The new Turkish drama on Kanal D, which was “reportedly in preparation for about two and a half years”, had high expectations, but once it aired, it became clear that the show was quite simple and ordinary, with no real difference from other average dramas. Of course, these are my personal thoughts and conclusions based on my media research.
Directed by Mahsun Kırmızıgül, the new Turkish drama “Güzel Aşklar Diyarı” has been a letdown for several reasons. I thought it was going to be something unique, shot from a perspective we hadn’t seen before. I’m sure many people shared my expectations. With a two-and-a-half-year preparation period, I believe we were right to have high hopes.
Poor casting choices and lack of chemistry
The lead actors, Deniz (Özgü Kaya) and Arhan Alaca (Burak Berkay Akgül), don’t really have the star power to draw attention. Their acting skills are also quite limited. This creates a coldness in the show, making it hard to stay engaged.
The pairing of Halil Ergün (Hakim Alaca), a 78-year-old veteran actor, and his wife Hanzade (Ege Kökenli), who is 47 years younger, comes off as rather odd.
When looking at the rest of the cast, apart from Halil Ergün, there aren’t many notable actors. The others add some color to the show, but not enough to save it.
Will “Güzel Aşklar Diyarı” come to an end?
Honestly, after seeing the latest ratings (from 10/14/2024), where it ranked 10th among all shows, I think “Güzel Aşklar Diyarı” will likely end soon. However, this is just my opinion, and no official statement or announcement has been made yet.
In recent years, it has become much harder for Turkish dramas to gain a foothold and survive compared to earlier years. In the past two weeks alone, three different shows—two of them new—had to end and say goodbye to the screen, as indicated by the “final” tag.
Why didn’t “Güzel Aşklar Diyarı” succeed?
The answer is simple. Like many unsuccessful shows, it suffers from poor production quality, bad casting choices, a lack of flow, and, most importantly, the constant shouting and tense atmosphere. Shows like this are probably easy for directors and producers to make. It’s not surprising that series unwilling to innovate disappear quickly.