PEAKLIFE

By Parineeta Sethi

From award-winning storylines and phenomenal characters to charming leads and melodious soundtracks, here are 11 of the most noteworthy Korean dramas worth binging on right now.

It’s safe to say the OTT wave has hit us all, definitely not excluding me. From a person who didn’t have a single OTT subscription to having signed up for every platform, this is how I’ve evolved into the virtual content world in the last one year. I must have been among the very few people in the world who hadn’t seen F.R.I.E.N.D.S till the lockdown happened, and well, now not only have I binged watched the beloved sitcom but have also consumed all the classic shows – the latest on my list of obsessions being K-dramas.

Till four months ago, I had no idea of K-dramas but then my dear friend Rohini Iyer introduced me to what has now become my obsession. She raved about it over a dinner we were having (this was at the time we were meeting, albeit in small numbers), and truthfully, I couldn’t at that time understand what the fuss was all about until I decided to give it a try.

First on my list was the epic show “Crash Landing On You”. It did take me a few episodes to get used to reading subtitles but by the third episode, I was hooked! There has been no looking back since then.

These shows are making history all over the world and have hit India hard. So what if we don’t understand the language? We sure understand the emotions and oh so relate to them. Despite being a newbie in the world of k-dramas, I’ve consumed so many shows that I’ve lost count. Well, do not judge me, but I’m also part of a K-Drama Club with eight lovely like-minded girls. Discussing the show’s threadbare taking recommendations on what to watch next, criticizing, swooning over some, it all makes me love chatting on this group.

So what makes this Hallyu wave rock in India?

There are several reasons, but the most important one is the superb production quality of the shows, followed by the strong script, the exceptional acting of every character, and not to forget the charisma of the lead actors. The actors simply seem to live the role and make us root for the characters. I never thought I would swoon over a Korean actor but oh well, let me admit it I am swooning over several. Be it Lee Min Ho, Ji Chang Wook, Park Seo Joon, or Song Joong Ki, they are all on my list of favorites.

K-dramas are also high on politics, romance, and crime, but they always stick to a clean script, no heavy verbal abuse and unnecessary sexual scenes which thereby makes them viewer-friendly across all ages. Here are eleven of the topmost recommended shows that I have binge-watched and enjoyed most in the last four months:

1. Crash Landing On You

This was my initiation into the world of k-dramas, and what an initiation it was. After the first few episodes of getting used to reading the subtitles and understanding the show, I was hooked! 16 episodes of 1+ hours, each consumed in 4 days. It has the extremely popular Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin in the lead roles as Capt. Ri and Yoon Se Ri where their chemistry soon became the talking point when the show was released.

A 2019 drama, Crash Landing broke all records and became a hit not just in Korea but the world over. The pair’s chemistry and the fact that both aren’t just great actors, but also very good looking made the drama drool-worthy.

A love story between a South Korean heiress and the North Korean Army officer sure makes the romance thrilling and exciting when an accident makes her crash land into North Korea. A definite must-watch show.

2. Vincenzo

The heartthrob of millions, Song Joong Ki took the world by storm with this brand-new show released in 2021 itself. A revenge drama that had everyone hooked to their screens has a riveting plot and each character in this show lives the part. It’s the story of a Korean boy who has lived all his life in Italy as part of the Italian Mafia, but returns to Korea and gets entangled in a web of deceit. A thriller with a dose of understated romance with the gorgeous lead actress played by Jeon Yeo Bin, Vincenzo exceeds all expectations.

3. She Was Pretty

This has to easily be the cutest drama that will make you go “Awwww”. This 2015 drama starring Park Seo Joon and Hwang Jung Eum is a romantic show revolving around two grown-ups who meet after being friends when they are young but the tables have turned in the looks department for them. Returning to Korea after fifteen years, he is excited to meet his childhood sweetheart, but she is now not the pretty little thing she was and when he does not recognize her, she makes her friend who is an attractive girl pretend to be her. But the twist in the tale takes place when she ends up working for him. Romance blooms and we realize it is not the outer looks that matter but the heart. The perfect dose of sweet and romantic in one!

4. Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class is a beautiful, heart-warming drama about a young boy who has undergone a painful past but he does not give up on his dreams of making it big. An earnest underdog story that is not only relatable also has a lot of heart, it takes the story through his struggles and how he comes out victorious. The love angle is underplayed for the most part and his struggle and strength of character is shown in much more focus. The protagonist, played by the very lovable Park Seo Joon, makes you want to hug him and tell him “Don’t worry, all will be well.” The whole cast is made of endearing yet driven characters that you end up loving despite their flaws.

