Bechdel Day 2023 has unveiled this year’s TV series category, Bechdel Choice 10.
Included in Bechdel Day 2023’s series category “Bechdel Choice 10” are Glitch, The Glory, Lies Hidden in My Garden, One Day Off, The Interest of Love, Under the Queen’s Umbrella, My Perfect Stranger, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Little Women, and Queenmaker.
The TV show category, established last year, expanded in scope from five selections to ten with K-content at its zenith. A total of 84 series from networks, cable channels, and OTT originals were considered. The judges were Na Won Jung, a culture reporter for the JoongAng Ilbo, Jin Myung Hyun, a columnist, and Professor Kim Min Jung from Chung-Ang University’s Literary Department.
Works like Glitch and Queenmaker have challenged the genre conventions typically dominated by male characters, such as SF and political drama, while centering on female protagonists. The Glory and Lies Hidden in My Garden told stories of women overcoming pain through solidarity, while Extraordinary Attorney Woo brought disability issues to the forefront. These selections have stood out for breaking stereotypes even within familiar narratives.
Under the Queen’s Umbrella contemporizes the subject of palace intrigue, and My Perfect Stranger delves into women’s self-identity through the theme of time-warp. In The Interest of Love, women’s emotions are intricately drawn within the framework of romance drama, while One Day Off breathes new life into the road movie genre. Moreover, Little Women artfully illuminates the complex desires of diverse female characters as it untangles the complicated web of family, class, and relationships set against a murder mystery.
Bechdel Day 2023 programmer Lee Hwa Jung commented, “While existing drama formats can easily confine female characters and narratives to stereotypes, these works have clearly voiced themselves without being trapped in gender discrimination. All the selected works meet the perspective of Bechdel Day, with various genres, narratives, and corresponding characters. The judges agreed that, when looking back at this year’s series from a gender equality standpoint, it has been ‘a recordable year.'”
Bechdel Day 2023 will announce the “Bechdelians” soon, highlighting notable figures of the year in film and series, including directors, writers, actors, and producers.
>> Bechdel Choice 10 of 2023: ‘Kill Boksoon,’ ‘Soulmate,’ ‘Alienoid,’ and More
Source: Directors Guild of Korea
