Article: Top 10 Gender Bender Korean Dramas Of All Time

Dramas have become a part of our lives. The most popular dramas nowadays are Korean dramas. They are famous because they have unique storylines and many genres like romantic comedy, mystery, crime, fantasy, gender bender, etc.

Gender-bending is a prevalent k-drama trope, but what is gender-bender? Gender-benders are dramas that can involve male characters playing females or a female character acting as a male. It can be the effort of nature or magic like a body swap.

It is amusing to see the characters reacting awkwardly in certain situations. It becomes funny and exciting to watch such dramas.

A few famous dramas from this genre are:

1. Coffee Prince (2007)

Cast: Gong Yoo, Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Sun Kyun, and Chae Jung An

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten(app), dramacool (website)

Synopsis: Go Eun Chan is a girl who dresses up as a boy. She comes across a rich man, Han Gyeol, who wants to live his life freely but can’t as his grandmother keeps setting him up for blind dates. To avoid this setup, he asks Eun Chan for help and acts as a gay couple. After helping Han Gyeol, Eun Chan gets a job in a coffee shop where men work. She continues to be a boy to keep this job. Slowly they begin to fall for each other. Love is not easy hardships are standing in their way, and a confusing yet amusing love triangle makes the drama more interesting.

2. You're Beautiful(2009)

Cast: Park Shin Hye, Jang Keun Suk, Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Hong Gu, and Uee

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Netflix (app) and myasiantv (website)

Synopsis: Go Mi Nam and Go Mi Nyeo are identical twins. Mi Nam is Mi Nyeo ‘s older brother. Mi Nam wanted to become an idol, and Mi Nyeo became a nun. As Mi Nam faces a problem before signing the contract with the idol group, Mi Nam’s agent approaches Mi Nyeo to take her brother’s place to sign the contract. After a lot of thinking, she accepts the agent’s request and signs the contract, but the real problem starts when she has to move in with the other three handsome men. Even though she is pretending to be a guy, it’s not easy for her to live among three guys while hiding her identity.

3. Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

Cast: Park Min Young, Park Yoo Chun, Song Joong Ki, Yoo Ah In.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app), Netflix (app), myasiantv (website)

Synopsis:  Kim Yoon Hee is a very educated woman. She can easily do all kinds of chores. After her father passes away and her brother becomes ill. She takes her brother's identity and takes the exam that the men take. There she meets Lee Sun Joon, a man with good looks and a lot of knowledge. After the exams, Yoon Hee and Sun Joon become roommates. She also befriends the playboy Gu Yong Ha and the rebellious Moon Jae Shin. She starts to develop feelings for Sun Joon while hiding her gender from everyone.

4. Secret Garden (2010)

Cast: Hyun Bin, Ha Ji Won, Yoon Sang Hyun and Kim Sa rang.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Netflix (app) dramacool(website)

Synopsis: Gil Ra-Im is a stunt woman who dreams of becoming a martial arts director. Kim Junwon is the CEO of a department store. Both of them somehow get involved and have their souls switched. Unaware of what circumstances led their body to swap, they don't know how to face this situation. Between this situation, a unique romance blossoms between them.

5. To The Beautiful You (2012)

Cast: Choi Min Ho, Sulli, and Lee Hyun Woo.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) myasiantv (website)

Synopsis:  Goo Jae Hee is a girl who becomes infatuated with high jump star Tae Joon as he helps her to recover from her most challenging time. When Tae Joon announces his retirement from the high jump national team, Jae Hee is determined to help Tae Joon to restart his high jump career. She gets enrolled in a boy physical education high school.

6. Empress Ki (2013)

Cast: Ji Chang Wook, Ha Ji Won, and Joo Jin Mo.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Netflix (app) myasiantv (website)

Synopsis: Sung Nyang is a woman born in Goryeo who disguises herself as a man to free the woman who was sent to become Yuan’s concubines. She starts working under the King of Goryeo. Crown Prince of the Yuan dynasty Togon gets exiled to Goryeo. As Togon gets attacked, Sung Nyang protects him. While saving the crown prince, her identity as a woman gets revealed. She was sent to Yuan where she started to work as a maidservant of the palace but later became the Empress of the Yuan dynasty.

7. Love In The Moonlight (2017)

Cast: Park Bo Gum, Kim Yoo Jung, and Jung Jin Young.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Netflix (app) myasiantv (website)

Synopsis: Hong Ra On is a woman who disguises herself as a man and gives counseling in dating men. While delivering a letter from her client, she enters the palace where she meets the crown prince but cannot see his face. Due to her loans from the loan sharks, Ra On becomes a eunuch she meets the Crown Prince, and they become friends. Soon both of them become interested in each other, but the secret that; she is a woman gets revealed. They fight for their love while facing the politics in the palace.

8. The Tale Of Nokdu (2019)

Cast: Jang Dong Yoon, Kim So Hyun and Kang Tae Oh.

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Netflix (app) dramacool(website)

Synopsis: Jeon Nok Du’s family gets attacked by female assassins. Nok Du follows the killer. At his chase, he meets Dong Ju, who was trying to assassinate but failed to do so. Nok Du helps Dong Ju to escape from there. Then, he spots the killer and follows her as the assassin enters a village of widows. Nok Du disguises himself as a woman to stay in that village to find the killer.

9. Mr. Queen (2020)

Cast: Shin Hae Sun, Kim Jung Hyun, Seol In Ah, Na In Woo, and Choi Jin Hyuk

Where to watch: Viki Rakuten (app) Prime Video(app) myasiantv (website)

Synopsis: Jang Bong Hwan is a man who is a very famous Chef in Blue House. Due to unavoidable circumstances, he finds himself awake in the body of a young queen Kim So Yong. Bong Hwan gets frustrated as he has entered a female’s body despite being a male. He knows that his husband is the ruling  King Cheol Jeong, he knows that his husband was a king in name only, and the mastermind behind him was the late King Sunjo's Queen Sun Won and her brother Kim Jwa Guen. But little do they know that the meek and timid King Cheol Jeong isn’t the man they think he is at all and is harboring a great secret.

10. The King’s Affection (2021)

Cast: Park Eun Bin, Rowoon,Nam Yoon Su ,Choi Byung Chan ,Bae Yoon Kyung .

Where to watch: Netflix(app) myasiantv (website) Dramacool (website)

Synopsis: In the Joseon era, twins were considered an ominous sign. An order passed, that there was no need for a princess. The Queen could not kill the princess she helped the princess to escape from the palace. After a few years, the girl re-entered the court as Dam Yi and started to work as a palace maid. Unfortunately, in an incident, the male twin Lee Hwi dies. The position of the crown prince becomes empty. The Queen asks Dam Yi to forget living as a woman and Live her brother's life and rule as King. Dam Yi mysteriously gets attracted to the teacher Jung Ji won, who comes from a noble family and was originally her first love.