The Korean wave is officially here to stay. We’re using their beauty products, listening to their music, and watching their movies now more than ever. There’s no better time to get hooked on Korean TV drama offerings.
As Parasite director Bong Joon Ho said during his Oscars acceptance speech; “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”. Ahead, the best Korean Dramas to stream on Netflix now.
1. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 centres around the culture of Korea in the year 1988; the Seoul Olympics are a major plot point—and follows five high school friends living in a small town. Their coming-of-age story includes crushes and romance, getting into college, and a whole lot of ’80s nostalgia.
ALSO READ: 5 K Dramas/Korean Series on Netflix You Need to Binge
2. Mr. Sunshine
In this period Kdrama, Eugene Choi escapes to the U.S. after being born into slavery during the Joseon Period (the final dynasty before Korea’s annex from Japan) and goes on to become a Marine. Choi returns to Joseon on a mission and meets Go Ae-shin, an aristocratic woman secretly fighting for Korea’s independence. Choi and Ae-shin fall in love and must overcome their differences in status, Ae-shin’s arranged marriage to nobleman Kim Hee-Sung, and the Empire of Japan’s plot to colonize Korea.
3. Something In the Rain
Yoon Jin-ah is a 35-year-old woman who works at a coffee company, while Seo Joon-hee is the 20-something younger brother of Jin-ah’s best friend Kyung-Sun. After spending some time working abroad, Joon-hee returns to South Korea and reunites with Jin-ah, who used to see him as just a kid, but now, as something more. The two navigate their relationship and age difference, which is subject to the judgement and resentment of others.
4. Record of Youth
Fashion models and good friends Sa Hye-Joon and Won Hae-Hyo aspire to become successful actors. They befriend An Jung-Ha, played by Parasite actress Park So-Dam, who quit her office job to pursue her passion as a makeup artist. The three try to navigate the cutthroat industry, differing social statuses and—for Hye-Joon and An Jung-Ha—a budding romance on their journey to making it big.
5. It’s Okay Not To Be Okay
Famous children’s book author Ko Moon Young meets Moon Gang Tae, a caretaker at a psychiatric ward, when she comes to his hospital to read to sick children. Gang Tae’s brother, Sang Tae, is autistic and a big fan of Moon Young, who is known to be moody and difficult due to her antisocial personality disorder. After a prickly first encounter, the two discover they are deeply connected by their tragic backstories and intertwining pasts.
