Summary
- The hit drama now has both Korean and Japanese versions, but the Korean one outshines its Japanese counterpart.
- Syucheu only ran for one season, but it was enough to win a bunch of awards.
Even before Netflix decided to add Suits to its library earlier this week, making it a mainstream staple, the USA Network legal drama was already a big hit. It garnered impressive viewership for the network and launched Meghan Markle into stardom. At one point, the show's success was so immense that international companies began to take notice, resulting in Korean network KBS2 partnering with NBC to adapt Suits into a South Korean television show.
It might come as a surprise to even the most devoted Suits fans, as Syucheu is still unavailable for streaming in the US, but that doesn't mean the show is merely a cheap imitation of the beloved original.
Syucheu, Explained
Like the original, Syucheu follows a brilliant young man who becomes an accomplished lawyer thanks to his supportive mentor. The Korean show doesn't deviate significantly from the source material, instead subtly introducing Korean elements throughout.
The show starred Jang Dong-gun and Park Hyung-sik in the lead roles and only ran for one season of 16 episodes in 2018. It enjoyed modest success in Korea, getting strong ratings and even winning two KBS Drama Awards and a Korea Drama Award for actress Chae Jung-an.
Most notably, American Suits fans were pleasantly surprised by the Korean adaptation, arguing that the show felt fresh and original despite essentially being a remake.
But that's not the only foreign version of Suits.
Meet Sûtsu
Interestingly, the Japanese network Fuji TV acquired the rights to Suits at the same time as their Korean counterparts, and the Japanese version of Suits, titled Sûtsu, premiered in 2018.
Unlike its Korean counterpart, Sûtsu ran for two seasons but was relatively poorly received, earning only a 4.6 on IMDb, compared to Syucheu's 7.6.
Thus, if you're interested in seeing Harvey Specter and Michael Ross in an Asian context, definitely check out the Korean version; don't bother with the Japanese one.