KJCKorea
Journal Central

In drama of popular media all dramatic elements are subordinated to the narrative, and especially music has not received much attention as a third element following visual images and language. However, music is as important an element in the narrative as visual images and language, and if the main character is a musician, its importance goes without saying. In this article, we examine how music actively creates narrative in drama, focusing on <Milhoe(Secret Love Affair)>. <Milhoe> is a melodrama that deals with an affair between an older and younger couple who are twenty years apart, but it breaks away from the typical romance and tells the story of a woman recovering her lost self and the value of life. In particular, the female protagonist's process of finding herself is closely intertwined with the male protagonist's growth as a pianist, and music was used very strategically in this process. In <Milhoe>, nondiegetic music distances itself from non-main characters and focuses the spotlight on the main characters. In music, the protagonist's words and actions acquire authenticity and the viewer's trust. Additionally, because the main character's occupation is related to music, digetic music is foregrounded and used in a special way. Music is an agency for the emotions that make a man and a woman fall in love, express love, or reveal the anger of love. Not only that, it is also a medium that paves the way for self-discovery. Music persuades audiences with more direct and strong power than visual images or dialogue.

music in drama, classical music, the absence of music, narrative of music in drama, (non) digetic music, visualization of music