021. It continued the storyline with new guest stars and a battle between reality and a made-up world.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains mild spoilers for Dramaworld Season 2.]

Leading characters in 'Dramaworld' Season 2 headshot poster.
Leading characters in ‘Dramaworld’ Season 2 | via Third Culture Content

‘Dramaworld’ Season 2 takes off after Claire Duncan returns to the real world

Both seasons of the series centers on Claire Duncan (Liv Hewson). While the first season had her as a newbie trying to save Dramaworld and her beloved characters like Joon Park (Sean Dulake), the second season ups the ante. After the events of the first season, Claire returned to her normal and unassuming life in the real world.

She continues going to college, but is now learning Korean and still obsessed with dramas. There is one difference. Having fallen in love with Joon, leaving him behind and watching him in new romance dramas breaks her heart. She finds some companionship with a fellow student named Evan (Brett Gray).

Her boring life gets a new spark when an old villain returns. In Dramaworld, the central villain was Seth Ko (Justin Cho). He was hellbent on warping and changing Dramaworld to his benefit and becoming the leading man. By the end of the season, he is sent back to reality, a reality that deems him a loser.

Claire is in for a new wild ride in season 2 when Seth re-enters Dramaworld and forces Joon to enter the real world. Realizing Seth will likely destroy Dramaworld, Joon finds Claire to become the hero once again. But along the way, Claire finds herself involved in different storyline tropes, genres, and Joon rediscovering himself.

‘Dramaworld’ Season 2 once again breaks tropes using the supernatural and mobsters

When Claire learns Seth is on the rampage again, she and Joon are forced to venture to Dramaworld when Evan is sucked into Joon’s current drama. Unlike season one which dealt with once romance, Dramaworld Season 2 focuses on two different K-drama genres. Joon was the male lead in an 80’s mobster drama. Meanwhile, Seth ventures into a supernatural K-drama where a vampire and werewolf clan are at war.

To gain the upper hand in Dramaworld, Seth kills off a leading character in his drama and interweaves himself into the storyline. What is his grand plan? Seth wants all the second-male leads in Dramaworld to take over. This breaks one of the major tropes often seen in K-dramas. Fans are aware second-leads rarely ever get to win the girl, unlike Love Alarm Season 2.

While executing his grand plan, Seth is looking for another facilitator who trained him and has the only copy left of the rule book. On the other end, Joon and Claire try to find each other as they exist in two different K-dramas. Along the way, Claire gets too comfortable in her 80’s storyline as Joon realizes he is no longer a male lead.

But Dramaworld Season 2 includes a love triangle for Claire that is just as complex as any other K-drama. Joon becomes frustrated realizing Claire might be falling for Evan. Claire toggles between a real-world love and Joon who can only exist in a drama. The series also has some fun with the infamous male shower scene K-dramas are popular for.

The second season introduces a new list of famous guest actors

Actors Henry Lau and Sean Dulake in 'Dramaworld' Season 2 facing each other.
Actors Henry Lau and Sean Dulake in ‘Dramaworld’ Season 2 | via Third Culture Content
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Dramaworld entices any K-drama fan with its star-studded guest cameos and South Korean actors. Some of the actors seen in the first season, like Woo Do-hwan, do not make the cut for the second installment. But fans should not worry as Seo-yeon (Bae Noo-ri) makes her return but with a new male love interest.

Instead of Joon, Seo-yoon is in a supernatural K-drama as the only daughter of the vampire clan’s leader. She happens to have fallen in love with the youngest son of the werewolf clan’s leader. Actor and singer Henry Lau plays the role of Woo Sung. Dramaworld Season 2 has another famous actor in the cast, Daniel Dae Kim.

Kim gained fame for his roles in Lost, Hawaii Five-0, and Angel. In Dramaworld Season 2, he plays the role of Doug, a facilitator. Doug trained Seth and gave up his position to live a life he created for himself. The King’s Affection and Twenty-Five Twenty-One actor Choi Myung-bin plays the role of Sam, a young facilitator who helps Claire.

Dramaworld Season 2 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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