Long before "Parasite" produced worldwide sensation and won almost every major film award, including the top prizes at the Oscars last year, Korean culture has steadily gained worldwide popularity. With this Korean wave, also known ashallyuYou may have heard of the boy group BTS. Or perhaps you developed a taste for fine Korean cuisine through Michelin-starred restaurants like Cote and Atomix.
Or maybe you have a shelf full of Korean beauty products for your daily 10-step skincare routine. Korean TV dramas, while they may not be as critically influential as the country's cinematic productions, are an integral part of the cultural fabric, and some of the best are featured on Netflix. Below are the most entertaining K-dramas you can watch on the streaming service, from charming romantic comedy-slash thrillers to stunning period pieces.
My
The latest drama that everyone can't stop talking about has just wrapped up its 16-episode run. Much in the vein of recent Korean shows that offer a vivid depiction of life in a stratospherically rich country (see:PenthouseandSky Castle, which, unfortunately, is not yet available on Netflix).Minecenters around the powerful Chaebol family, and in particular on their two daughters-in-law who are trying to carve out their identities, and reclaim what is theirs in a patriarchal society.
Partiallyinheritance, partiallyDownton Abbey andPart "Big Little Lies"(a murder solved in episode 1 advances the narrative), watch the slutty, twisty plot and star-studded lead actresses Lee Bo-young and Kim So-hyun, who closely resemble Tilda Swinton inI Am Lovewith her impeccable style and poise.
Vincenzo
Local heartthrob Song Joong Ki plays protagonist Vincenzo, who is adopted by the head of an Italian crime family when he was young and grew up to become a mafia consigliere. Quarrels and betrayal force Vincenzo to flee to Korea, where he finds a new enemy to defeat: a ruthless conglomerate.
Strange Counter
In this popular paranormal hit, a disabled teenager is recruited into a supernatural group known as the Counters, who are chasing evil spirits that have escaped the afterlife to possess and corrupt human hosts into horrendous deeds. As part of this team of demon hunters (covering their secret business - a noodle shop), he develops superhuman and psychic abilities and leads a double life: a high school student during the day, defeating evil at night.
Stranger
This much-loved crime thriller, which has now run for two seasons (fans are hoping for a third), was named one of the best TV shows of 2017 byNew York Times.
Louis Vuitton muse Bae Dong plays a charming detective who teams up with a sympathizer... challenged a prosecutor (a failed brain surgery as a child left him with a very low EQ) to solve a murder. Along the way, they discover that much deeper and more insidious forces are at work in the name of political conspiracies orchestrated by Korean TV's favorite villain: these all-too-powerful conglomerates that haven't succeeded.
Run
As the name suggests,start-upis a group of millennials working in the Korean version of Silicon Valley. Although their professional wrestling may resemble the HBO hit "Silicon Valley"It's a Korean drama after all, but the series is more of a romantic comedy (expect the usual ones like love triangles, encounters, etc.) than an industry satire.
Mr. Sunshine
This historical drama is set at the end of the Joseon period, Korea's last dynasty before Japan annexed the country in the early 1900s. Lee Byung Hun plays U.S. Marine Eugene Choi, who returns to his homeland and falls in love with Go Ae-Shin (playsservant girlactress Kim Tae-ri), a noblewoman who secretly works part-time for the righteous army, the militia fighting for Korean independence.
Mr. Sunshinehas all the ingredients for a great K-drama: love triangles, story and action. First of all, this is a cinematically beautiful ode to Korea before it was changed forever.
It's okay to be out of order
Mental health - a topic in Korea that is usually strictly taboo - is the central theme of this show. Popular children's book author (Seo Ye-ji) suffers from antisocial personality disorder; the psychiatric guardian (Kim Soo Hyun), on the other hand, has high emotional intelligence and the extra baggage of caring for his autistic older brother. The girl meets the boy and the healing begins.
