Some Kdramas Like Four Hands Two Sonatas are easy to recommend for those who are only interested in stories about music, but this is not what made the series so captivating for me. The reason why I liked 포핸즈 so much is the romance that develops between Kang Pi-o, played by Song Kang and Choi Jeong-yo, played by Lee Jun-young. To be honest, at the beginning of the show, I was under the impression that there was plenty of chemistry between them, which could make this drama a BL one. However, as their bromance developed, I found myself even more interested in their relationship than I had originally expected.
That is the exact reason why their competition is causing them so much pain at present. It is not simply a competition between two people who happened to go to the same school. The two have become each other’s support, worked together, gone through hard times together, and created something unique by doing four hand pieces. Pi-o has even helped Jeong-yo get past his stage fright, while Jeong-yo became someone who would motivate Pi-o to connect with the emotion within the music.
This kind of relationship was established through all the small incidents they went through, which made Jeong-yo’s decision to punish Pi-o after years very painful. Jeong-yo wishes to remember the kidnapping and make Pi-o undergo the pain which he himself underwent, while Pi-o struggles between protecting his mom and mending ties with his dear old friend. So, as we are left with only two episodes before we know how it all ends, I thought of other K-dramas whose story hinges precisely on the dynamic between their characters, particularly when it comes to friendships and rivalries that are too hard to separate from one another.
This is not your ordinary K-drama that involves music or competitions, but rather those that have characters who defy one another, envy one another, rely on each other, betray one another, or even turn out to be the one another needs the most. And if what you enjoy is the complex relationship between Pi-o and Jeong-yo, then the following list of K-dramas similar to Four Hands Two Sonatas will tickle your fancy.
Kdramas Like Four Hands Two Sonatas
Five Fingers
If what you enjoyed about Four Hands Two Sonatas was the combination of piano, familial pressure, ambition, and rivalry, then Five Fingers is definitely a good watch for you. The drama features Ju Ji-hoon, Ji Chang-wook, Chae Shi-ra, and Jin Se-yeon and centres on Ji-ho who is an accomplished pianist, and who gets brought up in the rich Yoo family as a result of the ambitions of his father, thus totally transforming the life of In-ha, who all along had assumed that he was going to be the heir to the family.
When the talent of Ji-ho gets acknowledged, In-ha finds himself threatened by his younger brother, and the two slowly transform from being brothers to rivals in matters of family inheritance and musical ability. The link between Four Hands Two Sonatas can be found in the way in which both the plays use musical talent to examine the issues of insecurity, jealousy and the need for approval. Ji-ho and In-ha are two pianists whose relationship is based on the insecurity that one person’s talent takes away the recognition the other needs.
The only main difference is that while Four Fingers uses the theme of rivalry in a very dark family melodrama context, whereas Pi-o and Jeong-yo have a chance to evolve from rivals into friends and then musicians and partners in music until tragedy strikes them. So, if the rival emotions appealed to you, then this drama is perfect for you.
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
If you’re after a drama with characters’ emotional relationships, but lighter and less tragic than what you’ve just seen, then Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol would be an excellent choice for you. In the drama, pianist Goo Ra-ra (Go Ara) is forced to take on a totally unexpected turn in her life and come into contact with other people she will become close to. Lee Jae-wook takes on the role of the enigmatic young man Sunwoo Jun, and Kim Joo-heon portrays Cha Eun-seok. What’s intriguing about this show compared to Four Hands, Two Sonatas is that, unlike Pi-o and Jeong-yo, Ra-ra doesn’t have a story just like theirs.
It’s fascinating how music serves as the connection between two people who seem to be completely different, in terms of forming relationships with one another. In Four Hands, Two Sonatas, Pi-o and Jeong-yo would hardly ever have formed such a deep relationship with each other if it weren’t for the fact that they were forced to collaborate as pianists. The performances that they create together serve as the platform which allows them to get to know each other better through music rather than by communicating. Both dramas use piano performances as a means of connecting characters; in addition to that, it also gives you the same type of bromance and romance, which makes relationships in this movie quite intriguing.
Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born
Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born is a drama where Kim Tae-ri portrays Yoon Jeong-nyeon, and despite the fact that this show doesn’t revolve around pianists, it contains one of the elements that make The Four Hands Two Sonatas interesting: talented characters for whom their talents become their greatest strength and at the same time their greatest rivals. Jeong-nyeon is an exceptionally talented girl born into poverty and aspiring to become an accomplished gukgeuk actress. One of the most intriguing relationships in the story is that between Jeong-nyeon and Heo Yeong-seo, played by Shin Ye-eun. Yeong-seo belongs to another world of performers who have had a privileged upbringing and spent years working hard to become the best in their profession.
The relationship between these two performers features the same conflict of nature versus nurture that made the relationship between Pi-o and Jeong-yo so engaging. While Jeong-yo was brought up under difficult financial conditions and has a special talent for music, Pi-o has received the best education but constantly strives to prove himself. Despite being in very different performance worlds, both stories demonstrate how admiration and jealousy can coexist. One can appreciate the abilities of another person but, at the same time, long to be recognised in such a way.
You and Everything Else
While the most memorable portion of Four Hands Two Sonatas may not actually be the piano piece but rather the friendship between Pi-o and Jeong-yo, You and Everything Else will most likely be the most interesting drama among those listed. It revolves around the complex relationship between two women who are at different points in life, and it shows how a friendship can evolve over time. The reason I would put it here is the way it explores the uncomfortable side of friendship. Friendship does not necessarily consist only of support and good memories. Envy, miscommunications, betrayals, break-ups, and moments when people hurt each other because they are close to them are all part of friendships as well.
This is what occurs between Pi-o and Jeong-yo. Pi-o develops feelings of insecurity when Jeong-yo is receiving attention from people who want nothing more than to earn Pi-o’s approval, and this insecurity is responsible for their first significant fight. Several years later, the anger Jeong-yo feels toward the kidnapping of Pi-o transforms their friendship into an even darker experience. However, no one loses their affection completely. While Jeong-yo is punishing Pi-o for the kidnapping, he tries to force Pi-o to play his composition, and Pi-o keeps trying to redeem himself.
Page Turner
For those who want a drama featuring young piano students, rivalry, and complex relations between the two competing against each other, “Page Turner” may be the best fit among all the entries here. The drama, made up of three episodes released in 2016, features Kim So-hyun as Yoo Seul, Ji Soo as Jung Cha-sik, and Shin Jae-ha as Jin-mok. Featuring talented young people who want to become successful musicians, the drama looks at ambition, rivalry, and pressure imposed on youngsters in a performing arts school setting. The similarity between Four Hands Two Sonatas and Page Turner is even more obvious in relation to the way the two young boys in each story relate to one another.
The young men do not start off being friends and having a good relationship with one another like Pi-o and Jeong-yo did. Instead, they start off with a rivalry between one another since the older Pi-o is jealous of how Jeong-yo beat him in a contest. However, as they learn about each other and what they go through, they start turning into friends instead. It is only after they are forced to practice together that the rivalry begins to turn into a friendship, and their performances become something they could never do by themselves.
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