Hola bonitas. I'm feeling kinda bored recently so I wanted to gather up my favourite Kdramas and do a top 10 just to share my faves. These are my top 10 as of now, but I'm sure there will be plenty of good dramas in the future that will knock some of them off this list. I might do a post like this for Jdramas and movies as well in the future. ANYWAYS, lets get going.
So these are the top dramas out of all the ones that I've personally watched. I've probably watched around 40+ Kdramas (check out my "Watched" page!). For some, that's a lot, for others, not really.
I'm just going to talk about why I love the drama and why it's in my top 10. If you want information on the drama itself, then just click on the links I've provided. I've also rated these dramas on my ratings page, so I'm not going to rate them here.
There has been a lot of dramas that I was super crazy about while it was airing, but I just lost interest in them after they ended. So this list will include dramas that I love love love and have rewatched countless times. This list is not based on a drama's quality, but is based on how much the drama appealed to me (basically how much I liked it). And I'm not a big critic so yeah. It was pretty difficult trying to round up a top 10 list but here it goes, in no particular order:
My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho (2010)
Lee Seung Gi, Shin Min Ah, No Min Woo, Park Soo Jin, and more
Brief Summary:
Cha Dae woong is a normal college student with ambitions of becoming an action star. One day, he accidentally releases a gumiho, a legendary fox with nine tails who was sealed inside a painting.
Why I Love It:
This was one of my first Korean dramas after taking a break for like 4 years. Before this drama, I was constantly re-watching my old favourites, some of which you might find later on in this list ;)
This drama is the epitome of cute without being too over the top. I pretty much laughed in every episode because of all the quirky and funny interactions between the leads. Shin Min Ah definitely played a big part in my liking for this drama. Her character was funny, bubbly, and just likeable. Of course, I also fell in love with Lee Seung Gi here. I loved seeing his character mature from a spoiled college student to someone who was willing to sacrifice himself for his love. And may I just add that the second lead male is just the best looking man evarrr. No overstatement there; No Min Woo is just a feast for the eyes. Plus, he's not the typical annoying second male lead, he's actually a half-human, half-supernatural being who's mission is to get rid of Shin Min Ah's character.
I obviously cannot talk about this drama without talking about the supernatural and fantasy elements! The main girl is a nine-tailed fox! The elements of not being able to survive, a fox wanting to become human, and a magical bead just made this drama even more enjoyable. This is a must-watch for fans of rom-com with a mystical element.
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Exhibition of Fireworks (2006)
Cast:
Han Chae Young, Kang Ji Hwan, Park Eun-Hye, Yoon Sang Hyun, and more
Brief Summary:
Shin Nah Rah is a girl approuching thirty and still doesn't have a house, money, a job, or any support. After she gets dumped by her cheating boyfriend, she sets out to find the other woman. Coincidentally, she gets a job at the cosmetic company the woman works at by pretending to be her 20-year-old little sister. At work, she meets and begins to fall in love with an immature and spoiled guy who holds a torch for the very woman that ruined her first relationship.
Why I Love It:
I watched this drama like waaaaaay back, but it still stays in my favourites. I probably rewatched this drama about 4 times. Compared to some of the other dramas on this list, that's actually not a lot. The reason I love this drama so much is because of the characters. The plotline is pretty wack and some of the secondary characters just piss me off so much, but the main couple still pulls through. So I kind of hate older women-younger men relationships but this drama was actually okay in that aspect. TBH I forgot that it was a older women-younger men couple until just 1 minute ago lol. So if you also hate the likes of those, then this drama will actually be okay because you won't even feel it. In fact, there is a plotline where the main girl fakes her age to get a job.
This is where I met Han Chae Young and FELL IN LOVE WITH HER. Although I'm not too keen with her nowadays (she got married and hasn't done any dramas with her as the lead), she was one of my favourite actresses back in the day. As for Kang Ji Hwan, I haven't watched any of his other dramas since this one. Lastly, I must give y'all a warning if you decide to watch this drama: the second main girl is absolutely horrific. She is so so so annoying and super fake in front of other people. She's double sided and JUST a BITCH. Okay, now that you know all the deets, go ahead and give this drama a try! But keep in mind that you might not like it if you only like super good plotlines in dramas.
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That Winter, The Wind Blows (2013)
Cast:
Jo In Sung, Song Hye Kyo, Kim Bum, Jung Eunji, and more
Brief Summary:
Oh Soo, known as the best gambler in the Cheongdam neighborhood, lives a meaningless life. His parents dumped him at an early age and he lost his first love in an accident. Meanwhile, Oh Young is the heir to a large corporation, but she lives a lonely existence. She lost her eyesight at an early age and her father recently passed away. Oh Soo gets framed for embezzlement and in order to pay back the debt, he decides to pose as Oh Young's brother who left with her mother at a young age.