5. The Empress Ki

This one simply stole my heart. I avoided watching this show despite it being highly recommended by my k-drama group’s fans for quite some time because it has a humongous 51 episodes, but once I took the plunge there was no looking back. This show is enthralling, and I was hooked. One of the reasons besides its riveting plot is Ji Chang Wook who has become my hot favourite k-drama hero. Though the story revolves around the woman played by Ha Ji Won who navigates her way through love, war, politics, and her rise from slavery to becoming a powerful empress, the emperor on whose shoulder she achieves all this played by Ji Chang Wook is the person who steals the show. His depiction as a total loser to a powerful emperor and then to giving up everything for love is acting par excellence. His portrayal and his unconditional love for Yang Ki will surely make you fall in love with him. That being said, every character plays their part to absolute perfection in this exciting drama.

6. Healer

Now this one has my favourite Ji Chang Wook and in a completely different avatar from Empress Ki. What talent this man has to have to be able to play such different roles and will equal aplomb?

A sweet story about a young lad who has a difficult past and becomes a mercenary and does whatever his clients ask for, except murder and kidnapping, he is known as Healer and nobody knows what he looks like. One day he is given a mission to monitor a young woman who is an online news reporter. Healer decides to keep an eye on her by applying for a job in her company itself but ends up falling in love with her. After many twists and turns, they unravel long-buried incidents and bust a gang that is threatening the very system In Korea. This sweet drama has all the prerequisites of a romantic thriller.

7. Descendants of the Sun

A classic for k-drama lovers, this war drama showcases the romance between a Special Forces officer who falls in love with a beautiful surgeon, however, circumstances don’t let the love bloom. Fate has other ideas and they meet again in a war zone where the doctor is sent on special duty. The chemistry between the two lead actors Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo is simply magical. The cinematography is brilliant and the direction of the show is a masterpiece. There is love, romance, comedy, emotions, action – it’s really just the full package.

8. My Love From The Star

Kim Soo Hyun, the lead actor in this fantasy drama, is the biggest and most highly paid actor in South Korea. It all started with this show in 2013 that catapulted him to fame. He plays an alien who has been stranded on Earth for the past 400 years and is just waiting to get back to his planet in the next three months. However, things don’t pan out in his best interest when he meets the arrogant and childish Jun Ji Hyun who he slowly falls in love with. Though the show delves more into fantasy, the characters are sweet, romantic, and the lead characters make an adorable pair worth watching.

9. Boys Over Flowers

A 2009 drama that was the launch for the now hugely popular Lee Min Ho. Watching his portrayal of a rich spoilt brat to a sweet romantic lover makes you realise why he is such a huge star today. Min Ho became an instant rage with this series about four rich boys who are the “terrifying four” in an exclusive high school only for the elite of the city. Poor girl Jan Di transfers to this school due to a circumstantial situation, and the story begins when she crosses paths with these boys and how she stands up to their arrogance and the leader of the group who is the heir to the wealthiest family in Korea. With typical twists and turns, it’s a happy ending, but the youthful nature of the series keeps it sweet and light to watch.

10. Something in The Rain

This series is a bit different from the usual k-dramas as it’s about a younger man falling in love with an older woman. Not just that, it’s his older sister’s best friend with another crazy twist that the heroine’s younger brother is the hero’s best friend. One can imagine how many people would be against this alliance. If that’s not enough, Yoon Jin Ha, played by the famous Son Ye Jin of “Crash Landing From You” has a mother who wants her to marry into a rich influential family but the hero comes with a tainted family history. Well, it’s a typical potboiler, but the portrayal of emotions by all the characters makes this a watchable show.

11. Inheritors

Also known as The Heirs, this drama stars the dashing Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, and Park Hyung Sik – a stellar cast to begin with. A typical story of a rich-boy poor-girl but so beautifully depicted that you forget it’s a common plot.

The first few episodes are shot in America where the rich and brat Kim Tan lives as his elder stepbrother has exiled him from Korea so that he can run the business empire himself. Here, Kim Tan runs into Cha Eun Sang who has come to ostensibly attend her sister’s wedding and give her money which her mother has arranged by mortgaging everything she has. Reaching America, she realises her sister was shaming them and runs away with all the money. Left with nowhere to go, Kim Tan comes to the rescue and gives her a place to stay at his beachside luxury home and falls in love with her. But she returns to Korea, and he decides to follow her.

Reaching Korea has a string of surprises and after typical twists and turns, it is all happily ever after. Sounds cliche, and it is, but the characters will make sure you see the whole show and absolutely adore it.