Shubhabrata Dutta
Korean TV shows have a special place in people’s hearts, especially those who like syrupy tales about love and relationships. However, a variety of content from South Korea has taken the world by storm in recent years. Be it dark thrillers, romantic comedies, action-packed shows, sitcoms, or historical dramas – Korean TV shows undoubtedly belong to a category of their own. This is why fans constantly seek out options on different streaming platforms that are available. Amazon Prime has an enviable library of KDramas that will keep you hooked till the end.
19. No Gain No Love (2024- )
Kim Jung Shik’s ‘No Gain No Love’ is a romantic comedy series starring Shin Min-a, Kim Young-dae, Lee Sang-yi, and Han Ji-hyun. It focuses on an unlikely married couple, Son Hae Yeong and Kim Ji-wook. What makes the duo unlikely is that their wedding is nothing more than an arrangement. Hae Yeong is all about money and has chalked out the wedding plan so as not to lose a promotion. Her acting husband of choice is Ji-wook, who said yes only because he always helps those in need. The catch? The two don’t get along well, thereby giving shape to a string of humorous incidents that constitute the charming show. You can stream ‘No Gain No Love’ here.
18. Island (2022- )
Based on the webcomic ‘Island’ written by Yoon In-Wan & illustrated by Yang Kyung-Il, this action fantasy series takes place on Jeju Island, South Korea’s largest island, and brings together three people. They are Van (Kim Nam-Gil), a human/monster raised to fight evil; Won Mi-Ho (Lee Da-Hee), who was banished by her family to the island and got involved with the supernatural; and Johan (Cha Eun-Woo), who is a Catholic priest who uses God’s power to keep evil away. How this trio fights evil that is bent on destroying the world is what we see in this enthralling Kdrama. You can stream it here.
17. My Man is Cupid (2023-2024)
A 21st-century Cupid-like fairy, Cheon Sang-Hyuk (Jang Dong-Yoon), finds it tough to prove himself to the very unpredictable Oh Baek-Ryeon (Nana), whose belief in him relies on whether he can find her a suitor as per her requirements. In trying to find her guy, Hyuk inadvertently falls for her while her potential suitors are subjected to near-death events. Will this finally bring an end to both their troubles? To find out, you can watch this Nam Tae-jin-directed fantasy rom-com right here.
16. Playful Kiss (2010)
The romantic-comedy television series titled ‘Playful Kiss’ (alternatively titled ‘Mischievous Kiss’ or ‘Naughty Kiss’) is based on Tada Kaoru’s Japanese manga ‘Itazura Na Kiss.’ It is the third television adaptation of the manga. Despite garnering low ratings in South Korea, the show built a solid fan following in other countries.
The series follows a down-on-luck girl named Oh Ha-ni, who is nothing like her crush, Baek Seung-jo – smart, confident, and popular. However, the former embarrasses herself by writing Seung-jo a letter. Moreover, the house she and her father live in collapses. As if things weren’t awkward enough already, Seung-jo’s family invites them in and offers them a place to stay. As Ha-ni and Seung-jo spend more time together, things take an interesting turn. You can watch ‘Mischievous Kiss’ here.
15. Death’s Game (2023- )
This cool fantasy drama is based on the 2019 Naver webtoon of the same name by Lee Won-sik and Ggulchan. It follows Choi Yi-jae, whose contemplation of suicide enrages Death, who comes to him and gives him 12 lives, each of which he will die in the most painful ways. This is his punishment for trying to reach Death before she can reach him. However, if Yi-jae manages to survive death in one of the lives, he gets to keep that body and live that life. A visually stunning show, ‘Death’s Game’ is directed by Ha Byung-hoon and stars Seo In-guk as Choi Yee-jae and Park So-dam as Death. We also have Choi Si-won, Sung Hoon, Kim Kang-hoon, Jang Seung-jo, Lee Jae-wook, and Lee Do-hyun. You can stream the series here.
