r/kdramarecommends Banner 2021 Recommendations

18 Again - A couple whose marriage has been unsuccessful despite loving each other so much when they were 18. Just when they're about to get divorced the ML gets a chance to go back to his 18 year old self and start a new. In this journey the ML finds himself and his true love back. This drama is filled with some really talented actors. There are so many endearing characters and relationships that you end up rooting for all of them. A wholesome drama about family, friendships and more about communication. Filled with tons of life lessons, laughter and tears! This drama made me a fan of Lee Do-Hyun, his acting of a 40 year old man with a face of his 18 year old self was praise-worthy. He killed it with all his subtle expressions and mannerisms that eventually made his performance convincing. - u/Fatooz

18 Again - Lee Dohyun portrayed the character of a 40 something year old man stuck in the body of an 18 year old so well! His random screaming moments made his character so funny. But he also conveyed his other emotions so, so well. This made me check out all his other characters too! The cute younger prince in love with the bandit leader in Hotel Del Luna. The clever older brother, trying to figure out ways to save all the residents in a building overrun by monsters in Sweet Home. The lover, just trying to have a relationship with the girl he likes amongst, political uprisings, family drama etc. He is totally my number 1 kdrama actor  - u/autumn-leaves13

18 again - Lee Do Hyun He is an eye candy, but I really fell in love with his acting. The way he portrays his emotions is so natural? You feel like whatever is happening in the drama is actually happening to him.  - u/gauriawasthi

I decided to give 18 Again a shot and [Lee Do Hyun] truly blew me out of the water with his performance. It was seriously spectacular - u/sadworldmadworld

Thirty, but Seventeen (aka Still 17) - Triple whammy!  Shin Hye Sun, Yang Se Jong and Ahn Hyo Seop - This was the first time I ever saw any of them and I fell in love with all three!  A heartwarming, sweet romance with a found family feeling that includes a great bunch of side characters, as well.  FL awakens from a 13 year long coma to find her world completely changed.  She acts quite childlike in the first few episodes, but shows so much growth.  ML is a warm-hearted person who does not want to get involved with other people; and Ahn Hyo Seop is his adorable nephew who is staying with him for a few months. - u/LcLou02

Thirty but Seventeen - This one is a really cute and sweet romantic comedy following a 17 year old girl who goes into a coma, waking up 13 years later with the body of a 30 year old. It's mostly very wholesome and cute, and Shin Hye Sun did a phenomenal job in portraying a young girl trapped in an adult body.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

49 Days — A woman finds herself in a coma and has to find three people who truly love her (excluding family) within 49 days in order to wake up, with the help of borrowing another girl's body. I was feeling kinda iffy about Lee Yo-won in the first few episodes, not gonna lie... but as the show progressed, I found myself immersed to the point that I only shipped her with the ML depending on which character she was playing. The challenge about playing two different characters of the same sex is that you don't get to portray the obvious dichotomy of masculinity/femininity, but she managed and did it well.  - u/purple-jeopardy

Another Miss Oh (Another Oh Hae Young) -  It follows the story of Oh Hae Young (Seo Hyun Jin) as she struggles with life in the shadow of a more popular girl with the same name. The Male Lead (Eric Mun) has visions of his future, not all of them pleasant, but almost always centering on Oh Hae Young and he doesn't know why.

I recommend this drama, a lot, however when I convinced my wife to watch it, she really disliked the lead character and series for the first several episodes. However, the show is about growth, and the characters do grow, she really enjoyed the series as it progressed. We've followed Seo Hyun Jin since this show, I've probably seen more of her work in the lead role than any other Korean actress. - u/GiraffeWC

Behind the White Tower — THE power struggle drama. For something in 2007, it held up so well—even down to the technical aspects such as cinematography and OST (which is so iconic that it gets referenced in other dramas all the time!). Fantastic direction from Ahn Pan-seok; great acting from the cast which includes familiar faces like Lee Sun-kyun, Ki Tae-young, Song Seon-mi, Byun Hee-bong, and more. BUT honestly I forgot about the all-star cast with Kim Myung-min's performance as Jang Jun-hyeok. He played the bad guy so well that I hated but also loved him at the same time because the acting was soooo good!  - u/purple-jeopardy

Beyond Evil - When the young detective is transferred to a small province, a murder takes place which is connected to a murder that took place 20 years ago. This case leads to the young detective suspecting his team member who was also the suspect 20 years ago. This drama is filled with plot twists and turns, enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. The writing and direction are so apt and top this up with fabulous acting from all the actors. It's a drama where you need to pay attention to each and every scene since every scene is of importance. It's not everyday you find a drama which is amazing in every aspect. This drama made me a fan of Shin Ha-Kyun and Yeo Jin-Goo. The both were outstanding at expressing even the most subtle expressions when showing some distinct characteristics. They were so convincing in each and every scene that eventually you'll fall for them by the end of the drama. - u/Fatooz

Chicago Typewriter - The ML is a famous writer who ends up going in a slump and can't come up with a story. On a trip to another country for his fan meeting he ends up getting interested in a suspicious typewriter. The typewriter reaches his home a few days later and after this a series of weird incidents take place leading the ML to remembering his past life. This drama follows the lives of the ML, FL and SFL through two time periods, the current time period (2017) and 1930s Japanese Occupation. This drama showcases some great friendships, patriotism and most importantly a heart touching love story. This drama made me a fan of Yoo Ah-In. I especially fell for him in the past life role, he does a convincing job in bringing the two characters to life. - u/Fatooz

The Crowned Clown -  In this "Prince and the Pauper" story Yeo Jin Goo play three characters: a crazy, paranoid king, a street-smart, kind-hearted street performer, and a street-performer pretending to be a king. I had see Yeo Jin Goo in other roles, including roles he played as a child and teen and he was good in all of them, but this one required serious acting chops and he was amazing. The drama is so well done and engaging and he really shines! - u/sharjoy3

Five Enough - I’d heard really great reviews of Five Enough but hesitated because Sung Hoon was one of the main cast and I’d only ever seen him play wooden chaebol characters. I’d come to the conclusion the man couldn’t pick a role to save his life and didn’t have any acting chops, but I decided to give Five Enough a shot and in no time my mind was changed. While it didn’t turn me into a super fan of his, it took me from immediately rejecting any drama he starred in to being able to consider them.

Five Enough is an addictive family drama about two families coming together and all the struggles and fun that happens along the way. This drama is great because you not only get the stories of the grandparents and parents generation but also the children. Sung Hoon is paired with Shin Hye Sun and are a very adorable coupling, you’ll find yourself wishing they got more screen time. - u/sianiam

Hospital Playlist - This drama centers on the lives and professional travails of 5 doctors who have been best friends since medical school. As they work to save their patients' lives, they make time to hang out together and to practice in a band. Each episode features the band playing and singing together. This show made me a fan of Jo Jung Suk. Not only does he have a great singing voice, but his emotional range is stunning. He bounces from adorkable goofball, to doting father, to fiercely loyal friend. - u/Longjumping-River-42

Hospital Playlist is warm, and tender medical themed drama that started slow, but built a following.This slice of life kdrama follows five doctors that have been friends since medical school and enjoy playing music together. Hospital Playlist is well written, directed; the cast is outstanding individually and together; each getting their moment to shine and attention is given to the cases of the episode without losing focus on the lives of the characters; the ost is amazing, made even more special when performed by the cast.

Jo Jung suk's portrayal of Ik-jon the leader of the band, doting father, fiercely loyal friend, and caring doctor makes his character so endearing.  Also, enjoyable is his insights into his friends lives and his willingness to step into the fray to help them. - u/chimbo77

Jo Jung Suk is an absolute delight in the show and I have got obsessed with him since. I had seen him before in Oh My Ghostess and had liked him, but JJS made me fall absolutely in love with him through HP - u/secretmonitor9627 (full  comment here)

A Korean Odyssey: A girl who can see ghosts and spirits frees the monkey king from imprisonment by the gods, he makes a deal to protect her, however cheats his way out of fulfilling his end. As an adult, she's cursed with powerful blood that attracts demons wanting to feed on her. The Monkey King protects her as he intends to eat her himself. He's manipulated into being forced to love her, and a lot of the series then revolves around whether those feelings are real or not.

I didn't enjoy the drama as much as I'd hoped. However, the actress Lee Se Young, who plays a reanimated zombie, and an additional character was incredible in her supporting role.  She outshined everyone else for me, and honestly despite this drama being difficult to recommend, the acting was still great all around. This drama is what put me onto Lee Se Young's work.

As an aside, this drama had a song on the soundtrack by Yuna (AOA), it's the song that drove me into K-Pop. My playlists would look a lot different without this Drama. - u/GiraffeWC

Hymn of Death - a tragic lovestory based on the true experiences of a famous soprano and a famous playwrite falling into a star crossed love during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 1900s.This drama is so heartwrenchingly good and anyone who is a fan of history i highly reccomend. it isnt emtirely historically accurate but its a very good representation of what life woukd have been like for these individuals and its one of my favourites. The acting is also superb.

after watching it i started watching all of Lee Jong Suk's past works and he really a terrific actor. he pulls of the serious concepts, the goofy concepts and the chilling concepts (cough vip). He's one of my favourite actors to date. - u/ladada23

I Can Hear Your Voice with Lee Bo Young as a lawyer who wants the easy way out, and who prefers to work as little as possible. We get personal development, and discussion of which circumstances creates a murderer and could we all become one? Lee Bo Young aces the comedic timing, the weariness of life, the conflicted love of her mother. - u/the-other-otter

I Am Not A Robot - a cute, fluffy romance drama about a man with a perceived human allergy that causes him to have allergic flare-ups in response to the human touch, and a human girl who must pretend to be his personal robot without him ever knowing the truth. This silly but fun plot makes the drama oh so lovely and adorable, while the human allergy aspect adds an emotional touch. We get to see the leads grow closer (TONS of chemistry) as well as a lovely found family of ragtag scientists. This drama made me a fan of Yoo Seung-Ho - he's able to convey the diverse emotions that come with his unique circumstance such as pure/innocent love, betrayal, pain, trauma, hesitation, callousness, and heartbreak with so much depth in a natural way. His angsty scenes were simply heartbreaking, you can see how years of acting experience really came to play. It's a simple role & story but it leaves a major impact! - u/flawedconstellation

IRIS is a spy thriller that follows two South Korean special forces soldiers who are recruited to be part of the very secret NSS (National Security Service). The two soldiers are best friends, Kim Hyun-jun (Lee Byung-hun) and Jin Sa-woo (Jung Joon-ho).  The soldiers friendship is torn apart when they realize they have both fallen for the same woman, agent Choi Seung-hee (Kim Tae-hee).  On their first mission in Hungary Jin is ordered to kill Kim, who was set up as a traitor.  There more twists in this kdrama than there are in a pretzel factory.  The acting and cast are solid from top to bottom.

IRIS made me a fan Lee Byung hun. I think his ability to bring a level of gravitas, humanity and humor to a character is something rare and was on full display in IRIS and Mr Sunshine.  Truly a very gifted actor and one I hope to see soon in a future kdrama. - u/Chimbo77

Kill Me Heal Me - A love story between a business guy who has multiple personalities Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) and Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) who becomes his secret psychiatrist. Like most KDramas, it deals with mental illness, childhood trauma, family, cohabitation, love (all types), etc. Typical 2015 KDrama. This drama has a great balance of tones. Dark and cute. Funny and sad. This drama turned me into a fan of Hwang Jung Eum. Controversial, I know. See, at one end you have Ji Sung giving a god-level performance. So she had the impossible task of holding up for the other end. And she did. The rap battle scene that came out of nowhere is a great example of this. Ji Sung has to act 7 different roles. But she has to react to those personalities. The sheer energy she displayed is unmatched. May not be the best actress but a damn great entertainer.  - u/RayInRed

King2Hearts - A modern Saeguk set in an alternative universe where SK has a monarchy. Complete package of genres and tropes. Hate2love, cohabitation, action, mature romance, comedy, thriller, drama, politics, friendship, bromance so on. ML has one of the greatest character arcs of KDramaland. There are also trope subversion like FL is an NK soldier and constantly saves ML, she gets out of situations on her own. This is an emotionally heavy drama. Despite being a 2012 drama, it looks and feels grand. This drama made me a fan of Lee Seung Gi. This drama is his vehicle through and through. He plays one type of role for the first 7 eps; a childish, rude, prejudiced, lovable brat. But something happens in ep 7 and he has to switch gears to play the complete opposite type of role while retaining his 'hisness'. He did it flawlessly. Ep 8 and 9 are highlights as he emoted grief, heartache, fury, aghast, betrayal so well. He becomes hopeless romantic with FL, diabolical against the villain, a kid in a playground with his comrades, a son to his brother, father to the nation. - u/RayInRed

Legend of the Blue Sea - A mermaid comes ashore and falls for a con man in Spain. She follows him back to Korea and as they get to know each other better, they discover their lives have been entangled for even longer than they thought. This is one of the most romantic shows I’ve seen and not just because it has to do with fated love. The way the relationship between the leads plays out will have your heart fluttering.

This show made me such a fan of Jun Ji Hyun - she doesn’t do enough stuff! She’s both a great comedian and got an incredible emotional range. She’s just amazing. - u/TVAddict4

Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter -  I don't know that anyone else will mention Seo Ji-Hoon, but this role as a kind-hearted teaching assistant who falls for the fairy was perfect for him. He was able to convey surprise, wonder, love, caring, and despair, and every time he smiles the screen lights up. Really. I love this quirky, nutty drama that reveals beautiful hidden truths. I've seen it multiple times and shared it with friends. It's a gem that doesn't get much discussion on this reddit. But it is absolutely delightful.  - u/sharjoy3

Marriage not dating with Kim Hae Sook. She is mother of the male lead, and I could absolutely not recognise her. In every drama I have seen her, she has had different mannerisms and style. I chose Marriage not Dating because she has a fairly important role, with personal development. In fact, all characters have personal development in this drama. If you want a classic romcom with wealthy male lead and hardworking female lead in a modern setting, that makes you laugh in every episode, that shows how a man and a woman can be friends; this is the drama for you.  - u/the-other-otter

The Master's Sun (2013) It's a dark romantic comedy which revolves around the lives of a young woman who can see ghosts and a rich CEO who is haunted by his past. The CEO acts as her safe haven because the ghosts disappear when she touches him and in return she promises to unravel the mystery of his past.

This drama made me a fan of So Ji Sub! He plays a character with many dimensions. Though he is tough on the outside, he eventually warms up to the protagonist, while concealing his true feelings. It's adorable watching him slowly fall for her, feel jealous when she walks home with another guy, etc. I really admired the action of Gong Hyo Jin too, but So Ji Sub stole the show. - u/that_desigal

Money Flower - Jang Hyuk as Kang Piljoo. Need I say more? Haha. I had never watched a single Jang Hyuk show prior to this (I know, what have I been doing?) but in this show I see why everyone loves him. His micro expressions are amazing. That laid back, languid intensity...like a coiled panther ready to spring. Also this show was just so well-done in general. - u/theredmug_75

Mr. Queen has a uniquely quirky time-travel  storyline that weaves humor, drama, romance, modern sensibilities and Joseon mores into a fabric that fits. Also, to further play with the audience's minds Mr Queen is at some level a gender-bending romance, which initially bothered me.  There is a great ensemble cast, but Shin Hye-sun not only steals this show, but she becomes the show.  Her ability to bring her characters to life and then to switch from Bong-hwan to So-yong, or vice versa, seamlessly was a wonder to be hold.

I became a huge fan of Shin hye sun's acting after watching Mr Queen.  I think you can use almost any superlative you want describe to Shin hye sun's acting. Superlatives that come to mind include, tour de-force, outstanding, amazing, dazzling and marvelous. - u/Chimbo77

Mr. Queen - This show made me a Superfan of Shin Hye Sun. She was truly amazing - the character was completely different and her physicality resembled a male so much you totally believed it. FANTASTIC job. - u/TVAddict4 (full comment here)

Shin Hye Sun. I wasn't her fan before this drama. but she got my attention in Mr. Queen, she was amazing in there and mahaged to play multiole role showing difference between all characters: So Young, So Bong, So Young as Queen. - u/IChoseMyOwnUsername

Shin Hye Sun’s acting was so good in Mr Queen. Her mannerisms and gestures were on point and there was such clear distinction in the characters she portrayed. Mr queen is one of the kdramas with a lot of comedy and laugh out moments. Enjoyed the ride thoroughly. - u/tvbtoothpick

Mystic Pop Up Bar is a quirky, warm, funny little kdrama. Mystic Pop Up Bar is so sincere and full of heart and with a cast whose chemistry is on full display through the entire kdrama. Hwang Jung Eum is wonderful as Wol Joo, Choi Won Young and Yook Sung Jae round out the little Mystic Pop Bar team nicely. This trio make an endearing team, as they strive to help their customers resolve their grudges. The backstory is poignant, and writters do a nice job tying it in the grudge of the episode, theme with the back story.  The writing is tight and it's a quick 12 episode.

Hwang Jung Eum is wonderful as Wol Joo, Choi her ability to emote love, vulnerability and caring for the other characters was touching.  Her performance was something special. - u/Chimbo77

Navillera - Both Park In Hwan and Song Kang had me looking up their profiles to see what I should check out next after being impressed by their performances in Navillera. They made me laugh, cry and wish them the best as they pursued their dreams and supported one another along the way.

I adored everything about this drama. It’s a great choice if you are looking for something that will make you feel all of your feelings; it will break you and put you neatly back together along the way. If you are feeling a little lost in life it will probably inspire you too. - u/sianiam

Oh My Ghostess - Park Bo Young playing both shy Bong Sun and flirty Soon Ae was incredible. I won’t spoil the plot but basically she has to portray both at different points in the show and you always know who’s there. Amazingly well done. - u/theredmug_75

Oh My Ghost with Park Boyoung. Seeing her in Oh My Ghost. Just wow. She acts as two completely different personalities, arguably three: her introverted unconfident self silently pining after the chef, her as possessed by the extroverted ghost unabashedly flirtatious with the chef, and her own confident personality coming together at the end. - u/LoloLachimolala

Pegasus Market - This is about a hardly-surviving supermarket that was once the pride of its company. The manager there dreams that one day, the supermarket will be revived and be back to its former glory. One day, the head office sent one of their directors to lead the supermarket, but being demoted, he plans to drive the supermarket down to the grounds by hiring people who have failed in life and are unlikely hired by anyone. Just then, interesting things happen.

Made me a fan of: Lee Dong Hwi. This is my first proper venture of him (unlike the majority who found him thru Reply 1988) and I'm glad I picked this up. He surprised me here and I now anticipate his next project (dang he really takes his time actually).

Why you should watch it: If you like me and like to see quirkiness and weirdness in a drama but at the same time, would tug in your heart, you should give this drama a try. The combination of Lee Dong Hwi and Kim Byung Chul is so satisfying that you can't help but to root for them. - u/aeramarot

Penthouse - Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene), Shim Su Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah), and Cheon Seo-Jin (Kim So-Yeon) find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of war to be the best - from sending their children to the prestigious Cheong Ah Arts High School, to living in the penthouse on the 100th floor of Hera Palace - these women fight to their deaths (both literally and figuratively) for the sake of their children. The plot is intense and thickens with every episode, revealing the ugliness in modern Korean high society.

It'd be unfair for me to choose one! All three actresses did wonderfully on both seasons. They're really the holy trinity of the show, and deservedly so. I especially love Lee Ji Ah's character, Shim Su Ryeon, the gracious and graceful Queen of the penthouse, but later exacts revenge for her daughter and becomes someone the audience never expected. All three actresses handled their emotions in the drama perfectly, and I can't think of anyone else to play their respective characters. Penthouse is an immensely stressful drama, but it's one of the best, if not the best kdrama I've watched so far. - u/xlez

Prison Playbook - Turned me into a Jung Kyung Ho fan and Missing 9 sealed the deal and he just keeps getting better.  As a prison guard, he does his best to protect his childhood friend, a famous baseball player who ends up in prison; all the while trying to hide their special relationship from his peers. This man has great comedic timing, wonderful expressions, and can be deadly serious when needed. Of course, he's not the only one who shines in this Shin PD drama.  - u/LcLou02

Run On - A strong headed translator was forced to take on a project translating for an athlete who physically abused the juniors in his team in a bid to protect one of the athletes. The two slowly got closer to each other and begin to see each other in a different light. In the background, we have the CEO of a major agency whose fates seemed to be intertwined with a young budding painter.

Why you should watch: It's a very simple and straightforward storyline with well written dialogue that would seem a bit weird at first but endearing later on. Also, watch out for the countless movie references played out through day to day scenes and film sets (within this film set).

Made me a fan of: Im Si Wan and Shin Se Kyung. Their chemistry was palpable and their relationship felt so realistic. It's the first show I've seen of the two leads and I immediately enjoyed their performance. Si Wan being just an adorable person (in character, not just looks) and Se Kyung taking on that strong female role so well. - u/lovelifelivelife

School 2013 - a high school drama that highlights the dangers of bullying and gang violence. it is my all time favourite drama because of how well the writers weaved comedy with seriousness and I really don't know how to explain how much I live this drama without spoiling it so  i wont go into too much more detail.

Lee Jong Suk plays one of the main lead in this drama too but the actor that really stood out to me was Kim Woobin. The way he portrayed his emotions as the character really showed how much effort was put in and his performance was phenomenal. - u/ladada23

Something In The Rain, was when I found Jung Hae-In, my ultimate bias, who graces my phone lockscreen! I watched this kdrama for Son Ye Jin but lost my heart to Hae-In's adorable smile and his flawless acting. His face is so expressive, watching him act in emotionally turbulent scenes makes me want to cry and then never stop. I know a lot of people here hate the second half of the drama, but I really don't have those qualms. I love the kdrama for all its honest portrayal of human relationships and very very strong acting.  - u/potterwhomerswiftie

Start Up turned me into a huge fan of actor Kim Seon Ho. From the very first shot of the show, right through till the very end, his character never wavered. He was strong, mature and beautiful inside and out. He had his weaknesses, and he worked on them + plus his chemistry with pretty much anyone and everyone was just daebak. I genuinely fell in love with him, and Han Ji Pyeong goes into my top 2-3 favourite kdrama characters of all time.

Tbh, the story of this drama is not that great after the first four episodes, but here's why I was in love with it when it aired, why I had high hopes for it right till the very end and what you can expect from it: Decent humour, beautiful cinematography, and great use of colours, everyone looked pretty (no joke). I feel like each scene had a lot of deep thought and meaning put into it and it was a well made drama (just not well written) + the OST & score were also super strong. And finally, no matter how things turned out, you couldn't deny that you had some really great actors - including some amazing guest and cameo roles, as well. - u/vanished_cabinet

Sungkyunkwan Scandal - In Joseon times, a smart young woman disguises herself as a man to support her family, and ends up gaining admittance to a prestigious male-only university. A lot of fun shenanigans ensue as she becomes friends with 3 other students, makes some enemies, and tries to prove that she belongs. While this drama is a decade old, I watched it for the first time recently and thought the plot and production quality held up extremely well!

This turned me into a fan of: Song Joong-ki! He's charming in all his roles, but his character here was wonderfully chaotic neutral/good and I fell in love with his rogueish-yet-caring personality. - u/craftsycandymonster

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes turned me into a solid fan of Seo In Guk, due to his extraordinary capacity of portraying such a complex, heavy, painfully lonely and sad character of Kim Moo Young. He is a dashing lead with a truly dangerous smirk (of course XD), but also he is extremely sharp, and sometimes, very uncharacteristically honest, too. For a long time, it's incredibly difficult to understand who he is, where he stands, and what he is thinking, but the more you start to discover his real character, the more you end up rooting for him and his happiness.

The drama is worth watching overall because it's well written - it's got such a poetic beauty to it, and it also boasts a strong OST. The two leads have excellent chemistry, and it's one of the best portrayed romances I've seen overall, even though the drama as a whole is a bit of a tragedy. Would highly recommend others check it out, even if its only just for the sake of watching a "new" type of flawed, morally grey ML. - u/vanished_cabinet

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes turned me into a massive fan of Seo in Guk He plays the role of an orphan who doesn’t remember his childhood or where he came from. He has a mysterious past but there’s more to him than meets the eye. He in turn meets another orphan played by Jung So Min who has been raised by her older brother played by Park Sung Woong. Her older brother is a detective currently investigation a suicide/murder case which he suspects has something to do with Seo In Guk’s character. Honestly the drama is so compelling, Seo in Guk tugs at your heart strings. You’d never think he started off as a singer! - u/Evening-Structure993

True Beauty - A girl who has been bullied all her life discovers that she can hide her facial imperfections with makeup. After transferring schools, she “becomes” gorgeous, even befriending (and eventually falling in love with) the hottest guy in school. What she doesn’t realize is that he already knows what she looks like without her makeup, and doesn’t care. But will the rest of her classmates feel the same?

Helloooo Hwang In Yeop! He was soo charismatic as the bad boy with a soft heart that I got a MAJOR case of SLS. He really stole the show, in my opinion. I am now such a fan and look forward to what he’s doing in the future. - u/TVAddict4

Vincenzo - A show about an anti-hero, a member of the Italian mafia who punishes and roots out corrupt officials and corporations in South Korea, Vincenzo is a dark comedy with a huge cast of really great actors. The show is enjoyable to watch and though it may leave you questioning if the protagonist truly deserves the admiration he gets, it definitely is an interesting concept and something that you can sit down to watch. The best part about Vincenzo, in my opinion, are the antagonists. The antagonists are absolutely brilliant in their portrayal and really manage to keep the show interesting.

While Song Joong Ki is amazing in the show, the show left me obsessed with Ok Taec Yeon. He was brilliant as the antagonist and was able to portray so many sides to the character. I really enjoyed seeing him go from quirky to evil in the show. Also, his English is amazing! <3 - u/SecretMonitor9627

Vincenzo made me a fan of both Song Joong Ki and Jeon Yeo Been. A marvellous black comedy that'll keep you on your toes throughout. This, and iotnbo are two shows which have successively churned out high quality episodes week-after-week! - u/potterwhomerswiftie

When The Weather is Fine - A slowburning kdrama that has taken my heart! I’m a fan of slowburning kdramas, and everything in that kdrama was perfect. The side characters, the seasons, the mood, and more was fit in perfectly. And last but not least, the main leads. Park Min Young + Seo Kang Joon! Their chemistry was absolutely perfect and I loved them together! I’ve watched Park Min Young in Secretary Kim, and it wasn’t really my taste, but she is a great actress both in this kdrama and healer! As for Seo Kang Joon, this was my first kdrama to see him in, but I’m currently watching “Are You Human?” Anyways many thought the storyline of WTFIF was really slow and boring, but I thought it was really meaningful! - u/blurriedxroses

Zombie Detective  - a 12 eps zom-com where a zombie and a reporter solve crimes while figuring out the zombie's past. This drama is absolutely balls to the walls hilarious. Every character has some loose screws in their head. If you liked The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale, iZombie, or Warm Bodies, then this is a must. You'll definitely feel sorry for the zombies. Became a fan of Choi Jin Hyuk. First time watching his drama. He plays a zombie who is terrified of humans. His inner deadpan monologue delivery was excellent. His soulful voice definitely helps. 1st episode highlights his acting chops during his early days as a zombie. He also sells emotional scenes in the 2nd half. This drama wouldn't've worked if it weren't for CJH.  - u/RayInRed

Bonus drama (only on the mobile banner)

Heirs is the epitome of kdramas, mashing love triangles, chaebols and a cinderella storyline together (and a truckload of other tropes) in its search for the holy grail of kdramas: becoming a timeless work of art, relatable even a decade after its filming and endlessly referenced in modern dramas. It's simultaneously a tropey romance drama, a touching account of fears we all had growing up, and a shameless parody of itself. Best watched after you have a few romcoms under your belt and are ready for something campy, but be prepared to recognize scenes you saw in Heirs in every romcom you watch after it.

This drama also made me a fan of Kim Woo Bin and his readiness to emote with his eyebrows in the period when everyone was seemingly afraid of moving facial muscles, lest they inadvertently create a wrinkle. What won me over is his ability to show his character's changing emotions, being playful, annoyed or mischievous all while trying to be what all teens want to be; cool and mature. And ever so rarely, his mask would fall and we'd see who he truly is - a child forced to grow up too soon, trying to protect its heart from the cruel world of adults' backstabbing. - u/AlohaAlex