I don't want to over-analyze why I find K-dramas so satisfying, but I can't resist a little musing on the topic. Based on my familiarity with K-Pop, the Korean entertainment industry is a juggernaut which enjoys government subsidies, and is a source of pride for the Korean people. There is a Disney-like pursuit of perfection and attention to detail.
15/X
#kdrama

The actors are not only astonishingly good-looking, but have clearly mastered their craft. Likewise production values are extremely high and gorgeous cinematography is the norm. The stories and writing are likewise top notch. Yes, the plots are larded with time-honored tropes - unlikely or forbidden romance, crazy coincidences, parents sacrificing for children and vice versa, overcoming adversity to achieve a dream or goal, and so on.
16/X
#kdrama

But there's a reason these tropes are so time-honored. They reinforce our moral and emotional frameworks, and therefore are extremely satisfying. As portrayed in these dramas, Korean society is more repressed and hierarchical than what I'm used to in America. These social mores and customs introduce a kind of friction, i.e. romance unfolds at a very slow pace, which paradoxically makes for good television.
17/X
#kdrama

Characters often hold on to shame around money or family problems to an exaggerated extent, which again makes for good television. I appreciate the way that the plot unfolds in a more leisurely way than in American tv, which gives me emotional whiplash by the way it bombards me with terrifying or cringey situations rapid-fire. Anyway, that's the end of my TED talk. Let me know if I convinced you to drink the K-Drama Koolaid.
18/X
#kdrama

My next title was another attempt to pick a show that was cheesy and dumb. I literally picked the first title Netflix recommended, Backstreet Rookie. The show, which is based on a web comic, revolves around Saet-byul, a beautiful yet troubled teen in a working class Seoul neighborhood. Her father was a martial arts master, whose untimely death left Saet-byul to raise her unruly younger sister Eun-byul.
19/X
#kdrama

Her love interest is Dae-hyun, the cute and good-hearted operator of a convenience store. Dae-hyun is currently dating Yeon-ju, whose family owns a marjority stake in the entire convenience store chain. Yeon-ju loves Dae-hyun, but she is conflicted because of their differing social class. Yeon-ju's mother disapproves of the match, and she sets in motion a number of plots to sabotage their relationship.
20/X
#kdrama

When the dazzling Saet-byul comes to work at the convenience store it sets off a series of unhinged and hilarious events. This comedy is indeed cheesy and soapy, but of course I got totally involved. I really enjoyed the exploration of class, and how the working class characters inevitably come across as much more genuine and likeable than the upper class ones.
21/X
#kdrama

Predictably the convenience store is a nexus for a cadre of kookie and lovable characters and side stories. We see Eun-byul go behind her older sister's back to secretly debut as part of the K-pop group "Fancy Girls," causing numerous complications. And we see Saet-byul utilize the martial arts skills learned as a child to deliciously trounce legions of girl gangs, bullies, and delinquents trying to rip off Dae-hyun's store. A dorky and satisfying romp. Five stars.
22/X
#kdrama

Reply 1988 was my next title. This was the result of a search on some forums for highly regarded, or iconic dramas. The story follows the lives of 5 teenagers and their families in a close-knit neighborhood in Seoul, starting in 1988. It has a compelling nostalgic feel, and the central character Deok-Sun is so lovable, despite her awkward goofiness.
23/X
#kdrama

It's the most naturalistic series I watched so far, in the sense that characters, pacing, and everyday situations are the most unvarnished picture of working class Korean families in the 80's. The parents bicker a lot, the kids are mostly fuck-ups, and everybody is worried about money. Against this day-to-day struggling there are little moments of tenderness and caring that seem so poignant. This drama unfolds over 20 long episodes, spanning 6+ years.
24/X
#kdrama

We ultimately see how the kids turn out, find love, and start their journey into adulthood. I cannot tell you how involved I got in the lives of these 5 families, and how hard I balled at the end 😭😭😭😭😭 Really beautifully done in my opinion, and a sweeping, epic work of storytelling. Five enthusiastic stars!
25/X
#kdrama

My wife, an avid television watcher, had not so far succumbed to the K-Drama spell, though she would occasionally be in the room during my sessions. She thought the teaser for It's Okay To Not Be Okay looked promising, so we embarked on this one together. It's a romance with some darker elements of fairy tales, mental illness and a sprinkling of homicide.
26/X
#kdrama

The story revolves around Ko Moon-Young (played by Seo Yea-ji), an antisocial children's book author, and Gang Tae (Kim Soo-hyun), a caregiver who works in mental hospitals. Gang Tae also takes care of his autistic older brother Sang Tae (played by Oh Jung-se). Sang Tae likes art, and loves Moon-Young's fairytales. When Gang Tae takes his brother to Moon-Young's book signing event, their lives become entangled with the beautiful and unpredictable author.
27/X
#kdrama

My wife and I were riveted for 16 long episodes as the plot unfolds. We discover that Moon-Young and the two brothers grew up in the same small town a couple hours from Seoul and, indeed, the 'kindergarten kismet' trope comes into play. Through flashbacks we learn that Moon-Young's mother was a writer of thrillers, and isolated the young Moon-Young from other children. They lived in an opulent but spooky mansion built by her father, who worships the mother until things go psycho.
28/X
#kdrama

