Top 5
K-Dramas To Watch If You Loved ‘Squid Game’
‘Squid Game’ has absolutely taken the world by storm after its Netflix release, and it’s amazing to see how much attention this show is receiving. As all my friends know that I watch a lot of Korean Dramas, the questions I’m constantly getting asked right now are ‘what other good K-Dramas are there?’ and ‘what else is there like ‘Squid Game’?’ The answer to the first question is- lots! The answer to the second one is a little trickier. It’s hard to pin down what exactly it is about the show that made it such a success and so enjoyable to so many people. The short answer is that the reason ‘Squid Game’ is so popular is because it’s sort of the first of its kind. But if you look closely, there are a lot of K-Dramas that share elements with ‘Squid Game’. There’s so very many K-Dramas out there, so it can be a tricky realm to navigate- particularly if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Hopefully this list will help both old and new K-Drama fans find another drama to enjoy.
5: Circle
On the surface ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Circle’ don’t have that much in common. But if you look a little deeper ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Circle’…still kinda don’t really have that much in common. They’re both Korean, I guess? Seriously though, ‘Circle’ is a K-Drama that I would recommend to almost anyone. It has great acting and a great story, and its twisty, unpredictable plot make it a very addictive watch. There is great mystery in this show, and it’s fascinating to watch the characters inch ever closer to the truth of their world. I would say that if you straight up like a solid story with lots of mystery elements and touches of thriller, ‘Circle’ would be a great watch for you.
The similarity that I would find between ‘365’ and ‘Squid Game’ is the initial choice and resulting life-or-death consequences. In ‘365’ the characters all choose to go one year back in time, and one-by-one they start to die under mysterious circumstances. The mystery is a big draw in ‘365’ and has a relatively satisfying conclusion. The acting is all top notch, and the relationships between the characters are interesting to watch play out. There is a similar life-and-death vibe to ‘Squid Game’, only in ‘365’ it’s less clear who the game-master is and what rules they should all be playing by. Again, if mystery is your jam and you like characters being faced with deadly consequences, this could be a K-Drama to add to your watch-list.
This addition is probably the most seemingly random of the 5 K-Dramas I’m recommending on this lift. There’s no game. There’s no secret mastermind. There’s no sudden death if you choose wrong. It’s just a bunch of dudes in prison. And their guards. While ‘Smart Prison Living’ doesn’t have the same sort of hook that more flashy dramas have, it has a host of amazing, relatable characters with emotional and heartfelt stories. While the death games in ‘Squid Game’ were a big draw and a huge part of why the show stands out, it is the emotions and the stories of the characters that retained the audience’s attention after the hook got them in. ‘Smart Prison Living’ unravels its characters personalities and stories to perfection, and is rich with emotion. If it’s the delicate character relationships and the slow revealing of character intentions that grabbed you in ‘Squid Game’ (Ali and Sae Byeok fans I’m looking at you) then I would wholeheartedly recommend you check out ‘Smart Prison Living’ (may also be called ‘Prison Playbook’ depending on what country you’re in). As an added bonus, Park Hae Soo who plays Sang Woo in ‘Squid Game’ takes the leading role in ‘Smart Prison Living’.
2: Kingdom
In a way, ‘Kingdom’ is a bit like the predecessor to ‘Squid Game’. Also from Netflix, ‘Kingdom’ entered the Western market pretty strongly and shook the barriers that divide Asian and Western television just enough so that ‘Squid Game’ could break them down. As it’s a zombie show, it’s got the bloody, gritty survival side that ‘Squid Game’ has- just in a far less controlled environment. Similarly to ‘Squid Game’ the production values are high in ‘Kingdom’- it feels like a blockbuster right at home. Beautiful (if creepy and a bit gory) cinematography, and great action scenes. Set in historical Korea the show feels very unique, though the politics may initially confuse some viewers who aren’t as familiar with historical plots as the regular K-Drama viewer. If the blood, fighting and desperate struggle for survival is what kept you hooked on ‘Squid Game’ then ‘Kingdom’ may be a good show to follow. Also, like ‘Squid Game’ (and unlike most of the other shows on this list) ‘Kingdom’ has a small episode count- two 6 episode seasons and a one hour special. If you don’t have or want to invest a lot of time into a show, this is a good, short watch.
1: Liar Game
Dare I say it, ‘Liar Game’ is like the original (albeit PG) version of ‘Squid Game’. When asked to pick a K-Drama most like ‘Squid Game’, this is the one my mind always goes to. The premise is very similar- a bunch of debt-ridden Koreans are invited to join a game to compete for a huge amount of prize money. Only rather than dying if you lose, you are simply eliminated from the game. The games are also not simple kids games either- ‘Liar Game’ is all about the psychology of the games and the contestants trying to out-manipulate each other. The games are often complex and involve lots of strategy, but I think that adds to the appeal of the show. ‘Liar Game’ comes from the era of Candy Girls (sweet, innocent heroines who are often down on their luck but trusting and hardworking nonetheless- and sadly often don’t have much of a personality)- so fair warning for those going in that the female lead is not like Sae Byeok in ‘Squid Game’. At all. But the leading man and lady make a great pair and are an enjoyable team to watch compete in the games. ‘Liar Game’ was also a 2014 release, so it may feel a little dated for those more used to the slick, modern shows of 2020 and 2021- but I would implore people to give it a go despite the drama’s age, at it really is a great watch, and I think that most people who liked ‘Squid Game’ will enjoy ‘Liar Game’ as well. I believe that the source materiel is from a Japanese manga that has also been made into a Japanese live-action, but as I don’t have experience with those versions I can’t comment on their quality. But the K-Drama version- awesome.
What K-Dramas would you recommend to 'Squid Game' fans?
