New and Old Korean Dramas Review

Sometimes something new is needed after what seems like years of scrolling through Netflix to find a show to watch. Maybe some new and fresh options need to be added to the selection for the next few hours of binge watching. These are some reviews of Korean dramas to hopefully add to that watch list on Netflix and maybe find a new favorite show or series.

To start things off, let’s start with an iconic K-drama named “Goblin”, or “Guardian : The Lonely and Great God”, that was released in 2016. This drama starts off pretty heavy, but it also sparks curiosity. The main character (Kim Shin) isn’t necessarily the goblin that has pointy ears and is green, he is actually something close to a god and has some supernatural abilities. Kim Shin, is a great war general that was killed by the young King’s jealousy, given an immortal life that seems like a blessing but is soon found to be a curse. His curse can only be ended by his bride and he is now 900 years old present day. One night, he finds a pregnant woman laying in the snow, begging to be saved and Kim Shin saves her, leaving the Grim Reaper to find only bloodied snow instead of a dead body. Ji Eun-Tak is then born, but 9 years later her mother suddenly dies and she has her first encounter with the Grim Reaper. Later on, it is found that Eun-tak is the Goblin’s fated bride, but what happens can only be found by watching. This drama has lots of fantasy elements but also some romance for anyone who is into that. Watching this was truly a ride and the relationship between the Grim Reaper and Goblin adds humor to the story when things are dark and gloomy. It is a must watch and will pull at your heartstrings, plus the soundtrack is amazing. This drama can be watched on Viki for free, but there are ads so a subscription might be needed if you despise them. This one was quite good and I had walked into it blindly, but I liked it so I’d give it a 8.5/10.

Another amazing fantasy and romance drama is The King: Eternal Monarch. This is a more recent drama, but it will keep you very entertained and wanting to watch more. The plot twists will have you shocked, but personally I really liked how the drama kept me thinking and the romance and friendships had me enjoying this show so much more. Our main character Lee Gon is the King as the title states, but when a parallel world is found, him and Jung Tae Ul, the detective, will have found themselves intertwined in something that is more than it seems and fight for their people and loved ones. This drama is a favorite and kept me thinking all along, but it also had me speechless at times and crying at 12 in the morning. It is a must watch to say the least. This drama can only be viewed on Netflix and is 16 episodes long. I got a bit confused at times, but this drama is most definitely a 13/10.

There are lots of romance k-dramas, but a recent one that is getting a season 2 is Love Alarm. In this drama there is an app that can tell you when someone who loves or has romantic feelings towards you is near you or within a 10 meter radius. There is a love triangle in this series so if that’s not your cup of tea then I don’t recommend this for you. I really enjoyed this drama to be honest and it’s probably because the characters were somewhat centered around high school which made me connect with them. The main character, Kim Jo-jo, is a young girl who is very hardworking and manages to smile even with her painful past surrounding her family. I honestly cried at 1 in the morning out of both sadness and anger towards her aunt and cousin. Sun Ho, is a popular rich boy that likes Jo-jo, but his best friend Hye-Yeong, also likes her which is where the love triangle comes into play. Truthfully, I’m really looking forward to the second season of this drama which can be seen on Netflix, only containing 8 episodes so it’s pretty easy to watch in one sitting. Although I loved this drama the amount of episodes it has is a bit sad and the love triangle really pains me I’d say it’s a 9/10.

My favorite romance drama has to be My Love From the Star. It is an old one but a personal favorite and I have re-watched this drama countless times. We have our main character Do Min-Joon, who is played by Kim Soo-Hyun, South Korea’s top paid actor at the moment. He is an alien you could say since he is a person who came from another planet and has been living on earth for more than 400 years since he was unable to go back home. After so many years, there is news of a comet/meteor that is his ticket to home, but he finds himself developing feelings for actress Cheon Song-Yi. This is a very lovely romance drama that I have grown very fond of and the ending was just as lovely. Of course, this is quite an old drama that was filmed in 2013 so the quality isn’t as HD as it is now, but it is still really good and I have recently begun to watch it again since I am attached to it. There are also mysteries in this drama that will have you very shocked but hooked. I recommend it if you want to watch an oldie that will have your chest warming up. This series is available on Viki as well and is 21 episodes long compared to the usual 16, but it is very worth it. As it is a favorite of mine it’s a 10/10 in my book.

A new and amazing thriller drama is Flower of Evil. This drama has some creepy aspects and revolves around investigations and crime scenes with torture so if that’s not something you’d like then this isn’t for you. The main character, Baek Hee Sung, is a man who changes his identity and has a past that’s being hidden from his wife who is a detective and is currently delving into his past. There are major plot twists and lots of conflicted feelings when watching this drama and I was honestly really confused but also entranced with the need to finish this in one sitting. The main character’s acting is truly amazing and I was honestly yearning to finish this drama due to how good it was since it always had been thinking and questioning every single detail. I’m not one for thriller dramas, but this one is really good and I will definitely be watching it again in the near future. This k-drama is 16 episodes long and can be watched in Viki.

A suspense and thriller drama that I highly recommend is W:Two Worlds. This series quite literally starts with a bang that leaves you very confused, but immediately interested. You then learn that this drama is centered around a comic called W that was created by the main character’s father. Our main character is a surgical resident named Oh Yeon-Joon, she is pulled into the comic world of W and then meets Kang Cheol, the protagonist of the comic where they are now entangled in a murder mystery behind the death of Kang Cheols family. I really liked this drama and towards the end I was dying to finish it and find out who the killer was, but I did get a little annoyed since it seemed a little repetitive and I was agitated to just know since I am an impatient person. Aside from that, I really liked the male lead (Lee Jong-Suk) and the comic style was really captivating along with the romance that was developed between the two main characters. Overall, I was hooked until the end and will probably be watching again. This drama is 16 episodes long like most Korean dramas are and can be found on Viki.

If thriller or suspense becomes too heavy, then Strong Girl Bong-Soon is a really good watch. This drama contains comedy and romance which is good to watch when the serious dramas become too much. The main character is Do Bong Soon, a girl who was born with superhuman strength and one day crosses paths with gaming company CEO An Min Hyuk, who wants to hire her as his bodyguard. Bong Soon’s friend, In Kook Doo, likes her, creating a love triangle in the show which is actually pretty sweet and funny down the line. I found myself laughing a lot while watching this and the action scenes and little suspense parts just added to the enjoyment. So if you like some more humor based shows, this is definitely for you. It is 16 episodes long and can be found on Viki. Overall this drama is a 10/10 for me.

These are some last little favorites of mine that should definitely be on that watch list if you have watched any of these dramas and want to search for more. Mr. Sunshine will break your heart but it is a must watch if you want to sob and feel emotional pain. Itaewon Class and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, Are two amazing dramas with Park Seojoon starring in them. Romance is a Bonus Book and Crash Landing On you, are romance dramas for when you need to heal a little. It’s Okay to Not be Okay is a must watch, definitely shouldn’t judge the characters too much and maybe look into their conditions, it’ll help. Spice up the watch list this upcoming, trying new things never hurts.