In the chaotic content of Netflix, you will currently find over 30 K-dramas, some of which are exceptional.
It should come as no surprise that South Korea recently named Parasite as one of the most influential films of recent years. Just take a look at the plethora of South Korean TV series on Netflix. It is no exaggeration to say that they are probably the best international productions in production. As they are known to the outside world, K-dramas are no dramas at all. Although, in most cases, crying is not avoided. They usually star famous idols from K-pop bands, but also actors are known to the western public.
There are over thirty titles on Netflix, and new ones are constantly being added. The episodes last just over an hour, while most K-dramas are completed in one season. Each season counts sixteen episodes in total, with various exceptions. These are the elements that make them ideal for binge-watching. The most talked-about cases are never what they seem. Instead, they are multi-layered and often involve serious social issues.
Finally, you will see some of the most beautiful people in the world acting, as well as big portions of kimchi, their national cabbage specialty, which is not missing from any of their tables and meals. We have selected and presented to you five of them.
Stranger, 2017
An antisocial and expressionless – at first completely disliked – prosecutor gets involved in a conspiracy story when a man who had close ties to high-ranking police officers is found murdered. His only ally is a kind-hearted cop in this police thriller, each episode of which hides more and more intrigue and upheaval. Until the last minute, you try to guess, together with the heroes, who the villain might be. It will keep you in suspense and entertain you and keep your adrenaline high as if you were playing in Betting Sites.
According to the “New York Times,” it was among the best series for 2017, while the second season appeared shortly before the end of 2020. It stands out because romance is completely absent from the plot – something rare to unlikely for a Korean series – even though it has two of the most charming protagonists you will find, with incredible chemistry between them. In the role of the young police officer, the excellent Bae Doona, who of course has become known to the western public for her participation in Cloud Atlas and Sense8.
Kingdom, 2019-2020
The Korean response to The Walking Dead is zombie-era splatter. Ten days after the mysterious fainting of the king, rumors begin to spread that he’s dead. His son and heir to the throne leave the palace to find the causes of his collapse. He discovers a plague that turns people into the dead threatens the whole country. Along with the zombies, he confronts those who try to take advantage of the power vacuum that exists to take the throne.
It’s the first Korean production on Netflix, so there are only six episodes of the season instead of sixteen. The series will be completed in two seasons, but there will probably be the third one sometime in 2021, based on a minor character. Unfortunately, she has been hit twice by tragedy, with two production members having died during filming. It’s based on a webcomic, The Kingdom of the Gods, signed by Kim Eun-hee, which edits the series and design by Yang Kyung-il.
Mr. Sunshine, 2018
It’s a historical romance that takes place a few years before the occupation of Korea by Japan, after the end of the Russo-Japanese War, which ended in 1905 and changed the country forever. Apart from its rapid industrialization, it also brought about its secession with the end of World War II.
A boy born into slavery sees his parents murdered by aristocrats and manages to sail it on a warship bound for America in 1871. Decades later, he returns home as the commander of the US Marine Corps in a policy Mission. He falls in love with an aristocrat who secretly maintains relations with guerrillas of Korean independence.
Its historically sensitive subject matter and some inaccuracies annoyed some who accused the series of propaganda in favor of the Japanese. However, it remains the sixth most popular TV series in its country, and we meet two of the most dynamic female characters in the world of Korean drama. In the role of the aristocrat-rebel is none other than Kim Tae-ri, known as Handmaiden. The series is completed in 24 episodes.
Crash landing on you, 2019
A wealthy heiress makes a parachute when a sudden hurricane lands on a tree in the Korean demilitarized zone that separates the North from South Korea. There, she’s discovered by a North Korean officer who tries to hide her in his country. Of course, they fall in love.
A hilarious rom-com that hides much more than one initially expects. The real protagonists are the closest images one can get of everyday life in North Korea, from a small village to the streets of Pyongyang.
Although it concerns a sensitive issue, it didn’t stop it from becoming the third most popular TV series in the country. Its creators relied on the stories of North Koreans who surrendered to the South to portray their neighboring country as realistically as possible. However, some obvious references to people and services are avoided. Of course, the North didn’t like them because of the naive way in which they portrayed their army and the ease with which one could cross the border.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)
A children’s book author who has a histrionic personality disorder meets a doll – literally – a psychiatric ward nurse, whose life is divided between her work and the care of her older autistic brother. Due to a childhood injury, they are forced to move frequently from city to city.
The best you can see on Netflix right now. The New York Times had it on its list of the most important series in the world for 2020. It’s not just the fact that it mixes fantasy with reality and deals with one of the biggest taboos in Korea, that of mental illness, humanely and movingly.
You don’t often see something similar happening on television in general. Most of it takes place in a psychiatric clinic. In addition, it works as a mystery. Of course, the biggest mystery is the reason why the beautiful protagonist sleeps with her earrings, dressed with makeup on, but that’s another story.