Korean shows on netflix
March 29, 2023 12:48 PM Subscribe
Netflix seems to be full of Korean shows and it feels like a waste to not watch them but I have no idea where to start. Any recommendations for k-dramas that have already finished and their endings are not depressing?
I really like Gangnam Beauty, the story of a first-year university student Mi-Rae who, after having been bullied for her appearance her entire life, decided to get plastic surgery to get a new start after high school- and then promptly starts getting bullied for being "too done." Now, she is navigating relationships with people who judge her appearance from the other direction, as well as her own self-esteem issues, and getting to know a boy who knew her from before her surgery - and seemed to like her as she had been just fine.
It's a pretty thoughtful look at how people are affected by their appearances and others' judgment.
posted by elsmith at 1:03 PM on March 29, 2023
It's a pretty thoughtful look at how people are affected by their appearances and others' judgment.
posted by elsmith at 1:03 PM on March 29, 2023
I've been enjoying the K-dramas on Netflix in the last year or so. I can heartily recommend Extraordinary Attorney Woo (charming legal procedural!), The King's Affection (historical drama with some interesting gender twists!), and Our Beloved Summer (nostalgic romance!).
posted by sk932 at 1:11 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sk932 at 1:11 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
i really like my mister, and the reply shows
posted by AlbertCalavicci at 1:14 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by AlbertCalavicci at 1:14 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
I went through a big K-drama phase and Crash Landing on You (abbreviated CLOY) was my entry point, and I think it was for a lot of other people too.
Business Proposal is also a delight, and fairly short.
posted by Ideal Impulse at 1:23 PM on March 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
Business Proposal is also a delight, and fairly short.
posted by Ideal Impulse at 1:23 PM on March 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
My wife hooked me on Netflix K-dramas (right when I worked myself up to cancel...).
Seconding The King's Affection and Crash Landing on You. I also recommend My Sassy Girl (the 2017 one) and Under the Queens Umbrella. I think King's affection or Crash landing are great K-drama starter shows as they both hooked me episode one, the other two were a slower burn but totally got me hooked still.
posted by token-ring at 1:40 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Seconding The King's Affection and Crash Landing on You. I also recommend My Sassy Girl (the 2017 one) and Under the Queens Umbrella. I think King's affection or Crash landing are great K-drama starter shows as they both hooked me episode one, the other two were a slower burn but totally got me hooked still.
posted by token-ring at 1:40 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Nthing Crash Landing on You! It is a very good intro to K-dramas.
I got hooked watching Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, a historical drama with some great comedic moments.
posted by Preserver at 1:43 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
I got hooked watching Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, a historical drama with some great comedic moments.
posted by Preserver at 1:43 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
I almost forgot Live Up to Your Name which is a time travel fantasy if you're into that, you get both modern and Joseon-era storylines in one series.
posted by Preserver at 1:45 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Preserver at 1:45 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
K-drama is one of life's joys. Rookie Historian and Crash Landing on You (and their amazing subtitles) are the two that caught my attention and entertained me enough to watch to completion. I'm taking notes from this question, though (thanks, simmering_octagon!).
posted by Shunra at 2:10 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Shunra at 2:10 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you like enemble slice-of-life shows that are fairly heartwarming, both Hospital Playlist and Prison Playbook fit the bill.
If you want some brief, thoughtful reviews and a 1- 4-star rating system, I've enjoyed the reviews by Jae-Ha Kim, who brings a Korean American perspective to her reception of the shows.
posted by TwoStride at 2:31 PM on March 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
If you want some brief, thoughtful reviews and a 1- 4-star rating system, I've enjoyed the reviews by Jae-Ha Kim, who brings a Korean American perspective to her reception of the shows.
posted by TwoStride at 2:31 PM on March 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
I just watched 'Alice', which is a time travel mystery K-drama. Starts off so well, but gets inconsistent and ends badly (plot lines do not tie up). So here's a non-recommendation.
posted by moiraine at 2:37 PM on March 29, 2023
posted by moiraine at 2:37 PM on March 29, 2023
I loved Stranger, aka Forest of Secrets. The first season was awesome! If you ever watched Sense 8, you’ll recognize Bae Doona as a smart, slightly lonely police lieutenant who teams up with a very talented but slightly odd prosecutor. The show revolves around crime and corruption, but it’s also about relationships and not fitting in. The leads are fantastic, and I also really enjoyed the supporting cast.