Kingdom
In this Netflix original (two seasons out now, third on the way), set in the Joseon era, the king is mysteriously stricken with a strange illness and presumed dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Joo Ji-hoon) tries to find out what is happening to his father, but he is locked in the palace by his power-hungry stepmother and her father, who conspire to keep the king's fortune a secret until they can secure their power on the throne. (for example, getting rid of Li Chang). It turns out that the king is not dead - he has turned into a carnivorous zombie. A plague begins to spread across the kingdom, and it's up to the crown prince to save his people and expose the evil plot behind his stepmother's seizure of power. What is it like
Game of Thronesa plusthe walking Dead, but the action takes place in 17th century Korea. Like these showsKingdomasks: can people be more monstrous than the zombies that hunt them? Yes.
Itaewon Class
First, Park Sae-ro-i (Park Seo-joon) gets expelled for hitting a school bully who happens to be the son of the highly influential owner of the Jangga Group food conglomerate. Then he loses his father in a car accident in which the reckless driver is who else? - that rich hooligan. After nearly beating his father's killer to death, Sae-ro-i is sent to prison for three years. Upon his release, he vows to take down the powerful food company that ruined his life by opening a bar in Seoul's Itaewon district with the goal of turning it into a franchise. This tale of an underdog was praised for its diverse cast of characters—the bar's employees include a transgender woman, a Korean Guinea, an ex-gangster, and a sociopath—as well as their struggles to fit into a society that is rarely kind to outsiders.
When the camellia blooms
A woman (Gong Hyo Jin) moves to a small town with her young son and opens a bar. She faces constant ridicule from the village women, most notably for being a single mother (another taboo subject in Korea) and also for making a living selling alcohol, mostly to men. Not everyone is unhappy with her arrival - the local cop (Kang Ha-Neul) is instantly smitten. Despite the show's rom-com style, interspersed with particularly touching depictions of the main character's relationship with her son, it's also somewhat of a thriller. A serial killer is on the loose, and she will be his next victim if her suitor doesn't catch him first.
Extracurricular
To those around him, high school student Oh Ji Soo (Kim Dong Hee) is just another typical smart rattler - so mild in fact that even his counselor suggests he study less and lead a social life.However, at odd hours, he runs the security team for an illegal prostitution business (while keeping his identity a secret) so that he can earn enough money for his future. When a classmate reveals his secret and wants to go into business, things get much more complicated - and more dangerous.
Hospital playlist
In this series, reminiscent ofGrey's Anatomy,tells about five friends who have been inseparable since the days of medical school and now work as doctors in the same hospital. The show shows their difficult life both in and out of the operating room..
And one way to let off steam? Playing in a band once a week (henceplaylistin the title of the show).
Hyena
In this legal drama about two lawyers representing one percent of society, Yoon Jae Hee is a partner in a prestigious law firm with a long track record and a huge ego. Jung Geum-ja runs his own patchwork, one-man law firm. These two have only their exorbitant ambitions, and they fight for the most important and profitable cases, doing everything possible to get them. Great cast ( Joo Ji Hoon fromKingdomand actress Kim Hye-soo) does Hyenareally captivating K-drama.
Tramp
After his young nephew's plane crashes en route to Morocco, stunt performer Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi) vows to find out what happened. With the help of National Intelligence Service agent Go Haeri (Bae Suzi), they begin to uncover a terrorist plot that leads to the Blue House (also known as the presidency).
Heirs
Think of this popular 2013 drama as a Korean versionOK.
Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye) works part-time to support herself and lives in the home of the wealthy Kim family, where her mother works as a housekeeper. The scholarship allows her to enroll in a high school attended by the children of one percent of Koreans, where she soon finds herself in the center
Long before "Parasite" produced worldwide sensation and won almost every major film award, including the top prizes at the Oscars last year, Korean culture has steadily gained worldwide popularity. With this Korean wave, also known ashallyu You may have heard of the boy group BTS. Or perhaps you developed a taste for fine Korean cuisine through Michelin-starred restaurants like Cote and Atomix.
Or maybe you have a shelf full of Korean beauty products for your daily 10-step skincare routine. Korean TV dramas, while they may not be as critically influential as the country's cinematic productions, are an integral part of the cultural fabric, and some of the best are featured on Netflix. Below are the most entertaining K-dramas you can watch on the streaming service, from charming romantic comedy-slash thrillers to stunning period pieces.