14. The Kidnapping Day (2023)
Based on a novel of the same title by Jung Hae-yeon, ‘The Kidnapping Day’ is a dark comedy that stars Yoon Kye-sang, Park Sung-hoon, Kim Shin-rok, and Kang Young-seok. It tells the story of Kim Myeong-Jun, a poor guy who is in desperate need of money for his daughter’s treatment. As a result, he teams up with his ex-wife to kidnap Choi Ro-Hee, the 11-year-old daughter of a wealthy couple. However, things take a wrong turn when Kim Myeong-Jun accidentally hits Choi Ro-Hee with his car, which results in the loss of her memory. Myeong-Jun brings Ro-Hee to his home while her parents’ dead bodies are recovered from their house. Now, it is up to Myeong-Jun to find out what’s going on while keeping Ro-Hee safe. Feel free to check out ‘The Kidnapping Day’ here.
13. Lost (2021 – 2023)
‘Lost’ is a story of millions of people across the globe told through the eyes of two people: one is a 40-year-old woman who is a ghostwriter, and the other is a 27-year-old poor man who dreams of being rich. Neither have been able to achieve what they wanted to and feel like they are “lost.” The fear of being no one takes a toll on the two. Whether they are able to pull themselves out of this negative space is what we see in the drama. ‘Lost’ stars Jeon Do-yeon and Ryu Jun-yeol. You can stream the drama here.
12. Anna (2022)
Is it possible to steal someone else’s identity and lead a new life? ‘Anna’ explores the answer to this very question. Based on the 2017 novel “Chinjeolhan Yibangin” written by Jung Han-A, ‘Anna’ tells the story of a working-class family girl, Yu-mi, who takes on the identity of another rich girl named Hyeon-ju aka Lee Anna (her American name), for whom Yu-mi used to work as an assistant before quitting. She does this by getting her hands on Hyeon-ju’s college degree and passport and even fools people into believing that she is, in fact, Lee Anna. She gets married to a rich guy. But for how long will she be able to maintain this façade? Indeed, the real Lee Anna (Hyeon-ju) will find out soon enough. ‘Anna’ stars Bae Suzy, Jung Eun-chae, Kim Jun-han and Park Ye-young. You may watch the K-drama here.
11. Imitation (2021)
‘Imitation’ is based on the South Korean webtoon of the same name and is a rom-com that explores the secret romance between Lee Ma-ha, who is a member of a rookie girl band named Omega III, and Kwon Ryok, the member of a popular boy band. However, this relationship puts their respective careers at risk. We get to see how the two maneuver through the relationship and their careers in the signature K-drama fashion. The series stars Jung Ji-So, Lee Jun-young, Jeong Yun-ho, and Jiyeon. You can stream ‘Imitation’ here.
10. Monthly Magazine Home (2021)
‘Monthly Magazine Home’ is an interesting exploration of the relationship between the CEO and the editor of Monthly House magazine. Na Young-Won (Jung So-Min), the editor, lives in a rented house, while Yoo Ja-Sung (Kim Ji-Suk), the CEO, is all about buying houses and adding to his real estate assets. How the two get along and how, from their conversations, love blooms is what we find out. ‘Monthly Magazine Home’ stars Kim Ji-seok. Jung So-min, Jung Gun-joo and Chae Jung-an. You may stream the show here.
9. Marry My Husband (2024- )
Based on the web novel of the same name, ‘Marry My Husband’ follows Kang Ji-Won (Park Min-Young), who is inadvertently killed by her husband, Park Min-Hwan, after she spots him being intimate with her best friend, Jeong Su-Min (Song Ha-Yoon). Miraculously, Ji-Won opens her eyes and finds herself ten years prior to the present, when she and Park Min-Hwan were dating. She thus decides to take revenge on him and Jeong Su-Min by getting Su-Min to marry him one way or another and then pulling her shrewd strings while making it big in life, something she failed at in her previous one. In the endeavor, she is joined by Yoo Ji-Hyeok (Na In-Woo), who develops feelings for her. But do feelings matter to Ji-Hyeok anymore? To find out how Kang Ji-Won plots revenge and how well she can execute it, you can stream ‘Marry My Husband’ here.
8. The Killing Vote (2023)
A thriller series created by Eom Se-yun, ‘The Killing Vote’ deals with exactly what its title means. A mysterious masked guy named Gaetal (dog mask) takes the law into his own hands and brings criminals, who receive lenient treatment by the law, to justice by carrying out a ‘killing vote’ made by the public. If 50% or more of the public says yes, the criminal gets a death penalty. Will anyone be able to find this guy? The cast of ‘The Killing Vote’ includes Park Hae-jin, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Kwon, and Park Sung-woong. You can watch the show on Amazon Prime Video here.
