A new Mexican TV series is turning heads for doing something rare. Not only is it inspired by Korean dramas, it looks and feels like one.
Set to premiere Oct. 27 on Mexico’s Canal 5 (part of the TelevisaUnivision network), "Contrato de Corazones, Tu y Yo" (Heart Contract, You and Me) is a 20-episode romantic drama that borrows directly from the visual and narrative playbook of K-dramas. It blends slow-motion edits, dreamlike cinematography and emotionally layered teen romance in a clear homage to Korean storytelling that is already generating buzz far beyond Mexico.
The series follows Ferry, a high school student and devoted K-pop fan who dreams of studying fashion in Seoul. After securing a scholarship to a prestigious private school, she hides her working-class background from classmates.
When a brooding student named Sebastian discovers her secret, they strike a deal to pretend they are dating. Predictably, emotions complicate the arrangement. Matters escalate when Sebastian’s estranged friend, Mateo, the school’s popular basketball captain, falls for Ferry as well, triggering a tense rivalry.
This love triangle setup may feel familiar to anyone who has ever watched a Korean high school drama, and that is intentional.
Director Eduardo Murguia says the series preserves “the core values of traditional melodrama” while intentionally adopting the storytelling and editing style of K-dramas. He cites extended use of slow-motion, surreal transitions, and carefully polished CG and color grading as examples. Props and set design even pull from Korean graphic design, he adds, to appeal to “both older drama fans and younger audiences.”
Mexico’s telenovela industry is one of the most powerful television production ecosystems in the world, with shows exported to over 100 countries and translated into more than 30 languages.
Yet despite K-drama fandom steadily growing across Latin America, local adaptations are rare.
The series airs in a prime-time slot and is positioned as a youth-driven flagship for Canal 5. It follows the massive ratings success of "Las hijas de la Senora Garcia," (the Daughters of Mrs. Garcia), which drew 7.5 million viewers for its finale in March, according to local industry trackers.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
