I’m running a bit behind in my #CN12for12Challenge. I really struggled to find something I wanted to watch from 2014. My initial choice had really terrible subs. I finally landed on the flower boy drama Modern Farmer starring F.T. Island’s Lee Hong Ki. I’ve actually watched a surprising number of farmer dramas this year. Maybe it will be a running theme for me.

Modern Farmer

Modern Farmer follows the now defunct band EXO (no, not THAT EXO… it’s a long story). Their leader inherits a plot of land and talks the other members into joining him in becoming cabbage farmers. If they harvest a good crop, the plan is to use the money to finally put out an album. Of course, shenanigans ensue. Farming is not as easy as they expected. It’s especially hard when the villagers all hate you and there’s a deer living in your house.

This drama is very 2014 Kdrama romcom. It’s bright and loud. There are a lot of poop jokes and yelling. My family has started calling this my “shouty Koreans show”. 😅 On the more serious side, I am reminded of how older Kdramas really know how to sell a solid second lead. Even though my brain knows better, my heart is really set on people that will definitely not be the end game.

There are a lot of different plotlines going on in Modern Farmer. We’ve got four male leads and so of course we need at least four female leads. On top of the romances and farming, we have a backstory unfolding about why the band was let go from it’s label. There also might be a treasure hidden somewhere in the village? And that isn’t even getting into all of the other villagers and their individual stories. If you’ve watched other countryside dramas, you’ll know that often the best part is all the different characters you find in a small town. This drama is no exception to that.

On the other hand, there are some things about this drama that have not aged well. In the scenes from the past, one of the band members has a terrible wig. I hesitate to call them locs because yikes, but that is the intention of the wig. One of the villagers in town is mute and uses a series of grunts and hand gestures to communicate with his daughter. It’s played for laughs but it’s not really funny. It just comes off like they are making fun of a disability. Is the drama worth checking out? Maybe? It’s 20 episodes long and I’m mostly using it as background noise. I don’t hate it, but there are definitely parts I pay more attention to. There is probably a solid 12 episode drama hidden in the mix.

Farming Academy

Earlier in this year, I watched both seasons of the more recent drama Farming Academy. This short series is very soft and sweet. There are lots of the goofy antics one expects in what is essentially a college drama. The lead character grew up dreaming of escaping her parent’s farming life. Through a series of events, she winds up at a college devoted to turning out the next generation of farmers.

This drama was a really enjoyable watch. The friend group is cute and quirky. There is a plot involving a gay classmate coming out that is handled very well. I really enjoyed the short episodes and the quick plots. Each season has it’s own central plot, but they work well together. It should probably be viewed more as a single season with a time jump in the middle. If you want something cute, sweet, fun, and less wild than Modern Farmer this is a great option.

My Liberation Notes

Okay, so I’m cheating a little bit here. I watched My Liberation Notes last year, but I’m technically inside of the one year window 😉 And yes, this is not a drama about farming exactly. But it is a drama about farmers and in my opinion the farming village setting is where the drama is the strongest. The story looks at a family farm and the 3 adult children who still live at home while working in the city. There is a quiet romance of sorts with the mysterious farmhand who also works for the father’s cabinet-making business.

My Liberation Notes is the most intense of the three dramas. It is solidly a melo and the focus is less about romance and more about people finding themselves. It is full of slow, meaningful conversations through the first two thirds or so. I’m personally not a big fan of the section that comes after the time jump. Too much city life and not enough farming I guess. If you are looking for a more serious drama with less focus on shenanigans and romance, this is your pick.

Final Thoughts

One of the things that I love about the farming dramas is the small town setting that comes with it. Not all small town dramas focus on farming, but all farming dramas at least touch on the small town life. I love the way that even the sillier dramas still take a look at the problems family farmers face. Dramas like My Liberation Notes take a hard look at the way farm kids grow up and often have to move away to survive. Lighter dramas such as Farming Academy look at the ways young people are trying innovations to make farming profitable again. Fun dramas like Modern Farmer look at the humour in the farming life and the fish out of water scenario of city folk coming to the country. I think that there is a farming drama for every taste. So what are your favourites?