Money Heist: Korea not relatable among Korean audience

Money Heist: Korea is a remake of the hit Spanish series La Casa De Papel. The show’s plot line is essentially the same, but the setup of the Korean version is different. The backdrop is the reunification of North and South Korea, with a particular focus on the exchange of trade for the betterment of both the country’s economies. Despite this change in the screenplay, the Korean audiences do not seem to be able to relate to the show.

Money Heist: Korea was expected to sweep the world over by storm. It had been expected to follow in the footsteps of Squid Game, another Korean language show. Instead, the Yoo Ji-tae-starrer has only received a lukewarm response.

Fans believe Money Heist: Korea is redundant

One of the biggest problems audiences faced with the Korean adaptation of Money Heist: Korea is that it doesn’t veer away from the original. What La Casa De Papel is to Spain is exactly what the Squid Game is to South Korea. This can be said as although both the shows were shot in a foreign language, they received outstanding responses from international audiences.

This also means that many Koreans who would have tuned into Money Heist: Korea have already seen the original or have attempted to watch it. This meant that the show could not hold the audience’s attention, who was aware of the twists and turns that the show would potentially take. Even the characters of the show are borrowed from the original.

A screenshot of fan reactions (Image via allkpop)

The Korean version is also narrated by the character Tokyo, who is portrayed by Jeon Jong-seo. The kind of fervor that exists among fans of Money Heist: Korea for this character is similar to the reaction that the Spanish version’s Tokyo had received initially.

What happened in Money Heist: Korea, season 1, part 1?

The first part of Money Heist: Korea concentrates on introducing the leading players involved in the heist at Unified Korea’s Mint. Starting with Tokyo, the narrator to the Professor, who brought the team together for the heist, each character’s back story is revealed. In addition to this, the audience also understands the bond between different characters.

For instance, there is always tension between Berlin and Tokyo in the Netflix show, which ends up inciting problems within the team. Rio is romantically interested in Tokyo, while Denver falls in love with one of the hostages.

Oslo and Helsinki seem more loyal to Berlin than the Professor’s plan of heist, while Nairobi hasn’t clarified her stance. She is a wildcard that can swing either way, depending on how the outcome would serve her purpose.

Then there are the cops. They aim to negotiate with the criminals to ensure the safety of the hostages. Somehow, their moves are always delayed. What they are unaware of, even until the end of the first part of the season, is that Professor has ways of knowing the officials’ moves.