Personal Favorites
Loosely ranked favorites from my watched dramas (here's link w/ my notes/thoughts)
-
1. Healer
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
A perfect blend of action, romance, and intrigue! Every aspect of this drama is incredible - it has a tightly knit storyline with no slow/filler plot points, with amazing chemistry and acting all around.
-
2. Alchemy of Souls
Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
What an incredible well-rounded drama! Magical martial arts, secret identities, conspiracies, friendships, reluctant bromance, and a non-toxic love polygon... with a fairly tight plot, beautiful cinematography/OST, and lots of rewatchable scenes both humorous and jaw-dropping. This was a masterpiece of a Part 1!
-
3. Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pure magic... such a wholesome and relatable drama with all the feels and absolutely BRILLIANT acting from everyone!
-
4. Just Between Lovers
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
The level and range of raw emotions expressed in this drama was incredible, and the storytelling was poignant and perfect. A magnificent must-watch drama!
-
5. Sh**ting Stars
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
SUPER DUPER CUTEEE! The plot and acting were amazing and I was basically just screaming and smiling throughout <3 <3 <3 Also the first (and currently only) fluffy rom-com I've ever rewatched, so it's definitely top of its class!
-
6. Taxi Driver
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
omg this was so FUN! I loved the variety of action (cool fights, car chases, espionage, hacking...) plus the camaraderie of the taxi crew. The plots were intriguing and well-connected from beginning to end. Awesome show!
-
7. Twinkling Watermelon
Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes
2023 drama of the year! Masterful storytelling and acting, I enjoyed it the whole way through and looked forward to every episode!
-
8. Knight Flower
Korean Drama - 2024, 12 episodes
Blazing good fun, entertaining the whole way through! Great mix of action, intrigue, and romantic tension, with well-written characters and banter.
-
9. The Red Sleeve
Korean Drama - 2021, 17 episodes
One of the greatest productions ever! This evoked the most visceral reactions from me too, all across the emotional spectrum.
-
10. Confession
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
What a masterpiece drama! Perfect casting with a riveting plot that seamlessly weaved together multiple plotlines. I also really loved the communication and relationships among the main characters.
-
11. Call It Love
Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes
Extremely angsty and addicting... I really enjoyed the cinematography, and the plot flowed smoothly and logically.
-
12. It's Okay to Not Be Okay
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
A fantastic drama with exceptional story, acting, OST, costuming, art/animations. Main and supporting characters all have fleshed out plot arcs with a lot of growth and this has one of the most satisfying/fulfilling endings ever.
-
13. Extraordinary You
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
A cool concept with excellent plot arcs, acting, and effects. I loved every second of this!
-
14. My Mister
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Really gripping and cathartic "slice of life" drama with heartwrenching moments and heartwarming friendships.
-
15. Flex X Cop
Korean Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
SO MUCH FUN
-
16. Mad Dog
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
A really fun romp, mixing "heist movie" vibes with a fight for justice and truth! Protagonists were super likeable with great team chemistry, and antagonists were super hateable (in the best way). Lots of twists and tricks and shifting allegiances kept me on the edge of my seat and made for a thrilling ride!
-
17. Crash Landing on You
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Solid from start to finish - amazing balance of romance, comedy, and suspense! Beautiful OST and hilarious supporting cast.
-
18. The Secret Life of My Secretary
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
I desperately want to be besties with all of the main leads. This was so cute and wholesome!
-
19. Wok of Love
Korean Drama - 2018, 38 episodes
Not the deepest drama, but I absolutely loved every scene Junho was in - he was incredibly talented and made me scream and turn to mush. This was very fluffy and enjoyable with great friendships, bromances, and a liberal amount of skinship - and extremely delicious Chinese food!
-
20. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
Korean Drama - 2019, 40 episodes
Really well-paced drama with a great mix of drama and humor!
-
21. From Now On, Showtime!
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
A nice mix of laughter and suspense, with great plot pacing and an amazing supporting cast. Some tropes that I usually don't like were executed really well here, and I liked the character development as well.
-
22. Lawless Lawyer
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Action-packed plot with a satisfying ending and fantastic fight scenes!
-
23. Touch Your Heart
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
A super fun and fluffy romcom with adorable leads, that keeps you smiling throughout! (Recommend watching this after DotS and Goblin for some references/easter eggs.)
-
24. Suspicious Partner
Korean Drama - 2017, 40 episodes
A jam-packed, highly entertaining drama with solid pacing throughout! Some fun character banter and a nuanced antagonist bring depth to this show.
-
25. Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Korean Drama - 2010, 20 episodes
I was skeptical of the premise at first, but this was unexpectedly entertaining! The Jalgeum Quartet and student president were perfectly cast and the relationships were fantastic and hilarious.
-
26. Run On
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
A charming slice-of-life romcom; there was a bit of chaebol drama but overall it was pretty grounded in reality and managed to captivate me the whole way though.
-
27. Search: WWW
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
I loved how this drama handled social media and Internet privacy, as well as the characters' conflicts and empowerment. I also loved all the backgrounds, with artistic color-blocking, books, and cool architecture.
-
28. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
A sweet and wholesome romcom - loved that the leads were so supportive of each other!
-
29. One More Happy Ending
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
Pretty soapy and cheesy, but also super cute and so much fun! It's kind of a quintessential kdrama with a little bit of everything done well.
-
30. Descendants of the Sun
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
"Epic romance" vibes - great chemistry, beautiful OST/cinematography, and highly enjoyable to watch, though there isn't too much emotional investment.
-
31. Cinderella and the Four Knights
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
A guilty-pleasure romcom with many cliches, but pure fun to watch.