Korean Dramas that I Recommend to friends

I have not been a korean drama watcher from long. The first K-drama i watched was in January of 2021 but since then, i have watched a lot of them that I cant stop recommending to my friends. I wanted to write this blog post last month but it just kept on lingering in my drafts. Kdrama and Kpop has really been gaining a lot of popularity around the world from past 10 years and even though I jumped on this trend train late but I am sure that I am here to stay.

Well, let’s begin with the list that we have been waiting for:

1. Crash Landing on You (2019-2020)

• Korean Name: 사랑의 불시착
• Best OST Song: Too many, but “Photo of My Mind” by Song Ga In was my KKT song for a while

QUICK PLOT

When Yoon Seri falls into North Korean territory after a freak accident, she must rely on a group of soldiers to keep her safe all while falling in love with their leader, Ri Jeong Hyuk.

WHY I LOVED IT

Remember when I said of all the dramas I’ve watched live, I was satisfied once? This was that one exception! I still can’t believe I watched it live after all the betrayal I’ve suffered, but between Hyun Bin’s cheek bones, Son Ye Jin, and the plot, I just had to.

The premise honestly sounds ridiculous but “Crash Landing on You” turned out to be SO GOOD. It’s just the right amount of funny, sweet, and utterly heart-wrenching. Two dramas have made me cry at the end, and this was one of them. Every character was so well done, from the duckling soldiers (got that term from Drama Beans) to the funny ahjummas and more, our lead couple was so well supported.

On a bigger scale, I think this did a LOT to humanize the typical North Korean. One of the things I’ve heard is that the longer the peninsula remains split, the more foreign North Koreans seem to the south (and the world), and I think this show and its popularity has done a lot to combat that.

2. Its Okay to not be okay

Korean Name: 사이코지만 괜찮아

Best OST: Too many. This show has one of the best Korean Songs I have ever heard.

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay portrays the unusual love story between the seemingly stoic, de-sensitized Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun), who works as a community health worker in OK Psychiatric Hospital, and the lawless, anarchistic Ko Moon Yeong (Seo Ye Ji), who is a famous children book’s author.

WHY I LOVED IT:

This show has helped me understand mental health and importance of it on an another level. This show revolves around a lot of people who have been having different kinds of issues in life and also how they deal with them on a day to day basis.
I love the cast of this show. Seo Ye Ji as Go Moon Young looks refreshing and is a very strong female character which is rare to watch in K-Dramas. Usually K-Drama female leads are mellow and sweet but her portrayal of this character is a breath of fresh air. Kim Soo Hyun as Moon Kang Tae does a decent job of portraying character of brother of a person who has been having mental issues since childhood and also a weird fear of butterflies because he was the sole witness to his mother’s death. I never got bored once in the entire K-drama. I really liked the story and pacing of the show.

3. Itaewon Class

Korean Name :  이태원 클라쓰

WHY I LOVED IT :

It made me think how I want to live my life Character arcs were amazing Park seroyi- his will and determination to not to be defined my his past or others Jo yi seo- her confidence that’s he can have both love and success and then putting in the work and patience for it Oh soo ah- kinda like Snape in Harry Potter, I didn’t liked her but last episode explained everything Jang geun won- a villan, a victim who again chose to be the villian Jang geun soo- a teenage boy without guidance One other great thing was this drama won’t feel you wondering what happened to that guy .. they gave proper ending to each character and relationship Haters might be saying they don’t get the shift of love story or decisions by geun won but I would like to point out the effect of time (years) on characters Bonus point is it’s great ost .. especially sweet night by V hits home.

4. Vincenzo

Best OST:

This show doesnt have a lot of songs like other Korean Dramas but the music that always used to play in Vincenzo’s Background was epic.

WHY I LOVED IT:

I have become such a huge fan of Song Joong Ki after watching this show. He looks so so cool and handsome in this show. I am still so obsessed with the chemistry between the main leads of show. The love story is really different from other K-Dramas that I have watched. It is not about actors looking into each other eyes and saying “Sarangeyo” but this show was about showing the leads working together for a common cause and also finding love in between. Vincenzo was a great watch! Fantastic cast and script, this is another Studio Dragon slick production with wonderful visuals and soundtrack, thrilling fight sequences and generally, a real and powerful gripping and emotional journey. I could not stop watching once I’d started!! I really loved the cast and the leads are wonderful together. Real magic between Song Jong-Ki and Jeon Yeon Bin. Wow!!! Thrilling to watch, from start to finish! Loved it.

5. Startup

QUICK PLOT

Young entrepreneurs aspiring to launch virtual dreams into reality compete for success and love in the cutthroat world of Korea’s high-tech industry.

WHY I LOVED IT

First, I think it was a very well-written script well character development, relatable, encouraging, music was significant, and the actors were amazing. I am not an expert in art and theater, so I can only speak for what it made me feel. I highly recommend watching it; it starts a bit slow as they need to set the proper foundation for developing the story. It has a highly positive message of perseverance and working hard toward your goals. I think it also opens the door to show how much of support system people with a dream need, and it allows us to see what’s possible with the right desire and dream. I know it is not a real-life story, but I want to believe that things like this could happen.

What do you think are the best Korean Dramas to watch?