If These K-Dramas Had Pinoy Adaptations, These Love Teams Would Be ~*PERFECT*~
Feb 4, 2022 • Kyzia Maramara
We Filipinos are huge fans of South Korean dramas. You can’t blame us! They bring all the kilig wrapped in a solid, refreshing plot that will remain iconic for years to come. And because rumor has it that LizQuen will be starring in an It’s Okay Not to Be Okay adaptation, we can’t help but wonder, what if? What if we somehow had a Filipino adaptation of our other favorite K-dramas and not just Tagalog dubs of them? It happened before with Coffee Prince (Aljur Abrenica, Kris Bernal), Descendants of the Sun (Jennylyn Mercado, Dingdong Dantes), and Full House (Heart Evangelista, Richard Gutierrez). In case producers are reading this and looking for ideas, here are ideal love teams for the local adaptation of these K-dramas:
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha – John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo
Close your eyes and picture John Lloyd Cruz as Chief Hong. Can you see him wearing jeans, a plain shirt with that signature unbuttoned polo, and brushing his hair back like Kim Seon-ho? And then imagine Bea Alonzo, whose beauty could rival the OG dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-ah), walking around the village. If Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha would get a local adaptation, we’re only accepting Siargao as the location and nowhere else. It’s been so long since we saw John Lloyd and Bea work their magic on screen. Their chemistry and real-life experiences would be absolutely perfect for this imaginary adaptation!
Start-Up – Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil
Liza Soberano could bring justice to Seo Dal-mi’s (Bae Suzy) hardworking, tenacious character and her ambition to be the next big entrepreneur. Not to mention Liza’s unmatched beauty which, like Suzy, captures the hearts of viewers every time. Enrique Gil could also pull off the character of quiet genius Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk), Samsan Tech’s founder. Their chemistry is so strong, it would knock out the possibility of Filipinos shipping Dal-mi with Han Ji-pyeong (in our minds Daniel Padilla plays this character for some spice).
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim – Kim Chiu and Xian Lim
Via ”Instagram/Xian
Hotel Del Luna – Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla
Imagine Kathryn Bernardo channeling her mataray side to portray beautiful but ill-tempered Hotel Del Luna CEO Jang Man-wol (IU). Kathryn would easily pull off Man-wol’s ill-tempered character while catering to ghosts in the hotel she’s doomed to manage for the rest of her life. Not to mention ace the extravagant outfits — the huge hats, glasses, and head-turning dresses. And if she can do it, Daniel could pull off being human Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) too. We can already picture their friendly bickering and the jealousy scenes in our heads.
Crash Landing on You – Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera
A local adaptation of the hit drama CLOY will only be acceptable if Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera played Captain Ri and Yoon Se-ri respectively. We already know Dingdong would look good in a soldier’s uniform and even speeding away on a motorcycle. And do we really have to explain how Marian would slay Se-ri’s envious OOTD? It’s going to be twice the kilig because this couple is married in real life! Original actors Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin are also rumored to be engaged IRL, so maybe by the time we get that local adaptation, they’ll be married too, right?
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay – Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto
An It’s Okay to Not Be Okay Filipino adaptation actually sounds good. It might teach Pinoys a thing or two about the life of someone taking care of a person with autism. And that’s just half of the story. But TBH, we think LizQuen might not be the best love team for it. (We’d be happy to be proven wrong, though!) Julia Barretto can have fun exploring Ko Moon-young’s (Seo Yea-ji) erratic character and her romantic obsession with Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun). Plus, she could effortlessly pull off Moon-young’s extravagant outfits and that masungit demeanor. As for Joshua Garcia, seeing him in scrubs, patiently warding off Moon-young’s romantic advances would be such a treat.
Goblin – Piolo Pascual and Alessandra de Rossi
Okay, hear us out. Piolo Pascual and Alessandra de Rossi’s chemistry will work as Kim Shin and Ji Eun-tak. *Chef’s kiss* Both are esteemed actors who have great projects under their belt, we’re confident they can get the job done. Piolo easily fills the mold of the brooding, funny Goblin. He’s tall, he’s handsome, and a walking dream! Meanwhile, Alessandra could pull off the bright, bubbly Eun-tak with burdens to hide.
Bonus: Love Alarm – Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin
It’s so easy to imagine the Pinoy cast for Love Alarm! We’re definitely picturing Andrea Brillantes and her love team partner Seth Fedelin as the main characters for it. And since there are plenty more slots to fill, other love teams could even join. We might get to see Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, Kisses Delavin, Francine Diaz, and maybe even Kyle Echarri in one drama. It wouldn’t hurt to dream, right?
Do you agree with our fantasy casting? Got violent reactions? Tell us who you’d cast in which K-drama in the comments!
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