13 Amazing Korean Shows to Watch on Netflix Now
Korean dramas have taken US streaming services by storm. Their cute humor and vividly imagined storylines drop you into a world that is hard to escape from, causing you to love or loathe the character. Trust me, you can start at 12 pm and find yourself up at 3 am laughing until your stomach hurts or crying until you fall asleep. From action to soaps, the range of shows in various genres is endless and there’s something for everyone. So if you’re not sure where to start, here are 13 Korean shows to tune into that are streaming on Netflix now.
All of Us Are Dead
For the zombie lovers out there, this one is a goodie. All of Us Are Dead is a 12 episode series of non-stop anxiety. A failed science experiment leads to a local high school being overrun with zombies, very agile and aggressive ones at that. A group of students (Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Jo Hi-hyun, Lomon) struggle to survive with no food, water or outside communication. With just the equipment around the school and their knowledge to keep them alive, this show will have you on the edge of your seat. I highly suggest you binge it and then binge it again. Luckily, it’s been renewed for a second season but no telling when we’ll get to enjoy our survivalist students since a filming schedule hasn’t been released yet.
Celebrity
This is one of the newest K-dramas I stumbled upon and instantly took a liking to. With it centered around the world of social media, it made it very meta and relatable in the visual sense. This series focuses on the desires, mysteries and secrets of social media influencers living at a celebrity’s status and the people who grow to envy or idolize them. You follow a humble door-to-door saleswoman, Seo Ah-ri (Park Gyu-young), who lives with her mother who was once wealthy. With her mother obsessed with wealth and best friend obsessed with influencers, a chance meeting with an old friend leads Seo ah-ri into the life of an influencer. There’s SO much that happens within that journey, from secrets to elaborate setups, this thriller will have you questioning the people you follow on socials. So far, the 12 episode series hasn’t been renewed for a second season but I’ll be tuned if there is one.
Crash Landing on You
This one was a REAL tear-jerker I didn’t see coming. Crash Landing on You is a love story centered around a successful businesswoman and heiress (Son Ye-jin) who decides to take in the sites paragliding near Seoul, gets swept up in a storm and crash-lands into the North Korean section of the DMZ. While patrolling, an elite army captain (Hyun Bin) who saves her and decides to hide her until he can help her return to the South. As they evade other North Koreans trying to expose them, they eventually fall in love. There’s plenty of comedy and anxiety wrapped up in this story. It’s also refreshing, given the setting isn’t in any area of South Korea. It won’t be renewed for a second season but the drama series supposedly may have an American remake coming.
Bloodhounds
This K-drama premiered on Netflix this Summer and was filled with action. It showcased two young boxers, Woo Do-Hwan and Lee Sang-Yi, who form a bond through their passions, patriotism, and need to help others. It highlighted amazing boxing choreography with a reality that not all shows may have the happy ending you expect. You’re instantly pulled into a world where two young men choose to put their goals on hold to complete a vigilante crusade. The eight-episode series hasn’t had an officially renewal yet but there’s still time.
Nevertheless
Another webtoon turned series, Nevertheless was the ultimate cat and mouse game when it came to romance. A heartbroken woman (Han So-hee) who has given up on love, except for her love of sculpting, meets a flirtatious man (Song Kang) who doesn’t want to commit to a relationship. The two seem to have an ‘artist with benefits’ situation which leads to a back and forth of emotions and rollercoaster of mixed signals. It’s definitely worth the watch, if you’re not too triggered by playboys and somewhat emotionally unavailable women.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
There’s a couple legal dramas I do love but Extraordinary Attorney Woo one has such a heartfelt air to it that it’s an enjoyable watch. Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) is a rookie attorney with autism who gets hired by a prestigious law firm in South Korea. Her communication may be a bit odd and awkward from her neurotypical peers but with her knowledge and photographic memory, she becomes a force in the legal arena and earns recognition from her peers and clients. It’s definitely a ‘feel good’ show and will make you smile more often than you expect and who doesn’t love that?
6. The Glory
This K-tthriller had a very strong-lead with Song Hye-kyo as the main character. She plays a former victim of school violence who seeks revenge by becoming the homeroom teacher at the elementary school of her bully’s child.
This show was painful to watch, not because it was explicitly graphic but the level of cruelty that these kids had towards a classmate simply because of their status and the fragility of her home life. The Glory had many layers to it for a limited series but what really made it powerful was the fact that some scenes were based on a true event in 2006 in South Korea.