Why I Love It:
Okay, so, the thing about this drama is that I've watched it like 1000 times already. This is the weird thing: I never felt crazy or had any deep emotions for this drama. When it was broadcasting, I simply just liked the scenery and the storyline. None of the episodes made me scream or cry (rare). But somehow, I would just think of this drama occasionally and feel the strong need to watch it again. And so after watching it like 100 times, I started to love it. There were dramas that made me psychotic to a point where I would not stop thinking about it 24/7 (Master's Sun). Anyhow, those dramas actually didn't stay in my mind that long despite the fact that I was totally enthralled in them when they aired.
So even though That Winter, The Wind Blows was predictable, the way it was filmed and the way it made me feel is the reason its on this list. And as I am typing right now, I feel the urge to re-watch it again lol. So go watch it! I'm pretty sure almost everyone has watched it, tho (it was super populaire). BTW, I know I didn't emphasize on this, but aren't Song Hye Kyo and Jo In Sung two of the most gorgeous people in the world? Sigh, Jo In Sung stature and height just make me shake my head in disbelief. And Song Hye Kyo's skin of perfection is just a feast to look at. And they're both quite good at acting, too. The world is not fair, no?
Lastly, I just need to say that this drama is gorgeous to watch. The scenery and stunning cinematography will make you feel like you're in a field of snow with the cold crisp air blowing against your cheeks. Just thinking about that makes me smile. It's absolutely a feast for the eyes.
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Goong/Princess Hours (2006)
Cast:
Yoon Eun Hye, Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jeong Hoon, Song Ji Hyo, and more
Brief Summary:
In the imaginary world, modern-day Korea is a constitutional monarchy and the Royal Family lives in the Grand Palace known as the Goong. Faced with the decreasing popularity among the public for the Royalty, a grand wedding for the Crown Prince is decided to be the best move to improve the image of the Royalty and at the same time prepare the prince for immediate succession. The intended bride happens to be a headstrong, awkward, and sweet spirited girl that goes to the same exclusive art school as the prince. She was betrothed to become the next Crown Princess by her grandfather and the late King.
Why I Love It:
I'm going to assume that older Kdrama fans have all watched this drama and I hope that newer fans have, too! I consider this drama a classic that all drama beginners should watch! I think this was my first Kdrama that I could remember clearly (I watched a bunch of old ones when I was like super young lol). This drama got me hooked on Kdramas at that time and I rewatch it like twice each year. Sometimes, it just comes up in conversation, so I end up having the urge to rewatch it.
This is one of my favourite dramas because of the leads and the storyline. First off, Joo Ji Hoon and Yoo Eun Hye were cast perfectly! Eun Hye played the perfect sassy and quirky Chaekyung and Ji Hoon plays the perfect cold prince with an unexpected side. It's pretty much your typical storyline but what brings it out is the acting from the leads. The storyline is pretty far fetched but it's sort of believable because of the way they bring it in. So basically, you have to pretend that South Korea still has its monarchy that's mainly for show. It's pretty nice cuz then you get to have prince and princess fantasy-like storylines lol. WATCH IT!
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Nice Guy (2012)
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Cast:
Song Joong Ki, Moon Chae Won, Park Si Yeon, Lee Sang Yeob, and more
Brief Summary:
Kang Ma Roo gave up everything for the woman he loved only to be betrayed by her. To get revenge on his ex-girlfriend, he uses her step-daughter, an heiress to the famous Taesang Group, Seo Eun Gi. Unfortunately, she suffers brain damage and loss of memory after a car accident, and now Kang Ma Roo works to fix everything that went awry because of his blind sighted revenge and ends up falling in love with Seo Eun Gi.
Why I Love It:
This drama took me on one hell of a ride. I'm sure that most drama fans have already watched this one because it was very popular and highly rated. This is the drama that introduced me to Moon Chae Won who is now my top bias. It also answered my question of why people love Song Joong Ki so much. What's surprising is that I had no plans to watch this drama. I was watching Arang and the Magistrate because of the familiar faces when this show suddenly popped up. Arang was my main squeeze and I wasn't going to let Nice Guy just win the ratings game. I was actually very upset when it hit higher ratings with just the second week of airing. But on that week, Arang wasn't hitting the right spots with me anymore, so I dropped it and decided to see why people were talking so highly about this drama. It's so funny, because I thought Park Shi Yeon was the main in the beginning and I was praying for Moon Chae Won to be the main. Thanks to my friend, I found out the true leads and fell head over heels in love with this drama.
