There have been multiple Korean dramas that have gone viral and become famous over the years. Shows have made us cry, ones that have made us laugh the hardest, ones that leave us at the edge of our seats and others that have us speculating. Some Korean dramas did not just leave the Korean audience flabbergasted but also the global market. That being said, here are 10 K-Drams with the Highest views and popularity.
1. Reply 1988
Easily one of the all-time ranking dramas. Reply 1988 can be called one of the best slice-of-life Korean dramas. A show with well-written characters and an equally fantastic star cast, it is a drama about four different family and their life. The show goes from 1988 to 1994, where we see romance, drama, comedy, and much more. Reply 1988 is simply one of the best and most accurate depictions of Korean life of people. The drama features a lot of characters and their life.
2. Crash Landing On You
When talking about shows with the highest views, you can undoubtedly include Crash Landing on You. It is a show about a South Korean heiress, Yoon Seri, who somehow ends up in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea while paragliding. She is rescued by the North Korean Special Forces captain, who takes matters into his own hands and decides that he will help her return home. This drama captured the audience's attention with its heartbreaking yet bittersweet romance between people from two worlds.
3. Twenty-Five, Twenty-One
Wreaking havoc everywhere, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One is a show that made a mark in everyone's heart. It is a story about our protagonist, Na Heedo, who fences for her school till one day, her school's team shuts down due to the IMF financial crisis, and she has to transfer to a new school where she meets our other protagonist, Baek Yijin. Soon, they end up becoming rivals. Their similar situations bring them closer, and they fall in love. This drama showcases a heart-wrenching love story that you should definitely check out.
4. Vincenzo
A story about Vincenzo, our main protagonist, who was part of an Italian mafia and a lawyer. He comes back to South Korea to find a treasure, and while he is there, he gets involved with other lawyers and the tenants of the place he was living, which is run by a corrupt group. He becomes a part of their chaos while also dealing with his own. It is not a story about a mafia feud but a show focusing on a court case and its drama. The drama is jam-packed with plot twists and slapstick comedy.
5. Hotel Del Luna
Hotel Del Luna might be something few people would have expected on the list, but it is still an IU masterpiece. It is a story about a hotel that is a gateway between the natural world and the afterlife. It shows a lot of emotional and bittersweet stories that will make you cry, laugh, get angry, and much more. The season finale has been one of the most gut-wrenching and heartbreaking episodes. The mythical and supernatural elements and a well-crafted plotline make it enjoyable.
6. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
It is a show about Woo Youngwoo, the first lawyer in Korea to be diagnosed with autism. She started working at this law firm. She is put in a situation where she must develop a specific skill set appropriate for court cases. She faces a lot of prejudice from her peers in the cases she takes, but she does not let them stop her and heads straight ahead. Woo Youngwoo's thinking and perspective put her ahead of her peers. She develops a beautiful and close relationship with some people as she solves cases uniquely.
7. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
It is a story about a dentist named Yoon Hyejin who leaves the city and her job and moves back home to this seaside village. Here, she meets Hong Dushik, an unemployed but very handyman who does all sorts of jobs around his town and is very well known. Hyejin moves back to her hometown and decides to open a shop since the village needs it, and this is the story of Dushik and Hyejin and their love story. The show focuses on their simple romance, how a person grows, and how their character develops. This is a drama that will make you feel warm on the inside.
8. Squid Games
Squid Games rose in popularity and quickly became the most-watched drama on Netflix. It was a drama that showcased people's brutality and desperation when facing some of their most difficult times. It follows a storyline of characters being invited to the show to play games to win a large cash prize. The catch, however, is that you die the minute you lose. The drama highlights the capitalism and class hierarchy when the reality behind the games is revealed.
9. Guardian: The Lonely And Great God
Guardian can easily be called one of the best Korean dramas ever made. It shows excellent cinematography, plotline, acting, and chemistry, featuring one of the most famous OSTs ever. Guardian, more commonly known as Goblin, is a drama that one must watch if they are into supernatural or fantasy shows. It is a story about Dokkaebi, a 939-year-old immortal who is best friends with a grim reaper who ends up being the one who was destined to break his curse and become his wife. This show goes through many ups and downs and comes out with a fantastic storyline. People still consider this to be the top-tier drama of all time.
10. Our Beloved Summer
It is a story about high school lovers who turned exes and are asked to star in a documentary just like they did when they first met. Our Beloved Summer talks about the story and love of our main characters, who once fell in love and crashed. Can their love reconcile, and will they be able to repair what they used to have and fall in love again?
