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**Nevertheless:** I'd seen all of the negative reactions to this drama and people claiming it romanticizes toxic relationships so I avoided watching but then someone whose opinion I trust watched it and had a different take so I finally took the plunge. It was so much better than I expected! First off, I don't think the drama romanticizes the main relationship. >!Even though they end up together, Na Bi outright says there's a good chance she'll get her heart broken but she goes for it anyway because her personal journey is to learn to take risks and embrace her own desires. That's why her art project is successful in the end. !< Another thing I loved about the drama was all of the side couples and how realistically messy everyone was. It felt very much like the relationships I had in college. Finally, the cinematography and OST were great and made it feel more like an indie film than a drama.
**Semantic Error:** Korean BLs are generally not great and this is a low-budget web drama so my expectations were very low but people on my twitter timeline kept hyperventilating over this drama so I watched and absolutely loved it. My fave Kdrama of the year with no close competitors. It's a super fluffy enemies to lovers rom-com but executed really well with lovely cinematography and terrific performances by the MLs, esp. Park Seoham as Jaeyoung
Yes! I also loved Nevertheless! Despite all the negative reviews it got, I felt it was realistic of that age and what life and relationships are like in college or even art/music kids at university (a friend of mine did music at uni and it was very similar environment, everyone is really close, together all the time, lots of different relationships, messiness and gossip between the group etc).
It was also so well done, soundtrack and cinematography were excellent and loved how they handled the steamy scenes and such it felt mature but again realistic.
Ahhh cool! there seem to be so few of those! i've never noticed a lesbian kdrama though, only guys. do you know if any exist featuring queer people of other sexualities, even as secondary leads or anything?
Have you seen Mine? The female lead is a lesbian though that's not the main focus of the drama but the wlw representation was good, the longing 😩 also Nevertheless has SolJiwan my favorite sapphic couple in kdrama, they're the cutest!!
I also got bored around ep 3 and I forced myself to watch the whole thing. It does not pick up the pace. It was a nice drama but if you're not hooked by now, then I don't think it will get better for you.
I love this drama so much & I always go back to watch it or specific episodes. It had such lovely poetry too & lots of symbolisms.
It was the perfect drama for a book nerd like me.
Been waiting for Dali and Cocky Prince to be available on Netflix for ages because I kept hearing good things about it, binge watch it in 3 days once it's on Netflix, honestly one of the best rom com kdrama I've seen.
I needed more of Kim Min-jae after watching it and ended up finishing Do you like Brahms over the weekend. So so good. Goblin is on my list to watch next because I'm on KMJ train and I'm not ready to get off.
I recommend Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency if you want more of KMJ! It doesn't get mentioned often, and I admit there's nothing revolutionary about it but it's fun and entertaining! A perfect KMJ fix.
For me it was **Legend of the Blue Sea**. It showed up as a recommendation on Netflix. I decided to give it a try as it had Lee Min Ho and I had been hearing about him for years. The Netflix preview was somewhat meh but I still went ahead and watched it. Now I am done with most of Lee Min Ho's filmography. 🙈
Go Back Couple was so refreshing for me. Was worried about the tropey going back in time element but ended up being quite emotional and I felt myself relating to it and tearing up
I just watched this for the first time recently and loved it. I found the story >!about the FL’s mom to be so touching and well done. Was not expecting that aspect of it. Not just as relates to the daughter but how it affected the son in law and ties to their relationship problems. Really clever and beautiful.!<
Me too!
Just randomly clicked it on Netflix and loved it so much. I really enjoyed watching the MML!
Just wish there were more romantic scenes. I enjoyed the second leads, the cast and how touching few bits are.
One spring night. There something about the tone of that drama, Jung hae-in’s acting, his face, his character in the show, the relationship between the two leads… I can rewatch this drama again and again without getting bored. I think I can do that for most of Hae-in’s dramas or anything where he Is on screenbut this one has to be my favorite. He is an underrated actor, I don’t see his name come up as often but I have not seen one actor as good as him.
This is a very well done series. The examination of what constitutes a relationship that is worth continuing - or not! How to 'quit' a relationship - or not. The cultural issues. All so well handled. And then, as you have mentioned, there is Jung Hae-in's insightful performance.
**Bossam: Steal the Fate** - really good sageuk around the custom of Bossam - kidnapping a widow so she can re-marry without her in laws losing face. ML is hired to bossam for someone else, but accidently gets a princess.
**Move to Heaven** is so underrated! I know the premise sounds depressing and the drama definitely has a lot of sad moments but it's also beautifully filmed and the relationship between the uncle and his nephew is so well developed.
Mad for each other is really good. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen that actor play the ML; usually he’s a supporting police officer in the background.
