Netflix offers some of today's best Korean drama TV series. The streaming service has been continually expanding its collection of Netflix Original series in the past several years, producing diverse content for every viewer — from true crime documentaries to comedy specials. However, one genre that has recently taken off on the streaming platform may surprise some viewers: Korean dramas. K-dramas are not just television shows in Korean; they are a genre unto themselves.
Much like telenovelas or horror films, the best Korean dramas are filled with tropes and conventions that fans have come to expect and appreciate, but are just as fun when they are subverted. Some of Netflix's best Korean dramas are those that excel in these conventions; others take more risks, offering a creative spin on the genre's expectations. Together, Netflix's Korean dramas are some of the best and most interesting options for viewers new to the genre, as well as K-drama fans alike, and all of them are available to stream right now.
The Korean drama tropes are not too far removed from the tropes in other forms of TV drama. They include the rich man who is often arrogant, but has a hidden heart of gold; the poor girl who is unflinchingly optimistic, and is helped by the rich man; a sweet, second leading man who has absolutely nothing wrong with him, but just isn't as appealing to the female lead; and, typically, a second female lead who is in competition for the rich man, but she somehow ends up with the second leading man. These are just the most common tropes — the full list goes on and on.
Boys Over Flowers is many things, but subtle is not one of them. Perhaps that is why viewers hold it so dear; it's an earnest celebration of the Cinderella trope, and a perfect escapist fantasy that still packs a heavy emotional punch. Boys Over Flowers is a classic, so keep in mind that the clothes, styling, and the hair (especially the hair) are distinctly 2009. But nonetheless, it's a classic for a reason.
Lee Min-ki plays a stuffy, awkward computer nerd who has sunk all of his money into a beautiful apartment, and Jung So-min is a struggling screenwriter who needs a place to stay. Naturally, they come together and find a solution to both of their problems: marriage. Over the course of this slice-of-life drama, the two begin to fall in love for real while navigating friendships, careers, and family expectations. Because This is My First Life takes a leisurely pace as it allows relationships to unfold in ways that feel entirely natural.
This drama does things a bit differently; most Korean dramas center around Seoul, but When the Camellia Blooms is as much about its small town setting as it is the characters who inhabit it. The show makes great use of the Korean seaside village and its culture, as well as the interpersonal drama that comes when everyone knows everyone. Much of the town gossip concerns the shy bar owner Dongbaek, played by Gong Hyo-jin with charm and a quiet strength. She is a single mother who never married. This bit of scandal sets the traditional Korean town into a commotion, with men and women alike making assumptions about her character that are as untrue as they are hurtful.
Not everyone is a critic of Dongbaek, however; a slightly goofy but very noble police officer, played by Kang Ha-neul, sees the strong woman underneath, and becomes her biggest fan. Their romance is as unconventional as it is heartwarming, breaking all of the K-drama stereotypes about stoic leading men and eternally peppy heroines. And since this is a K-drama, there is also a side plot murder mystery that will keep viewers at the edge of their seat.
Lee Jong Suk has been one of Korea's leading men for years, but Romance is a Bonus Book is his first pure romantic comedy. As an actor who tends towards dramas with fantasy or mystery elements, this cute, warm drama may come as a surprise to fans, but it is a welcome one. It's a heartwarming story that on the surface may seem like the classic K-drama formula: a poor woman is in a rough position, then a richer man who has secret feelings for her swoops in and saves her. However, this drama breaks barriers about who deserves a second chance at love and life.
Lee Na-young plays the heroine, but unlike most K-drama leading women, she's middle-aged. Lee Na-young herself is forty, and her character here is thirty-seven. She has had a full life before viewers meet her, and that life has recently fallen apart. She is a mother and a divorcée. Due to her long career gap from her time as a stay-at-home mom, she struggles to re-enter the working world and make a living. But on a deeper level, she is struggling to regain her sense of self. Who is she now that she is no longer a wife?
Romance is a Bonus Book offers her an answer: she is still the heroine of her own story. In fact, there are a multitude of interesting female characters with their own priorities and motivations, and while romance is important to them, so is their family, their career, and them feeling valued for their hard work. It's a subtly revolutionary drama that is nonetheless a satisfying feel-good romance at its core.
Starring Hyun Bin as a stoic North Korean military officer, and Son Ye-jin as a powerful heiress and business woman, Crash Landing on You is already interesting for the way it flips the classic gender conventions usually found in K-dramas. Here, the female lead is the one who is powerful and savvy, having gotten where she is through business acumen, hard work, and resourcefulness. All of these traits come in handy when she crash lands on the wrong side of the demilitarized zone while testing a paragliding product from her own company. When she is found by Hyun Bin, their worlds collide. As they both work to find a way to get her home, they fall in love.
Crash Landing on You is unique for its insight into another culture. The North Koreans eat different food, use different slang, and expect entirely different things from their lives than Son Ye-jin's South Korean character. However, North Koreans aren't reduced to a stereotype, and the world of the drama is rich and compelling. Netflix's Crash Landing on You debuted in December 2019, with new episodes every week — so far it is very, very good.
In Oh My Ghost, an amnesiac ghost played by the charismatic Kim Seul-gi is wandering the earth in the hopes that she can resolve her grudge: the fact that she died a virgin. In her quest to rectify the situation, she possesses a shy and quiet woman played by Park Bo-young, who has a long-held crush on her celebrity chef employer played by Jo Jung-suk. All three of these characters are leads in their own right, which adds an interesting twist to the classic K-drama formula, which usually just focuses on the central couple.
Additionally, Kim Seul-gi's ghost brings in a murder mystery side plot to the Korean drama in a way that never feels tacked on, but is integral to the dilemmas the characters face as events unfold, and feelings begin to grow. Oh My Ghost is definitely one of the more creative dramas that can be found on Netflix, and it's difficult not to binge the whole thing just to see what happens next.
Strong Girl Bong-soon is the story of a small, plucky girl (Park Bo-young) who just so happens to have super strength, and the powerful CEO (Park Hyung-sik) whom she ends up protecting as an unlikely bodyguard. The two fall in love, enjoying many hi-jinks and laughs along the way. But unexpectedly, Strong Girl Bong-soon also has one of the most gripping side plots in any K-drama.
It's a common Korean drama trope to add a side mystery that keeps viewers attention even after the romantic tension gets resolved, but the murder mystery in Strong Girl Bong-soon is as compelling as the romance, if not more so. It manages to stay interesting and surprising, while also integrating perfectly into the larger romantic plot of the show, often bringing the leads even closer together. Strong Girl Bong-soon is one of the most binge-worthy offerings on the whole of Netflix.
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