The second season started slow, but it did pick up and I was glad I watched it all the way through.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:41 PM on March 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
The second season started slow, but it did pick up and I was glad I watched it all the way through.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:41 PM on March 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
N-thing Crash Landing on You, Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Business Proposal. Hometown Cha Cha Cha is also really good. Love Between Fairy and Devil is also the best, although it's Chinese, not Korean.
posted by carolr at 2:41 PM on March 29, 2023
posted by carolr at 2:41 PM on March 29, 2023
Our Beloved Summer is wonderful, as is Extraordinary Attorney Woo (edit: and I see I've been beaten by seconds in recommending Hometown Cha Cha Cha). Mr. Queen is finally on Netflix and it is one of the funniest shows I've ever watched.
You can find lots of shows tagged with kdrama_club on Fanfare.
posted by plastic_animals at 2:47 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
You can find lots of shows tagged with kdrama_club on Fanfare.
posted by plastic_animals at 2:47 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Whatever other suggestions you take from this list, start with Crash Landing On You. It has all the tropes you'll find in most K-dramas, and it has the bonus of being a really good show as well. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is good, if a little...challenging for the repeated use of the Magic Autistic Person That Solves All The Problems. Korea is still grappling with how autistic people fit in their society, so they're a bit...behind in their portrayals sometimes, and although Attorney Woo doesn't lean on that too hard it's still there a bit. It's a charming enough story, and Woo has enough depth and other dimensions, that I could look past that stuff.
There are people who will say Memories of Alhambra is good; I am not really one of them. It was way too long and there was zero chemistry between the purported leads. Hometown Cha Cha Cha started out pretty bad but got really good.
If you're into zombies, All of Us Are Dead is a very good show. Being a zombie show, it's not particularly funny or charming like a lot of K-dramas, it's actually pretty dark, but if you liked Train to Busan (which this show namechecks!), you'll like it.
We just started Vincenzo, which has a bit of comedy but is also kind of getting dark about four episodes in; it's a revenge story/mob story/community hangout story (it makes sense when you see it).
Be warned: product placement is a major part of many K-dramas. Not to the detriment of the story (although there is one absolutely hilarious product placement thing at the end of Hometown Cha Cha Cha that is very...jarring), but just so you know, everyone will use a Samsung phone, everyone in one drama will drive the same kind of car, etc. Again, not a bad thing, just very noticeable.
Overall I'm really enjoying our trip through the K-drama world. Have fun!
posted by pdb at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2023
There are people who will say Memories of Alhambra is good; I am not really one of them. It was way too long and there was zero chemistry between the purported leads. Hometown Cha Cha Cha started out pretty bad but got really good.
If you're into zombies, All of Us Are Dead is a very good show. Being a zombie show, it's not particularly funny or charming like a lot of K-dramas, it's actually pretty dark, but if you liked Train to Busan (which this show namechecks!), you'll like it.
We just started Vincenzo, which has a bit of comedy but is also kind of getting dark about four episodes in; it's a revenge story/mob story/community hangout story (it makes sense when you see it).
Be warned: product placement is a major part of many K-dramas. Not to the detriment of the story (although there is one absolutely hilarious product placement thing at the end of Hometown Cha Cha Cha that is very...jarring), but just so you know, everyone will use a Samsung phone, everyone in one drama will drive the same kind of car, etc. Again, not a bad thing, just very noticeable.
Overall I'm really enjoying our trip through the K-drama world. Have fun!
posted by pdb at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2023
Oh and none of the ones I mentioned, or that others have mentioned that I have seen, have had depressing endings.
posted by pdb at 3:02 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by pdb at 3:02 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
I really enjoy K-dramas. I started with Crash Landing on You and then just kept going. Some I liked that I don't see mentioned above: Racket Boys, Navillera, Thirty-Nine, Because This is My First Life, and Hello Me.
posted by a fish out of water at 3:23 PM on March 29, 2023
posted by a fish out of water at 3:23 PM on March 29, 2023
I second "Crash Landing on You," "Business Proposal," and "Hometown Cha Cha Cha." (I non-recommend "Memories of the Alahambara" and "Nevertheless...".) I would add "Her Private Life" as another good one at the intersection of comedy and romance.
posted by xo at 3:53 PM on March 29, 2023
posted by xo at 3:53 PM on March 29, 2023
I came upon Extraordinary Attorney Woo by accident, just flipping through Netflix, which is not how I ever watch a new show. I was immediately captivated, and have been thinking about it for weeks since it ended, imagining future storylines. I needed a show that was light but not silly, moving but not heartbreaking, and this was just perfect for me.
