Intrigue, romance, pain, struggles, inspiration, loyalty, patriotism, undying love. K-dramas have it all and then some more!
Listen, I know what you might be thinking. K-dramas? Those sappy, romantic, over-dramatic shows where people have problems that could be solved by simple communication and a couple discovers they might be long-lost siblings? Okay, first of all, as an ardent watcher of K-dramas, I apologize for that latter bit — it baffles us as well.
The global spotlight on K-pop might have sharpened in recent years, but K-dramas have quietly been leading the revolution ever since the Hallyu Wave, or the Korean Wave, reached foreign shores. From classic dramas like Winter Sonata (which became so famous in Japan that the erstwhile Japanese Prime Minister joked that the leading actor, Bae Yong Joon, was more popular than him) to the more contemporary Crash Landing On You, K-dramas are quickly becoming the world’s go-to source for all-rounded entertainment.
And why shouldn’t they? Not only is there an abundance of intricate plots (and subplots), but stellar production quality, great soundtracks (often lead by leading K-pop stars), killer fashion (someone buy me Seo Ye Ji’s entire wardrobe from It’s Okay To Not Be Okay), and well, actors and actresses so beautiful you wonder what went wrong with you. All of this with storylines that tug at your heart, and progression so addictive that before you know it, you’ve spent 16 hours staring at a screen.
If that got you intrigued, allow me to introduce you to some stellar K-dramas on Netflix to get you started.
In the mood for love? Try Crash Landing On You:
Even if you’ve never seen Crash Landing On You, you’ve heard someone rave about it. The drama became a representative of the modern Korean entertainment wave last year, when we were all tuning in to see whether our star-crossed lovers will have a happy ending.
Crash Landing On You follows the life of South Korean heiress Yoon Se Ri, who lands in North Korea thanks to a freak paragliding accident. Just her luck, she is rescued by Ri Jeong Hyeok, a captain in the North Korean forces. The noble Captain Ri decides to help Yoon Se Ri get back to her country, and thus begins a tale of romance, brotherhood, and companionship that made my own father cry (seriously).
Crash Landing On You doesn’t just work thanks to its exceptional cast, but also its very human characters. Whether it’s the sisterly relationship Se Ri forges with Captain Ri’s subordinates (The Company Five) or the motherly compassion she receives from her North Korean neighbors, or the immense loyalty the North Korean villagers show to each other as they risk their lives to protect their friends: you find yourself rooting for each character and hoping for them to find their own paradise.
Missing your friends? Try Hospital Playlist.
Time for a confession: the first time I watched Hospital Playlist, I gave it up halfway through the first episode. I gave it another shot after the reviews, and well, now all I want to do on a stressful day is to tuck in watch the adventures of the Lacking Five.
Hospital Playlist defies your expectation of a typical K-drama. First of all, despite having five main characters, the show has no main plotline. The five protagonists are all doctors. After being friends for over 20 years, they find themselves working at the same hospital for the first time. Oh, and they have a band. And… that’s it. That’s the show.
Oh, if only. If there is one reason you should watch Hospital Playlist, it’s the chemistry between the lead actors. As they grapple between their personal and professional lives, the show takes you on a roller-coaster of laughter, pain, sadness, love, and most of all, friendship that transcends time, distance, and fights. The second reason you should watch it? Food.
Your inner patriot calling you? Try Mr. Sunshine.
Ah, another drama that makes fathers weep (read: my dad). With the Western world often taking precedence on the global stage, we sometimes forget that the Japanese colonization of Korea was one of the most brutal times in the history of the peninsula, claiming numerous lives and leaving indelible marks on the psyche of the nation.
Mr. Sunshine takes the nascent Korean struggle against the first reaches of Japanese colonization and condenses it into tangible human struggles. Choi Eugene, a Korean man born a slave, who dissociates from his Korean identity after escaping to the US and becoming a Marine. After returning to his homeland, he falls for Go Ae Shin, a noblewoman and a member of the Righteous Army fighting for Korean sovereignty.
As Ae Shin and Eugene traverse romance in a nation on the vestiges of independence, her patriotism sparks an unknown love for his country in him, even as he constantly refers to himself as an American. Mr. Sunshine sometimes seems hopeless, because the truth of Japan eventually succeeding in colonizing Korea always lurks in the background, but there is comfort in the bonds that struggle against repression: whether it’s a woman wielding a gun to shoot down enemies, or common people who refuse to bow down to oppressors.
We’re all a little fucked up, and that’s okay. Try It’s Okay To Not To Be Okay.
Mental illness is often treated with the biased lenses of confusion, judgement, and humor in K-dramas. That’s why a show like It’s Okay To Not To Be Okay is so refreshing, because it preaches exactly what it says and gives you a found family you want to protect.
Popular children’s book author Ko Moon Young, who struggles with antisocial personality disorder, meets Moon Kang Tae, a caretaker in a psychiatric ward. Having little sense of emotional understanding, Moon Young’s efforts to get Kang Tae’s attention are often extreme. Kang Tae, on the other hand, is struggling between keeping his job and taking care of his elder brother Sang Tae, who is on the autism spectrum.
So, a woman who blatantly speaks nothing but the truth, and a man who runs from it because he is afraid of confronting himself. It’s Okay To Not To Be Okay is not just a story of loving your family and soulmate, but also yourself, often by accepting the fact that you’re only human, and not everything is going to be A-okay.
Craving some fantasy? Try Goblin.
Ask anyone what their top three dramas are, and chances are you’ll hear the word Goblin. At its core, Goblin is a story of love that transcends time, but also an internal struggle with faith in God and whether he truly loves all of us, and forgiveness.
Kim Shin was a decorated general in the Goryeo era (919-1392). Due to his growing popularity and an insecure king, he is framed as a traitor and executed. In his last moments, he begs for his life, which the Almighty grants in a twisted boon. Kim Shin is now a Goblin, akin to an immortal deity, cursed with eternal life even as the people he cares for die. He walks the Earth with the same sword in his chest that was used to kill him — the only way he can die is if his destined bride pulls it out of him.
Enter Ji Eun Tak, a bubbly high-schooler and his bride. Shin unwittingly falls for her, and is now torn between enjoying his love and defying fate, or giving in and finally meeting death.
Love that crosses the borders of time and space fascinates all of us, but there is something addictive in the bond between Shin and Eun Tak, who make us laugh and cry in the same episodes. But more than that, Goblin is a story about truly appreciating life and making every moment count, because once the sword is out, you will disappear in the sky.