My
The latest drama that everyone can't stop talking about has just wrapped up its 16-episode run. Much in the vein of recent Korean shows offering a vivid depiction of life in a stratospherically rich country (see:Penthouse andSky Castle , which, unfortunately, is not yet available on Netflix).,Mine centers around the powerful Chaebol family, and in particular on their two daughters-in-law who are trying to carve out their identities, and reclaim what is theirs in a patriarchal society.
Partiallyinheritance , partiallydownton abbey and Part "Big Little Lies" (a murder solved in episode 1 advances the narrative), watch the slutty, twisty plot and star-studded lead actresses Lee Bo-young and Kim So-hyun, who closely resemble Tilda Swinton inI Am Love with her impeccable style and poise.
Vincenzo
Local heartthrob Song Joong Ki plays protagonist Vincenzo, who is adopted by the head of an Italian crime family when he was young and grew up to become a mafia consigliere. Quarrels and betrayal force Vincenzo to flee to Korea, where he finds a new enemy to defeat: a ruthless conglomerate.
Strange Counter
In this popular paranormal hit, a disabled teenager is recruited into a supernatural group known as the Counters, who are chasing evil spirits that have escaped the afterlife to possess and corrupt human hosts into horrendous deeds. As part of this team of demon hunters (covering their secret business - a noodle shop), he develops superhuman and psychic abilities and leads a double life: a high school student during the day, defeating evil at night.
Stranger
This much-loved crime thriller, which has now run for two seasons (fans are hoping for a third), was named one of the best TV shows of 2017 byNew York Times. Louis Vuitton muse Bae Dong plays a charming detective who teams up with a sympathizer... challenged a prosecutor (a failed brain surgery as a child left him with a very low EQ) to solve a murder. Along the way, they discover that much deeper and more insidious forces are at work in the name of political conspiracies orchestrated by Korean TV's favorite villain: these all-too-powerful conglomerates that haven't succeeded.
Run
As the name suggests,start-up is a group of millennials working in the Korean version of Silicon Valley. Although their professional wrestling may resemble the HBO hit "Silicon Valley" It's a Korean drama after all, but the series is more of a romantic comedy (expect the usual ones like love triangles, encounters, etc.) than an industry satire.
Mr. Sunshine
This historical drama is set at the end of the Joseon period, Korea's last dynasty before Japan annexed the country in the early 1900s. Lee Byung Hun plays U.S. Marine Eugene Choi, who returns to his homeland and falls in love with Go Ae-Shin (playsservant girl actress Kim Tae-ri), a noblewoman who secretly works part-time for the righteous army, the militia fighting for Korean independence.Mr. Sunshine has all the ingredients for a great K-drama: love triangles, story and action. First of all, this is a cinematically beautiful ode to Korea before it was changed forever.
It's okay to be out of order
Mental health - a topic in Korea that is usually strictly taboo - is the central theme of this show. Popular children's book author (Seo Ye-ji) suffers from antisocial personality disorder; the psychiatric guardian (Kim Soo Hyun), on the other hand, has high emotional intelligence and the extra baggage of caring for his autistic older brother. The girl meets the boy and the healing begins.
Kingdom
In this Netflix original (two seasons out now, third on the way), set in the Joseon era, the king is mysteriously stricken with a strange illness and presumed dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Joo Ji-hoon) tries to find out what is happening to his father, but he is locked in the palace by his power-hungry stepmother and her father, who conspire to keep the king's fortune a secret until they can secure their power on the throne. (for example, getting rid of Li Chang). It turns out that the king is not dead - he has turned into a carnivorous zombie. A plague begins to spread across the kingdom, and it's up to the crown prince to save his people and expose the evil plot behind his stepmother's seizure of power. What is it likeGame of Thrones a plusthe walking Dead , but the action takes place in 17th century Korea. Like these showsKingdom asks: can people be more monstrous than the zombies that hunt them? Yes.