I told my mother and sister about the show; both have lots of other shows recorded and available on streaming, and I wasn't even sure it was their kind of show. My sister binged it in under a week. My mom, who never binges shows, has been watching two every night. The show just has such gentle charm. Even when truly "bad" things happen in the episodic case aspect of the show, the show moves quickly past it; nothing stuck with me as depressing.
And thank you for asking this question, as I was unsure if EAW might have been a one-off for me. Now I've got more shows to check out.
(Note: I watched with both English dubbing and English subtitles; my friend watched without dubbing, just with subtitles and felt that she was often distracted, missing nuances is facial acting. YMMV.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 3:53 PM on March 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
I told my mother and sister about the show; both have lots of other shows recorded and available on streaming, and I wasn't even sure it was their kind of show. My sister binged it in under a week. My mom, who never binges shows, has been watching two every night. The show just has such gentle charm. Even when truly "bad" things happen in the episodic case aspect of the show, the show moves quickly past it; nothing stuck with me as depressing.
And thank you for asking this question, as I was unsure if EAW might have been a one-off for me. Now I've got more shows to check out.
(Note: I watched with both English dubbing and English subtitles; my friend watched without dubbing, just with subtitles and felt that she was often distracted, missing nuances is facial acting. YMMV.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 3:53 PM on March 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
Seconding Stranger. Really enjoyed the development of the relationship between the police (Bae Doona) and the prosecutor.
posted by kingless at 3:57 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kingless at 3:57 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
My husband is into K dramas, and he got me to watch Extraordinary Attorney Woo which I enjoyed. For my next show he picked "It's Ok Not to be Ok" which I was unsure about after the first episode but after a couple more I was hooked. (The animated stuff only occurs in the first episode so if you are not into that, just hang in there.) I kind of didn't love the female main character at first but my husband assures me that she and the two male main characters "all wind up being good for each other." I haven't been given any spoilers other than that but I assume that points to a happy ending, or at least not a terrible one.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:12 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:12 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you want to go in classic fun K-drama, Boys Over Flowers is excellent. It is based on an anime and if you get hooked, they also filmed a Japanese version and Taiwanese version. The k-drama is set in a private high school for rich kids and is a classic Cinderella story.
I also loved Hometown Cha-cha - super cute! And the Uncanny Counter. For quirky and goth, there is It's Okay Not to be Okay.
posted by ichimunki at 6:28 PM on March 29, 2023
I also loved Hometown Cha-cha - super cute! And the Uncanny Counter. For quirky and goth, there is It's Okay Not to be Okay.
posted by ichimunki at 6:28 PM on March 29, 2023
We liked Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Crash Landing on You.
We also really liked Start-Up and Hello My Twenties.
Start-Up is about young computer hackers with business school student entrepreneurs getting together and starting shoestring companies while having awkward romantic triangles. Highly recommend if you like your young Korean romance mixed with tech industry.
Hello My Twenties is an interesting story about young college room-mates that starts off fairly innocent and turns complex. Good character writing. Season 2 gradually gets heavy as the kids grow up and face more serious things.
All of this on Netflix last time we looked.
posted by ovvl at 9:19 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
We also really liked Start-Up and Hello My Twenties.
Start-Up is about young computer hackers with business school student entrepreneurs getting together and starting shoestring companies while having awkward romantic triangles. Highly recommend if you like your young Korean romance mixed with tech industry.
Hello My Twenties is an interesting story about young college room-mates that starts off fairly innocent and turns complex. Good character writing. Season 2 gradually gets heavy as the kids grow up and face more serious things.
All of this on Netflix last time we looked.
posted by ovvl at 9:19 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mr Sunshine is a very sumptuous historical drama set during the Japanese occupation of Korea.
The Glory is a well shot very long term revenge story but pretty dark, as you might expect.
