Not one but three upcoming dramas are going to focus on characters with multiple personalities.
Given that dissociative identity disorder or DID is rare, at this rate there may soon be more k-drama characters with the disorder than there are real people.
According to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, between one and three percent of the general population have this problem. But given the success of recent dramas focusing on mental health issues, such as "It's Okay, It's Love" and "Good Doctor," producers may be thinking that it's a formula for ratings success.
There are three dramas planned and they have attracted some big name actors. Two of the dramas feature characters with only two personalities.
The first is "Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde," based on a manga, which is based on the original novella "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The novella is the work of fiction most commonly associated with the disorder known as split personality or DID.
In the k-drama version, Hyun Bin plays two sides of the same character, alternating between evil and good. The drama begins filming in November and is set to air in January 2015.
The second drama, "Dr. Frankenstein," does not follow the plot of the Mary Shelley novel "Frankenstein," in which a mad genius doctor creates a monster. The character of Dr. Frankenstein, played by Kim Soo Hyun has a split personality. One side of him is cold-blooded and monstrous. Kim Soo Hyun has already played a dual role, as a spy and the fool he pretends to be, in the film "Secretly Greatly." But it's hard to imagine him playing a monstrous character. The drama will air early next year.
The third drama in this multiple personality trilogy is a Korean-Chinese production titled "Kill Me, Heal Me." In this big-budget drama the main character, a third-generation chaebol, has seven personalities. The character has a main personality but there are six competing personalities complicating his work and love life. His main personality falls in love with his doctor, but his other personalities don't approve. The main character has not yet been cast although for a while it was rumored that Hyun Bin might take the role. Jin Soo Won, the screenwriter of "The Moon Embracing the Sun" is writing the screenplay. "Kill Me, Heal Me" is being produced by the producers of "The Moon Embracing The Sun." The drama is expected to air in January.
