The Netflix original series 'Aema' directly summons the legendary film series 'Madame Aema,' which left a significant mark on the Korean film industry in the 1980s. For the generation that experienced the 80s, the name 'Madame Aema' transcends a simple movie title; it is remembered as a cultural icon where the era's desires and oppressions were strangely intertwined. At the time, this series was the epitome of Korean erotic cinema, and its creation was deeply rooted in the unique characteristics of the period. 'Aema' captures the heated atmosphere of those days and the stories of the people who stirred within it, attempting a modern interpretation that goes beyond mere reenactment.
The 1980s were the era of the 5th Republic's military dictatorship, during which the government implemented the so-called '3S Policy.' This stood for Sports, Screen, and Sex, and was part of a depoliticization strategy to divert public attention away from political matters. In this historical context, the fusion of 'Screen' and 'Sex' was inevitable. The government wielded a harsh blade of censorship against films containing political or social messages, but it adopted a relatively lenient stance toward erotic films that stimulated sexual curiosity. This led to a distorted phenomenon where filmmakers, for their survival, flocked to the erotic genre, and at the very pinnacle of this trend was 'Madame Aema.'
When director Jeong In-yeop's 'Madame Aema' was released in 1982, its impact was beyond imagination. It became a colossal box-office success with its, for the time, radical depictions of sexuality and the portrayal of a woman's psyche longing for freedom, establishing itself as a massive series. A staggering 13 installments of the main series were produced, and spin-offs like 'Gypsy Aema' and 'Paris Aema' were mass-produced, turning 'Aema' into a brand in itself. While it faced criticism that as the series progressed, the psychological portrayal of women faded in favor of sensationalist scenes, diminishing its artistic merit, it is undeniable that the 'Madame Aema' series was a crucial phenomenon that cannot be omitted when discussing Korean film history of the 80s.
The 'Madame Aema' series launched numerous actors into stardom, but among them, the presence of Ahn So-young, who played the first 'Madame Aema,' was unrivaled. She instantly became the representative sex symbol of the 80s and enjoyed nationwide popularity. The image of her riding a white horse through a field of reeds became a symbolic fantasy for men of that time. However, the success of 'Madame Aema' also placed her in the powerful shackles of being a 'sexy actress.' Due to this strong image, she faced difficulties in transforming her acting career and failed to shine in other works, leaving a significant sense of regret in her career. This is a case that vividly shows the limitations and prejudices that actresses, especially those who appeared in erotic films, had to endure at the time.
The fact that the 1980s Korean film industry experienced a golden age of erotic cinema was by no means a healthy phenomenon. As mentioned earlier, this was not the result of creative freedom blossoming, but rather a distorted landscape created by severe censorship. Films that contained even the slightest hint of social critique were mercilessly butchered or banned from screening. In this environment, erotic films were one of the only escape routes for directors and producers—politically safe while guaranteeing commercial success. Therefore, one cannot simply criticize those who made erotic films at the time for 'just making low-quality movies.' It was, in part, a desperate struggle for survival in an oppressive era.
The drama 'Aema,' set in that turbulent era, is directed by Lee Hae-young, known for his distinctive works like 'Madonna' and 'Believer,' which has raised expectations. Surprisingly, this project was one he had cherished for a long time, having planned it right after his debut film 'Madonna.' However, the content was too provocative for the production environment of the time to be made into a film, and he had no plans to produce it as a drama, so it remained dormant for years. But the landscape changed as OTT platforms like Netflix became central to production. With much greater freedom in the level of expression, 'Aema' was finally able to see the light of day as a 6-part drama series. Thanks to this, the work can feature bold and frank dialogue and depictions befitting its 19+ rating.
The biggest question for viewers approaching the drama will undoubtedly be, 'Is this story based on true events?' To get straight to the point, the drama 'Aema' only borrows the 'Madame Aema' material as a motif; the characters and specific narrative are entirely fictional. In other words, Jung Hee-ran, the legendary actress played by Lee Hanee, and Shin Ju-ae, the newcomer played by Bang Hyo-rin, are not real people. The drama uses the production process of 'Madame Aema' as a backdrop to portray the atmosphere of 1980s Chungmuro (the heart of the Korean film industry) and the stories of people with a burning desire for success. It opts to convey the air and mood of that era vividly by using a real-life film as its inspiration.
This setup shows clear differences from the actual facts. For example, the first Madame Aema, Ahn So-young, was not a complete unknown when she starred in the film; she was an actress with experience in several prior works. However, Shin Ju-ae in the drama is portrayed as a brazen and audacious rookie who shows up late to an audition and declares, "I'm confident in baring it all." She is a character ready to throw everything away for the sole purpose of success. She is depicted as provocative enough to even ask the veteran actress Jung Hee-ran, "Who was it better to sleep with?" This is interpreted not as an attempt to follow historical fact, but as a device to create a more intense drama by exploring the power dynamics and the objectification of women prevalent in the film industry at the time, and through characters who assert their desires within that system.
The drama 'Aema' offers the pleasure of discovering a new face in Bang Hyo-rin, who plays Shin Ju-ae, alongside the formidable presence of actress Lee Hanee. Having primarily been active in the independent film scene, Bang Hyo-rin is a talented newcomer who gained attention as the protagonist of the film 'Hail to Hell.' Despite 'Aema' being her first major commercial project, she delivers a powerful energy that doesn't back down from the veteran Lee Hanee, showcasing a bold performance uncharacteristic of a rookie. It couldn't have been an easy decision to appear in a work with significant nudity and radical themes, yet she perfectly embodies her character, firmly holding one axis of the drama's tension. Her discovery can be seen as another major achievement of 'Aema.'
The 6-part series 'Aema' garnered significant buzz for its provocative nature even before its release. However, to dismiss it as merely a 'racy drama' would be to overlook the more complex and profound story it contains. The core of the drama lies in the intense conflicts and psychological warfare between producers and directors who treat actors as commodities solely for profit, and the actors who leap into a dangerous game in pursuit of their own desires. As the show's tagline—"An era that only wanted to strip them bare, we're flipping it on its head"—suggests, 'Aema' is expected to boldly expose the true face of an era that sexually objectified and oppressed women, and through the stories of those who tried to carve their own paths against it, pose weighty questions to our current time. It is a story that needs to be watched to the end to see what conclusion their journey reaches.
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