We watch K-Dramas because most English shows are rubbish, boring, the comedy is not funny or highly inaccurate, we seem to have exhausted most Canadian shows and American humour is getting weirder with the projectile diarrhoea. Plus, Bob is in love with all things Korean, it’s an inevitable progression, so here is a list of what we have watched and what we think of them.
We started off watching;
Mr. Sunshine.
It’s about the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 19th and 20th centuries and other events around the world. There is some confusion over the storyline, it seems to go all Sci-Fi, Time Travel, but we watched the first half of the 1st episode and got a kid crying in the ran and no mention of time travel.
It was not a good start, this was really oddly paced and weirdly lit. We have thought of trying it again, as now we realised that the first couple of episodes of shows tend to tell the backstory, as they don’t seem to do flashbacks, so the start can often have little to do with the story as a whole.
This was probably the wrong drama to start our K-drama journey
We Stopped after 1 Episode.
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
It’s about a Prince that goes into hiding and a group of young men who train to become part of an Elite Guard. The story also follows a peasant boy nicknamed Dog-Bird and a nurse, and the story develops around them all.
This was better – it made sense! (well more than the previous show!) It wasn’t too hard to follow and there were pretty people to look at (when Ash managed to take his eyes off the subtitles bar at the bottom!).
Strong Girl, Bong-soon
A young woman born with superhuman strength is hired by the CEO of a gaming company to be his bodyguard.
This was good, it was funny apart from the stupid gangsters – this is a common thing is K-Dramas, there has to be a slapstick group who are bumbling idiots and who hurt themselves in a kind of Home Alone-esque way, this is possibly the most annoying part of the show. Other than that, ‘Da Bong’ as we called it, was funny and again had pretty people for eye-candy, so we liked it a lot.
Crash Landing into You
A paragliding mishap drops a South Korean heiress in North Korea – and into the life of an army officer, who decides he will help her hide.
A fun, at times sad drama – filled with multiple storylines – that’s all we can really say without spoiling it. The first Netflix-commissioned K-drama.
Itaewon Class
An ex-con and his friends fight to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality.
There is so much more to this plot but without giving too much away, it deals with revenge, transgender issues, race, prejudices and dreams. The first 3 episodes are somewhat slow but do bear with it because it is worth it!
Imitation
A member of a rookie girl group and a member of a top boy group have a secret romance while navigating their lives in the entertainment industry. Whilst trying to live their dreams.
A whole range of Idols taking on acting roles as well as exposing the harsh realities of being an Idol.
The Witch’s Diner
This series tells the stories of desperate people who come to a magical restaurant to eat a magical dish with the hopes of having their personal wishes granted, even at the expense of their own souls.
This was enjoyable – some of the food looked really good! However, there were some unanswered questions – such as why no one ever asked what the cost was. We quite liked the fact that the stories never went perfectly or the way the customer wanted – it was less predictable.
Bad and Crazy
This follows a police officer who has questionable ethics. Due to his ambitious personality, he receives several promotions in a short period of time. His smooth life suddenly changes with the appearance of a righteous but crazy man.
This show seemed to be a bit haphazard at times, with no explanation as to how certain things happened or came about. However, it wasn’t bad – there were some dragging episodes but other than that.
Extracurricular
A schoolboy with a terrible home life has a secret other life and when one of his classmates tries to get involved, some really bad stuff starts happening.
The girl is a complete pain in the a***! It’s a bit slow (as are many dramas) and it’s weirdly acted, the first two episodes are hard work, but it gets better. Plus, there is a weird Hermit crab as a pet?
The King. Eternal Monarch
The King of the Kingdom of Corea is killed and his young son takes the throne, but the killer escapes through a portal to another world. When the king grows up and discovers the portal too, he finds another world so like his but so very different.
This is Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the here and now, not far-fetched, just clever and detailed. Many of the actors play two or three roles and can be confusing, especially when some actors look alike! (says, Ash)
Happiness
Be careful what you wish for – you might just get it! All she wanted was to get a good job and live in a nice apartment. Well, she got it, well, kind of! Plus some zombies!
This was short, short in all and it had some really, like reaaaaaaaaaalllly annoying characters in it. Other than the annoying characters, it was pretty good.
My Country; The New Age
Two boys grow up friends even though they come from different backgrounds and the story follows their paths and their stories.
Another Joseon period drama, with some amazing healing abilities. Did you know that if you get stabbed with a sword in Korea, it’s never fatal? Even if you got chopped in half! It did drag a little and became a bit convoluted with who was doing what to whom or what the actual result was aiming at. Plus, the royals all had fairly similar names, so unless you could put a face to the name, you had no idea who was being spoken about.
Tempted (The Seducer)
A Korean version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, or Dangerous Liaisons, or Cruel Intentions, or Gossip Girl- yes, they are all reworkings of the same story, a group of rich, bored kids plays with a pretty girl’s heart to dangerous and devastating ends.
