Love Korean dramas? Here are the best of the best to watch right now
Are you ready to brave the world of K-dramas? It’s a multi-faceted, many genre, many series beasts to get into. Like many things, getting interested in K-dramas can be a little daunting to a rookie. There are so many choices that it can be a little paralyzing for someone who is curious and willing, but uncertain as to where to get started.
Lucky for you, we here at Film Daily pride ourselves into being K-drama aficionados. Seriously, we have so many, many lists on the subject. Here are some really amazing ones to check out if you’re ready to dive in.
Crash Landing on You
South Korean heiress, Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), is caught in a storm while paragliding and blown into North Korean territory. Yoon Se-ri then runs into Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a dedicated captain of North Korean Special Forces. Together, Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri hatch a plan to get her back into South Korea with the help of his squad.
As with all plans, however, things go very awry. Crash Landing on You mixed romance, drama, and comedy to tell a story of star-crossed lovers that has captured the hearts of K-drama fans throughout the world. Seriously, Crash Landing on You has insane ratings, being the second-highest drama in the whole of Korean television history and dominating Netflix Top 10 in Asian markets.
Vagabond
Vagabond is here to fulfill your mystery-thriller cravings. This addictive series follows stuntman Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi), whose nephew dies in a plane crash that kills 211 people. Desperate and determined to find the truth about his nephew’s death, Cha Dal-gun teams up with covert NIS (National Intelligence Service) operative, Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy) to untangle the web.
A government conspiracy, a terrorist attack, and with only each other to rely on, Cha Dal-gun and Go Hae-ri are determined to bring these hidden secrets to light and find out the truth. So if you love high octane, fast-paced, and fascinating story, then this is the perfect series for you to watch.
Signal
Love a police procedural with a supernatural twist? Signal is the perfect series to dive into. Based, in part, on real-life cases, Signal follows a detective in 1986 named Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong) who finds a walkie-talkie that allows him to communicate with a 2015 criminal profiler, Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon). When playing with time and fate, however, things can get pretty weird and have some tragic consequences.
Signal was an incredibly popular series and swept the 2016 Baeksang Arts Awards, winning Best Drama, Screenplay, and Actress for the series. If you’re a true crime lover who wants to dive into some South Korean cases, then Signal weaves some real life cases into its narrative.
Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flowers is and always will be your first recommended stop on the K-drama train. With good reason to, this series is insanely good. This 2009 series is a staple and charming as all get out. A great cast? A great story? A great romance? It just checks all of the boxes.
Boys Over Flowers follows a working-class girl (Ku Hye-sun) who is offered a scholarship to attend a prestigious high school. While there, she attracts the attention of the F4, a group of handsome and wealthy boys who rule the school, when she stands up to their leader (Lee Min-ho). Shenanigans and romance ensue.
Criminal Minds
Sometimes, the best route to go is one where you’re already a little familiar with the property going in. Criminal Minds is the South Korean version of the 15-season long American property of the same name. If you’re a fan of Criminal Minds and are interested in getting into K-dramas? Then give this a shot.
Criminal Minds follows a group of profilers in the fictional National Criminal Investigation team, who use profiling techniques to investigate cases. They are drawn into a serial murder case with temperamental police Kim Hyun-joon (Lee Joon-gi) who holds a grudge against NCI team leader, Kang Ki-hyung (Son Hyun-joo).
