Hi there! This is a segment on my blog where I review Korean Dramas (also known as KDrama) spoiler-free! I’ve been watching KDrama for a while and I love the way these shows are made, specifically with the intention of showcasing a particular human thought and insight that you gives you a refreshed perspective of your own life. So I hope you enjoy! All these opinions are my own and I do not own any media used below. All rights reserved with original owners/publishers.

Korean television shows are taking over the world. And once you get hooked, you need more recommendations that fit with a particular mood or genre you like. Personally, I’d watch anything provided it has a good, meaningful story line.

So after watching quite a few, I decided to put together a helpful (spoiler free) guide of KDramas that can fuel your recommendations list. They vary from the must-watch classics, some of my personal favourites all the way to the best KDramas of all time.

Classic and Iconic KDramas

Shows you need to see since they are so iconic in Korean culture or have influenced the Korean wave internationally.

My Love From The Star

Also known as: You Who Came From the Stars; 별에서 온 그대

Snap Summary: An alien from another world meets a famous actress on earth. He just wants to go back home and she has an attitude problem. The combination can’t get any more mismatched.

Why you need to watch it: Despite being worlds apart (pun intended) they actually manage to cultivate a relationship where they grow to overcome their problems and indifferences. The alien teaches the famous actress humility and the actress teaches him about life on earth and all the good things about human emotions. And how everything else develops and builds around them and their secret. Fun fact, it’s also the first KDrama I have ever seen. I just fell in love with the glam, the drama, the story and the production. And that really hooked me into KDramas for good.

Starring:
Jun Ji-hyun as Cheon Song-yi (She was also in Legend Of The Blue Sea)

Kim Soo-hyun as Do Min-joon (He was also in It’s Okay Not To Be Okay)

Secret Garden

Also know as: 시크릿 가든

Snap Summary: A hardworking stuntwoman meets arrogant rich CEO. But they magically keep switching bodies and their lives as clearly stated, entangles.

Why you need to watch it: This show is So. Much. Fun. It’s dramatic and funny. It’s heart-warming with the perfect mix of unpredictability. I loved how the storyline progresses, how you never know what the outcomes of the body switches will be. And most importantly, how they characters learn more about different aspects of life from each other, because of their polar opposite backgrounds. Teaching you that sometimes, it’s all about a change of perspective that can give you some clarity in the moments you feel the most lost.

Starring:
Ha Ji-won as Gil Ra-im (She was also in Hospital Ship)

Hyun Bin as Kim Joo-won (He was also in Crash Landing On You)

Boys Over Flowers

Also known as: 꽃보다 남자

Snap Summary: A girl from a middle income family gets a scholarship to an elite high school. She encounters the ‘popular’ group of boys called the F4. Cue in high school romance, drama and friendships.

Why you need to watch it: Full disclosure, I speed-watched it. Maybe because I was at an age where I could not appreciate high school drama with slight cliché undertones of a female protagonist and her 4 potential suitors. But, I found it entertaining for completely different reasons. The cheesy but fun stereotypes did it for me. Also the characters in the show are a classic, with the lines and the attitude and the outfits and everything! This show is so famous for that, people refer to it to this day. So it’s an iconic watch indeed. Also it’s a manga! (Now that I loved!)

Starring:
Ku Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di (Fun fact: She had a cameo in August Rush!)

Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo (He was also in The King: Eternal Monarch)

All-Time Favourite KDramas

A part of my personal favorites list that includes well-rounded, well-written and well-produced shows that you definitely need to see.

Descendants Of The Sun

Also known as: 태양의 후예

Snap Summary: The entire story revolves around a military official, a doctor and the paramedical world around a military base. With the unique instances, problems, lives and opinions they face with regards to their work and the people around them. Oh, and there is the unavoidable star-crossed romance of course.

Why you need to watch it: The cliff hangers and the entire production value/ how well it was made fuelled the great (real: fantastic) storyline. It had almost everything you could ask for including suspense, plot twists and even a good deal of action. It truly a one-a-kind KDrama that I have yet to see a genre/story that fits into a similar theme. And it is one of my personal entertaining favourites. Also, did you know the main couple of the show were (briefly) married in real life?

Starring:
Song Hye Kyo as Doctor Kang Mo-yeon (She was also in Encounter)

Song Joong-ki as Captain Yoo Si-jin (He was also in Arthdal Chronicles/Vicenzo)

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Also known as: 역도요정 김복주

Snap Summary: The plot follows a happy go lucky female weight lifter in a school for athletes, her ambitions to make it to the big league, all mixed with the simplistic drama of everyday life.

Why you need to watch it: This show is just pure fun, funny, fabulous cute storytelling. That’s about it. It’s that kind of show you go to when you need a laugh and some heartstring plucked. The storyline is not riveting and extraordinary, but the lovable characters they showcase, their lives, their friends, all of which make you feel like a part of their family. The entire feel of the show is so bright and uplifting, including the cinematography. It’s sure to bring in some optimism to your own life too!

