Do you enjoy it when the ordinary meets the extraordinary? Fantasy is a genre that can’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it deals with complicated world-building and visual effects that might appear offputting. For this reason, magical realism is a genre that has garnered a lot of attention and fame in the past few years. It creates a fantasy world hidden within the one we know, making it easier for us to adapt to it. Following are 10 K-dramas known for their excellent magical realism build. They are made to leave you fascinated and breathless.
1. Hotel Del Luna
Hotel Del Luna is the hit K-drama of the year 2019. It went viral for incorporating fantasy in a way never done before. The story is of a woman cursed to be bound to a hotel that deals with ghosts with unresolved business in the mortal realm. Her job is to see that their issues are solved as soon as possible and they find their way to the afterlife safely. She doesn't remember the reason behind her curse, but with the entry of her new human hotel manager, she might realise a few things that she stopped caring for centuries ago.
2. Extraordinary You
What would happen if you suddenly realise you're part of an alternate universe drawn by an author and have no control over your life? Extraordinary You is a unique story about a girl, Eun Dan Oh, who realises she's an extra character in a comic book. Moreover, she's constantly on the brink of dying due to a chronic heart disease. Unwilling to let herself be controlled, she decides to take charge of her own life. She falls in love with a once-nameless character later named Haru.
3. Doom At Your Doorstep
Starring Seo Inguk and Park Boyoung, Doom At Your Doorstep is a fascinating fantasy drama based in the real world but with a sense of the multiverse. It is the story of an unlucky woman who loses her job, finds out her boyfriend is married and is informed of a terminal illness on the same day. Unable to bear the pain, she wishes the world to be as doomed as her, not knowing that the wish reached the deity of doom. The next moment, a man standing on the other side introduces himself as Doom itself. It is a love story that encompasses beyond realms and will touch your heart and interest you all the same.
4. The Uncanny Counter
Recently released with a new season, The Uncanny Counter is one of the most popular dramas with high demand. The cast is also known for being a golden one. If you like action and evil hunts, this drama is for you. The world of the drama is rampant with evil spirits that possess the bodies of weak human beings and kill in an attempt to remain immortal. Counters are a group of hunters responsible for finding these possessed individuals, subdue them and then summon the spirit so that it can face the awaiting eternal punishment.
5. Tomorrow
Another Drama with a golden cast, Tomorrow, is one of the most moving dramas with some vital messages about mental illness. Grim Reapers are not always responsible for calling for spirits to take them to the afterlife. When suicide rates are high, it becomes crucial for the association dealing with matters of the afterlife to find a way to stop lives from going to waste. Thus, a crisis management team is formed where the reapers will save lives before they are lost to untimely death.
6. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
If you know about Kdrama, you know about Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. It took all drama enthusiasts through a wave and brought in a lot of new fans for the industry. The story is about a woman who possesses supernatural strength that is only inherited by the women of her family. Seeing her power, a CEO hires her as his bodyguard because he cannot trust the police to protect him. The story is a romantic comedy with charming chemistry between the two leads and many viral scenes that have stolen hearts.
7. Goblin
Another drama that gained explosive popularity was Goblin, and it continues to be one of the most-watched K-dramas internationally. The story features a goblin who has been alive for centuries in search of his wife. It is only his wife who can free him from his curse of eternal lifetime by pulling out a sword that's lodged inside his spirit. A mortal student, Ji Euntak, overhears from spirits around her that she is the Goblin's wife and goes to him to let him know. However, ending the Goblin's life is not easy because as the two fall in love, it becomes more and more difficult for them to think about their fates.
8. Mystic Pop-up Bar
Dreams can sometimes act as healing agents by giving hope and creating scenes that would never happen in reality. They can help release resentment. At least, that is the theory presented in the eccentric drama Mystic Pop-up Bar. It is exceptionally magical and an exciting watch. Pop-up bars are typical in South Korea. This bar is a special one that can only be seen by those who need help. The store owner and her part-timers serve alcohol that puts their customers to sleep and enters their dreams to provide them peace.
9. Abyss
Abyss is a drama involving a strange artefact that allows one to regain their life that's been wrongfully lost. Due to some error on the part of the grim reapers, two end up dying in an accident. The reapers decide to bring them back to life to correct their mistakes. However, since their original bodies are dead, they are resurrected with bodies that resemble their souls. The two characters, Go Seyeon and Cha Min, decide to find out the reason behind the death of Go Seyeon since she was murdered. In the process, they also end up finding love.
10. Ghost Doctor
There is a myth going around the hospital in which Cha Youngmin and Go Seung-tak work. They say that a ghost doctor roams around the hospital and can possess someone to save people if they wish to do so. Cha Youngmin did not expect that when he fell into a coma, he would become a ghost doctor himself. He finds himself possessing the body of Go Seung-tak, an over-smart resident who got into the hospital due to family pressure and nepotism. In reality, he is scared of the place because he can see ghosts.