There is a rich cast of secondary characters including Moon-Young's publisher, the staff of the psychiatric hospital, and the nurse Nam Ju-ri who works there and has carried a torch for Gang Tae since childhood. Ju-ri's mom Kang Soon-deok plays the role of the wise and warm woman who nurtures everyone who comes into her orbit, providing homespum wisdom and delicious food.
29/X
#kdrama

I don't want to give away too much, but there is some genuine menace at play, and some surprise twists before things come to a conclusion. Ko Moon-Young is one of the more compelling characters that has been brought to screen, and one of the more dazzling beauties. Many excellent performances here, and overall a sophisticated and compelling drama. Five stars.
30/X
#kdrama

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay addenda. We loved the show so much that I made my wife a Mang Tae “Nightmare Catcher” doll as a gift (and another smaller one to hang from her rear view mirror (if you know, you know) 😉
31/X
#kdrama

Now that my wife is caught in the K-drama spell, my project of finding 'important and influential' dramas will be set aside, as we cruise through a series of slick, recent dramas with mass-market appeal. If you cannot stomach 'Kindergarten Kismet' and related tropes, I advise you to stop reading 😉 Love Next Door, a romcom from 2024 was our next watch. Some light spoilers follow.
32/N
#kdrama

Our story begins when Bae Seok-ryu (played by Jung So-min) returns to Korea after her successful career with an American conglomerate called Greip suddenly (and at first mysteriously) implodes. The love interest is (duh) her next-door neighbor Choi Seung-hyo or Choisseung (played by Jung Hae-in), who she has known since they were small children.
33/N
#kdrama

Through flashbacks we gradually see how their relationship evolved from her bossing him around in a big sister-ly way, to becoming platonic besties through high-school, until she goes to the US to attend college on a scholarship. Choisseung stays in Korea, pursuing architecture when his dreams of competitive swimming are crushed after being hit by a vehicle. He's gained some recognition in the architecture world, but is struggling to get his newly opened firm off the ground.
34/N
#kdrama

Seok-ryu's parents, especially her mother Mi-sook, are furious that she has foolishly quit a successful career and broke off an engagement, both of which were considerable sources of pride to the Mom. Mi-sook is especially shamed because her best friend Young-nam, who happens to be Choisseung's mother, is a wealthy and somewhat superior acting diplomat. Mi-sook has bragged incessantly about her successful daughter, and hates to eat crow in front of her fancy friend.
35/N
#kdrama

Choisseung's parents Young-nam and her physician husband Seung-joon are wealthy, and their house is posh, though sterile, while Seok-ryu's family is struggling financially. The father Geun-sik runs a tteokbokki restaurant that seemingly attracts zero customers. Though their home is modest, as we see over time Seok-ryu's family is warm and expressive, while Choisseung's is frigid and unable to express their feelings.
36/N
#kdrama

We come to realize that Choisseung has indeed harbored love for Seok-ryu since high school, but has not been able to say anything for all these years. This is one of the most common and infuriating kdrama tropes: dude who cannot say 'I love you' to save his life, and we have to endure episode after episode of him tying himself in knots to not say what has been evident from the first 15 minutes. But that's just how it works, folks.
37/N
#kdrama

We have a healthy buffet of cliché tropes and plot devices on offer here, but they are employed with enthusiasm and there are a plenty of great comedic moments. There are many well done characters here, and there is much to keep you hooked for 16 episodes. I found Seok-ryu to be a very compelling and vulnerable FL. Her best friend Mo-eum (played by Kim Ji-eun) is the cutest, along with Mo-eum's sometimes reluctant suitor Dan-ho (played by Yoon Ji-on). 4/5 totally entertaining.
38/N
#kdrama

Friendly Rivalry is a dark, stylish story about Korea's cutthroat competition for achievement that takes us on quite a journey in 16 short episodes. The plot revolves around Woo Seulgi (Chung Su-Bin), a teenage girl with no parents, who is trying to get ahead in a small town in Korea. In pursuit of her dreams of becoming a doctor, Seulgi starts using performance enhancing drugs to become top in her class, and thus transfer to an elite high school in Seoul.
39/N
#kdrama
#friendlyrivalry

The competition and hierarchy at Chaehwa Girls' High School in Seoul is cut throat, and the "bumpkin" Seulgi is bullied as soon as she arrives. The top student is Yoo Jae-yi (Lee Hyeri), the daughter of a hospital director. Somewhat mysteriously Jae-yi takes the bumpkin under her wing, and shields Seulgi from the other girls. Seulgi is understandably suspicious of Jae-yi's intentions, and indeed we are kept in suspense until the end what each of the girls' motives are.
40/N
#kdrama

Seulgi is quickly drawn into a dangerous world of violence, drugs and (suggested) sex. Jae-yi's father casts a long shadow over the action, as he subjects Jae-yi and her friends to mysterious performance enhancing medical procedures, and turns a blind eye to the fact that they are swiping drugs from the hospital. We also learn surprising details about Seulgi's father, a former teacher at Chaehwa Girls' High who died under mysterious circumstances.
41/N
#kdrama

