Being stuck inside during this unfortunate time can be draining. You might be going crazy without the natural vitamin D of the sun or you may feel your social skills are taking a hit because of the lack of human contact. I am right where you are, however, there is one thing that has been keeping my brain and heart pumping and that is Korean dramas. A lot of people may be going onto Netflix and being bombarded by these Asian television shows, but what they do not know is that these shows are some of the best shows that they will ever watch. These dramas can deal with a variety of themes, some include love, fear, relationships, and/or social issues. I am here to tell you some of the most binge worthy Korean dramas that you can find on Netflix today!
Disclaimer: These are my top choices of recently aired binge worthy dramas. There are many older/classic dramas that everyone getting into the k-drama culture should watch. Maybe I will write a piece about those dramas too ;)) However, as of now these are the dramas that I found the most entertaining and quickest to finish (basically watch start to finish in one sitting).
When it comes to the meaning of the word drama, this one is it. Crash Landing on You has become one of the highest rating dramas since Goblin (another amazing drama that I would recommend). It shows the life of a rich career woman and the lives of people who live in North Korea. There are some serious parts to the drama but I will say there are moments of comedy and love. To see the dynamics of North Koreans (civilians and soldiers) and the rich lives of South Koreans, this drama has it all. The actor Hyun Bin, who plays the male lead, a North Korean soldier is a huge actor in Korea. He starred in many dramas, but I would say this one was one of his best. The female lead, Son Yejin is another famous actress, but her acting in this drama has put her over the top in my eyes. The characters she has played in other dramas have not come close. I will be honest, the only reason I watched this drama was because everyone else was too, however going through each episode I fell in love with the story and the characters. This drama is enticing and will keep you on your toes.
Some people like the cheesy/cute dramas that are heartfelt and at the same time can be watched without doing too much thinking. If that is your style, Love Alarm is the drama for you. Love Alarm is set in the near future where a phone app is connected to your heart, once the app is on everyone with the app can tell if someone is in love with them. An alarm dings when the person that loves you is within a ten meter radius of you. This drama follows one girl named Kim Jojo and two best friends named Hwang Sun-oh and Lee Hye-yeong that are both in love with the main girl. This is one of the more light hearted and may I say cringe dramas because of all the “aegyo” (Korean word meaning cute). It is a very easy watch and honestly what girl would not want two handsome men falling for her. If you are into lovey dovey dramas, Love Alarm is for you. This drama was released back in 2019 however, it is still relevant because season two will be dropping on Netflix this summer in August. Now go!
After talking about some great relationship and love centered dramas, here comes a genre that is not too popular in the k-drama world. Kingdom is one of the most popular dramas out there right now. Filled with death, zombies, and LOTS of royal family drama; it is very different from the other three that I have mentioned above. One thing I will say about this drama is that it came at no better timing. This drama is about a plague that is spreading all over Korea (back in the dynasty eras) which turns people into creatures that crave human flesh (zombies). It follows the prince of Korea and a few other people to find out what is going on and figure out how to stop it from spreading to everyone. The second season aired about a month ago and there was a lot of buzz going around for it. The creators have announced that there will be a third season and people are going crazy waiting to find out what will happen to the characters.
Now for the last of my recommendations, one drama that has gotten a lot of attention is Itaewon Class. Not only does it have an amazing lineup of actors, the storyline is to die for. I am pretty biased because my favorite actor (Park Seojoon) is the male lead, I will say his acting has gotten so much better. Itaewon Class is a drama that looks at social issues, wrongdoings, revenge, and all the above. A big reason why this drama got popular, especially with young people, is the social issues that come up. Race, transgender, money, relationships, everything that people care about comes out in this drama. I was watching this drama as it was still airing so every week I had to wait for the next episode and that feeling of not being able to wait kept boiling in my chest. I have not felt like this over a drama in a very long time. Fortunately, if you want to watch this drama, all the episodes are out on Netflix so you can binge to your heart’s content. Out of all four dramas, if you had to pick one to watch I would tell you to watch Itaewon Class, it has a mix of everything and young people can resonate with it very well. Go, watch and see for yourself!
Korean dramas are their own category of television. There are a wide variety of different types, so anyone and everyone will find one that they can enjoy. While being stuck at home, have caught up on all your regular shows; consider watching one of these dramas. I promise you any one of them will get you hooked, and you will continue to find different ones that you resonate with.