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If You Want to Start Watching Korean Dramas, Here's How to Identify the Best Shows to Start With
Finding something interesting to watch can be sometimes tough as you want to find something that really makes you stick to watching it till the end. Besides, it has to be something enjoyable to watch. Korean dramas are a good example of binge-watch worthy TV for anyone interested and have recently become hugely popular. However, before you start watching, it is important to be specific on what you want to watch. No one enjoys watching boring shows! Here are a few tips to guide you on identifying the best Korean dramas to start with.
- The cast
The cast often dicatates just good how the drama will be. Start with a show whose cast is famous and well know, and most importantly those whose previous shows have been a hit. Doing some research will easily confirm which shows to watch. Looking at the Korean drama industry, there are some actors and actresses whose shows are always interesting and get the highest of the rating. In order to even take care of your first impression, starting with shows that have an impressive cast then you are assurred that the show will be good. A good example of this is Shin-Hye Park an actress who has played various roes in different hit Korean dramas and also Min-Ho Lee. - The drama rating
Rating of the show is very important when it comes to identifying the best Korean dramas. This is because it is rare that a highly rated Korean drama is boring. So read articles and reviews to find out the ratings of Korean dramas so you can spot the ones that are turning popular. A good example of a highly rated Korean drama is Hotel del Luna which is the highest rated Korean drama in 2019. You decide what time frame to base your search, that is, you can decide to watch was rated highest in 2015 or any other year. But one this is for a fact, highly rated Korean dramas do not disappoint. Another good example is Mr Sunshine, a historical drama based show. - Reviews by previous viewers
Most of the platforms that show Korean dramas provide a chance for views to give their reviews. This is a good place for you to gather information on how good the show is and get an idea on whether you want to watch a specific show or not. How people react also indicates whether the show will be to your liking. A good example of some of the highly reviewed Korean dramas include Full House, which was aired first in 2004. Many people loved the show globally to the point that it was recreated in various other countries including the Philippines. - Duration of the drama, either movie or a series
Different Korean dramas last for different duratons and you may have preferences on how long you want to watch a show. Looking at the Korean dramas that were rabked top in 2019, most lasted for about 60 minutes per episode, with a total episodes of about 13 to 30 episodes. This is the standard duration of most Korean dramas. There are dramas that last upto 50 episodes but you will have to watch them yourself to find out. - Accessibility of the show
Some Korean dramas might seem really interesting, however, they might not be available to fans worldwide. This makes it hard for people to enjoy the content from different parts of the world. Not all Korean dramas are available to be accessed globally and so people may not get to enjoy them without limitations. Check the various websites that offer Korean dramas in India, to see if you can watch the drama.
10 Best Korean Dramas of 2019
Sky Castle
First aired in November 2018, Sky Castle is a series of the upper-class families and how they access and maintain their living standards at the expense of other people’s lives. These families are made up of housewives residing in one of the most luxurious neighborhoods known as Sky Castle located in Seoul. The story line describes how these housewives seek to increase their riches especially for their kids with the luxurious lifestyle, and most importantly, to enable their children to join the highly ranked universities.
Furthermore, the main roles are played by four major actresses namely Yeom Jung Ah, Yoon Se Ah, Oh Na Ra, Lee Tae Ran, and Kim Seo Hyung. Both the story and the cast of this Korean drama make it one of the best Korean dramas. This is because in a world where women are downsized, this drama has the main roles being played by women. In addition, the guiding story paints a clear picture of the current society we are living in, where there is correction and many available opportunities are bought by the rich.
Romance is a Bonus Book
Sometimes the time we share with our childhood friends lasts a lifetime. This Korean drama revolves around the story of two childhood friends who have had their highs and their lows of their growing up years together. Eun-Ho, as played by Lee Jong-suk, is a successful author and editor who has had intense feelings towards his recently dovorced friend for the longest time. Many things contribute to Eun-Ho and Dan-Yi, as delivered by Lee-Na-Young, a copywriter, not being together. However, time comes and Eun-Ho has to confess his feelings.
Lee Jong-suk and Lee Na-Young are the two main actors in this Korean drama series. The storyline covered in this Korean drama gives an example of how things could get worse right before they get better, and the aspect of perseverance in life. Combined with some romance and comedy, this is a very relateble slice of life drama, making it one of the best Korean drama to watch.
Hotel Del Luna
The name of this Korean drama covers the whole idea of the storyline. This is because this show is about a hotel (Hotel del Luna) in Seoul that is not like any other hotel out there. In English the name of the hotel means the ‘Guest House of the Moon’. This hotel has various unique characteristics such as only ghosts are guests, the hotel is not visible to humans unless its during a lunar eclipse and so on. Due to the behavior exhibited by UI (Lee Ji-eun), she is appointed as the owner of this hotel where she meets Koo Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-goo) and things begin to change for both of them.
There are three main things that make this Korean drama one of the best. One is the lead actors - Lee Ji-eun and Yeo Jin-goo, who are both very attractive and famous in other areas such as music, which makes it interesting to watch. The second reason is the storyline which has interesting perceptions and imaginations. Lastly, the scenes in the movies that allow for ghosts to appear so real. If you like a touch of paranormal, this is the show for you.
Something in the Rain
This Korean drama is based on the life of a thirty-year-old woman (Yoon Jin-ah) who lives with her parents and how she finds it really hard to find a man for herself. All this turns around when her best friend’s (Gyeong-seon) younger brother (Jun-hui) comes back to the country from working abroad. After his arrival, they end up working under the same building and through their daily interactions, they start developing feelings towards each other. The dilemma comes in when they get caught in their love affair by their families and Yoon’s ex-boyfriend.