Starring:
Lee Sung-kyung as Kim Bok-joo (She was also in Dr. Romantic 2)

Nam Joo-hyuk as Jung Joon-hyung (He was also in Start Up)

While you were sleeping

Also known as: 당신이 잠든 사이에

Snap Summary: A courtroom drama that follows the lives of a reporter, a prosecutor and a policeman who can see the future in their dreams. How they navigate and solve cases all the while revealing how they got this power to begin with.

Why you need to watch it: My first courtroom drama and I was not disappointed. The show is very intelligently laid out. The different cases they solve, how they are interlinked, how their ability to be able to see the future is discovered, the origin of the power is revealed and the suspense- the SUSPENSE is pretty epic. You can’t stop watching it because you never know what you’re going to be hit with next. Really, very good.

Starring:
Bae Suzy as Nam Hong-joo (She was also in Vagabond)

Lee Jong-suk as Jung Jae-chan (He was also in Romance is a Bonus Book)

The Best Of The Best KDramas

Popular KDramas with the highest ratings and undeniably for all good reason. Puts them in the spot for the best shows of all time. (Not in order of rank, just my favorites!)

Sky Castle

Also known as: SKY 캐슬

Snap Summary: Families in the rich residential area of Sky Castle, are faced with problems of reputation, pride, a big mystery, and a dark secret. The pressure of always having the perfect family, the perfect kids with the perfect grades, and the perfect life are harder to keep up with.

Why you need to watch it: If I could describe this show in one word it would be twisted. But in a good way. This show plays a lot on psychology and basic understanding of people, and how things are not as they seem. And the acting, oof, the acting! It’s unbelievably good. Every single character in this show has its own growth trajectory and they all go through instances that change them forever. I don’t even know how to summarize SO MUCH of this show in a few lines, but if you like psychological mystery and dark humour then this 2nd highest rated KDrama of all time should be on your list.

Starring: (All the leads were women by the way)
Yum Jung-ah as Han Seo-jin/Kwak Mi-hyang

Kim Seo-hyung as Kim Joo-young

Lee Tae-ran as Lee Soo-im

Yoon Se-ah as No Seung-hye

Oh Na-ra as Jin Jin-hee

Crash landing on you

Also known as: 사랑의 불시착

Snap Summary: A rich heiress from South Korea falls into the boundaries of North Korea by accident. Cue in a well-respected, level-headed in North Korean captain that finds her and a star-crossed relationship that is bound to happen.

Why you need to watch it: I think I know why this was the 3rd highest-rated show of all time. Not only was it well-produced and well-written, with a good heap of action and cliffhangers, but I think it had something to do with exposing the stark differences between the two countries. And how the heiress and the captain learn more about each other and their cultures, and how they can use that to make themselves into better people. And I think that’s beautiful in a way. This show really had something for everyone that made it so loved. And that cinematography though!

Starring:
Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri (She was also in Something In The Rain)

Hyun Bin as Ri Jeong-hyeok (He was also in Secret Garden)

Reply 1988

Also known as: 응답하라 1988

Snap Summary: 5 friends navigate youth, friendship, growth, and life in this adorable, heart-warming show that situationally takes place in 1988.

Why you need to watch it: Not just the 4th highest-ranking show of all time, but also a very close personal favorite. It is exactly this kind of KDramas I love. The ones that show you the joy in the smaller things in life, the beauty in the most ordinary moments, and life lessons that you can learn from everyone you meet. You literally grow with the characters of this show. You feel like a part of their little alley neighborhood and you feel as involved in their happiness as much in their pain. This show truly encaptures, not just a simple story, but a very rich and heartfelt one. If you take anything away from this article, take this recommendation. Also, see how it ends and look up the actor/actress in real life. Please do! :D

Starring:
Lee Hye-ri as Sung Duk-seon/Sung Soo-yeon

Park Bo-gum as Choi Taek (He was also in Record Of Youth)

Ryu Jun-yeol as Kim Jung-hwan

Special Mentions

I will keep adding to this list as I write more reviews and I watch more shows! But here is what I have for you right now. Great shows that definitely are worth the mention:

Hospital Playlist

From the same people who gave us Reply 1988 comes a similar show but placed in the medical world of a hospital. But there is so much more to it. Also a very high-ranking KDrama.

I loved it so much, I wrote an entire piece about it! Spoiler-free of course!

And that is what I have for you (for now). Any shows/ recommendations and reviews you would like me to do? Please share them below! I also post on my IG about the snippets of shows I’m currently watching if you would like to see them.

(I am 1000% aware that Guardians: The Lonely And Great God/ Goblin is not on this list amongst many others and that is reserved for another day!) If you have any suggestions, let me know and I’ll be sure to put it on my own watch list!

KDramas are indeed a genre of its own. And it’s not always about the cute actors and the romance (I mean, that’s important too) but for me its more along the lines of what you can learn from it and how it makes you feel. Nobody knows why they are so addictive (maybe I should write about that) but I can guarantee that there is something for everyone. And once you find a genre you like, there is really no coming back from it!

So what are you waiting for? Start the binge!

Living for a life that’s better than any KDrama,

Niki :)