If you're looking for up to date reviews and recommendations, the kdrama subreddit is friendly and active.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:48 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Glory is a well shot very long term revenge story but pretty dark, as you might expect.
If you're looking for up to date reviews and recommendations, the kdrama subreddit is friendly and active.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:48 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Crash Landing is the gateway drama for lots of folks – it was for me. A super recent entry on Netflix is Love to Hate You, which is a little shorter than most kdramas (10 episodes) and a lot of fun. Little Women (Kdrama version) is also exceptionally well made but the show is like a roller coaster ride in the best way and it end in a good place. Reply 1988 is a classic and full of nostalgia but it’s a whopping 20 episodes – with most being well over an hour. Our Beloved Summer was one of my favorite shows from the past year and it has an amazing soundtrack. Definitely check out KDrama_Club on FanFare for more detailed recommendations.
posted by kbar1 at 11:10 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kbar1 at 11:10 PM on March 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
*GASP* I've been training for this moment!
I've been building up a sprawling thread of mini reviews on Twitter
I then converted it into an Apple spreadsheet of mini-reviews (Don't worry about it asking for a name, it's read-only, just type "x" or something). It's got links to trailers for each TV show.
But for a quick recommendation my wife says I have to recommend 'The Good Manager' - you'll never watch a funnier more exciting show about accountants.
posted by BinaryApe at 1:24 AM on March 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
I've been building up a sprawling thread of mini reviews on Twitter
I then converted it into an Apple spreadsheet of mini-reviews (Don't worry about it asking for a name, it's read-only, just type "x" or something). It's got links to trailers for each TV show.
But for a quick recommendation my wife says I have to recommend 'The Good Manager' - you'll never watch a funnier more exciting show about accountants.
posted by BinaryApe at 1:24 AM on March 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
We really enjoyed Hotel Del Luna and Mystic Popup Bar, both have a theme of strong women dealing with past sins in a supernatural way. HdL in particular had some great sets and costumes.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 4:34 AM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 4:34 AM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
I've enjoyed Extraordinary Attorney Woo, o much that I asked my youngest (college-aged) child, who is on the autism spectrum, to watch the first episode with me. She enjoyed it, and she said that the way the program portrays Woo experiencing sensory overload tracks closely with her experience.
posted by Gelatin at 5:26 AM on March 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Gelatin at 5:26 AM on March 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
I rarely enjoy foreign dramas (I don't like reading subtitles) but I loved The King: Eternal Monarch, which is a sci-fi/fantasy story with two alternate universes and a story that almost entirely makes sense.
There is some violence, in particular one very violent scene that sets up much of the story, but it's mostly romantic comedy / drama / detective story. There are some very good characters and it's quite entertaining. The ending is not sad.
posted by mmoncur at 6:29 AM on March 30, 2023
There is some violence, in particular one very violent scene that sets up much of the story, but it's mostly romantic comedy / drama / detective story. There are some very good characters and it's quite entertaining. The ending is not sad.
posted by mmoncur at 6:29 AM on March 30, 2023
If you want some brief, thoughtful reviews and a 1- 4-star rating system, I've enjoyed the reviews by Jae-Ha Kim, who brings a Korean American perspective to her reception of the shows.
Thanks for that link, TwoStride; I read a few of her 3 1/2- and 4-star reviews and they were really thoughtful and informative. Bookmarked!
posted by mediareport at 7:13 AM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
Thanks for that link, TwoStride; I read a few of her 3 1/2- and 4-star reviews and they were really thoughtful and informative. Bookmarked!
posted by mediareport at 7:13 AM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
I know it's been mentioned but Extraordinary Attorney Woo is one of the best shows I've ever seen. My husband, who has a love/hate relationship with TV series, loved it. Everyone we've recommended it to has loved it.
posted by ceejaytee at 9:55 AM on March 30, 2023
posted by ceejaytee at 9:55 AM on March 30, 2023
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the most charming show I think I've ever watched.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 2:07 PM on March 30, 2023
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 2:07 PM on March 30, 2023
Not currently on Netflix but worth seeking out are Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka Goblin) and Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. The former is almost universally beloved and the four leads are great. I wouldn't say the ending is happy but it is emotionally satisfying. The latter has a happy ending and is a good watch after you become familiar with some of the tropes of kdramas as it sets a few of them on end. Note that it has a women being kidnapped subplot that is more intense than the main rom-com story. Both of these, and many more, can be found on Viki or Dramacool.
