In recent years, alongside Korean Pop music, dramatic shows made in South Korea have become fairly popular in the United States. Together, they’re part of a trend referred to as the Korean Wave or “Hallyu.”
While numerous factors tie into the popularity of these things, one of the main ones is that they are readily accessible online, as was demonstrated by Psy’s phenomenal “Gangnam Style” music video. As for South Korean Dramas, or K-Dramas, streaming services such as Netflix have made them available on their platforms. Netflix has even produced K-Dramas exclusively for its platform, with arguably some of the best ones highlighted in this article.
Love Alarm
Because smartphone apps serve different needs, they have become integral to our daily lives on some level. So it makes one wonder how far they could go, with various media such as the recent Countdown movie and the K-Drama Love Alarm exploring this concept further.
Though in the case of Love Alarm, it’s the name of a titular app that alerts a person of someone who has romantic feelings for them within a certain radius space-wise. But what happens when a love triangle forms between an ordinary highschool girl and two boys? A lot of drama, of course!
Cain And Abel
A tragic tale of fratricide, the story of Cain and Abel arguably has many universal elements that go beyond its biblical origins. Still, it’s often associated with Christianity, which generally isn’t a popular religion in Asian countries.
For this reason, the K-Drama Cain and Abel seems unique from a Western perspective even though about a third of South Korea’s population is Christian. Set in modern times, the story revolves around half-brothers Lee Cho-in and Seon-woo. Both talented doctors in their own right, their love for one girl and an inheritance conspiracy threatens to tear them apart.
Memories of the Alhambra
Since its inception, virtual reality has been a popular topic in fiction because it blurs the line between what is and isn’t real. Then with the popularity of VR headsets and phone games like Pokémon Go, the possibilities seem endless. Yet if the Matrix movies have taught us anything, it’s that there is a downside to the dependence on virtual environments.
While anime series like Sword Art Online demonstrate the negative use of this technology, Memories of the Alhambra focuses on the people who use it. Set in Granada, Spain, this K-Drama is about a CEO who searches for the developer of a fully augmented reality game. In doing so, he stays at a hostel owned by the developer’s sister.
When the Camellia Blooms
At a glance, this K-Drama appears to be an average romantic comedy with bright colors and quirky elements. But right off the bat, it breaks from the formula with two elements. First is its main character, Dong-Baek, who is a single mom running a bar in a close-knit community.
Now, this may not seem like a unique concept for a Westerner, but it’s actually progressive because in South Korea there’s a huge stigma against single moms. The other distinct element is the tone, which is mostly lighthearted but occasionally becomes sinister due to flash-forwards to a murder that involves the show’s main characters.
Boys Over Flowers
Despite the complicated history between Japan and Korea as a whole, minus the two halves, there are quite a few live-action shows based on Japanese manga. Among these, Boys Over Flowers is one of the more popular ones. Though it changes the names and setting from the manga, the story remains largely the same.
Essentially, it’s about a poor girl who gets into a prestigious high school via a scholarship. There, she encounters the F4 clique which is made up of the four richest male students. Not only does their leader take a liking to her but she discovers he has feelings for a childhood friend.
Black
Paranormal romances are a cliche that’s easy to make fun of, but if done right, they can be engaging. Such was the case for Black, a K-Drama that ran for eighteen episodes in 2017.
In it, a young woman with the ability to foresee other people’s deaths teams up with a detective who’s actually possessed by a Grim Reaper. Together, they investigate a series of unsolved murders and in the process, the Grim Reaper develops feelings for the woman. Not only does this put the Grim Reaper at odds with his superiors but his own past complicates things further.
Something in the Rain
Though being single is not as big of a deal these days, there are still plenty of romantic comedies out there about older single women looking for true love in their unhappy lives. A perfect example of this is the K-Drama Something in the Rain, or Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food.
For those who don’t know, Noona is the term used by Korean men to refer to an older sister figure, regardless of whether they’re biologically related or not. Such is the case for the main relationship of Something in the Rain, which is between an older woman and a younger man.
Kingdom
As if Black Summer wasn’t enough, Netflix added another original zombie show to their roster recently in the form of the K-Drama Kingdom. What makes Kingdom unique is that it’s set in a historical time-period, with the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress anime as an exception.
Specifically, it’s set in the Joseon period, which began around the Middle Ages time-wise. The story follows a young prince who’s forced to contend with a coup but also a zombie plague. With action scenes and plenty of gore, it’s considerably worth watching for those who enjoy zombie-related media.
Stranger
Originally translated as Secret Forest, based on the original Korean title, this K-Drama blends elements of modern crime shows with political corruption. Stranger arguably draws influence from Sherlock, due to its dark color palette and having an emotionless protagonist.
Nevertheless, Stranger still manages to feel unique, as it’s about a male prosecutor and a female detective teaming up to unravel a high-level conspiracy. Another distinct element is the relationship between the two leads, which remains low-key as far as romance is concerned. Now, this does make sense as logically the focus should be on the crimes, though it’s unusual by K-Drama standards.
Mr. Sunshine
For those who want a more realistic take on Korean history as opposed to a fantastical one like Kingdom, Netflix offers the K-Drama Mr. Sunshine as an alternative. Though it is set in the Joseon period, much like Kingdom, it’s during the latter part that coincides with the late Nineteenth Century.
Story-wise, it’s about a romance that develops between a South Korean officer in the United States Marine Corps and a noblewoman who joins Korea’s righteous army. In the background is the looming occupation of Korea by the Japanese. While the show has been accused of historical inaccuracy, it is praised for its storytelling and characters.