Boys Over Flowers
Based on the Japanese Manga of the same name. Boys Over Flowers is centered around a working-class girl, Geum Jan-di (Koo Hye-sun), who gets entangled in the lives of a wealthy group of men known as F4, heirs to South Korea’s largest conglomerates. Her heroics in saving a boy from their bullying earns her a scholarship to their elite school after her actions made headlines. Many see her as a commoner, since her family runs a small dry cleaning business and lives humbly in a small home. Her choice to stand up to the leader of F4, Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), earns her respect and bullying that turns into a comedically complicated love story between the two. You’ll laugh and surely cry. I do love that the constant villain isn’t one sole person but the abuse of power and jealousy. The show tells a tale of perseverance, honesty, and staying true to one’s morals. It definitely began my love and slight obsession for K-dramas and I don’t regret one moment.
Black Knight
Another webtoon turned series is set in a dystopian future where a comet destroyed most of the world causing extensive air pollution. Survivors of this event depend on oxygen tanks that are delivered by elite delivery drivers trained in combat to protect the precious cargo. 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin) an elite delivery driver, unearths a conspiracy creating a gnarly chain of events with a whole lot of action. It’s a short and fun watch, if you’re into science fiction and action. I enjoyed it due to the pace of the storyline and the seamless fight choreography. I’d highly recommend it to all the high-octane junkies out there.
Love Alarm
Based on a webtoon of the same name, this romantic drama added a nice twist with one of the main characters being a software app called Love Alarm. It’s set in a society where people are obsessed over the mobile app that notifies someone within their 10 meter radius of someone has romantic feelings for them. This one was a good watch because you have to witness characters be forcefully vulnerable. It also shows how you can’t help who you love, regardless of their feelings for you. As if one romantic storyline wasn’t drama-filled enough, this one is focused on an intense love triangle between two boys attracted to the same girl (Kim So-hyun, Jung Ga-ram, Song Kang). Downloading the app took away the innocence of talking to your first crush or ignited competition between people to win someone’s heart. Just imagining our world with an app like that gave me anxiety, so they did a great job. With two seasons available, there’s nothing but ringing phones and transparent feelings.
SKY Castle
At the time of its airing, SKY Castle was the highest rated drama in Korean cable TV history. The series is meant to be a satire on the materialistic desires of upper-class parents in South Korea and the savage lengths they’ll go to secure success for their families. It’s set in a luxurious residential area called SKY Castle, where the wealthy reside. Wives are meant to increase the profile of their husbands and raise children that become top students. When a new mother (Lee Tae-ran) moves into the community that disrupts the status quo, everything begins to unravel. This series shows the twisted and devastating choices some of these wives will go to keep secrets, bribe children, blackmail, and more to achieve societal perfection. It’ll definitely have your jaw-dropping and even giggle from the dark comedy. However, it did a great job at highlighting the pressures of students striving for perfection and the unprecedented choices parents are willing to make for them.
Forecasting Love and Weather
We all love a romantic comedy and this one was a fun one to watch. I love science and this series was centered around a team of meteorologists on the national weather service who are passionate about their job. Weather isn’t the only thing that’s hard to predict, love is. When a free-spirited coworker (Song Kang) becomes involved with a senior forecaster (Park Min-Young), things get a bit ‘clouded’ to say the least. The comedy is there and romance isn’t far behind but they also do a great job at showcasing the day-to-day lives of those who have to predict the unpredictable. There isn’t a second season but the first does a good job of closing out the story for all characters involved.
My First First Love
I love a good coming-of-age series and this one gives all the feels. You follow the romantic drama of five youths (Ji-Soo, Jung Chae-yeon, Choi Ri, Kang Tae-oh, Jung Jin-young) trying to navigate the concept of having a first love, experiencing the various moments of your early 20s and living together under one roof. There’s laughs but I mainly love it because it’s relatable because your 20s are such a learning period. From maintaining or forming new relationships to making independent choices regardless of consequences. Honestly, it’s two seasons of all-around feel good moments meant to make you cry, laugh, and question what you’d do at that age.
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P
I also loved Mr. Sunshine (a historical drama) and Crash Course in Romance (single mom trying to survive the pressures of the driven upper-class moms, and meets the Star Math Teacher of the fanciest cram school).
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R
If it is not TOO hard, I'd like some more information on your show listings.
1) e.g. Korean shows, Note if a foreign show is Dubbed in English next to the title.
2) Note when the show was originally produced, if it is Complete (for this season), Renewed, Active...
Thanks.