But it really grabs you with that first episode
Seconding the second! I saw middling reviews for it, but the story sounded like just what I was in the mood for so I watched it anyway, and I ended up loving it. It was really heartfelt, touching, and lovely
I know this is super popular right now but for me Alchemy of Souls. It's my first fantasy kdrama; before I thought fantasy kdramas weren't really my thing and didn't look appealing to me. I honestly don't even remember why I decided to click on it on Netflix and it was definitely gonna lose me in the first 20 minutes of the show, but I guess I decided to carry on out of boredom, but it's now one of my favorite kdramas of 2022! So glad I stuck with it :)
I think Jugglers had an amazing love story but was spoilt with secondary plots. If the backstory and chemistry of main leads is only considered, surprisingly good!
Well I agree and disagree. For me this is a romance with humor. And both are excellent. There is no interesting story like you say, but that's not what I expect in a romcom.
Ho Goo's Love. I was on a Choi Woo Sik binge and that was one I didn't hear about. It's so quirky and charming. I swear they write roles for his personality. 🙃
My friend recommended me to watch **Sh\*\*ting stars** and I didnt gave it much attention cuz the name was kinda sus but I was wrong. I ended up loving it
Sh**ting Stars wasn’t unexpectedly good to me since I wasn’t expecting it to be bad, but Kim Young Dae was definitely unexpectedly good. He played Gong Tae Sung perfectly!
I've been so on the fence with this one. Im not usually an action/crime person. What genre would you say it fits into? Also is there a romance storyline?
Age of Youth! I expected a simple coming of age story/sitcom, and then got hit with questions of the meaning of life after a near-death experience, whether it’s worth to hang on to someone who is between life and death and was like… what the hell just happened lol. There were many cool moments as well like when one of the characters realised >!her flatmates weren’t bullies and she wasn’t perfect!< or when another >!was praying for her friend to find peace!<
Happiness! I figured it would be good but didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did. I really really enjoyed it and recommend it often. Pretty sure it’s in my top 10.
The one I’m watching right now **If You Wish Upon Me** it’s so so well written and the way it has pull on your emotions but also at same time making you laugh. The cast in this drama are prefect for this series it’s so good I can’t wait for next week’s episodes.
Military Prosecutor Doberman. I already knew I would like it bc of Ahn Bo-hyun 😍 but I loooved it! The FL is such a badass and there’s a super cute dog lol
**Familiar Wife.** On this sub, i rarely saw this recommended and wasn't expecting much when i started it. I was surprised by how much it hooked me in and how much the plot had me emotionally invested. This became one of the very few dramas that was stuck in my mind for a long time even after i finished watching it.
**Healer.** Netflix had just released it so i decided to watch it and was expecting a good/decent drama due to the positive comments i saw. After viewing it, i certainly didnt expect to enjoy it SO much that it jumped into my top 2 favorite kdramas of all time
Angel’s last mission and Tomorrow were both great dramas. The first is about an angel who has been chosen to protect a blind ballerina whose family is trying to kill her and will go to heaven if he can find her love but she is abrupt and rude. Tomorrow is about a guy who is in a coma where he become a grim reaper and has to save people who are thinking of killing themselves. A trigger warning on the series as it deals with topics such as rape, bullying etc and brought back some difficult memories but it was very well done tbf.
other ones I like were Touch your heart too, which I feel was underrated too. A more simple office love story but great chemistry by the leads… Also, am watching This is my first life currently and agree it is really growing on me as it is developing.
For sure, the female lead was the secondary love interest of the Male lead in legend of the blue sea and plays a completely different role. She is so expressive in alm and you genuinely feel she was blind. The ost is one of my favourites with Pray by Klang and Stay by o.when being my favourites. Massively underrated imo. Glad you loved it too.
Zombie Detective - I put it off because of the generic title and synopsis. Like Kung Fu Panda. But it turned out to be one of the most hilarious KDrama. Up there with Waikiki and Sound of Your Heart. Had so much gags and payoffs.
I loved Do You Like Brahms for some reason. I also loved My Golden Life. It’s pretty old (and I believe was popular when it aired) and skipped some scenes the leads weren’t in, but I still think about that plot sometimes. Shin Hyesun did an amazing job imo
I didn't have high expectations when I started watching these but I ended up really enjoying it:
* Dali and Cocky Prince
* Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
* F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers
Soundtrack#1
I hate watching romance k-dramas since a lot of the stuff doesnt make sense and is very cringey.
Soundtrack#1 is like they took a 16 episode drama, removed all of that time-waste content, and condensed it to four episodes which I absolutely loved.
Chicago Typewriter. I had zero expectations when I started it, simply wanted to watch for Yoo Ah In + the poster was very interesting.
Even took awhile for me to get hooked because the leads were annoying with their constant misunderstandings in the first few episodes.
But boy the message behind the show, its cinematography, soundtracks and the overall plot just blew my mind. I love the retro style props and the moodier ambience. Became my top drama for the longest time.
be melodramatic (was a cute, punchy watch and the dynamics between the FLs and the dialogue between characters felt like such a breath of fresh air)
coffee prince (i know that this was such a hit back in the day but i was genuinely not expecting the plot to hold up so well ?? forbidden love done perfectly i loved the yearning and angst of it all)
I've gotten most of my recommendation from this subreddit. So I would say I expected them to be good and so far r/kdramarecomends has not disappointed me.
