5 Korean Dramas Worth Watching

5 Korean Dramas Worth Watching

Since I became passionate about Japan, and Asian culture in general, I've been thrilled to have discovered the magical world of Korean dramas. Not only the stories are really intriguing—whether I'm watching a rom-com, a period drama, or a suspenseful thriller (like I've done recently)—but they're also a very useful tool to get used to the language. I'm waaaaaay off from being even remotely capable of stringing up a sentence, but I've learned to recognise some words and their meaning. 

I've watched my fair share, but I've listed below 5 Korean Dramas worth watching. The order is random, but they all have a special meaning for me (for one reason or another). Here you go!

A Korean Odyssey


Since birth Jin Sun Mi could see evil spirits. When she was a girl, she met two supernatural creatures—Woo Hwi Chul and Son Oh Gong. 25 years later, a twist of fate puts the three together again.

Jin Sun Mi is now a wealthy, beautiful woman that has to deal with demons getting in her way. Woo Hwi Chul is trying to get a promotion to God, and Son Oh Gong is desperate to unseal his powers. Things get tangled when the legend of a human being with a blood that can make any spirit incredibly powerful turns out to be true, and Song Oh Gong decides to eat that human while Woo Hwi Chul has to protect it.

A reinterpretation of Chinese novel “Journey to the West” into the present days with a romantic-fantasy twist. 

Although this wasn't the very first K-drama I've watched, A Korean Odyssey (otherwise known as 화유기) was the first that I watched by myself and I was completely blown away. This show is funny, dramatic, suspenseful in the right amount of mix, and you can't help falling in love with the characters—even the secondary ones. If you (like me) root for Jin Sun Mi and Son Oh Gong, then check out SINS, the fan music video my talented bestie made about them. 🥰 

Memories of the Alhambra


Memories of the Alhambra tells the unique and suspenseful love story of Yoo Jin Woo and Jung Hee Joo. Strong spirited, Yoo Jin Woo is the CEO of an investment company with a degree in engineering and a knack for developing video games. He has an adventurous and competitive spirit. Suffering after his best friend betrays him, he takes a business trip to Granada, Spain in search of the mysterious inventor of an innovative augmented-reality video game. He ends up at a hostel that Jung Hee Joo owns. Hee Joo is a former classical guitarist who came to Spain to further her studies. After the death of her parents, she takes on various jobs to support herself, including running the old hostel. They are both drawn into a series of strange and unexpected events. 


I won't deny I initially watched this show exclusively because EXO's Chanyeol was in it. However, the more episodes I watched, the more I got invested in the story and the fates of the characters. It's an absolutely mesmerising tale full of tension and dramatic moments. At some point, I was even more concerned about the fate of a certain character rather than the blooming romance between the two protagonists! 😅 Anyway, if you are a gamer, I think you'll appreciate this Korean drama.  

The Bride of Habaek


When the narcissistic Water God Habaek visits earth in order to find a magical stone powerful enough to help him claim his throne, he seeks out the help of his servant and destined bride, psychiatrist So Ah, whose family is fated to serve the water god for generations. The problem is that she has no belief in the gods and initially mistakes him for a total lunatic suffering from delusions. Things get even harder for Ha Baek, when the Wind God Bi Ryum, the Water Goddess Moo Ra, and a hotel CEO/Demi-God Hoo Ye show up to complicate things and stop him from reaching his goal. 


You know when you're browsing Netflix in search of something to watch and you pick something random just because? That's what happened with The Bride of Habaek. However, the story of Habaek is quite eventful, and you can't help but sympathise with the poor guy despite his obnoxious nature. Definitely something I'd happily rewatch. *I've watched it twice already but that's not important.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo


An adaptation from a Chinese novel, this story is set in the early Goryeo period. Go Ha Jin, a 25 year old girl from the modern era, suddenly finds herself in the body of Hae Soo and living in the court of King Taejo, founder of the Goryeo dynasty. She is soon caught up in the power struggles between the many princes of Wang's House. 


Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is another high favourite on my list. EXO's Baekhyun has—in my opinion—an important role in this, and it was the main reason why I wanted to watch this show. Also, I like historical dramas, so it wasn't just for Baekhyun. I had no idea it was an adaptation from a Chinese novel, however, that explains a lot of things. If you like period dramas, then this is absolutely up your alley. But please keep a box of tissues—or five—closeby because there's gonna be a lot of tears spilling. 🥺

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim


The series revolves around the narcissistic Lee Young Joon, the vice president of a company run by his family. He is very self-absorbed and thinks highly of himself, so much that he barely acknowledges the surrounding people. Lee Young Joon has a capable and patient secretary Kim Mi So who has remained by his side and worked diligently for 9 years without any romantic involvement. However, Mi So now wants to set her life & focus on herself, so when she decides to resign from her job, hilarious misunderstandings ensue. After 9 years of their strictly-workplace relationship, can it now develop in something more? 


This show came to me by chance, as I'd watched a clip of the most popular couples in Korean dramas on YouTube and the scene showed for What's Wrong with Secretary Kim was quite steamy, so I decided to give it a go. This was really hilarious and I liked the addition of some aegyo moments, even though the two protagonists' backstory is quite dramatic. 

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So, these were 5 Korean dramas worth watching! Since then, I've watched a lot more and I'm still discovering new ones every day.  

If you watched any of these or have recommendations of Korean dramas I should definitely be watching, let me know in the comments!

次回まで。♥

6 comments

  1. Yes to the K-dramas! You know how much I love them, and I think it's obvious from my fan music video how much I adore A Korean Odyssey (thanks for sharing that, it made me so happy! 💜), but I also particularly enjoyed Memories of the Alhambra and The Bride of Habaek. I have yet to watch Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, but they're on my list!

    I'm currently watching Love is for Suckers under your suggestion and I find it catchy, which proves that you always know what's right for me under all circumstances, bestie 🤗

    I'm glad you made this post, Fran, I hope those who haven't watched these 5 Korean dramas yet will soon!!

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    1. You know I know my stuff when it comes to K-Dramas, and we've got similar tastes so, if I enjoy a show, you definitely will as well! Of course I was going to include your FMV!!

      I'm so happy you're enjoying Love is for Suckers, it's such a captivating dorama, right?

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  2. Moon Lovers looks compelling- I love the idea of her having to go back and live in that earlier era. And I'm always looking for recs as I've heard so much about K-dramas lately... I'm really glad South Korea is making such a mark on culture these days.

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    1. Moon Lovers was such a good show. I've watched a few Korean period dramas and this is by far my favourite amongst them.

      I don't know if you're into psychological thrillers, but one I would recommend is called "Somebody". The premise is basically that the killer uses a Tinder-like app to pick his victims, which I thought was a really cool concept.

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    2. I love a good psychological thriller, so I will definitely check that out!

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    3. Let me know what you think once you do! Personally, I was a little bit disappointed with the ending, but I'm curious to know your thoughts on it.

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