So, if you got hooked on the Korean crime drama series 레이디 두아 on Netflix, you will probably be looking for more Kdramas Like The Art of Sarah that explore themes like fake identities, ambitions, and the dark side of the rich and powerful. Watching Shin Hae-sun play Sarah Kim, who moves around the upper crust and reinvents herself repeatedly, made for a thrilling and unsettling viewing experience that made the series more than just a crime thriller, more like a study on a person’s psyche.
There’s something really interesting and intriguing about stories that revolve around a protagonist who finds herself in a grey area between good and evil, always wearing a mask to survive and succeed and fit in with the people around them. The Art of Sarah does that really well and shows the audience how ambition, trauma and the need to fit in can lead a person to reinvent themselves repeatedly.
So, if you’re still trying to process Sarah’s fake identity and the secrets that lie behind the glamour and luxury, here are a few K-dramas similar to The Art of Sarah that have the same themes.
Kdramas Like The Art of Sarah
Dear X
Kim Yoo-jung’s performance as Baek A-jin in Dear X is something that gives me chills to this day. A-jin is that darling of an actress everyone seems to fall in love with, from fans to peers to everyone else, but beneath her perfect image lies a manipulative streak that is emotionally dangerous. Seeing her balance her fame while keeping her true self on the down low is eerily similar to how Sarah Kim navigates her world of luxury.
Just as Sarah Kim is to The Art of Sarah, Baek A-jin is to Dear X, a master manipulator of how she is perceived by other people. She understands that how she is perceived is her power, and she is not afraid to utilise her charm and vulnerability to her advantage. If Sarah captivated you because of its morally ambiguous female lead, then A-jin is just as captivating.
Celebrity
In the drama Celebrity, Park Gyu-young’s character Seo A-ri appears to be an ordinary woman until she becomes a part of the influencer world. Once she becomes a part of it, everything changes, and she becomes a part of the dark side of social media fame, jealousy, scandals, and influencer personas.
Just like Sarah Kim, A-ri creates a glamorous image that hides her problems and desires. Both dramas show that fake luxury and personas can be reality if people believe in them strongly enough. Celebrity feels like a modern-day social media version, which shows that image can be more powerful than reality.
Anna
Bae Suzy’s portrayal of Lee Yoo-mi, who would later be known as “Anna,” ranks among the most chilling and most unforgettable portrayals of reinvention and becoming someone new in K-drama history. From a small white lie, a new life entirely is manufactured: she infiltrates the high society circles, marries into a wealthy family, and basks in the luxuries she never thought she’d be able to enjoy.
If The Art of Sarah resonated with you, then Anna is a kindred spirit drama for you to watch. Both Sarah and Yoo-mi reinvented themselves to escape poverty and rise to prominence, but at the same time, they slowly forgot who they really were.
Eve
Seo Ye-ji’s Lee Ra-el is a picture of elegance and sophistication, but beneath that polished exterior, there is a woman who is driven by a desire for revenge. As Eve follows a woman who infiltrates the ranks of the upper crust to take down the people who destroyed her family, with Park Byung-eun’s Kang Yoon-gyeom. There is a sense of understanding and connection among the two characters in that both women know how to use their beauty, brains, and manipulative power to control wealthy and influential men and women with calculated moves. Although there is also plenty of seduction and deceit present in the show, they are very similar to the themes presented.
Mine
Mine features two strong women at the centre of the story: Seo Hee-soo (Lee Bo-young) and Jung Seo-hyun (Kim Seo-hyung). They navigate the world of chaebols that is full of darkness and pressures, where everyone has an ulterior motive beneath the perfect façade and luxurious lifestyle.
Although Mine is a story of family relationships, it is similar to The Art of Sarah because of its obsession with money, power, and identity. In both shows, the main characters are forced to play the role of who they are expected to be in order to survive the world of the rich and powerful. But at the top of the social ladder, the most dangerous thing one can do is be true to themselves.
Mask
Soo Ae portrays the character of Ji Sook, who lives a dual life. When she is forced to play the role of her rich lookalike, Seo Eun-ha, she marries into a world of wealth and luxury.
Similarly, Mask also revolves around the idea of adopting a new identity and losing touch with reality. The line between reality and fake has been a common thread in both stories. The fragility of a false identity has been portrayed well in both stories. The idea of walking in someone else’s shoes has also been well depicted.
Reflection of You
Go Hyun-jung plays the role of Jung Hee-joo, who has it all as an artist. However, her past comes back to haunt her in the form of Shin Hyun-bin’s Goo Hae-won. The story slowly reveals the grey areas of Hee-joo’s past. The audience also gets to see the aftermath of her choices on her current life.
Like Sarah Kim’s story, Hee-joo’s world also revolves around lies and grey areas. Both stories deal with the aftermath of past choices on the lives of the protagonists. Although Reflection of You may not be glamorous, it also delves into drama just as much as Sarah.
Has The Art of Sarah also influenced your desire to watch stories with grey areas in female protagonists? Let me know what you’re currently watching in the comments section below. Which one of them affected you more?
