Top 5
K-Dramas to Start With
K-Dramas sure do have a lot of variety, and can be a messy area to navigate for new viewers. There’s so many to choose from- and popularity doesn’t always necessarily equal quality. Some K-Dramas also require a basic knowledge of Korean culture to understand the relationships and the plots- so some shows that can be absolutely fantastic can become confusing and unenjoyable if you watch them right off the bat. But on the other hand, there are also dramas that are pretty universal and easy to enjoy and understand regardless of your knowledge on Korean culture and customs- and are a great way to slowly introduce you to the world of K-Drama, and expand your understanding so you can appreciate a larger verity of the shows that K-Drama has to offer. Surely one of the saddest things is people being turned off something because they didn’t get introduced correctly. I mean, while historical dramas can be interesting and all, I definitely wouldn’t recommend any until you have some lighter, easier to follow K-Dramas under your belt first. So, from 5 to 1, here are my picks on the best dramas to get you (or your friends and family) hopelessly hooked.
The ‘Reply’ franchise has made a name for itself for creating beautiful, brilliant dramas that every man and his dog can relate to. ‘Reply 1997’ has shorter episodes than most K-Dramas, and is my personal favourite of the ‘Reply’ series. While there are a lot of cameos and hidden jokes that you’ll miss if you’re not Korean or an avid viewer of Korean dramas, there’s so much humour and heart in the show that is universally relatable. Pretty much any person who has been a teenager can understand our characters, as the story mostly takes place in their teenage years- a time of soaring highs and unbelievable angst no matter what country you live in. The tale is really about growing up and relationships with friends and family, and is told with a tone of wistful nostalgia. The humour is hilarious, the relationships endearing, and the characters are just so, so loveable.
4: You’re Beautiful
Cross-dressing is a pretty popular premise in K-Dramas, so much so that two of them have made it on this list. ‘You’re Beautiful’ is a drama that you’ll frequently find on favourite lists. It’s cute and fun, and while it’s probably the most juvenile of the shows on this list, sometimes you just want to watch something that’s deeply entertaining without requiring too much brain power. It’s an enjoyable little look in at Korea’s music industry, and despite it’s lack of deadly serious, life-or-death plot it remains entertaining through the continually developing characters and relationships. It’s a fun little piece that will introduce you to a lot of ideas that are common among many K-Dramas- Candy heroines, almost too nice to exist second male leads, boybands.
3: City Hunter
A lot of K-Dramas tend to focus quite a lot on the romance, and can be viewed as a bit ‘girly’. While I argue that anyone can enjoy a good romance regardless of gender, ‘City Hunter’ is probably the best drama to snag the interests of boys. Westerners in particular are used to pretty high budget TV shows and Hollywood movies, and ‘City Hunter’ has a bit of a ‘Batman’ vibe about it, with its vigilante hero and despicable villains. It’s action packed with a slight mystery element to it, and even has a slight dose of romance on the side. The drama also does a great job at introducing a concept that rears its head in many K-Dramas- corrupt politicians. The drama goes into the corruption that exists there, but focuses on the journey of our titular hero. There’s never a dull moment, and the drama is just plain awesome.
2: Coffee Prince
There is a very good reason the this drama has remained on the top of peoples’ favourite lists for so long. Despite being a 2007 release, the drama doesn’t feel dated at all. It’s deeply hilarious, but also hits a few good emotional notes along the way. I would have to say that this is one of the rom-com K-Dramas that is more boy-friendly, as our heroine is a giant tom-boy and is actually confused as a boy for most of the series. It’s hard to really put your finger on the magic of ‘Coffee Prince’, but it’s got something in it that everyone can enjoy. Again, it’s a drama that doesn’t focus too heavily on Korean culture, but it does give you a taste. It’s a good drama to start wrapping your head around some of the age-related names that Koreans call each other that don’t exist in some cultures, like ‘hyung’ or ‘dongsaeng’. It also features one of the kings of Korean acting- Gong Yoo.
This is the drama that hooked me into K-Drama- and I’m sure a whole bunch of other people were snagged by this one too. It really is a hit sensation- with Hollywood even wanting to remake it into an American TV show. It’s pretty, it’s fabulous, it’s pure gold. Celebrity status is something that everyone understands, but ‘My Love’ goes a little bit further in introducing it’s viewers into specifically Korean celebrities and how scandals work. Being a fantasy drama, there’s a lot of information presented that’s new to even Korean viewers, as one of our main leads isn’t even from Earth- so everything is spelled out pretty clearly. It’s a great drama to start on, as it also has some small historical segments in there as well- without being a dry, historical drama. It’s a wonderful, easy look-in on the beauty of the Joseon era that is easily understandable. It’s funny, witty and a phenomenal story with an array of brilliant characters and actors.
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| What were the K-Dramas that got you hooked? |
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