The Favorites List : Binge Worthy Shows – KDrama Edition

The original plan for this post was to talk about my all time favorite shows that I can watch over and over again. You know like Friends, Sex And The City or Greys’s Anatomy. But as I started writing I realized I’ve been obsessively only watching Korean shows (Kdramas) and that’s also basically all I want to talk about. Its become a real problem, its like a rabbit hole I never want to crawl out of. Its insane how addictive these shows are and I feel like its my civic duty to pass on this information to those who might not yet have ventured into the world of Kdramas. Be warned that they are highly addictive and you probably wont be able to watch just one. They also feature insanely good music by a lot of Korean artists, so if you’re a fan of Kpop you probably should check some of the OSTs out.

So here is a list to get you started. These are not all of my favorites, I have watched tons more and have at least 10 more that I want to talk about but I didn’t want to sound like a crazy person so I limited this list to only 5.

Something in the Rain

This was the first Korean show I watched and the reason I was hooked. This is a story about a couple with an age gap. The female protagonist in her 30’s while the male lead is much younger. It’s not a typical love story, and the plot develops like a real life story rather than fiction. I dont want to give too much of the story away, but its shot so well that each scene feels like a picture. Its subtle and nuanced and one of those shows that you want to snuggle under a blanket on a chilly day with some coffee and just binge watch. Its has 16 episodes and you can watch it on Netflix.

While You Were Sleeping

This is another show with an amazing storyline, as well as really good special effects and cinematography. The plot is actually really interesting, there are three main characters who can see the bits of the future in their dreams but the catch is that they see different versions of the same event. This kept me on the edge of my seat as you can never really be sure what you’re seeing is really the final version of events. Especially enjoyable if you like law and crime based shows. The male lead is a lawyer and a lot of the show is court room drama which is something I found really entertaining. This is available to stream on Netflix.

The Legend of the Blue Sea

This show is probably on every list of must watch Kdramas (this is what this version of Korean shows are usually known as). The plot consists of mermaids, Mensa educated con artists, reincarnation, flashbacks to the Joseon Dynasty, homeless fashion enthusiasts and even a murder mystery! Basically every plot twist that you can think of happens but it’s done so well and with so much humor that you won’t be able to stop watching. Entertaining from the first minute to the last. The cast includes some of the biggest South Korean stars so its understandable that they went all out with the production and result is some really amazing special effects. It has 20 episodes and you can watch it on Viki.

Pinocchio

This one is about a TV news reporter who has something known as the Pinocchio Syndrome, where a person cannot lie without some physical symptom – in this case hiccups. Makes for a very entertaining storyline, especially for a new reporter. I was so curious about whether it is an actually thing or not that I had to look it up. Turns out it sort of is real and known as Gelotophobia. Very fun show to watch, a lot of crime solving and insights into lives of TV news reporters which was fun to watch. You can catch this on Netflix, has 20 episodes.

Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Boo Joo

This one I had to throw in as I personally love shows with story lines involving sports. This is set in a elite sports academy and the show follows the story of a young weight-lifting prodigy. Its inspired by the real life story of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. Very light and fun and will make you crave Korean food by the end of it. I already have plans to re-watch it. It has 16 episodes and you can watch it on Viki.

Let me know if you’ve seen any of these, or if you have any other favorites. I would love to check them out!

–Sat