Confession - I recently became hooked on K-Dramas. A couple of months ago I was recovering from Covid and wanted to find some good, escapist entertainment. I kept hearing about the popularity of K-Dramas, so I selected something from my Netflix recommendations, and I was off to the races. I'm just going to post a thread of the ones I've watched and recommend. #kdrama
1/X
#kdrama

Doona was the first title I watched. I figured I was already a K-Pop fan, so this seemed like a logical place to start. This 8-episode series tells the story of a former K-Pop idol Lee Doona (played by idol turned actress Bae Suzy) who is recovering from a breakdown suffered at the apparent peak of her career.
2/X
#kdrama

Normy college student Won Joon moves into her apartment complex, and after some hilarious false steps, they start hanging out. It turns out I'm a sucker for romance. The story is beautifully told, and the cast is excellent. Five stars.
3/X
#kdrama

My next series was another Bae Suzy vehicle, titled Start Up. This tells the story of two sisters, who are separated through the divorce of their parents. Dal-mi, played by Suzy, stays with her Dad, a warm but struggling tech entrepreneur. Dal-mi eventually is raised by her grandma with a heart of gold who runs a corn dog stand. The two sisters meet again as rivals at a hackathon/start-up incubator called Sandbox.
4/X
#kdrama

The plot takes many twists and turns as the two sisters compete in the hi-tech startup environment. As a tech person, I appreciated the realistic portrayal of technology and business. There is a touching romance, involving mistaken identity, with two suitors for Dal-mi's heart. Who will win? The story, characters, and intricate plot details were well handled. Five stars.
5/X
#kdrama

Needing to branch out from Bae Suzy, my third K-Drama was Hometown Cha cha cha. This was a pretty straight up romance, in which big city dentist Hye-jin finds herself opening a practice in a quaint seaside village called Gongjin. She meets a charming but annoying handyman character Du-sik who keeps popping up.
6/X
#kdrama

In a way the real star here is the village of Gongjin, and a cast of colorful and charming local characters - the restaurant owners, shop keepers, the cop, and the three adorable old women who work cleaning squid at the docks, and always bring cauldrons of delicious food to every local gathering. The plot takes many interesting turns, and we discover Du-sik's dark secret, which threatens the budding relationship. Five stars.
7/X
#kdrama