People close to me or those who follow me on Twitter would know how it seems that I always recommend every single K-drama I have just finished watching. That’s not true though. At least, I don’t recommend /all/ that I watch, only most HAHA.
Thus, I have decided to organize my recommendations into a list consisting of my top favorite K-dramas with the reasons why I watched them and why I recommend them for others to watch. These reasons may be highly subjective as they weren’t exactly reviewed technically.
NOTE: These are K-dramas I recently
watched
(from 2 years ago up to now) which means there are other great (classic) K-dramas that I did not include only because I remember these ones better.
1. Pinocchio
Why I watched it:
It stars Lee Jongsuk, one of my all-time favorite actors. Besides, it has an
interesting plot: a girl who hiccups every time she lies, a terrible past involving the guy she likes and her mom, and the leads characters’ struggles to reach their dreams in the media industry.
Why you should
watch it: This drama is arguably my number one favorite K-drama because unlike
most other dramas whose plot revolves mainly around the couple’s romance and
the troubles surrounding their happily ever after, this drama deals with wider,
more substantial issues (e.g. the ethics of the media industry, family). Also,
Pinocchio is unlike other dramas whose plot seem to lose direction halfway
through, or whose premise lacks depth resulting to it getting boring and drags
on, or having a promising start but not
being able to wrap things up cleanly later on. This drama has many layers
gradually getting revealed. What you thought was the main problem actually has
a deeper aspect to it. It’s not just about jongsuk and shinhye’s
romantic-slash-niece-uncle relationship nor is it a typical love triangle. The
supporting characters also prove important to the overall story, even those who
seemed to be very minor characters at first. Character growth can be observed and the
ending is appropriate, without leaving loose ends.
2. You who Came from the
Stars
Why I watched it: Jeon Jihyun, Kim Soohyun, and a love story between a sassy actress and an
alien. Who wouldn’t be interested?
Why you should
watch it: It’s a comedy (Jeon Jinhyun’s Cheon Songyi will make you literally
LOL), drama (watch out for Kim Soohyun’s crying scenes!), and romance (there’s
undeniable chemistry between them + Do Minjoon’s subtle but sweet, protective
antics) all rolled into one. There’s a reason behind this drama’s immense
popularity -be it the characters and how the actors accurately portrayed them,
the unique storyline, the creepy antagonist, or all of them.
3. I Hear your
Voice
Why I watched it: It was really popular at that time (no doubt why!) and it had an interesting
story.
Why you should
watch it: Older woman – Younger man (who, incidentally, can read minds!!) romance
but it is in no way awkward. If anything, that made everything even cuter and
sweeter (that backhug is still the best backhug in the history of kdrama!). Plus, the woman being strong and modern (although sometimes an adorable fail, especially when Jongsuk reads her mind) and the guy being a pure, innocent high schooler adds to the cuteness and uniqueness of the drama. This closely rivals Pinocchio as my all-time favorite kdrama (which isn’t
surprising since they had the same writers, and Jongsuk as lead). It has a
neatly written story, with depth and substance (tackling the concept of what
makes people monsters and other ethical issues in the background of various
legal cases).
4. Reply 1997
Why I watched it: The lead character is a kpop fangirl (which means I can relate). And I love Eunji and Shin Soyul.
Why you should
watch it: It’s a perfect coming-of-age drama. Aside from successfully showing
character growth for each one of them, it had a unique and very interesting way
of storytelling, by means of flashbacks. It keeps you hooked since every
episode seems to end with a cliffhanger, leaving you curiouser and curiouser. The characters’ diversity is also an interesting factor -two kpop fangirls, two sets of potential couples, two secretly in-love bestfriends, and the funny guy. I also like how it dealt with homosexuality, with one of the them being secretly in-love with one of their guy friends.
5. School 2015
Why I watched it: Yook Sungjae. And because I loved the earlier series School 2013 too.
Why you should watch it: It’s an inspiring drama. Although it is set in a high school, it has universally relatable themes of dreams, love, friendship, and family. Bullying is portrayed in a straightforward, honest manner which made the antagonist very unlikable and makes people realize how serious a crime bullying is. The love triangle was an interesting storyline, with both males being likable, unlike in Filipino dramas where one is bound to be a jerk. However, the second male lead’s character was written so much better than how the other guy’s was. They also built up his relationship with the female lead so much more that the ending actually became disappointing. Symptoms of second male lead syndrome can be expected. On the other hand, the female lead’s acting is extremely commendable as well as the way the characters were written. It would’ve been nicer though if they were able to follow through the subplots concerning the other students because they were able to deal with them closely at first, only to leave loose ends. It makes the viewer ask what happened to some of the minor characters. Still, on the overall, the drama is a good watch.
6. Plus Nine Boys
Why I watched it: Two words: Yook Sungjae.
Why you should
watch it: Although I watched this primarily because I have just finished School 2015 at that time and needed more Yook Sungjae, I wasn’t at all disappointed. It’s very light and easy to watch and has one of the most satisfying endings for me. It’s not your
typical happily ever after. It’s not
predictable such that everything suddenly fits into place. Still, you’ll be left smiling at how things
turned out. The plot is simple and the portrayal is realistic. I especially
love the scenes where the three brothers interact with one another or with
their mom and uncle because it depicts a very normal everyday scenario not
unlikely to happen in real life. It has its fair share of heart fluttering and comedic scenes but for me, what sets this drama apart is really how realistic and
normal (often undramatic) it is.
Do Bong Soon (Strong Girl Bong Soon/Strong Woman Do Bong Soon)
At the beginning of the series Bong Soon doesn’t want her powers; she thinks that her super strength makes her seem unfeminine, and she just wants to live a normal life. But as the series goes on she realizes that she has to use her powers to protect innocent people who can’t stand up for themselves. She protects the ones she loves and she never shies away from a fight. If somebody hits her, she hits back twice as hard. At the end of the series she accepts her powers as part of who she is and embraces her job as a modern-day superhero.
God of birth, mothers, and children; blesses women who want a child, protects mothers and children. She is one of the most powerful gods in Korean Shamanism.
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