10 Best K-Dramas for Beginners Seeking Their Next Obsession

K-dramas, or Korean dramas as a term, refers to South Korean TV shows that have recently become popular among a global audience. Squid Game, the K-drama that firmly established the genre on the world stage, is finally returning to screens with a third and final season this June.  But this show wasn’t the South Korean TV industry’s first attempt at unique storytelling. There are several other K-dramas that are equally, if not more, exquisite.

While Squid Game opened the gateway for many fans, one may find the medium has plenty more to offer in terms of other thrillers, as well as a deep library of fantasy, action, crime dramas, and more. There’s plenty of romance as well, with When Life Gives You Tangerines as a prominent recent example, but even that hardly defines the face of K-dramas as a whole, with it having traces of a period piece similar to Reply 1988. So, in case you are on the lookout for your new obsession after being blown away by the brilliance of Squid Game, here are 10 of the best K-dramas out there:

1) Goblin or Guardian: The Great and Lonely God

Featuring Gong Yoo of Squid Game fame, Goblin or Guardian tells the story of a warrior named Kim Shin. A historical fantasy drama, the show follows Kim as he returns from war, only to be betrayed by his friend, the king. He dies a traitor’s death, only to rise again as a goblin cursed to roam the earth till he finds his bride. After traversing the earth for centuries, Kim finally meets the dauntless Ji Eun-tak, a young girl with a brilliant smile and an ability to see the dead. Theirs is not meant to be a tale of romance, though, as Eun-tak, as the goblin’s bride, is supposed to put him out of his misery. But can fate and the heavens keep apart two lovers who will risk death and damnation just to meet again?

2) What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

The impeccable OG queen of K-dramas, Park Min-young, plays the role of Kim Mi-so, the terrifyingly capable secretary of an egotistical executive, Lee Young-joon. When she suddenly declares her decision to quit one day, Young-joon is thrown for a loop. Narcissistic as he is, he can’t believe anyone could want to leave him. He also refuses to let go of someone as efficient as Mi-so, trying everything in his power to change her mind. Things may not always be what they seem, though, and soon dark secrets from their shared past and repressed feelings threaten to upend their lives.

3) Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class is a story of perseverance, friendship, and vengeance served cold. Wronged by life, but especially by a powerful industrialist, ex-con Sae-ro-yi sets off to carve his own path to success. Soon, he is joined by a ragtag group of misfits, and together they start a bar that they have high hopes for. As the story unfolds, they find themselves up against nearly insurmountable obstacles, including Jang Dae-hee, the industrialist who nearly destroyed Sae-ro-yi in the past. But the team will stop at nothing till they realise their individual dreams. The entire story is an emotional rollercoaster. The acting is impeccable, especially considering the cast is made up of quite a few new faces. But it is the soundtrack, at once rousing, heartrending, and unendingly hopeful, that takes the cake.

4) Strong Girl Bong-Soon

Park Bo-young plays the adorable Do Bong-soon in this romantic dramedy about a young girl with superpowers. Bong-soon may be tiny and adorable, but she is also a force to be reckoned with. Armed with super strength, a trait inherited by all the women in her family, she regularly takes on bad people and evil forces. She meets her archnemesis in the form of a cunning serial killer lurking in her neighborhood and toying with her loved ones’ lives. Will superstrength be enough to keep her dear ones safe? Or will one masked fugitive destroy everything she holds dear?

5) Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

Ha-jin, an ordinary girl, suddenly travels 1000 years back in time, only to end up in another girl’s body. She had traveled back to the Goryeo dynasty’s era. Unfortunately enough, several of the princes begin to adore her, and she gets pulled into the vicious politics surrounding the throne. But while she commands the affections of many, it is her and the fourth prince’s story that makes audiences’ hearts flutter as many times as it breaks. Their tale is tragic, ending in misunderstandings and longing. Still, despite the trauma, this is a show worth watching, be it for its excellent storytelling, vivid depiction of courtly politics, or the host of handsome princes vying for the attention of one flower. Be warned, though, the ending left fans stunned and begging for a second season that never came.

[RELATED: Squid Game Season 2 Has Easter Eggs Only K-drama Veterans Will Catch]

6) Descendants of the Sun

A soldier in the South Korean special forces and a jaded surgeon find themselves drawn to each other. But while Mo-yeon’s, the surgeon, job keeps are stuck at the hospital, the soldier, Shi-jin, is fated to travel to secret destinations on dangerous missions. They are constantly kept apart by their jobs, till they find themselves before each other again during an emergency mission. The healer and the soldier, thus, unite to protect innocents from natural and man-made dangers.  

7) Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

A modern-day classic, Hometown Cha-cha-cha is eccentric, adorable, and endearing to its core. A successful dentist clashes with a handsome busybody in this rural drama. In this romantic comedy, city girl Hye-jin suddenly decides to open a dental clinic in a quaint little seaside town called Gongjin. It’s where she meets annoyingly persistent Du-sik, a man of many talents and a penchant for getting himself involved in his neighbours’ business. In Samdal-ri, Du-sik is the answer to everything, from leaking roofs to sick elders. So, he can’t help but get involved when a faux pas leads all the villagers to hate Hye-jin. But Du-sik hides dark secrets of his own. And there may be more to Hye-jin than she lets on.

8) Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Woo Young-woo is not like everyone else. She is what society would call a high-functioning autistic person. After becoming an attorney, she uses her high IQ and penchant for thinking outside the box to solve cases and help deliver justice. Great as she is at her job, she also struggles with everyday things, like eating unfamiliar food and using revolving doors. The 2022 show explores the world through the eyes of Young-woo as she learns to confront her fears, express herself better, and even fall in love.

The story is uniquely told and challenges people’s assumptions about autism. It explores the reasons behind Young-woo’s actions instead of dismissing them as odd qualities that come with autism. Of course, it’s not a definitive guide to neurodivergence, but it does help get the conversation started and it does so in endearing and entertaining ways. 

9) Squid Game

What can we say about this show that hasn’t already been written a thousand times? Released in 2021, this survival thriller captured viewers’ attention on a global scale, putting K-dramas solidly on the map and bringing attention to the previously overlooked genre. A dystopian nightmare of a show, Squid Game is about a group of poverty-stricken individuals who would do anything to earn money. But to win the coveted prizes, they must first survive a series of children’s games.

Death and despair are present throughout the story, yet the show never ceases to be entertaining, albeit in horrifying ways. The games are unique and spine-chilling. The acting is impeccable. All in all, this serves as an excellent entry point into the world of the mad, marvelous magic that is K-dramas.

10) Alchemy of Souls

Set in Daeho, a magical earth-like world where souls can switch bodies, Alchemy of Souls is basically the story of a group of young mages. The show has a little bit of everything: fantasy, action, drama, and comedy. It’s really no wonder, perhaps, that it recently got renewed for a third season, much to the joy of its many fans. The first season follows the male lead as he asks for the female lead’s help in changing his fate.

However, neither of them is who they seem to be, and the past may connect them in irreversible, important ways. The male protagonist is childish yet charming. The female lead is smart and a little reckless. The actions are especially a treat to behold, and the background score only adds to the overall aesthetic. But while the first season gathered praise from critics and audiences alike, the second one didn’t fare so well, many calling it unnecessary since the first season itself had a solid ending.