From recently released dramas to ones that just intrigued me because of their extraordinary storylines, here is a list of K-Dramas I am looking forward to watching this year. I will be sharing what these dramas are about, what caused me to be captivated by them, and why you should consider adding them to your list, too.
This K-drama is about a woman who dies at the age of 80. When she arrives at the Heaven Admission Counseling Office, she decides to go to Heaven at her current age, since her husband once told her that she is most beautiful as she is now. But once she arrives in Heaven, she reunites with her husband, who has decided to have the appearance of himself in his 30s.
This comes as a surprise to her, and she quickly realizes that she is the only one in Heaven who did not choose to return to her youthful self. Her husband (who died before his wife but built a house in Heaven and waited there for her until they reunited again) tells her that “Everyone else is off living a second life” there, and she wonders, “Why am I the only one like this?” While her husband works as a postman who delivers letters of wishes from Earth, the woman must navigate her new life in Heaven as an 80-year-old.
I decided to learn more about this drama after I saw this reel depicting a scene where the lead, Hae Suk, meets her cat in Heaven in human form. The caption described more of the show’s plot, and it made me curious about what type of drama this would be. After watching the trailer, I knew that I had to add this to my list to watch soon, so I could find out more about how Hae Suk will navigate the predicament she is in and see more of her and her husband’s love story.
Heavenly Ever After seems to be a fun, heartwarming, and hilarious show, so I think it is worth checking out! It is currently still airing, and all of the episodes will be out by May 25.
When Life Gives You Tangerines
Released on March 28, this story takes place in Jeju Island from the 1950s to the present day. It follows the lives of three generations of women, focusing on the emotional and romantic journey of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, and the struggles that they face navigating family conflicts and personal challenges.
What first drew me to this drama was the two main leads, Park Bo-gum and IU, who are well-known for their singing careers and amazing acting in plenty of other K-dramas. The fact that they’d be in a drama together (as well as the unique name of the show) made me want to check it out. And after hearing good reviews about it, I officially added it to my to-watch list.
Because of the nostalgic, touching, and emotional feeling of this drama, I am sure you would also love it!
This drama was released in March 2024, and it is about a photographer named Seo Ki-Joo, who runs a photo studio. There, he takes portraits of ghosts before they depart for the afterlife, and because of his strange family curse, he has 20 years of experience doing this. A public prosecutor named Han Bom turns to solving the grievances of the dead after she has a chance encounter with Seo Ki-Joo. They team up to bring peace to the restless spirits and possibly break the family curse.
In the past, I’ve enjoyed watching dramas with a similar concept to this one, such as Hotel Del Luna, Goblin, and The Light Shop. They all involve mysterious stories of the undead (or people who fell into jobs working with the undead), ghosts, or spirits as they cross into the afterlife. I have heard that this is a very sad drama, based on clips of the cast and comments on the show from viewers. Despite that, I think I would love watching it for its beautiful story.
Though it has its upsetting moments, I think this one is also worth checking out since it may end up being incredible!
Released in March 2020, Hospital Playlist is a slice-of-life drama about five best friends who went to school together and now all work together as doctors in the same hospital. The show is centered around their 20-year friendship and their day-to-day stories at work. Song-hwa is a great, strong doctor and the only woman of the group; Seok-hyeong is the more introverted member of the group; Ik-Jun is outgoing and was always successful in academics; Jun-wan is one of the best surgeons but kind of cold; and Jeong-won is caring but a bit sensitive.
I am looking forward to seeing the dynamics among this group of friends, and I am excited it already has two seasons that I can look forward to watching. I have seen people say that this show is both humorous and comforting, so I can’t wait to dive into it and experience it for myself!
If you are curious about the stories of these five friends, I recommend that you watch it as well!
This is a spinoff of Hospital Playlist, and it came out on April 12. There are two new episodes every weekend, and it will be completed on May 18. It takes place in the same medical center as Hospital Playlist, Yulje Medical Center, and it is about a group of four friends who are first-year OBGYN residents. Instead of having only one woman in this group, this time, the friend group is made up of three women and one man. It follows their quest to become doctors along with the chaos of both their work and their personal lives.
After seeing some TikToks about this drama, I decided to watch both this one and Hospital Playlist. Based on the trailer, I love how the four friends interact with one another and the fact that they are all navigating their journey toward becoming doctors together. It seems like a funny show, and I am excited to see if there will be a cameo from the Hospital Playlist cast in future episodes. It will also be nice to find out the connections between the two shows.
This drama was created by the same writers of the popular REPLY K-drama series, and I’ve seen that many who watched that series also appreciate the depiction of love and friendship in Hospital Playlist and Resident Playbook. I recommend adding these to your list of upcoming dramas to watch since they both seem very promising!
In this K-drama, which came out in July 2024, financial planner Kang Hu Yeong reunites with his first love from high school, Lee Hong-Ju (now an animation production PD), when he returns to Korea after ten years. It is only eight episodes long, so it is short and sweet.
After finding out about this drama, also through TikTok, I found the plot to be fascinating, and I knew I had to watch it at some point. I was drawn in by the original soundtrack, which seems beautiful. I also want to watch it because one of the leads is Kim So-Hyun, an actress who has done a fantastic job acting in some other dramas that I love, like My Lovely Liar and I Can Hear Your Voice. If you are in the mood for a short and simple drama, I advise you to add this one to your list!
During your free time this summer, if you are ever unsure of what to watch and are looking for something new, I hope my list will give you some inspiration. Whether you are in the mood for a lighthearted, moving, or fantastical drama, there is a show in this list for a variety of viewers. Enjoy watching, and — you never know — one of these may become your new favorite!