Netflix's first original Korean series is based on a web comic
The story even revolves around a dating app.
Netflix is eager to court South Korea now that it has a foothold in the country, and it's finally readying its first original series to match ... with a decidedly technological twist. It's readying Love Alarm, a 12-episode show based on a popular Korean web comic -- no, not a book or another country's TV programming. Even the premise is appropriately techy. The story centers around a mysterious mobile app that lets you know if someone nearby is attracted to you, which invariably causes chaos.
The show won't debut until 2018, but it'll be available worldwide. That may sound odd for something that's clearly designed to suit local tastes, but Netflix is clearly counting on the West's surge in interest in all things Korean (think everything from K-pop to Oldboy) as a draw. In theory, it's the company's dream show: it's intensely relevant in its home country, but accessible enough that it could attract an international fan base.
