The K-Drama Based On One Of Agatha Christie's Most Beloved Novels

Whether it's overlooked historical Westerns or even Zac Efron movies, K-dramas — South Korean live-action scripted television — take their inspiration from a myriad of sources. For the 2018 mystery series "Ms. Ma, Nemesis," the Korean show was heavily influenced by classic British author Agatha Christie. More specifically, as evidenced by its title, "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" was based on the 1971 novel "Nemesis," the final book Christie wrote starring her famous recurring detective Miss Marple. And while "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" goes beyond the 1971 novel, its adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's best books makes this K-drama stand out.

"Ms. Ma, Nemesis" stars Kim Yunjin as a wealthy heiress who is falsely convicted and incarcerated for the murder of her daughter. Escaping from prison to track down the real culprit and clear her name, the woman decides to use her deductive crime-solving skills in solving other cases. She does this by working under an assumed name, Ma Ji-won, and relocating to a small town to avoid attracting the attention of the police detective (Jung Woong-in) hunting her. Ms. Ma is joined by Seo Eun-ji (Ko Sung-hee), a young woman claiming to be her niece, living with her presumed aunt.

The series has a respectable 7.2 rating on IMDb, though remains a largely overlooked K-drama in North America.

With its imaginative premise, "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" isn't just an adaptation of "Nemesis," but celebrates the whodunit tradition that Agatha Christie popularized throughout the 20th century. In fleeing from a wrongful conviction and trying to clear her name, Ma's journey echoes "The Fugitive" while her cover identity as a writer-turned-consulting detective is reminiscent of "Murder, She Wrote." Ma's activities in solving other mysteries around town while searching for her daughter's killer also allows the show to provide its own mini-adaptations of other Miss Marple stories penned by Christie. There is a larger mystery unraveling across the series, but "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" has some fun along the way to celebrate other classic tales.

But "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" also makes some key changes that make it fit better within the usual modern K-drama formula rather than for British readers in 1971. Christie's "Nemesis" saw Marple investigate the murder of an acquaintance who helped her on a previous case, trying to clear the name of his son. Here, Ma is framed for her daughter's murder, making her a victim on multiple levels, with personal retribution a common K-drama theme. There are also psychological thriller elements to the story, notably through the presence of Eun-ji.

"Ms. Ma, Nemesis" retains the spirit of Agatha Christie's work, while both modernizing and celebrating an entire genre. Thrilling and with a whole bevy of mysteries, the show is a great exploration of whodunits through the lens of a K-drama.