We'll spill the tea on K-dramas with storylines that are like emotional rollercoasters, so gather your munchies. You know, the ones that, in one episode, make you laugh, weep, and wonder about your life decisions? Indeed, those. Imagine, then, storylines that grip you from start to finish, memorable moments that linger long after the credits have rolled, and characters you cheer for like they're your best friends. We're explaining why these dramas are more than a screen time binge, whether you're new to K-drama or an experienced binge-watcher. K-drama style, things are going to become real!
1. Stranger
Created by Studio Dragon, which is known for producing hit dramas like Gyeongseong Creature, Sweet Home, and Happiness, Stranger is a psychological thriller series. The plot revolves around a prosecutor named Hwang Si Mok, who suffers from alexithymia (lack of emotions) and hyperacusis (hypersensitivity to sound). While solving a murder case, he encounters another police officer, Han Yeo Jin. As the duo investigates the murder, they discover a deeper web of lies and deceit that points toward corruption at the highest level of authority. Dubbed as one the best series of 2017, Stranger features an intelligent and intricate plotline and well-crafted protagonists.
2. Signal
Featuring a script written by the brilliant writer Kim Eun Hee, Signal is of the police drama genre with supernatural elements. Criminal profiler Park Hae Young comes across a mysterious walkie-talkie while looking into a cold case. The walkie-talkie connects him to a police officer 15 years back in time; who was the original investigator of the murder case Young was looking into. Working together in dual timelines, Hae Young and his new partner race against time to stop the criminal from committing his next crime. This cult classic provides a seamless blending of various genres and features an addicting plotline.
3. Crash Landing On You
Even though Crash Landing of You is primarily seen as a cult-classic romance K-drama, it does feature dual plotlines, one of romance and one of deceit and corruption and mishandling and power. A South Korean heiress, Yoon Se Ri, lands in North Korea due to a paragliding mishap. There, she encounters Ri Jyeong Hyeok, a captain of the North Korean military, who helps her hide and safely return to her homeland. Crash Landin on You features a cross-country romance, witty banter, political intrigue, and plenty of humor and light-hearted moments.
4. Misaeng
Also known as Incomplete Life, Misaeng delves deep into the cut-throat corporate work culture. At the center of the series is an ordinary office intern, Jang Gue Rae, who, after failing to become a professional Baduk (a type of Korean board game) player, resigned himself to the monotonous corporate life. Armed with wit and the strategies he learned from baduk, Jang, along with his colleagues, tries to go through their work life. Misaeng is one of the few K-dramas that depict the harsh realities of office work and its culture and is praised for its authentic and nuanced depiction of the environment.
5. Prison Playbook
Starring Jung Hae In, Park Hae-soo, and Jung Kyung Ho, Prison Playbook is a crime fiction dark thriller. In this series, a baseball player’s dreams of going to play for the U.S. team are shattered when he is wrongly convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison. The plot continues as he tries to adjust to his new life and meets other prison inmates. Prison Playbook features a powerful script, including a diverse range of characters, a realistic portrayal of the prison setting, and well-executed plot twists.
6. Reply 1988
Portraying a tale of family, youth, and nostalgia, Reply 1988 revolves around the lives of five friends and their families who reside in the same neighborhood. All these individuals go through their lives and deal with various while relying on each other and forming a close bond. Set in the 1980s, the K-drama showcases a side of South Korea before it evolved due to the economic transformation. Reply 1988 remains one of the highest K-dramas to date, and fans found the portrayal of love and friendship wholesome. Like the previous item in the list, this K-drama too features a diverse cast in aspects of their personalities and personal issues.
7. Sky Castle
Mothers belonging to the highest strata of society engage in a game of wealth and greed as they struggle to outshine each other. The script of the K-drama is robust, providing an open critique of the incredibly competitive world of academia and the pressure both the parents and students experience. Laden with unexpected twists and turns, Sky Castle showcases the greedy side of the “cream” of society and the measures they take to preserve their social standing and achieve societal success.
8. Good Manager
This hilarious workplace comedy stars Kim Sung Ryeong in the lead role. The main character is a stingy and miserly public accountant who joins a new company as a middle manager to embezzle money from the firm. After witnessing the conditions of the office workers at his new company, Ryeong has an expected change of heart and starts to fight for the office workers’ rights. Even though at the surface level Good Manager seems like goody office drama, it is filled with social commentary. The change of personality Ryeong went through, from being a greedy man with no morals to someone who stands up for the oppressed is incredibly wholesome and inspiring.
9. Argon
The world of media and journalists is often seen as corrupt, as media persons are known to sacrifice their moral and ethical standards to cater to a specific ideology or authority figure. But Argon, a fast-paced miniseries, showcases a side of the world that is often overlooked. This series, from the viewpoint of a rookie reporter who joins the highly reputable media team named “Argon,” unveils the struggle that media persons face as they try to find a balance between truth, ethics, and sensationalism. Argon has a thought-provoking storyline that provides depth.
10. Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine is a melodrama rife with romance, drama, action, and political intrigue, all with a backdrop of Hangseong (preset Seoul) in the early 1900s. Eugene Choi is a former slave of Josean who escapes to America and becomes a US Marine Corps officer. After returning to his homeland, he falls in love with Go Ae Sin, an aristocrat’s daughter. Eugene becomes embroiled in political and social upheavals in Josean, and he discovers the dark mechanisms of the colonizers. Simultaneously, his and Ae Sin’s connection deepens, and the two wonder about the meaning of the word “love.”