There are a few sympathetic adults, notably Seulgi's step-mother, Kwon Hee-yoon (Kang Jin-ah), but the best part of this series is the portrayal of the rivalries, affections and struggles of our young female characters. Of course I would probably love anything starring Lee Hyeri (of Reply 1988 fame) but my wife and I were both riveted through this short, stylish drama with a killer soundtrack and arty, cinema noir aesthetics. Five stars.
42/N
#kdrama

Queen of Tears is a mega-popular drama from 2024 which, at times, threatens to overwhelm the viewer with a nutrient-dense stew of high-stakes romance, moral dilemmas, intrigue and seemingly every trope in the book. Nevertheless, the creators have pulled off a tour de force, with every character and nuance somehow working together to create a powerful and memorable blockbuster of a drama.
43/N
#QueenOfTears
#kdrama

We have a romance between the dazzling, successful CEO of a huge conglomerate called The Queens Group, Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) and her dashing husband, Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), an executive/legal eagle at the same company. However, things are not all rosy with the attractive and successful couple. Marrying in to the Queens group has been more than Hyun-woo, the son of hard-working farmers in Yongdu-ri, bargained for.
44/N
#kdrama

Hae-in is extremely competitive, and focused on growing her company, while their home life is sterile and cold. The two sleep in separate rooms, and Hyun-woo secretly prepares divorce papers to serve on Hae-in. However, just as Hyun-woo is about to tell Hae-in that he wants a divorce, she informs him that - suprise - she has an inoperable brain tumor, and has been given 3 months to live.
45/N

Hyun-woo immediately hides the divorce papers, since he would be better off as a widower than an ex-husband. This sets up a clever romance wrinkle, of how our two lovers can re-kindle the love they once shared and walk back from the brink of divorce, even as Hae-in seeks treatment for her life-threatening illness.
46/N
#kdrama

The romance plot plays off against an elaborate web of skullduggery, as Hae-in's friend from university Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon) has returned from America, ostensibly eager to partner with The Queens Group, and possibly even woo Hae-in away from the apparently estranged husband. We are soon made aware of an extremely elaborate plot on the part of Eun-sung and a network of collaborators to wrest control of Queens away from Hae-in and her family.
47/N
#kdrama

Relief from the snakes nest of power and money hungry schemers, as well as Hae-in's illness, is provided by Hyun-woo's stolid and earthy family in the country. We have the somewhat familiar trope of the simple and loving working-class characters demonstrating common sense and a wholesome way of life, in contrast to the power-hungry rich characters. And we get some schadenfreude and comedy when circumstances force the two families to unite against a common threat.
48/N
#kdrama

The writers have done a great job of weaving several complex storylines into a coherent whole. The cast is fabulous including many truly hateful villains, along with many good-hearted characters who are there to save the day at key moments. They really pack in a lot of story in 16 episodes, but the direction and acting are top-notch. The story never loses its impact or coherence as it unfolds, and you'll be on the edge of your seat for every episode. Five stars.
49/N
#kdrama
#QueenOfTears

My wife and I were still on our road trip when we finished Queen of Tears, and I wanted to watch a more low-stakes romance for a change of pace. Somebody on this site had mentioned "Run On," which is notionally a cute and lighthearted opposites attract story. Our ML is Ki Seon-gyeom (played by Im Si-wan), a national track star and a child of wealthy parents who seems to daydream through his life.
50/N
#kdrama
#RunOn

Seon-gyeom has a simple and good-hearted personality, in spite of his father being a scheming politician, and his mother a popular actress "the Queen of Cannes". Enter our FL, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung), a worldly wise and scrappy translator of cinema subtitles. Mi-joo, an orphan, loves film, collects handgun replicas and is always on the hustle for her next gig.
51/N
#kdrama
#RunOn

When Mi-joo is ripped off by a shady guy over a handgun deal, Seon-gyeom happens to be running by and helps apprehend the baddie. Their first meeting winds up with the two of them at the police station. They meet a second time when Mi-joo is hired to serve as Seon-gyeom's translator at an international meet and it seems that fate has brought them together.
52/N
#kdrama
#RunOn

There is a compelling secondary/parallel romance, involving Seon-gyeom's agent Seo Dan-ah (played by Choi Soo-young of Girls Generation!). Dan-ah, like Seon-gyeom, comes from money, and her high-powered career representing athletes does not seem to leave time for dating. Dan-ah is also very brusque and seemingly inconsiderate of others. She does love art, and finds herself getting lost in a painting that hangs in the cafe where she gets her morning coffee.
53/N
#kdrama
#RunOn

This leads her to track down the artist, a struggling but fun-loving art student named Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Yeong-hwa falls pretty quickly for the dazzling Dan-ah, but she keeps him at arms length. She just wants to him to make her a painting, and has no time for frivolity. Dan-ah plays up the fact that she is older, and from a completely different economic strata than the student Yeong-hwa.
54/N
#kdrama
#RunOn