Something to look forward to: A sequel of sorts to Strong Woman Do Bong Soon called Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon is currently being filmed, the leads for SWDBS just filmed a cameo, and is expected to be out in the second half of this year.
posted by plastic_animals at 3:26 PM on March 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
Something to look forward to: A sequel of sorts to Strong Woman Do Bong Soon called Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon is currently being filmed, the leads for SWDBS just filmed a cameo, and is expected to be out in the second half of this year.
posted by plastic_animals at 3:26 PM on March 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
This is such a great thread; next time my streaming cycles around to a month of Netflix (I churn through them constantly, what can I say) I'll check out Extraordinary Attorney Woo. I do remember reading there were conflicting viewpoints from autistic communities about the portrayal, and while I'm not qualified to judge those (I enjoyed As We See It, for instance, and only later found out that there were elements some folks with autism found troubling), this Polygon article explores the good and the bad, paying particular attention to the stereotypical "savant" element and to the context of ableism and autism in South Korea:
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is autistic representation at its best and its worst
...The creators of the show talk about bringing more attention to autism in Korea. But there is an ableist undertone that feeds into the show, starting with the title before it was altered for Western audiences. The Korean title, 이상한 변호사 우영우, is most accurately translated to Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo.
A translation note: There is some conjecture online as to the appropriate translation of 이상한 변호사 우영우. However, each translation appears to be synonymous, whether it’s weird, strange, or odd. Speaking to autistic Korean speakers about the title, they confirm it is Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo, in particular a derivation of “weird” that’s been used as a pejorative against them.
It covers a lot of ground; seemed relevant to add a pointer here for anyone interested.
posted by mediareport at 5:25 PM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is autistic representation at its best and its worst
...The creators of the show talk about bringing more attention to autism in Korea. But there is an ableist undertone that feeds into the show, starting with the title before it was altered for Western audiences. The Korean title, 이상한 변호사 우영우, is most accurately translated to Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo.
A translation note: There is some conjecture online as to the appropriate translation of 이상한 변호사 우영우. However, each translation appears to be synonymous, whether it’s weird, strange, or odd. Speaking to autistic Korean speakers about the title, they confirm it is Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo, in particular a derivation of “weird” that’s been used as a pejorative against them.
It covers a lot of ground; seemed relevant to add a pointer here for anyone interested.
posted by mediareport at 5:25 PM on March 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
Crash Landing On You is an excellent first k-drama because it makes fun of and explains a lot of k-drama tropes you will encounter elsewhere. (I won't spoil how it happens, but it has been very helpful in future k-dramas, and I ended up watching a very famous old one that was mentioned in it.)
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 8:18 PM on March 30, 2023
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 8:18 PM on March 30, 2023
Seconding or thirding or fourthing Stranger, especially season one. And Signal. These are a few years old but really not to be missed. Bae Doo-na, Cho Seung-woo, Kim Hye-soo. Can't go wrong. More recently, I really loved Crash Course in Romance and Divorce Attorney Shin (episodes still dropping each Saturday and Sunday.) And it's a little uneven but Inspector Koo. Feels like a bit of a remake of Killing Eve. Great soundtrack, stellar cast. I'd also recommend Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Under the Queen's Umbrella. Finally Our Blues, set on Jeju Island. Another stellar ensemble cast. Also, Glitch, My Name, and D.P.. Last two might be a bit heavy. That's probably too many, huh. Enjoy.
posted by mrsbartolozzi at 9:42 PM on March 30, 2023
posted by mrsbartolozzi at 9:42 PM on March 30, 2023
Coming back to say that Move to Heaven was quietly beautiful and moving.
posted by TwoStride at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2023
posted by TwoStride at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2023
Crash Landing On You
Signal
Love to Hate You
When the Camellia Blooms
Romance is a Bonus Book
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 12:50 AM on April 2, 2023
Signal
Love to Hate You
When the Camellia Blooms
Romance is a Bonus Book
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 12:50 AM on April 2, 2023
Stranger (especially season one) is one of the most compelling shows I've seen, and feels like a good starting point for Korean TV more generally.
posted by L0 at 2:33 PM on April 10, 2023
posted by L0 at 2:33 PM on April 10, 2023
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