Our Pick of 10 Classic K-Dramas

I suppose I’ll never have enough good things to say about K-dramas. These stories are the perfect diversion from the monotony of our daily lives because of the way that events are portrayed, how efficiently the narrations are executed, how effectively they are presented, and how excellent the production qualities are. If you’re unfamiliar with the genre, you might not comprehend what I just said, but those who are have likely understood. Thus, according to my hypothesis, a K-drama is designed in a manner that puts you at ease by helping you anticipate what to expect.

With more OTT platforms emerging and the availability of Korean dramas expanding, it may satiate our craving for “novelty.” There are, however, certain landmark K-dramas that I think will never run out of glory. In the extracts below, I have iterated our pick of 10 such all-time hit K-dramas that became cornerstones of Korean popular culture and propagated the Korean wave.

Full House (2004)

You could label Full House as another love-hate relationship saga, but what distinguishes it is its unique treatment of emotions. Full House is also a metaphor for how you can’t be where you’re not meant to be, and how, while destiny can be influenced, fate is inescapable. The drama includes Han Ji-eun (Song Hye-kyo), a failing writer who lives in her late father’s “Full House.” Her routine life becomes a roller-coaster ride when her friends scam her into believing she has won a free trip and then sell her house while she is away. Meanwhile, Han meets a celebrity, Lee Young-Jae (Jeong Ji-hoon aka Rain), on a flight and gets acquainted through a chain of coincidences. When Han returns home, she is astounded to discover that Lee has purchased her property. Despite their conflicting characteristics, the characters choose to live together under a contractual marriage, and eventually (as the narrative opens), the couple perseveres against all odds, falling for each other.

Princess Hours (2006)

Princess Hours is a beautiful slow-burn romance. You’ll enjoy how an impulsive union gradually morphs into a passionate love story between two young adults. The evolution of their romance is eloquently expressed by Joo Ji-hoon and Yoon Eun-hye’s natural acting as Crown Prince Lee and the girl next door-turned-princess, Chae Kyeong. It’s a must-watch to behold emotions of unspoken sorrow, love, jealousy, longing for one another’s presence, and everything in between at the heart of a monarchy with its own ruling household.

Coffee Prince (2007)

It’s incredible how Coffee Prince addresses everyone with equal empathy. Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo) in the drama pretends to be gay in order to elude blind dates set up by his grandmother. He employs Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) as his partner, entirely unaware that she is a girl. The show, which defied gender stereotypes, set a precedent for a series that premiered in 2007. Eun Chan has an undeniable attraction as a rustic, boyish heroine who is never ashamed of her appearance or circumstances. The best part is that Han Kyul loves her for who she is and never wishes for her to change.

Boys Over Flowers (2009)

Following Geum Jan-di’s (Ku Hye-sun as a dry cleaner’s daughter) brave act that garners media attention, she enrols in the prestigious Shinhwa High School. Despite living in squalor, Geum attracts the attention of F4, the most dominant clique at the school, led by Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), heir to the Shinhwa Group of Industries. Because Geum is stubborn and doesn’t care about her affluent peers or the F4 boys, Gu, the spoilt brat, picks on her and continues to torment her. While Geum pushes Gu and doesn’t give in, her courage sparks a swoon-worthy romance.

Boys Over Flowers has been cited numerous times in my articles about how it influenced the Hallyu wave, made K-dramas mainstream, and became a phenomenon in Korean pop culture. It is often viewed as a forerunner in the Korean high-school series that gained substantial viewership internationally while also cementing Lee Min-ho as a Hallyu superstar.

Dream High (2011)

When Dream High debuted in 2011, it solidified itself as a star teen musical drama, garnering massive ratings. With that, actor Kim Soo-hyun shot to stardom, delivering an infallible performance as a musical prodigy alongside a slew of K-pop idol actors such as Bae Suzy , Lee Ji-eun (IU) and Ok Taec-yeon. The high-school drama depicts a group of teens from a prestigious performing arts school (Kirin High School) who dream of being K-pop idols and discover the true essence of camaraderie, love and life all along the way. Dream High is one of the most successful music high-school K-dramas, thanks to its strong narrative, powerful performances, and catchy OST, which certainly resonates with viewers.

My Love from the Star (2013)

This one’s another outstanding work of South Korean popular fiction, brimming with heart-fluttering romance and a solid story with cinematic grandeur. My Love from the Star is an exceptional K-drama that is emotive, evocative, and even thought-provoking due to its profound impact. The titular character, Do Min-joon, an alien (a human duplicate with superpowers), is astonished to discover Hallyu star Cheon Song-yi living next door. Unwillingly, though, he becomes enmeshed in Cheon’s unpredictable lifestyle, protecting her multiple times. As the reality emerges, love blossoms between the two, resulting in an incredible, overwhelming experience.

Healer (2014)

The healing properties and gripping premise of Healer – starring Ji Chang-wook, Park Min-young and Yoo Ji-tae – make it worth binge-watching to this day. A 10-year-old incident in 1992 unites an underground night courier So Jung-ho alias “Healer” (Ji), an aspiring reporter Chae Young-shin (Park), and veteran journalist Kim Moo-ho (Yoo). In their quest to uncover the truth about the past tragedy and subsequent murders in the present, the characters find themselves confronting and challenging media conglomerates.

The commonality among the individuals is their personal trauma of loss, which plays a significant role in the drama.There are 20 episodes with nonstop action, shocks and entertainment. You may like how the season progresses and transports you to the incident in 1992. It has several layers, each revealing a thrilling episode that transitions into the next.

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

This is an atypical Korean wartime drama with an endearing story of romance, humor, and adventure. The strife-torn region of Uruk – where Captain Yoo Si-jin (Song Joon-ki), Seo Dae-young (Jin Goo) and the members of the Alpha squad are entrusted with freeing hostages and thwarting terrorist activity – serves as the narrative’s focal point. Together, these men, Doctor Kang Mo-yeon(Song Hye-kyo), First Lieutenant Yoon Myeong-joo (Kim Ji-won) and the staff of the Haesung Hospital Medical Services strive to overcome adversities.

Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

The Legend of the Blue Sea is a unique fantasy romance K-drama series that calls into question the plausibility of a Joseon-era mermaid in modern Seoul. It is the love story of Shim Cheong (Jun Ji-hyun), a mermaid, and Heo Joon-jae (Lee Min-ho), a fraudster. The plot is expertly intertwined with flashback scenes of their Joseon-era counterparts, Se Hwa (the mermaid) and Kim Dam-ryeon (the town leader), and relies on myth, forbidden love and reincarnation. The narrative is unlikely to be true, but still provides a cognitive escape and may even make the inconceivable appear increasingly realistic.

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)

This historical coming-of-age romantic K-drama rightfully deserves all the appreciation it has gotten to date. In the upheaval of the Silla dynasty, the Flowering Knights (a group of exceptionally handsome men) explore their passion, friendship and love. The show’s unique selling point is its gamut of stunning actors. Visual treats include Kim Soo-ho (SHINee’s Choi Min-ho), Do Ji-han (Park Ban-ryu), Jo Yoon-woo (Kim Yeo-wool) and Seok Han-sung (Kim Tae-hyung aka V from BTS), in addition to the lead actors Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik and Go Ara. The premise of Hwarang is a perfect blend of comedy, action, adventure, a love triangle, and political intrigue.