From Gangnam Beauty to Reply 1988, Netflix offers plenty of K-Drama options, proving that they can be much more than just sappy romances.
An image of IU in Hotel Del Luna and Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin in Crash Landing Into You
SUMMARY
K-Dramas on Netflix offer diverse options beyond formulaic love stories, addressing themes like platonic friendships and dysfunctional families.
K-Dramas like Reply 1988 and Gangnam Beauty provide insights into Korean society and culture, showcasing aspirations and societal pressures.
The popularity of Squid Game has opened the door for more Korean-language series on Netflix and has been praised for its brutal and emotional storytelling.
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From all-time classics to new-age favorites, there are diverse options when it comes to the best K-Dramas on Netflix. With the international boom of the Korean TV subgenre, Netflix has jumped on the K-Drama bandwagon and produced some originals. A stereotypical viewpoint of the average K-Drama might compel audiences to think of it as just a formulaic boy-meets-girl love story, but as the K-Dramas on Netflix prove, they can be much more. Considering how many K-Drama episodes are spaced out across an hour to an hour and a half, multiple themes can be addressed.
Platonic friendships, dysfunctional families, professional troubles, and a lot more form the crux of K-Dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Love Alarm, and other classics on Netflix. For non-Korean viewers, these shows can be a portal to the society and culture of North and South Korea. For instance, Reply 1988 reveals the aspirations of the inhabitants of a Korean commune in the 1980s. Then, there’s the romance Gangnam Beauty, which reveals the pressure on young Koreans to maintain physical beauty. The ambitious runtime and ensemble cast in these K-dramas allow them to touch upon more than their Western counterparts.
A blended image features characters from the k-dramas Crash Landing On You and Reply 1988
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15
All Of Us Are Dead (2022-)
Starring Park Ji-hu and Yoon Chan-young
All Of Us Are Dead
TV-MA
Fantasy
Drama
Action
Cast
Park Solomon , Cho Yi-hyun , Park Ji-hoo , Yoo In-soo , Yoon Chan-young
Seasons
1
Inspired by a webtoon that began its release in 2009, All Of Us Are Dead grabbed the world’s attention when it began streaming in 2022. The horror K-drama is set during the events of a zombie apocalypse as a fictional South Korean high school slowly falls to zombies. Centering on a group of students that band together to survive, the series has been praised for the emotional performances of the cast. It is, however, not an easy binge-watch as the first season features long episodes.
14
Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)
Starring Hwang Jung-eum and Choi Won-young
Hwang Jung-eum as Weol-ju,Yook Sung-jae as Han Kang-bae and Choi Won-young as Chief Gwi in Mystic Pop-Up Bar
Regarding fantasy K-dramas, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is one of the most unique, and certainly one of the most underrated K-Dramas on Netflix. The series follows three employees at an outdoor bar in South Korea. The owner is actually a woman cursed 500 years earlier for her actions, and her punishment is to “settle the grudges of 100,000” souls. One employee can make someone tell the truth, so the group visits customers in their dreams to help solve their problems. With dramatic, comedic, supernatural, and romantic elements all rolled into one, the series is entertaining.
13
Reply 1988 (2015-2016)
Starring Lee Hyeri and Go Kyung-pyo
Set in the titular year, Reply 1988 is a wholesome slice-of-life series that focuses on families living in a Northern Seoul neighborhood. From touching upon the Seoul Olympics in 1988 to the wave of Westernization in the country, Reply 1988 is the perfect time capsule for anyone who wishes to visit ’80s-era South Korea. The leads, both old and young, learn valuable life lessons, but the show never preaches any values. Rather, the K-Drama boasts some tearjerking scenes and an emotionally effective soundtrack. Only the stone-hearted would be able to hold back the tears toward the finale.
12
Something In The Rain (2018)
Starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in
A man holding an umbrella while walking with a woman in Something In The Rain
Something In The Rain seems like a sappy K-Drama romance on the surface, but as its plot unravels, it turns out to be a mature romantic drama. The show focuses on Jin-ah, a hardworking professional nearing a mid-life crisis. While she finds happiness when she starts an unlikely romance with her best friend’s younger brother, Joon-hee, she soon faces public scrutiny (their mere three-year age difference is still taboo in conservative parts of Korea). Something In The Rain balances the couple’s heart-touching moments with an introspective look at Korean corporate culture and sexism.
11
SKY Castle (2018-2019)
Starring Yum Jung-ah and Lee Tae-ran
The cast of SKY Castle sitting together
One of the highest-rated K-Dramas based on Nielsen ratings, SKY Castle breaks K-Drama stereotypes by hardly touching upon love triangles. The series is a razor-sharp satire on the upper echelons of Korean society and their obsession with education. The husbands and wives of the show’s titular neighborhood are all successful and wish to pass on this success to their naive children. Tensions rise as the teens are eventually burdened by perpetually high expectations. Relying on deadpan humor and intense family drama, SKY Castle is a must-watch for anyone seeking a break from conventional K-dramas.
10
Love Alarm (2019-2021)
Starring Song Kang and Kim So-hyun
Two boys and a girl standing with doubtful expressions on their face in Love Alarm
One of Netflix’s first original K-Dramas, Love Alarm puts a spin on the romantic K-Drama formula with the revolutionary mobile app in the title. Love Alarm imagines a South Korea where everyone has a “love detection” app installed on their phone. With the app capable of telling people if anyone within their 10-meter radius is in love with them, Love Alarm offers both hilarious and emotional love triangles. Love Alarm serves as an innocent love story while doubling as a satirical critique of a dating app-obsessed generation. It also opens up discussions on data protection.