Park Soo Young is beautiful in this (He says) and Woo Do Hwan too (She says). The plot was a little confusing too! There was a lot of back and forth and no one seemed to say what they meant.
Suits
A young man has a photographic memory and excellent comprehension skills. He dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but due to his poor background, he currently works as a parking valet. This follows a series of events that lead him to work in a law firm and more.
Too fast for Ash to follow, especially the legal jargon; however, Bob continued and really enjoyed it!
Goblin: The Lonely and Great God
A Goblin in Korea is a God/Deity with special powers. This follows a lonely god through his immortal life to the modern day, where he may or may not finally find an end to his life in the form of a mortal woman.
Although the story followed Goblin, we were both more interested in Reaper and Sunny, who had the more stimulating storyline. Plus, all the way through, Bob fell in love with Reapers style.
Yumi Cells
Yu-Mi has cells in her brain that represent different emotions like love, violence, rationality, good, and bad. These tiny cells in her brain work actively for her. They deal with her emotions and troubles.
This was one of those shows where almost all of the men are aggravating as hell but the cells did a good job of explaining what the hell is going on in a person’s brain.
Touch Your Heart
A big-screen actress (whose acting is not very good). A scandal stops her from getting work, and to gain experience for an upcoming new film, she becomes a Legal Secretary.
Bob watched it alone it was an easy watch with a fun, lighthearted premise and story
Snowdrop
A political drama about a group of University students who live in dorms. One day, a North Korean spy lands in the dorm with a gunshot wound and one girl helps him recover and a series of events leads to a tense thriller.
Advertised as a musical starring Jisoo of BlackPink, we are almost all the way through and have only seen her sing out of tune for less than a minute. That being said, if you disregard the ‘musical,’ it’s pretty good; it also hasn’t really dragged, which is surprising.
All of us are Dead
It’s your average school with bullies, drama queens, and science teachers making zombies in the lab.
This is pretty good, the first couple of Zombies were really badly animated but eventually it settled down. There are some shocking moments and even some ‘how the hell’ moments but overall we are enjoying it.
Sweet Home
A boy loses his family and he moves into a small apartment. At this time, a mysterious phenomenon of humans turning into monsters occurs all around the world.
Ash gave up on this after episode 3, but Bob continued all the way through. The longer it went on, the more you found out about the monsters and there was really a lot of development in the characters. There is a season 2 coming soon, so I will be watching!
The Tale of the Nine-Tailed Fox
He was once a mountain spirit. He sacrificed his life as a mountain god to resurrect the life of the woman he loved and now lives his life as a nine-tailed fox in human form. He has lived this way for hundreds of years.
There is clearly a difference of opinion
Ash struggled through it, but Bob really enjoyed it and I am really looking forward to season 2.
Strangers from Hell
A man moves into a cheap apartment block and discovers some strange goings-on which may threaten his life.
Bob watched this alone. This was a really dark thriller with some really gruesome torture scenes, but for some odd reason only ever blurred/censored knives? The last episode is quite confusing as I’m not really sure what happened, but I suppose it’s up for interpretation.
BubbleGum
Set within the backdrop of a hospital and a radio station. People with different problems get together and become happier.
Bob alone – Another easy/cute rom-com – So far I am enjoying it, but then again I would say that (It’s got Lee Dong Wook in it)
Doctors
When Hye-Jung was young, her life was difficult. She was good at fighting, but also studied well. Overcoming her tough situation, she is now a doctor.
Bob Alone – Similar to the Western ER show but with pretty people!
Pinocchio
She has a rare condition called Pinocchio Syndrome where she hiccups every time she lies.
Bob Alone – I’m only a couple of episodes in – So far it’s ok… the lighting is odd, the acting is a bit flat and it seems a little sitcom-like, but I will likely continue. Mostly for Park Shin-hye.
Sisyphus: The Myth
Han Tae-Sul is a genius engineer and the co-founder of Quantum and Time Company. Thanks to his efforts, Quantum and Time has become a world-class enterprise. After his older brother’s death 10 years ago, he has exhibited eccentric behaviour. One day, Han Tae-Sul learns of an unreliable truth behind his brother’s death. His dangerous journey begins.
We started watching this because the patron saint of Bob is Sisyphus. However, this seems to appeal to both me and Ash because of the Sci-fi of it all.
Memories of the Alhambra
A boy in Spain invents a new computer game and then disappears, but sends a link to the game to the CEO of a gaming company and what follows is a strange series of events and maybe the ultimate game.
This was an intriguing concept and one that wasn’t expected (in a good way) as the blurb really didn’t explain the premise (as is often the case). Bob was happy – as the show contained English, Spanish, and Korean.
My Name
Following her father’s murder, a revenge-driven woman puts her trust in a powerful crime boss – and enters the force under his direction.