Itaewon Class
First, Park Sae-ro-i (Park Seo-joon) gets expelled for hitting a school bully who happens to be the son of the highly influential owner of the Jangga Group food conglomerate. Then he loses his father in a car accident in which the reckless driver is who else? - that rich hooligan. After nearly beating his father's killer to death, Sae-ro-i is sent to prison for three years. Upon his release, he vows to take down the powerful food company that ruined his life by opening a bar in Seoul's Itaewon district with the goal of turning it into a franchise. This tale of an underdog was praised for its diverse cast of characters—the bar's employees include a transgender woman, a Korean Guinea, an ex-gangster, and a sociopath—as well as their struggles to fit into a society that is rarely kind to outsiders.
When the camellia blooms
A woman (Gong Hyo Jin) moves to a small town with her young son and opens a bar. She faces constant ridicule from the village women, most notably for being a single mother (another taboo subject in Korea) and also for making a living selling alcohol, mostly to men. Not everyone is unhappy with her arrival - the local cop (Kang Ha-Neul) is instantly smitten. Despite the show's rom-com style, interspersed with particularly touching depictions of the main character's relationship with her son, it's also somewhat of a thriller. A serial killer is on the loose, and she will be his next victim if her suitor doesn't catch him first.
Extracurricular
To those around him, high school student Oh Ji Soo (Kim Dong Hee) is just another typical smart rattler - so mild in fact that even his counselor suggests he study less and lead a social life. However, at odd hours, he runs the security team for an illegal prostitution business (while keeping his identity a secret) so that he can earn enough money for his future. When a classmate reveals his secret and wants to go into business, things get much more complicated - and more dangerous.
Hospital playlist
In this series, reminiscent ofGrey's Anatomy, tells about five friends who have been inseparable since the days of medical school and now work as doctors in the same hospital. The show shows their difficult life both in and out of the operating room.. And one way to let off steam? Playing in a band once a week (henceplaylist in the title of the show).
Hyena
In this legal drama about two lawyers representing one percent of society, Yoon Jae Hee is a partner in a prestigious law firm with a long track record and a huge ego. Jung Geum-ja runs his own patchwork, one-man law firm. These two have only their exorbitant ambitions, and they fight for the most important and profitable cases, doing everything possible to get them. Great cast ( Joo Ji Hoon fromKingdom and actress Kim Hye-soo) doesHyena interesting hours.
Tramp
After his young nephew's plane crashes en route to Morocco, stunt performer Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi) vows to find out what happened. With the help of National Intelligence Service agent Go Haeri (Bae Suzi), they begin to uncover a terrorist plot that leads to the Blue House (also known as the presidency).
Heirs
Think of this popular 2013 drama as a Korean versionOK. Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye) works part-time to support herself and lives in the home of the wealthy Kim family, where her mother works as a housekeeper. The scholarship allows her to attend a high school attended by the children of one percent of Koreans, where she soon finds herself in the middle of a love triangle involving family heir Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) and his nemesis Choi Young-do (Kim Woo-bin). ).
Crash landing on you
A South Korean heiress (Son Ye-jin) is paragliding and accidentally ends up on the wrong side of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. She was rescued by Ri Jong-hyuk (Hyun-bin), the captain of the North Korean special police. As expected, they fall in love and he must keep her identity a secret and bring her home before anyone knows who she is.Crash Landing on You received a gold rating (currently the third highest-rated series in Korean television history) due to its top-rated stars, solid supporting cast, and multi-dimensional portrayal of life in North Korea.
Romance is a bonus book
Former copywriter Kang Dan-yi (Lee Na-young) is unemployed, divorced and a single mother. Her best friend Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong Suk) is an accomplished author and editor-in-chief of a book publishing house. Eun-ho asks Dan-yi to find him a housekeeper, but unbeknownst to him, she secretly starts cleaning his house. In the end, she has to tell Eun-ho and get a temporary job at his publishing house. The hardships and discrimination Dan-yi faces while trying to return to work after leaving to raise a child add another layer to this charming romantic comedy.e love triangle involving family heir Kim Tan (Lee Min) Ho) and his nemesis Choi Yong-do (Kim Woo-bin).
