With a lengthy winter break coming up, now is the perfect time to binge watch some Korean dramas (after finals of course). I started watching K-dramas in middle school, so I think it’s fair to say that I’ve watched enough dramas to curate my own favorites list. There are many K-dramas that I have not watched; this is by no means a complete list, I just wanted to share several of my favorite shows.
- My Love From Another Star
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This drama is a classic. It was released in late 2013 to early 2014, thus making this the oldest show on the list. The premise of the show is around the love story between a Cheon Song-yi (played by Jun Ji-hyun), a famous, but vain actress, and Do Min-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun), a 400 year old alien. Don’t worry though, he doesn’t actually look like an alien that could be found in a Star Wars movie. This drama was so influential when it was first released that my parents were following it. During the year the show first aired, apparently in China there were cases of a foodborne disease found in chickens. However, due to the show’s popularity and the main protagonist’s love for fried chicken, fried chicken sales still rose in mainland China. If you’re new to korean dramas, I think this is a good show to start with. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
- Crash Landing On You
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Similar to My Love From Another Star, this show also broke viewer records when it was released. Luckily, this show is available on Netflix. The plot of Crash Landing on You revolves around South Korean beauty CEO being blown into the DMZ as a result of a freak paragliding accident. There, she meets a North Korean officer who, instead of turning her in, helps her escape back into South Korea. The show seems serious at a glance, but in actuality it is more like a romcom than anything.
- Hello, My Twenties!
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Unlike the previous two shows on the last, this one isn’t centered around romance. It’s more like a slice-of-life type of drama. The show follows five college girls who live in the same house. They are all super different from each other; one is a freshman, another is a food-science major, and one girl is a female companion to three sugar daddies. There are love interests intermittently sprinkled throughout the season, but the main story is centered around the friendship that the girls cultivate with each other. This show has two seasons, but only the first one is worth watching.
- Oh My Ghost
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If you love shows that feature great food, this one’s for you. Oh My Ghost follows the journey of a ghost periodically possessing a young sous chef at a high end pasta restaurant. The premise of this show sounds scary, but it’s actually a romantic comedy. The “possessing” aspect is treated as a wholesome journey of self discovery for the sous chef as she navigates the world of high end cooking. Don’t watch this show on an empty stomach because it will for sure leave you hungry!