Every episode is high quality with the amazing cinematography and top notch acting. The storyline was also one of my favourite guilty pleasures (using someone for revenge but then falling in real love with them). The main couple had perfect chemistry and everything moved at the right pace. Although the ending wasn't as great as the rest of the drama, its an ending that resolves everything and leaves a smile on your face. I constantly want to rewatch this drama (mostly when I hear the OST again) and I have already for like 5 times lol. Just gotta get me some of the Eun Gi Maru love. This is a MUST WATCH!
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Over The Rainbow (2006)
Cast:
Ji Hyun Woo, Seo Ji Hye, Hwan Hee, Kim Ok Bin, and more
Brief Summary:
Kwon Hyeok-jo is an aspiring dancer who falls for Jeong Hee-su, a dancer aspiring to be a singer. They start their journey of stardom together. Rex, a pretty boy with outstanding talent, and is the biggest asset to Pride Ent. tries to break free from his label and do the music he wants. Ma Sang-mi is a sweet but very awkward girl still trying to find her calling. This drama gives us an inside look on the ups and downs to becoming a star.
Why I Love It:
This drama is relatively unknown. It wasn't that popular, but it sure was a rare gem to me. This is a drama that I came across by chance in my childhood years. I remember liking the ending so as I got older, I rewatched it and came to love it. I think I probably rewatch it every year. I'm not going to give any spoilers but the ending to this drama is very special to me. I'm not talking about the ending scene because it wasn't that amazing, but the the end in terms of relationships and character development was just so well done in my opinion.
This is a drama about the entertainment world and different characters trying to make it famous. I'm not too familiar with how the K-entertainment world works, but I feel that this drama portrayed a lot of realistic elements that one would expect on the path to a star. Ji Hyun Woo plays the lead and he really impressed me here. I never really knew about him until this drama even though this is probably one of his lesser known works. The reason why I love this drama so much is probably because of the nostalgic feeling it gives off. Nostalgic is the best word I can think up of to describe this feeling, but its basically that feeling you get when you're near the end of the drama and you look back at how the characters have gone through so much. Dramas that give off this feeling are the ones that get me hooked for life. I can probably apply this to all of the dramas on this list, especially Nice Guy.
So although this drama isn't that popular, I think that it's still worth a watch. The realistic elements and the likeable characters are enough to make this drama stay with you.
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Princess' Man (2011)
Cast:
Park Shi Hoo, Moon Chae Won, Kim Young Chul, and more
Brief Summary:
A tragic love story between the daughter of Prince Suyang and son of Kim Jong Seo. The son of Kim Jongseo, Seungyoo, is a handsome and wise man who carries a noble quality. Princess Seryeong, a daughter of King Sejo, aka prince Sooyang, is a cheerful, lively lady with a strong curiosity and bold personality. They fall in love instantly but later they find out that their parents are sworn enemies. It's a Chosun dynasty version of “Romeo and Juliet”.
Why I Love It:
Sigh Sigh Sigh. I don't even want to talk about this drama because if I start, I will vomit out a crap load of feelings. There are a few questions that one should never ask me. The worst being "Is (name of my favourite drama) a good drama?" If you ask me that, I will just drop everything and talk for 5 hours. So yeah, Princess' Man is probably the drama that brings out the most word vomit for me.
I'm going to go right ahead and say that the only thing that interested me in this drama is the love story. Calling this a love story would not do this drama justice. The romance and love between the lead characters is so strong that it almost carries the whole drama. The chemistry between Moon Chae Won and Park Shi Hoo is probably one of the strongest I've seen in all the Kdramas I've watched. Of course the story is solid, too. Despite people calling this a Romeo and Juliet-esque drama, it's much more than that. Sure, its forbidden love, but it goes deeper than that. The one scene that made me cry was the scene between Chae Won's character and her father. What happens when your own father is the enemy that killed your lover's family? This drama was seriously one of the most touching dramas I've ever watched.
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Thank You (2007)
Cast:
Jang Hyuk, Gong Hyo Jin, Seo Shin Ae, Shin Sung Rok, and more
Brief Summary:
Dr. Min Ki Seo went to Blue Island to fulfill his deceased girlfriend's last wish to find the single mother and her little girl who was infected by HIV and to apologize to them on her behalf as she had unknowingly given the girl tainted blood when she was being treated at the hospital. Lee Young Shin, the single mom, was having a hard time caring for her grandfather who has Alzeimer's and keeping her daughter's HIV condition a secret while teaching her how to live with it. Min Ki Seo was an arrogant person who looked down on people and in meeting Lee Young Shin who accepted her fate and tried to make the best of it despite all odds, he slowly changed for the better and became a warm and caring person.
