Korean dramas are known for their rich cinematography, ost’s, and storyline. But apart from that, Korean dramas majorly reflect their tradition, customs, values, and many more life lessons. It is no surprise that historical dramas reflect the trades, practices, and culture through their storyline, costumes, and other traditional values. Here are the top ten Korean dramas that take us to the past.
1. Alchemy Of Souls
The drama talks about mages who are being trained at Daegu. The mages try to stop the Alchemy of Souls, which enables souls to switch bodies. Nak- su, a trained and ruthless assassin's soul, gets trapped in the weaker body of Mu-deok, and she meets Jung-uk, who is from a noble family and can not cast spells like his peer mages. Together they try to help each other but soon fall for each other.
2. Hwarang
The drama revolves around a group of skilled warriors who are there to protect the throne and the country. However, not everyone is there to fulfill their duty as a soldier but rather have hidden motives. Hwarang revolves around individuals within the warriors who are there for revenge or to claim the throne. Hwarang helps the Highness to break through the power dynamic and calls them the elite team.
3. Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
The drama revolves around a 21st-century woman, taken to the past during a solar eclipse. She soon realizes she is in the Goryeo Dynasty and the body of Hae Soo. Hae Soo falls for Prince Wang Wook but runs into Wang So, the 4th prince, who appears to be dreadful and hides his face behind a mask. But Hae Soo soon finds herself stuck in between the politics of the palace.
4. Mr. Sunshine
The drama revolves around Eugine Chio, who was born during the Joseon era into slavery. However, he immigrated to The States, where he became a Marine Corps Officer. He returns to his birth country for a mission, but encounters Go Ae-shin, who is from the righteous army, and falls in love with her. They both fall in love but have difficulties due to their differences in class, and Ae- shins betrothed. He discovers Japan's plan to colonize Korea and fights for his birthplace.
5. Mr. Queen
The drama revolves around a head chef who works at the Blue House. A free spirit and a wanderer soon finds himself in the body of a young queen of Korea in the past. The queen’s husband is a monarch, King Cheol Jong but only in name while the kingdom is ruled by someone else. However, he comes across the secrets hidden by Cheol Jong, and there seems to be more to him than his appearance.
6. Moon Embracing The Sun
The drama talks about a scheming queen Dowager, who gives orders to execute her stepson so that her son can take the throne. However, her plans are disrupted when a shaman becomes a witness to the death. She tried to escape with the help of the wife of the royal chief scholar, who was pregnant then. The Shaman tells her that her baby is destined to be noble and she will protect the baby but is soon executed. The baby grows up to be the woman the crowned prince fell in love with but is soon separated due to political schemes. However, he soon meets a shaman who resembles his lost love and tries to reveal the evil plans of the palace.
7. Queen For Seven Days
The drama talks about a queen who has ruled a kingdom for the shortest time of seven days. Lee Yung, the king, falls in love with Lady Shin, who reaches out to him without being scared like the rest of the world. For her love, he decides to be a good king, but that involves politics. The politics made his love leave the throne and abandon her. Even after parting ways, they still long for each other but with power comes enemies and their cruel trick, which tore apart the two lovers.
8. Empress Ki
The drama revolves around a woman who grows to become the empress of Yuan despite having the roots of a lowly Goryeo- born servant. However, despite being the empress of Yuan, she channot forget where she comes from and falls in love with the king of Goryeo, who ironically is fighting for his kingdom's freedom from Yuan.
9. The Tale Of Noduku
The drama talks about a noble heir whose family is attacked by a group of female assassins, and to save himself from them, he hides in a village filled with widows. He has no other choice but to conceal his identity and disguises himself as a woman. He soon meets a woman who ran away from her family to avoid the date of becoming a courtesan. Together, the duo tries to keep each other's secret intact and navigate the next steps of their life.
10. Lovers Of The Red Sky
The story revolving around gods, demons, and curses talks about a man and a woman. The woman born blind due to a curse soon gains her sight and aims to be a painter, and is accepted into an art school. However, others have different ideas about a woman pursuing a career. On the other hand, Ha Ran, an astrologer, loses his sight in a childhood accident but can see the future. These two fall in love but are pulled into the royal political schemes.