7. Royal Secret Agent (2020 – 2021)
‘Royal Secret Agent’ is a historical comedy series created by Kim Sang-hui and stars Kim Myung Soo, Kwon Nara, Lee Yi-kyung, and Jo Soo-min. It is set in the Joseon Dynasty era and tells the story of Sung Yi-gyum (Kim Myung-soo), who is appointed as the secret royal inspector who is supposed to prevent corruption among government officers. In the undercover endeavor, he is accompanied by Inspector Hong Da-In (Kwon Na-Ra) and Park Chun-Sam (Lee Yi-Kyung). Click here to watch ‘Royal Secret Agent.’ Feel free to watch the drama here.
6. Hush (2020 – 2021)
Find out what happens inside a newspaper agency from every angle in this comedy-drama based on the 2018 novel ‘Silence Warning’ by Jung Jin-young. It explores the lives of the reporters and the conflict between their survival in the newspaper industry and their conscience. We can tell that it is a conflict that can be tough to handle. How the agency in question handles this is what we see in a most hilarious manner. The cast of ‘Hush’ includes Hwang Jung-min, Kyung Soo-jin, Yoo Sun and Kim Won-hae. You can watch the show here.
5. Jirisan (2021)
Set not against any place but a mountain named Mount Jiri, ‘Jirisan’ centers on Seo Yi-Gang (Gianna Jun) and Kang Hyun-Jo (Ju Ji-Hoon), the rangers who put their lives on the line to rescue trekkers who are stuck or lost as well as victims and survivors of accidents. Their experiences, underscored by the exploration of the mountains and their extreme conditions, make ‘Jirisan’ an entertaining binge-watch. The show is created by Kim Je-hyeon. You can watch it here.
4. Heartbeat (2023)
A fantasy involving a vampire that is semi-human named Seon Woo-hyul (Ok Taec-yeon) and an ill-behaved woman Joo In-hae (Won Ji-an), ‘Heartbeat’ is a rom-com that proves that even the cold-hearted be it literally or figuratively, need love. Woo-hyul has failed to become a human due to a single day out of 100 years but finds In-hae, with whom he ends up sharing a house and inadvertently falls for her. Maybe falling for a human will help her feel more human. Feel free to check out ‘Heartbeat’ here.
3. So I Married My Anti-Fan (2021)
After watching so many rom-coms where we see how people who hate each other often end up falling for each other, we can admit that “opposites attract” works not just electric charges or magnetic poles but people, too. The same is the case in ‘So I Married My Anti-Fan’ (based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Kim Eun-Jung), where we see how a superstar named Hoo Joon (Choi Tae-Joon) and a journalist named Lee Geun-young (Choi Soo-young) who is his anti-fan come together, courtesy of a TV show where they have to share the screen. You can watch the show here.
2. Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020-)
Created by Lee Myung-han, ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed’ is a historical horror fantasy series starring Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Bum, and Kim Yong-ji. It tells the story of Lee Yeon, formerly a Gumiho or the mythical nine-tailed fox, who settled in a city centuries ago and has since then defended this plane from sinister supernatural entities. While he waits for his ladylove somewhere else, television producer Nam Ji Ah finds out about Yeon and decides to bring him to her investigative TV show. However, there is also Yeon’s step-brother, Lee Rang, who, despite being a half-human, hates humans and takes pleasure in killing them. To find out how things work out for the three of them, you can stream this thrilling show right here.
1. Payback (2023-)
In this gripping drama, wealthy trader Eun Young (Lee Sun-kyun) decides to go up against the conspiring cartels and the corrupt powers to avenge his old friend’s death. Disregarding profit and loss, he joins his nephew Jang Tae-chun (Kang You-seok), who is a junior prosecutor, and Park Jun-kyeong (Moon Chae-won), a military prosecutor, to take down finance kingpin Myung (Kim Hong-fa) and all the law enforcing bodies that support him. This gives rise to a war unscored by financial and political motivations. Directed by Lee Won-tae (‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ (2019)), ‘Payback’ can be streamed here.
Read More: Best Korean Movies and KDramas on Hulu
