Are you wanting to venture out of watching the “norm” on Netflix? It’s a good thing Netflix has so many other foreign titles. Ever since DramaFever was shut down, the Hallyu (Korean) wave of dramas has moved to Netflix. As an avid k-drama consumer, it seems that they are releasing a new drama every month or so. Here are a few titles I would definitely recommend checking out!
1. Crash Landing on You (2019)
The handsome Hyun Bin (plays Ri Jeong-hyuk) and beautiful Son Ye-jin (plays Yoon Se-ri) star in a heart-breaking drama about a forbidden love between the North and South. After a paragliding accident, Se-ri lands in North Korea and meets a North Korean soldier, Captain Ri. From there, they develop a romance that is divided by the DMZ line. This drama actually just released its final episodes last week so it’s one that’s ready for you to binge!
2. Cheese in the Trap (2016)
Starring Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, and Seo Kang-jun, this drama is actually based off a popular Korean Webtoon. The show tells of an introverted college woman navigating the woes of life while constantly wondering what her boyfriend is hiding. This drama has a great combination of romance, slice-of-life, and mystery.
3. Save Me (2017)
If you’re not into romance, this drama is probably perfect for you. A girl and her family move to a small town after her father’s business fails in Seoul. At the new school, the son gets relentlessly bullied and later commits suicide. Because of this event, the mother becomes mentally unstable and the father looks for help elsewhere. They find and turn their faith towards a religious cult. However, the daughter (Seo Ye-ji) refuses to be brainwashed and tries to escape. This drama is thrilling and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
4. The Sound of Your Heart (2016)
This is another drama based on the popular Webtoon by the same name. Starring Lee Kwang-soo as an aspiring cartoonist, this drama entails the daily struggles and success of his life. It’s hilarious and will probably make you cry-laugh.
5. Hymn of Death (2018)
This drama is a shorter one compared to the rest. It’s based on a true story between the Joseon dynasty’s first soprano, Yun Sim-deok (played by Shin Hye-sun) and the playwright, Kim U-jin (played by Lee Jong-suk). The Korea depicted in the drama is still under Japanese colonization. U-jin, a married playwright, falls in love with Sim-deok. She recorded the first Korean pop song in 1926 called “Praise of Death,” a story of her love with the playwright. This is a sad tale that has a tragic ending, but it’s still worth watching.
I hope I got to convert one or two of you into the Hallyu wave. If not, I would still recommend watching a few of these dramas to get a sense of another country’s culture and taste of entertainment!