This was a very short series – it could have been longer, as there seemed to be more storyline to work through, but it wasn’t bad. Some of the visual effects were really, really good, but we are still questioning why the sex scene was marked as filthy.
The basis for Itzy’s Mafia performance from Mama
Her Private Life
Sung Deok-Mi works as a curator at an art gallery. She is a huge fan of idol group member Shi-An and secretly runs a fan website about him. She is also a curator of a prestigious gallery and she wants to keep the two separate.
This is a silly, light-hearted rom-com, but one we can all relate to (being an older K-pop stan)
‘Oh my Gaaauuuuooooooood.’ If you have seen this, you will understand.
Silent Sea
Set in the future, when the planet suffers from a lack of water and food caused by desertification. A group of soldiers and scientists are sent to the moon to retrieve a mysterious sample from an abandoned research station.
A space show that Bob can understand! I can finally tell people apart; there are no odd accents. Ash, on the other hand, can’t quite work out who is who. However, we are both enjoying it.
Hotel Del Luna
Jang Man-Wol runs the hotel for the recently deceased; when the last manager retires, she searches for the next manager.
This was good; each episode was self-contained, but there was a continuing storyline running throughout and once again, Pretty people.
It’s OK to not be OK
Two brothers live a life moving from place to place because the elder is mentally ill. When they move back to their hometown, the younger brother finally finds a chance for happiness.
Again, there were a few episodes that seemed to drag and a few moments that didn’t fully make sense. We, however, loved her style and bluntness throughout and even liked the children’s books.
Nevertheless
A girl in university has gained a reputation after a bad relationship and she tries to get on with her life at Art School.
This was dubbed racy/too out there and once again it starred Han So Hee – clearly she has no issues taking a chance. Although Bob likes Song Kang in this – He was annoying as hell! There was also a promise of having an LGBTQ storyline, although it happened it was only implied and not brought to fruition.
Romance is a Bonus Book
This follows Kang Dan-Yi as she tries to get back to work after quitting to raise her daughter. So she comes up with a unique solution.
This is the Korean version of the Hulu Channel’s show ‘Younger’. We enjoyed this, but the main male was so cocky and loved himself. There was a recurring random Spring Onion Plushie and a dog that kept getting left outside places for hours.
Doom at your Service
Tak Dong-Kyung is an editor for a web novel company. Myul-Mang suddenly appears in her ordinary life. She makes a 100-day contract with Myul-Mang, risking her life and her love.
This was one of those shows that was ok but nothing more than that. It had Park Bo-young but her character was rather wishy-washy. Plus the males were unreasonably cocky once again.
High Society
Even though her family is extremely wealthy, she holds a part-time job at a food market. She hides her background as an heiress and attempts to find a man who loves her for herself.
We watched one episode, which was oddly lit, strangely flat and was too much like a sitcom, so we stopped.
Cheese in The Trap
Drama depicts the delicate relationship between female university student Hong Seol and her senior Yoo Jung, who is good-looking, gets good grades, is athletic and has a kind personality, but he has a dark side. Hong-Seol works part-time due to her family’s poor background.
Bob Alone – I have paused this for a while as the first episode irritated the hell out of me. The ‘love interest’ is an absolute asshole.
Flower Ever After
A realistic drama that reflects on dating and marriage produced by PlayList Global
Bob Alone – This was ok…nothing special. I liked the females in this, but the men seemed mostly useless.
Love Alarm
Cellphone app Joalarm is created. If someone likes you and they are within 10 meters of you, the alarm for the app rings. The app also shows how many people like you, but the app doesn’t reveal specific details on who likes you.
Watched one episode together but Bob ended up watching all three seasons. Oh the things she does for Song Kang.
Squid Games
Desperate people are given a chance to win a lot of money by playing a series of kids’ games with a gruesome twist.
After watching Alice in Borderland, we were ready for some more escape room-type shows and this delivered. The episodes flew by, though we realized that there was no point in investing our feelings in any characters.
The School Nurse
A new nurse teacher at school. She has a special ability to see jelly-like monsters that are made from residue of human desire and she can also eradicate these jellies.
This had nothing to do with jellies. In fact, from the poster it looks magical – good even. This is nothing like what the show was really like: dark, slow and oppressive.
Save Me
Four young men come to the rescue of a former classmate whose family has been sucked into the clutches of a religious cult and its charismatic leader.
Mostly watched because of Woo Do-hwan and Seo Ye-ji but although both of us like them, we did not like this. The show was slow and didn’t seem to get to the point we gave up.
Sea of Hope
Not a Drama, more like a group of celebrities open a bar on the beach and sing lovely songs, while Kim Go-eun goes swimming, musical guests perform (notably Rosé of BLACKPINK), whilst members of the public, Lee Su-hyun and Bob, stare at Lee Dong Wook.
So that was a roundup of all the K-dramas we have watched so far.
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