The main actors include Son Ye Jin who plays as Yoon Jin-ah, Jang So Yeon who plays as Gyeong-seon, and lastly Jung Hae In who plays as Jun-hui. The storyline is the part that makes this whole Korean dram one of the best and most enjoyale to watch. It recreates the oft seen real life situation of how an older woman goes through a lot to find someone to love them. In addition, this show takes its viewers on a journey of how hard it is to love someone the society expects you not to love.
Full House
Listed among the best Korean drama classics for anyone to watch, Full House has all the characteristics that make up a romantic comedy. This drama introduces a new concept that many have not accepted in the society, that is a contract marriage. When Lee Yeoung Jae (Rain) meets Han Ji Eun (Song Hye-Kyo) on a plane flight, his first impression of her is that of dislike. Later in the show, due to various circumstances, they find themselves in a contract marriage where they have to appear as a real couple.
The two main actors in this Korean show are Lee Yeoung Jae and Han Ji Eun, who blend into their roles so well, making this a very engrossing Korean drama to watch. In addition, this show brings out clearly the importance of family in one’s life and its impact on one’s decisions. Besides, its comedy and romance aspect contribute to what makes it one of the best Korean dramas.
Angel’s Last Mission: Love
Another Korean drama with an element of the supernatural, it brings out the mythical part of the world we live in. It's storyline centers on the life of an angel, Kim Dan, who receives the mission to convince a ballerina, Lee Yeon-Seo to believe in love and find her a lover. Dan is portrayed as a troublemaker and also optimistic since he has to convince someone to fall in love. In the process of completing his mission, he ends up being the one who falls in love with the ballerina.
Shin Hye-Sun plays the ballerina while Kim Myung-Soo plays the angel. These are the two main actors in this drama. The emotional part of this drama makes it to be one of the best Korean dramas of all time. The emotional ups and downs will make you experience both happiness and sadness at the same time. The storyline is also very interesting as it touches on the mystical world.
Heirs
Heirs is based on the lives of two young characters Kim Tan (Lee Min-Ho) who is a young heir to a huge fortune and Cha Eun-Sang (Park Shin-Hye) who is a young and poor lady who works while schooling to help her mute mother who works as a housekeeper. These two lives take a turn when her older sister (Yoon Jin-Seo) communicates to them from the abroad about her upcoming wedding. Eun-Sang plans to travel to the U.S. to meet her sister and circumstances bring the two, that is Kim Tan and Kim Tan, together. Later you realize that the two are not strangers at all.
The main actors are the three named above that is Lee Min-Ho, Yoon Jin-Seo, and Park Shin-Hye. The turn of events in the storyline of this drama is what makes it one of the best. It clearly shows of how one’s life can really change and how expectations are overrated in life. You should consider going on this journey of disappoints after disappoints and lastly some light at the tunnel for Eun-Sang.
Kill Me, Heal Me
The storyline behind this drama is one of the most interesting in the industry. It involves the life of a rich young man from a wealthy family with mental illness whereby he possesses seven personalities. He ends up meeting a first-year female student resident who ends up becoming a secret doctor treating his illness.
The main actors of this drama are Ji Sung who plays as Cha Do-Hyun, the wealthy young man, and Hwang Jung-Eum who plays as Oh Ri-Jin, the secret doctor. The fact that this Korean drama revolves around a delicate subject in the society, that is mental illness, makes it a very interesting watch. Besides, it contains some comedy scenes to relieve the intense scenes of the show.
Boys Over Flowers
Boys over flowers is a Korean drama is another one of the best Korean drama classics. This drama is centered around a poor girl Geum Jan-Di (Ku Hye-Seon) who gets an opportunity to be admitted in one of the most prestigious high schools in her area.
Once she joins this schools, she meets the famous four young boys in the school led by Koo Jun-Pyo (Min-ho Lee), a wealthy kid, Song Woo-Bin (Kim Jun), So Lee-Jeong (Kim Boem), and Yun Ji-Hu (Hyeon-jung Kim). She dislikes the whole group on their first meet however, over time feelings start developing between some of the group members and Geum Jan-Di.
The teen romance and the difference in social class between Geum Jan-Di and the F4 group members makes it one of the best Korean dramas. It also combines the drama with some comedy which will make you laugh.
Interesting Infamous Facts About Korean Dramas
- Most Korean shows are referred to as dramas and have almost the same characteristics including the number of episodes and the duration of those episodes. Mainly the number of episodes ranges between 12 to 30 episodes.
- There is little diversity in the shows. This is because most of them are in the basic Korean language and most viewers from other countries use subtitles to understand what is in the show.
- There are mainly four types of Korean dramas. They include rom-com/romance, melodrama, extreme soap opera melodrama, historical drama, and drama infused with fantasy.
- Almost all shows are censored to the point that any romantic scene involves minimal kissing and minimal showing of skin.
- Translating the actual words uttered in the shows can be hard since the subtitles are not literal translations. They are just similar words with similar meanings.
Platforms Where You Can Watch Korean Dramas in India
- Viu: this is a Hong-Kong based platform that avails various original Asian content with subtitles. This platform is available in various other countries including India.
- Viki: this is a free platform which avails different shows globally including Korean dramas. However, there is a subscription that allows one to watch shows in HD without any disruptions such as ads.
- Netflix: this is one of the most famous platforms since it is globally accessible. It provides all genres of shows including Korean shows.
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A look into a whole new world
Literature, world cinema, and now dramas, are a great way to get an insight into a whole new world and different cultures that populate it. We know that dramas are, well, dramatised and exaggerated but through them we get to see different mindsets and that despite all superficial differences, we are all not that different. Besides, Korean dramas are very entertaining!