Hooked on Squid Game? Here are 10 of the best K-dramas to watch next

1 year ago 172

Reply 1988

Reply 1988.
Reply 1988. Photograph: Netflix

Reply 1988 begins successful the twelvemonth South Korea hosted the Olympics and follows the lives of 5 friends successful the neighbourhood of Ssangmun-dong successful bluish Seoul: carefree Deok-sun, chap trouble-maker Dong-ryong, exemplary pupil Sun-woo, grumpy Jung-hwan and Choi Taek, a reserved Baduk (Go) player.

It is hard to pinpoint precisely what makes Reply 1988 1 of the champion and most-loved K-dramas of each time. But from its 80s popular civilization references to the ahjummas (auntie figures) whose stories volition determination you to tears, you volition find yourself pleasantly invested successful its charming, nostalgic story. Plus, it ends with a twist.
Available to watercourse connected Rakuten Viki

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

This phantasy romance is often described arsenic 1 of the champion K-dramas of each clip – possibly due to the fact that of the memes it has birthed, oregon possibly due to the fact that of its pin-up leads Gong Yoo (who plays Kim Shin) and Kim Go-eun (who plays Ji Eun-tak).

In it, we conscionable the lonely and large god, Kim Shin – besides known arsenic Goblin – who has been live for 900 years, and needs to find a quality bride to acceptable his psyche free. While it tin beryllium a small cheesy, wherever other connected TV volition you find immortal love, a likable grim reaper and a squad of ghosts each successful 1 place?
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Hospital Playlist

Hospital Playlist.
Hospital Playlist. Photograph: Netflix

From the manager of Reply 1988, Shin Won-ho, Hospital Playlist follows 5 doctors successful their 40s, who person been champion friends since they entered medicine, arsenic they woody with the idiosyncratic struggles that travel with their profession.

However, this slice-of-life bid is much heartwarming than heartbreaking. The radical are besides successful a set created to unwind aft the pressures of infirmary life, and the songs they performat the extremity of each occurrence are irresistibly fun.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Welcome to Waikiki

What happens erstwhile 3 friends – an aspiring movie director, an aspiring histrion (with each the close connections yet determined not to usage them) and an uninspired freelance writer – unfastened a guesthouse, and a azygous parent and her babe travel to stay?

If you privation immoderate airy alleviation from dense K-dramas oregon a interruption from binge-worthy romances, this is for you. Despite the lighthearted consciousness of the show, it besides covers heavier topics arsenic the radical fig retired however to execute their dreams and find love.
Available to watercourse connected Rakuten Viki

Sky Castle

Sky Castle.
Sky Castle. Photograph: Netflix

Released successful 2018, Sky Castle is simply a communicative of power, prestige and privilege, which sparked wide statement connected the world unit faced by students successful South Korea. The play follows a radical of elite families arsenic they vie astatine immoderate outgo to get their children accepted into Korea’s apical 3 prestigious SKY universities – Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University – with fatal consequences.

The 2nd most-watched play successful Korean cablegram tv history, this arguable bid is simply a must-watch.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class.
Itaewon Class. Photograph: JTBC

After being wrongfully sent to situation for 3 years, Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) has a imagination to realise: That dream? To unfastened a edifice and guarantee it becomes the biggest nutrient concatenation successful Korea, which – on with his loyal friends – helium dilatory turns into reality.

Set successful Itaewon, a neighbourhood known arsenic Seoul’s astir divers country and often referred to arsenic “foreigners district”, this is simply a communicative astir however the affluent maltreatment their power, and however it’s imaginable to emergence supra injustice. And it wouldn’t beryllium a classical K-drama without a emotion triangle. In fact, it has everything you request – including nary different than V of BTS connected the authoritative soundtrack.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Signal

Signal isn’t a typical, predictable transgression drama. Based connected real-life events (with immoderate embellishment), this thriller sees Lee Je-hoon play Park Hae yeong, a transgression profiler who uses a mysterious walkie talkie to pass with a detective from 1989, Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong).

Hae-yeong ends up becoming a mentor to detective Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo), arsenic they effort to get to the bottommost of Jae-han’s mysterious disappearance 15 years earlier.

With each instalment offering uncanny twists and turns, you’ll volition find yourself clicking to the adjacent occurrence earlier the credits start.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Hello, My Twenties!

Hello, My Twenties!
Hello, My Twenties! Photograph: Netflix

While the rubric mightiness dependable lighthearted, this is simply a thoughtful, introspective and moving depiction of sisterhood. We ticker arsenic a radical of twentysomething assemblage housemates mature implicit each episode, dealing with the turbulence of life, from familial and fiscal pressures to breakups.

Among them, Yoon Jin-myung, a assemblage pupil who works respective jobs to enactment herself; Song Ji-won, an outgoing journalism major, obsessed with men; Jung Ye-eun, who is spiritual and preppy; Kang Yi-na, who works arsenic an escort and has a carefree life, and the newest summation to the group, the timid Yoo Eun-jae.

The characters travel from assorted backgrounds, but their emotion and attraction for each different are ne'er successful doubt, emphasising the connection that relationship seldom depends connected similarities but, rather, thrives connected differences.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok Joo

It is not each time you find a protagonist who is arsenic likable arsenic Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung). A weightlifter astatine a sports university, she is hilarious, benignant and loyal, cleanable for this feelgood play that captures the excitement of a caller relationship. Nam Joo-hyuk plays Jung Joon-hyung, a swimmer astatine Bok-joo’s assemblage who proves a cleanable emotion involvement for her, contempt battling his ain trauma. The onscreen chemistry betwixt the brace underpins this saccharine coming-of-age tale.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix

Because This Is My First Life

Because This Is My First Life.
Because This Is My First Life. Photograph: Netflix

This play doesn’t trust connected the classical enemies-to-lovers trope – indifferent acquaintances to lovers would possibly beryllium much accurate.

When Nam Se-hee – arobotic machine decorator who sticks religiously to his regular daily – meets Yoon Ji-ho, a screenwriter who abruptly moves retired of her household home, it feels similar 2 worlds are clashing – . However, arsenic the bid continues, you’ll beryllium pleasantly amazed with wherever this improbable narration ends up.

A charming – and uncommon – diagnostic of the bid is that its supporting characters’ storylines are arsenic fleshed-out arsenic the main plot. Namely, that of Woo Su-ji, who works successful a firm bureau filled with misogynistic men, with the bid examining the effects of intersexual harassment successful the workplace.

The wide effect is simply a romcom that feels much unchangeable and unafraid than frantic and exciting, but volition inactive person you feeling affectional nonetheless.
Available to watercourse connected Netflix