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One of HBO’s biggest original series in the 2000s was “Entourage,” created by Doug Ellin in 2004 and loosely based on the up-and-coming experiences of executive producer Mark Wahlberg. The comedy series followed Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a breakout movie star whose close friends not-so-subtly rode the coattails of his success in Hollywood. After the show’s eight-season run and feature film continuation, “Entourage” was remade for South Korean audiences in 2016 as a K-drama, or scripted Korean television show of any genre. Also titled “Entourage,” the Korean version wasn’t particularly successful with local audiences, but it remains an interesting watch, especially for fans of the HBO original series.
The Korean “Entourage” follows popular 20-something actor Cha Young-bin (Seo Kang-joon, in the middle above), who is accompanied by his three friends as he enjoys life in the spotlight. Young-bin is closely monitored by his agency’s CEO Kim Eun-gab (Cho Jin-woong, right), who frequently clashes with Young-bin’s childhood best friend and manager Lee Ho-jin (Park Jeong-min, left). Pressures come to a head as Young-bin’s next high-profile movie project endures a chaotic production while his personal life faces heightened scrutiny. Sensing their friend –- and golden ticket -– is in jeopardy, Young-bin’s friends rally around him to give him the confidence and support he needs to continue his career.
All in all, this looks like a standard HBO “Entourage” arc in the show’s early seasons, but digging deeper into the K-drama reveals its key differences.
Is the K-drama Entourage worth checking out?
The Korean “Entourage” is slightly darker in tone than its American counterpart, not least of all because of differences between the two shows’ protagonists. Young-bin is a self-absorbed and stuck-up celebrity who doesn’t learn as much as he should by the series’ conclusion, if his life lessons stick at all. The show’s Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon) analogue, Cha Yoon (Lee Kwang-soo, second from the right), is a faded K-pop star who feels more pathetic than Drama ever did. And the excesses of fame, namely easily procured drugs and fast women, are downplayed significantly to fit with Korean sensibilities, mitigating the male fantasy aspect to the show.
Even with these changes, “Entourage” never quite connected with Korean audiences, with viewership decreasing significantly after its series premiere. The series ran for an industry standard 16-episode run, but there were never any public discussions about additional seasons or spinoffs, despite the finale leaving room open for a continuation. The more abrasive sense of humor than most K-dramas may have impacted the show’s muted response, as well as potential lack of localized enthusiasm for its American source material. Unfortunately, the show is currently unavailable to stream in the United States, at least through legal means.
The Korean “Entourage” will never quite be recognized as one of the best K-dramas of all time, but it definitely makes for a fascinating viewing. And, at least on paper, a K-drama remake of “Entourage” makes a lot more sense than one for a fantasy Zac Efron movie.
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