Why I Love It:
This list is in no particular order, but if it was, this drama would be number one. I did a full review on this drama and made it clear that this is my all time favourite Kdrama. I know some people would probably be very surprised since this drama is very slow and a little boring, but thats exactly why I love it so much.
Lol this is going to sound so dramatic, but this drama kind of changed my life. It's so heartwarming and touching at the same time. I really can't even put this drama into words. If you've read my review then this might seem a little repetitive, but this is a drama where you will grow with the characters. The whole neutral colouring gives off a very relaxed and quiet feeling. For people who like exciting dramas with aliens and time travelling, this is definitely not the right drama for you. But if you're willing to give it a chance, you might just love it.
I definitely did not expect to like this drama at all. I watched it when I was very young and I decided to rewatch it one day only to find myself so surprised at how much I love it. Gong Hyo Jin and Jang Hyuk are on my favourites list completely because of this drama. GAWD I LOVE IT SO MUCH JUST WATCH IT, WILL YA PLEASE?
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Which Star Are You From? (2006)
Cast:
Kim Rae Won, Jung Ryeo Won, Park Si Hoo, and more
Brief Summary:
Seung Hee, after losing his girlfriend in a tragic accident, left for 3 years. When he came back, he meets a girl named Bok Shil who looks exactly like his deceased girlfriend, Hye Soo. Seung Hee follows Bok Shil in order to get some answers, and ends up falling for her. Still the questions remain, is he attracted to Bok Shil because of the memories of his ex-girlfriend, or does he like Bok Shil for who she is? What happens when competitors come into the picture and families opposing their love?
Why I Love It:
Another oldie but goodie :) This is another kind of slow drama without flashy characters plotlines. It hits all the right spots in terms of plot development, conflict, and romance. This is another cliche that I'm kind of embarrassed to admit I love, but it's the dead first love trope. I dunno man, for some reason, I just like seeing a guy realize his changing feelings and accepting it. I actually hate first love tropes (Doctor Stranger, anyone?) and I don't even know the reason myself. It's funny because I only dislike it in dramas. If it were me in reality, of course I would like it if the lead didn't change his feelings so easily. But in dramas, I just love seeing the unexpected pairing happen. Just like how Dan and Blair was my favourite pairing in Gossip Girl (T.T I'm crying again).
So yeah, if you're a fan of that as well, you should totally watch this drama. But yeah, the first love and the main love of this drama are like twins, so they look the same lol. BUT WHATS IMPORTANT IS THAT THE GUY FALLS IN LOVE WITH THE MAIN GIRL BECAUSE OF HER OWN SELF.
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Witch Yoo Hee (2007)
Cast:
Han Ga In, Jae Hee, Kim Jung Hoon, Jung Hye Bin, Dennis Oh, and more
Brief Summary:
As the director of her father's advertising company, Ma Yoo Hee is known as a witch for her ruthless, no nonsense character. After a string of failed attempts to hire a housekeeper, she (literally) runs into Chae Moo Ryong, ex-medical student turned aspiring chef. As a way to work off his debt for crashing into her car, he agrees to become her housekeeper and personal love affairs coach for one month. Gladly, he gives her a makeover that attracts both her old friend Johnny Kruger and her first love Joon Ha. Despite having a girlfriend, Sung Mi, Moo Ryong eventually finds himself falling for Yoo Hee.
Why I Love It:
Han Ga In! Jae Hee! I've got to admit that this drama was written horribly but somehow I still managed to love it. It's probably because of that change of feelings thing again. I swear that I am SO embarrassed to say that I love it when the main male lead already has a girlfriend. Lol that sounds really bad, but I just have to be honest.
Yes, this is one of those dramas with a love contract. But its more like a "hey you hit my car and you owe me money so you have to become my housekeeper but since my dad is crazy you have to pretend to be my lover as well" contract. Yeah. That's basically it. Lol.
I know that Han Ga In's acting kind of sucks, but I really think she wasn't horrible in this. After her haircut in the first episode, she actually looked pretty spunkin. And I always love it when the female lead is the one in charge! This is definitely a rom-com so if you like those thangs, you should watch this drama. As with all rom-coms, it gets more melo towards the end, so you should be ready for that too. All in all, I love this drama, so you should watch it and find out why :D
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