April Small-Screen Lineup Is Insanely Good

Star actors, hit writers, and proven IP have become the driving force of today’s content industry. This April, the small screen will be in full bloom with buzzy titles, ranging from the highly anticipated IU and Byeon Woo-seok vehicle to a new drama by writer Park Hae-young and the return of a beloved webtoon-based series.■ The meeting of it stars IU and Byeon Woo-seok
Perfect Crown, a new Friday–Saturday drama from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) premiering on the 10th, stars IU and Byeon Woo-seok and has already topped the buzz rankings two weeks before its first broadcast. It is the first time since FunDex began tracking drama buzz that an unaired series has ranked No. 1 across all TV and OTT dramas.
Named by Time magazine as one of “the most anticipated Korean dramas of 2026,” the series is set in a 21st-century Republic of Korea that operates under a constitutional monarchy. IU plays Seong Hee-ju, a chaebol heiress who has everything but is still legally a commoner. Byeon Woo-seok takes on the role of Prince Ian, a royal who, despite his status, is a man who cannot have anything and lives in sorrow. The script, written by Yoo Ji-won, won an excellence award at MBC’s 2022 drama script competition, and Park Joon-hwa of What's Wrong with Secretary Kim and Alchemy of Souls directs.
At the press conference held on the 6th, Byeon Woo-seok said that when he heard IU had been cast, he "shouted, 'Eureka.'" IU, recalling her first impression of Byeon, said, "He looked very unadorned, but there was a powerful aura about him that left a strong impression."
Speaking about how the relationship between the characters changes, IU explained, "At first, Prince Ian is like a kind of 'strategy' for Hee-ju, but as the story unfolds, his inner life fills out and their relationship changes as well." She added, "On the surface, she seems like someone who has everything, but in reality she starts out empty. What matters is the process of her humanity and her life gradually being filled through Prince Ian."
As for how to enjoy the show, she noted, "Depending on whether you follow Hee-ju’s point of view or Prince Ian’s, their relationship can feel completely different," and continued, "There’s fun in tracking the story through these two different lenses." She emphasized, "We filmed in a variety of locations that capture Korea’s unique atmosphere, so viewers will also be able to enjoy a visually rich experience."
In addition to airing on MBC, the drama will also be available on Disney+ and Wavve.■ We Are All Trying Here poised for cult-like worship
Writer Park Hae-young, who penned My Mister, a life drama for middle-aged men, and My Liberation Notes, which sparked the fervent “worship Gu” craze around Son Suk-ku’s character, returns with Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC)’s new Saturday–Sunday drama We Are All Trying Here (short for Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness). Premiering on the 18th, We Are All Trying Here immediately drew attention with a title that pokes at the anxieties of modern people living in an age ruled by performance and efficiency. Cha Young-hoon, who directed When the Camellia Blooms, a drama about the extraordinary solidarity of ordinary people, is at the helm.
The series follows a character who feels left behind among successful friends and is tormented by jealousy and envy, as they search for peace. At the center are Hwang Dong-man (Koo Kyo-hwan), a perennial aspiring film director, and Byun Eun-a (Go Youn-jung), a development producer at a film company known for her blunt honesty.
Koo Kyo-hwan remarked, "It felt like my diary had been leaked." He went on, "I was surprised to see words I unconsciously use all the time in my daily life flow so naturally out of the character’s mouth," adding, "After I finished reading the script, it felt like we had secretly peeked into everyone’s diaries."
Go Youn-jung said, "Because it’s set in the industry I work in, it felt more natural than unfamiliar, and there were many parts I could deeply relate to." She added, "The comedic elements stand out even more, but rather than being simply light, it has the feel of a 'dark sitcom' that carries a certain darkness and bitterness."
Their intertwined stories are expected to offer a small turning point to those whose lives have stalled in feelings of worthlessness. Go Youn-jung said, "It’s a relationship where they recognize each other’s value and offer comfort," and continued, "I hope viewers will see the feeling of worthlessness not as something to erase, but as an emotion to understand and accept while searching for new meaning. It would be nice if people could feel a small sense of liberation within that."■ Kim Go-eun returns with Yumi's Cells for a third time
Yumi's Cells Season 3, a TVING original drama that is also being adapted into a musical this summer, tells the story of a romance between star writer Yumi (Kim Go-eun), whose low-drama daily life is suddenly disrupted, and PD Soonrok (Kim Jae-won), who appears in her life like a bolt from the blue. Director Lee Sang-yeob from Season 2 reunites with writers Song Jae-jung and Kim Kyung-ran.
The key phrase for Season 3 is "love-hate romance." Writer Song Jae-jung hinted, "With the arrival of the younger man Shin Soonrok, who has very clear standards of his own, Yumi, who had fallen into a rut, gains a new kind of angry energy." Director Lee Sang-yeob said, "Yumi grows the most when she is in love," and added, "In this season, she experiences a relationship whose past, process, pace, and reasons are all different from before. Please watch to see what she struggles with and how she grows within this new relationship, where excitement and anger come at the same time."
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter