What to Watch After Something Light

Bridal Mask is very intense. It's an interesting plot and the action is amazing. It takes place during Japan's occupation of Korea and the main character is interesting, as he is Korean but a Japanese policeman so he has to struggle between his two identities (the Koreans hate him as he is working for the Japanese, the Japanese hate him as he is Korean). There is also a mysterious Korean freedom-fighter called "Bridal Mask". Then shit gets cray. - u/rosecoconut

City Hunter is definitely good if you want action. Lots of action. I think I might have binged this drama as I couldn't take the suspense after each episode. Maybe not the most intense but still pretty good. Plus if you've got Lee Min Ho as the bad-ass leading man, I'm not complaining :P  - u/rosecoconut

Pinocchio - the imaginary Pinocchio syndrome could've made you think this is not a serious drama, but it soon becomes an intriguing part of the plot. Exploring the inner workings of chaebols and the influence of newspaper and media poses a lot of difficult questions about morality, justice and is saving a single person more important than the benefit of the whole society. The actors all did an amazing job, especially since many of them stepped out of their comfort zone. It's an emotional, but unrelentingly hopeful ride. - u/AlohaAlex

Although it is a comedy as well Gu Family Book has some intense parts and a really tragic romance - which made me cry like a baby. I really enjoyed it as it's a good mix of action, suspense but also comedy . It might not be as intense for what your looking for but it's still really good.  - u/rosecoconut

Hundred Year Inheritance had one of the worst mother-in-law's I've seen in a drama. The shit she did to her daughter-in-law was just insane. The main character was put in so many messed up situations in this drama  - u/blarrrgo

Hundred Year Inheritance - It had one of the worst mother-in-laws seen in a drama. She does something that makes me go, "nah, no one would ever do that in real life..", then I find out that someone DID do it in real life. Her son and daughter also add to the horrible craziness. This is one of my favorite dramas and one of the only dramas that can truly make me furious, even after watching it for a 4th time. - u/hotshame

49 Days- This one is a roller coaster of emotions that definitely has its highs and lows. It has all the drama a show could ever need! - u/silverbluefox

Innocent Man- The perfect drama about betrayal and a revenge that could hurt the innocent people involved. Song Joong Ki. Moon Chae Won. 'Nuff said.  - u/silverbluefox

Mama- Another roller coaster of emotions. One minute you want to smack some sense into a spoiled rotten child, the next you want to hug him, the next you want a cure for every kind of cancer to exist just so a broken family doesn't have to be torn apart even farther. My favorite serious drama from this year.  - u/silverbluefox

Can You Hear My Heart- The feels. The dramatic irony. The drama. The my-adopted-brother-is-your-stepbrother story line. The deafness.  It's great. - u/silverbluefox

Princess's Man- Korean Romeo and Juliet that has you on your toes for all of the drama, including the last 30 seconds of the last episode. The romance is phenomenal. Again, Moon Chae Won. 'Nuff Said.  - u/silverbluefox

Thank You- The epitome of a drama filled with feels. You can't help but empathize with every character in one way or another. I like this one because it takes a serious problem that isn't normally brought up in any dramas and points out the prejudice that people had against those with AIDS. Even more feels because of the little girl being the one to have AIDS :(  - u/silverbluefox

Mawang (마왕, from 2007). This series is about a police detective who is investigating two seemingly unrelated murders, only to discover that they may actually be connected to a terrible incident in his past. Filing this under the "not so light" category because (a) it's a revenge drama, (b) the overall atmosphere of the show is pretty gloomy, and (c) it's one of those stories that really deals with regret and the grey area between wrong and right. The hero isn't entirely a hero, and the villain isn't entirely a villain. Cheerful fun for the whole family!  - u/h_friend

I thought Secret Love was really well acted. There we so many unbelievable events it was shocking how they even came out in the end.  I really like Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum.  - u/Anjacina

I thought Two Weeks was really action packed. The past stories that confirmed the present helped the story line instead of hinder it.  Because so much keeps going wrong and it helps explain why. - u/Anajacina

I cried SO much during Shining Inheritance, it took me a really long time to get through.  - u/gordonshumway85

That Winter, The Wind Blows is one of my absolute favorite dramas ever.  The acting and directing was SO good.  - u/gordonshumway85

Beyond the Clouds was a really emotional revenge drama with interesting twists. - u/gordonshumway85

Cruel City is one of the most intense and dark dramas I've ever seen. - u/gordonshumway85

Missing You is one of the most intense and dark dramas I've ever seen.  - u/gordonshumway85

Scent of a Woman: It's about a woman dying of cancer and how she lives the rest of her life out. There were so many tears shed by me, and I'm not much of a crier. - u/hotshame

Someone posted Joseon X-Files as a good palate cleanser after a heavy show, but I suggest it might be good after a light show. Much of the filming appears to be done with a handheld camera, and the lighting is dark, so it's not visually relaxing, even though the lighting and camera work enhance the story.  Also, so much is left unsaid that you (or maybe it's just me) feel like you have to really pay attention and are still missing things. It's an excellent series. - unknown

Come! Jang Bo Ri - I couldn't recommend it more. It's intense because it has a great mix of sheer drama, lunacy, suspense, also really cool plot twists. It's about families and identities swaps/lost identities, evil mothers,  greed, etc. Sometimes it can have some light moments but as a whole it's a distressing addictive watching experience. Was so happy to see it win a ton of MBC awards recently. - u/iminlovewithakicker

I know everyone here hates it, but Heirs is emotionally draining.  The show is a non-stop roller coaster of pain with only the occasional Lee Bo No/moms scene to make the show lighter.  Emotionally abusive brother, mom you can't acknowledge, socially unacceptable girlfriend, forced engagement to a bitch, ex-best friend stalks your girlfriend and gets into fights with you, fake mom is secretly plotting to take over your dad's company, dad is a control freak, you suck at school, your past as a bully comes back to haunt you, girlfriend has all sorts of issues too.  Would not want to be Kim Tan. - u/oGsMustachio

Bad Guys - This show is about a bunch of convicts that team together to catch other convicts. There is a lot of fighting and action in this show, and it deals with some dark topics such as murder, mental illnesses, and serial killers. Very binge worthy, and very dark. - unknown

Keeping the job when the younger people are doing all to climb the ladder and take your place. Main character has more layers than what it looks like at first. Misty has a tough female lead going through tough times. Well paced, and with human side characters. Most admirable female lead ever.  - u/the-other-otter

Misty - female lead defines badass. You won't agree with everything she does but she will command your respect. Unapologetically ambitious and ruthless, she becomes the main suspect in the death of an old-lover. Is this a set-up? How can she defend herself without revealing their scandalous liaison? - u/Xocobo

Hear it Through the Grapevine has an equally tough and independent female lead, and it shows the human ability to lie to oneself. Best drama for how servants really think about their masters. - u/the-other-otter

Remember: War of the Son - Prepare yourself for a lot of sadness and crying with this one. It's an Alzheimer story mixed with Machiavellian power games. Lawyer fighting to prove his father not-guilty and put away the real culprit. - u/UkEuropeEarth

Angry Mom is pretty intense. But angry mom's friends, the over-accessorized woman of the underworld - not to mention her decorative henchmen - do lighten the atmosphere.  - uknown

Save me -The happy, friendly preacher man might have some underlying motive. Some plot unlikeliness is pulling this drama down, but if you can ignore those, you are in for strong feelings.  - u/the-other-otter

Stranger - the first half of this show will give you whiplash. There is no handholding as viewers are thrust into a murder investigation that quickly unearths institutionalized corruption. An oppressing gravity permeates each scene as our heroes work in isolation, find common allies, and expose the truth. Hold your breath, otherwise you might snap the tension! Smart screenplay meets strong characterization backed by thespian actors. NYT 2017 top10 International shows y'all. - u/Xocobo

Misaeng -The tough life, first landing the internship, then the surviving the office, then getting the actual job – preferably without doing something illegal or dodgy. First episode has virtually nothing to do with the rest of the drama and is mainly tourist commercial for Jordan.  - u/the-other-otter

Hello Monster / I Remember You - A child whose life was ruined when a genius serial killer murdered his father and kidnapped his brother returns to Korea after growing up in the US with his adoptive parents. Now a famous criminal profiler, he makes it his life goal to catch the killer and find out what happened to his bother. The game of cat and mouse between the two geniuses will attract you to the drama, but the incredible acting and copious chemistry between Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum will make you love it. - u/AlohaAlex

Encounter:  What happens when an encounter between a man and woman who seem to have nothing in common develops into a complicated love story? its Simple yet at time gets really angsty.  - u/stark37

Come and Hug Me: Can you love the person whose father killed your parents? briliant and intense with one the best antagonist in kdrama. you can feel his presence even when he is not screen. great acting from the entire cast.  - u/stark37

Children of nobody: A psychological thriller with great acting and story.  - u/stark37

Cunning Single Lady - Starts out with some scenes where I thought I might need help for my anger issues, but it  also has the greatest comedy. Revenge or love? - u/the-other-otter

My Fellow Citizens - Despite being mainly a comedy, and a silly concept, the political story is among the best I have seen. Not just corruption, but to wanting to do something. - u/the-other-otter

The drama that changed Korean politics. The streets were empty when Sandglass aired. - u/the-other-otter

SKY Castle -The stress of getting into the top university is taking its toll on both parents and children. - u/the-other-otter

SKY Castle - brilliant cast ensemble explores themes of parenting and the pressures on students - high-achievers as well as those wishing to live up to their parents/society's expectations. The tension is turned up to level 11 in some scenes, but there's a great mix of humour to even out the adrenaline.  - u/Xocobo

When the Camellia Blooms - A lot of cuteness in this drama, but I found it pretty heavy anyway. The hardships of being a single mother, the neighbours bullying, the low expectations of life when you always had little. The wrong choices that affect your whole life. A serial killer.  - u/the-other-otter

Tunnel - After a few too many fluffy rom-coms in a row, I felt the need for an intense, well -paced drama involving a police detective, a serial killer, and an unintended 30 year jump to the future.  Since I love both Signal and Life on Mars, I followed the many recs for Tunnel.  This one has more heart to it as the detective is a newlywed in 1980's, ends up in 2016 while chasing a culprit through a tunnel, and desperately wants to get back to his wife.  It is kind of the reverse of Life on Mars where the modern guy ended up in the 80"s. There's more of a serious tone than LoM, but like LoM it also has a great bromance (which was not a part of Signal).  The perfect antidote for fluff.  - u/LcLou02

White Christmas - A group of students left to their own devices in a wintery wonderland of a far away school in the mountains during Christmas break. A mysterious man shows up and a killing spree begins. Surprising ending but suits the overall tone of the story really well.  - u/imerremi

Tomorrow With You - A story of a guy trying to avoid / prevent his own death by marrying the woman who dies at the same time as him in the future. In the meantime he falls in love with her and fervently continous to search for the right time period to come back to... His back and forth time travel caused by an accident in his past allowed him to do so but at the same time made his life increasingly difficult. - u/imerremi

Life On Mars - A guy working at a crime lab ends comatose after a field trip during an investigation. Lying in his bed, he's somehow transported to his childhood again but remains the same. He doesn't remember much from his childhood and is rather sceptical of the events unfolding in front of him. He retains the connection to the present in a rather surprising way and as the story unfolds we can see where he prefers to continue his life. A nice social commentary set in the 80s. A new spin on corruption, bending the rules for the rich versus sticking to the protocol for the poor. The show raises also the question of our perception of the outside world and how we react when it's distorted. - u/imerremi

Mother - may be a challenging watch but what a rewarding thriller! A researcher impulsively abducts a child to rescue her from abusive parents. Pack some tissues and surrender your hearts to the mother-daughter pair as you root for their escape from the authorities on their tail! - u/Xocobo

Designated Survivor : 60 days - the male lead is thrust into the role of Acting President in the aftermath of the Blue House bombing. Can he stay true to his values, or will politics change him? Despite the explosive premise, the main lead is refreshing calm and rational, and you will live his emotions, fears, and anxiety. - u/Xocobo

Behind the White Tower - or the rise and fall of brilliant surgeon Dr. Jang Joonhyuk. You will hate to love him, and you will hate those standing in his way. An amazing character-driven drama that will have you rooting for the anti-hero as he navigates workplace politics and compromises friendships and ethics to fulfill his ambitions. - u/Xocobo

Memory - ambitious patriarch lawyer is diagnosed with Alzheimers. How will the illness change his family and career? This one is for all the fans of Misaeng's Boss Oh actor Lee Sungmin :) - u/Xocobo

Fiery Priest - the titular character subverts the priest archetype to humorous effects, but the strength of this rec lies in the brilliant execution of the action sequences. - u/Xocobo

Flower or Evil is the definition of intense. This drama makes you so anxious, not knowing if the main character is good or bad as you watch the truth slowly unfold amid murders and doubts about love and furtive crimesolving.  - u/xnphile

Flower of Evil - A crime thriller romance, one that keeps you in suspense from the very first episode. Well written, well directed, well acted, a package which might be rare to find in most dramas. There's a good balance between romance and suspense, which is also an add on. It's definitely perfect to watch after something light.  - u/Fatooz

Life - Same writer as Stranger, this drama revolves around the conflict between patient-focused ethics vs business driven bigger agenda. There's a constant tension between the medical staff or hero (Lee Dong Wook) vs the new hospital director (Cho Seung Woo). - u/laurenyh

Taxi Driver - It's about a group of vigilantes disguised as taxi driver company, helping victims to seek revenge / fight evil because the law has its limitations. Every episode is full of action scenes, bloody/brutal fights and constant "thirst" by ML to fight for justice. - u/laurenyh

Happiness - A supernatural, apocalyptic thriller where a new infection/virus is spreading at an alarming rate and it seems as though the end of the World is near. I'm not one for such dramas but this drama had me hooked from the very first episode. The FL is badass and so is the ML, I loved their partnership and it will give you all the thrills. A must watch if you want to watch something intense or something after a KDrama break.  - u/Fatooz