These K-dramas ventured beyond life and have given us varied but interesting depictions of life after death. These dramas are mostly heart-breaking and have very different perspectives about what happens to us after we die.
1. Goblin
This series follows the life of a young girl named Ji Eun-Tak. She, unfortunately has been acquainted with death since she was a child. As a young girl, Eun-Tak had unfortunately lost her loving mother. She is also targeted by a Grim Reaper since she was born, and Eun-Tak has the remarkable ability to communicate and see ghosts. She is also known as the Goblin’s bride. The Goblin, who is also named Kim Shin, is cursed to be immortal. This drama has a lot of comedic moments however death is a prevalent theme throughout the drama.
2. Hotel Del Luna
This series revolves around the life of Jang Man-Wol, a feisty woman who runs a mysterious hotel named Hotel Del Luna. This Hotel is not for ordinary human beings but for spirits. This Hotel often acts as a resting stop for ghosts before they cross over to the other side. Jang and her ghost team keep the Hotel running smoothly. Through the series, we are introduced to these spirits, and we get to learn about their lives as humans and how they died. Death is a prominent theme in this drama.
3. Mystic Pop-Up Bar
This drama revolves around a weird food cart called the Ssanggab Cart Bar. This mysterious bar is only available on the rooftop of a particular building and is also open at night. This is no ordinary food cart, as it serves both the living and the dead. Night after night spirits and humans come to this bar to heal from their problems and to eat.
4. Tomorrow
This series revolves around the life of a young man named Choi Jun-Woong. While looking for a job, he faces a severe accident that leaves him in a coma. While in a coma, he meets two grim reapers named Koo Ryeon and Lim Ryung-Gu. They form a team whose aim is to stop people from taking their own lives. Choi also joined the team. This is a beautiful K-drama that deals with a lot of complex subjects that are often time taboo in society, such as sexual assault, mental health issues, body dysmorphia, etc. This series might be a complicated watch for a few. However, they deal with these sensitive topics carefully and gracefully. Death is a prevalent theme in this series, despite this, they portray life as worth living.
5. Hi-Bye Mama
his series follows the life and death of Cha Yu-Ri, a loving mother, wife, and daughter. When we start the series, Cha Yu-Ri is already a ghost; despite this, she tries her best to be beside her daughter and look after her as a spirit. Yu-Ri is a beautiful soul who is kind and loving. Above all else, she loves her daughter. Her one wish is to become human again and hold her daughter again. Her wish is miraculously granted, and she becomes human for forty-nine days before passing on. This series is like a gut punch and will probably leave you in tears after each episode. Death is a prevalent theme in the series, but so is love. This series shows the depths a mother can go to for her child and shows that even after death, love remains immortal.
6. The Uncanny Encounter
This drama deals with a group called Counter, and their job is to hunt down and exorcise demons and evil spirits. The members of this group all have their powers. So Mun, Ga Mo-Tak, Do Ha-Na, Chu Mae-Ok, and Choi Jang-Mool are members of the group. This series shows an exciting portrayal of the afterlife especially regarding the spirit of those who are evil.
7. Move To Heaven
This series follows the life of Han Geu-Ru, a young man who has Asperger syndrome. He works alongside his father as a cleaner. They run a business named Move To Heaven, where they clean up and organize the earthly possessions of people who have passed on. After the death of his father Han is left in the care of his uncle named Cho Sang-Gu. Cho tries to keep the business going and takes care of his nephew. This is a heartbreaking series that deals with death and how to deal with grief and loss.
8. Doom At Your Service
This drama revolves around the life of a young woman named Tak Dong-Kyung. She works at an editing company and lives an ordinary life. Her life changes when she suddenly gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. On her birthday, she wishes on a star; she wishes for the world to be destroyed. This prompts an eager and very interested Myul-Mang to come knocking at her door. Myul-Mang is the personification of doom and death.
9. Korean Odyssey
This series follows the life of Jin Sun-Mi, a young woman who can interact with ghosts. We also follow Son O-Gong and Woo Whee, two deities who are in constant conflict with each other. Jin’s special abilities lead her to meet and get involved with both deities. Son O-Gong and Jin start to fall in love with each other.
10. Black
This drama revolves around the lives of Kang Ha-Ram, a young woman who can see ghosts, and a detective known as Black. This detective is being possessed by a Grim Reaper. The detective and Kang Ha-Ram work together to save the lives of people and defy the rules of heaven.