Song Kang as Jeong Gu-won in a white shirt in My Demon
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9
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Ko Moon-young
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay helped open a dialogue about mental health among South Korean – and eventually, international – audiences. The romance follows a woman who is a writer but is thought to have antisocial personality disorder and a man who works in psychiatric hospitals and cares for his older autistic brother. So beloved by audiences that the children’s books featured in the series (and written by the series’ writer) became bestsellers, plush toys used in the show flew off shelves, and the series was nominated for a slew of prestigious awards, including Best Miniseries for the International Emmys.
8
Hotel Del Luna (2019)
Starring IU and Yeo Jin-goo
Visually striking and emotionally poignant, Hotel del Luna is one of the perfect shows for K-Drama beginners. The title refers to a supernatural hotel that caters to the ghosts of tormented souls. Before they find their peace, these lost souls must settle their unfinished business with the hotel as their pitstop. K-Pop idol and actor, IU, stars as the hotel’s strong-willed owner Jang Man-wol, a compelling protagonist who must atone for past crimes. Her interactions with ghosts and the hotel’s latest human manager, Koo Chan-sung (a perfectly cast Yeo Jin-goo) make Hotel del Luna an entertaining ride.
7
Crash Landing On You (2019-2020)
Starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin
Through an unexpected meet-cute, the episodes of Netflix’s Crash Landing On You even end up addressing the disputes and differences between South Korea and North Korea. Crash Landing On You kicks off when extroverted South Korean business executive and heiress Yoon Se-ri accidentally paraglides her way to the North. Over there, responsible but emotionally-reserved Army Captain Ri Jyeong-hyeok gives her refuge and a cross-border romance blooms. The biggest strengths at Crash Landing On You’s disposal include the bold premise and the effortless chemistry between the leads, both of whom even married in real life in 2022.
6
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
Starring Park Eun-bin and Kang Tae-oh
Woo going through her memory in figments in Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Woo Young-woo is a rookie lawyer with autism and an IQ of 164. Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows her work at a major law firm and interactions with her neurotypical peers. Funny and thoughtful, each episode of Extraordinary Attorney Woo involves Woo’s reliance on her intelligence and photographic memory to solve cases. The case-of-the-day formula works in the show’s favor, while the overarching narrative presents a coming-of-age journey for its likable protagonist. Park Eun-bin has been acting since childhood, but her powerful lead performance proves how much she has matured as a K-Drama star.
5
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
Starring Koo Hye-sun and Lee Min-ho
Two boys and a girl standing together and smiling in Boys Over Flowers
K-Dramas are incomplete without love triangles, with Boys Over Flowers being a perfect case. The classic stars Koo Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di, a working-class girl attending an elite high school. Finding love in this school is a Herculean task as she crosses paths with the F4 (a group of the school’s four wealthiest boys). While the F4 leader is attracted to Geum Jan-di, she harbors feelings for his best friend. The ensuing love triangle drew a cult following among K-Drama viewers and ultimately contributed to the “Korean Wave” that spread across the world.
4
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
Starring Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho
Two characters sitting on a beach and smiling at one another in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
A remake of a South Korean rom-com Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha features Seoul dentist Yoon Hye-jin who decides to move from the big city to an idyllic seaside village. Opening up a dental clinic, she encounters gleeful handyman Hong Du-sik. A jack-of-all-trades, Hong’s smiling demeanor and popularity allow the dentist to rediscover the lighter side of her life. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a delightful watch, even for those without any prior viewing experience of romantic K-Dramas. Its theme of mismatched lovers is reminiscent of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally.
kdramas_needusremakes
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3
Sweet Home (2020-)
Starring Song Kang and Lee Si-young
K-dramas are often thought of as romance or slice-of-life series first, but Sweet Home doesn’t fall into those lighter categories. Instead, it’s an apocalyptic thriller inspired by a webtoon. The first season primarily takes place in a single apartment building as monsters take over the world outside. The second season, however, expands beyond that building to see how survivors have fared. Fans familiar with the webtoon will find that the series makes serious departures from the original, bringing the spirit of the story to life while still giving a new tale.
2
Gangnam Beauty (2018)
Starring Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo
A man and woman standing under an umbrella in Gangnam Beauty
A universally-acclaimed, Gangnam Beauty opened up the potential for romantic K-Dramas to address societal concerns. Im Soo-hyang stars in Gangnam Beauty as an insecure high-schooler. Often bullied for her looks, she resorts to plastic surgery to enhance her appearance. Alas, she ends up getting bullied again for looking superficial. The rest of the story focuses on her romantic life and her journey to self-acceptance. Considering that many young Koreans resort to surgery to enhance their physical features, Gangnam Beauty drew immense praise for its jab at Korean society for its superficial beauty standards.
1
Squid Game (2021-)
Starring Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon
Squid Game
TV-MA
Adventure
Drama
Action
Cast
Wi Ha-joon , Anupam Tripathi , Oh Yeong-su , Heo Sung-tae , Park Hae-soo , Jung Ho-yeon , Lee Jung-jae , Kim Joo-ryoung
Seasons
1
Though the popularity of K-dramas was on the rise well before 2021, Squid Game can be credited with opening the eyes of an international audience to the stories South Korea has to offer. Its huge popularity on Netflix, becoming one of the most-watched shows around the world, paved the way for an influx of Korean-language series on the streaming platform.
Squid Game follows a group of contestants who agree to participate in a series of deadly children’s games for a cash prize that could change their lives. The catch is that there can be only one winner; everyone else ends up dead. Squid Game is brutal and emotional, and the performances of the cast captivate the audience. It became the first K-Drama to earn Screen Actors Guild and Primetime Emmy nominations in the US, and marks one of the absolute best K-Dramas on Netflix.
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