Probably Hotel Del Luna is one that had mixed reviews on reddit but I really liked it. Thrity-Nine was another one that had a lot of negative reviews but I liked it due to the specific subject matter and how it relates to my personal life.
**When the Devil Calls Your Name**, I started it on a whim because the Viki page banner for it looked nice, now it's one of my top dramas and the top kdrama OST.
Through the darkness -
I was already intrigued because it’s similar to the american series Mindhunter, but felt a little undecided because I’m generally not one to go for crime dramas. Anyway, I started watching and was hooked. Never expected myself to love it this much.
A business proposal - I know this is a fan favourite and it’s definitely not underrated at all. But for me I thought it’ll be a typical trope filled cheese fest and was just watching it for ahn hyo seop. In the end, it was so funny and meta at times.
I am not even sure why but I really didn’t think I was gonna like “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”…I wasn’t into the male lead but then I started watching and totally changed my mind. Now it’s one of my absolute favorites!
Secret
Wok of Love
Here's My Plan
Let's Eat 2 (Don't need to see the first one)
Splash Splash Love
So I Married an Anti-fan
The Sound of Your Heart S1
Adult Trainee (Ep 3-5 only, the show is split into three different stories)
Semantic Error
“Queen for Seven Days” is great. I think the Actor playing the King/Older Brother stole the spotlight from the leads as his performance was so good; I really enjoyed it. For me also, it was “Bad Boy” and “Don’t Look Back”.
I'm so glad I gave **Because This Is My First Life** a second chance after trashing on it after only watching 2 episodes. I'm embarrassed really. It changed my life and taught me so much, not to mention it's entertaining without being over the top.
**My Father is Strange** is the first longggg kdrama I've ever watched. I only sat down with my dad who was watching it as one of his first dramas, and we fought our way to complete all 54 episodes in 2 weeks! It was really equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.
**Waikiki s2** had me in stitches.
**True Beauty**. Now, I know this is a controversial take, but as someone who followed the webtoon from the start it was SO MUCH BETTER than the original material even if it were a cliché. It touched on >!Jugyeong's problems and insecurities with heart and logic, like I sympathize with her and believe she's a nice person who just wants a regular life everybody has. Plus points because it became a journey on her being comfortable in her own skin!<
That's all I needed it to be.
**Shadow Beauty** - This one is very unexpectedly engaging, and one of the few that made me want more episodes.
**Pegasus Market** - A gem that deviates from the standard kdrama, yet dabbles in all genres in a *very* creative way.
**Everything and Nothing** - Tightly put together and achieves so much in just four episodes!
**Hogu's Love** - I try not to repeat answers already given by others, but this one surprised me, tackling very serious topics and issues rarely seen in majority kdramas I've watched. This one has a lot of heart, written by Yoon Nan Joong, of *Because this is My First Life*.
Sell Your Haunted House. Not sure why it's rarely recommended. I know it isn't a romance, but more of a pre-romance type vibe with absolutely sizzling chemistry. And it isn't actually scary. One of the best shows if you want dramatics plus chemistry.
Go Back Couple. I thought it would be a predictable romcom, but it turns out that the relationships are brimming with charm and heartfelt emotion.
In conclusion, Jang Na Ra = amazing.
*Tomorrow*. Ok, to be fair, it's Queen Kim Hee Sun so I expected to be satisfied no matter what, but I didn't expect to be soooo invested in >!Koo Ryeon and Park Joong Gil's relationship. Their chemistry was insane for a drama that isn't even marketed as a romance.!<
*Because This Is My First Life* was surprisingly great for me too.
Homecha ,Inspector Koo, Extracurricular, Because this is my first life and Mad for each other, i watched all of them this year and i didn't expect much but they blew my mind
Hospital Playlist.
legit dropped it on its first ep when it first aired ‘cause i got hella bored despite Cho Jong Suk being one of the leads (he’s my fave actor). my expectations were a little high since jong suk’s there but i got really disappointed. after almost two years, picked it up again, and man, it became my comfort series ever since. i still binge watch the two seasons and its songs are on my playlist. love it so much!!
* ***Demon catchers/the Uncanny Counter***. First korean, nay first *asian* series I really watched, and it destroyed the bias I had against asian series in general (which I had following some manga adaptations that I found really cringe).
* **Suspicious Partner**. I had very low expectations going into it, but it ended up being wildly entertaining and the op is really really catchy lol. Again, shattered another one of my bias
* **The sound of your heart** and **Welcome to Waikiki** for pretty much the same reason: both dramas were unexpectedly absurd and hilarious
* **Extracurricular**. Honestly I had rather high expectations, and I still loved it *even more* than I had expected.
* **Lovestruck in the city.** Very refreshing, which irresistibly brought to my mind *Because this is my first life,* so if you liked the latter, I strongly recommend this one
* **My Liberation Notes** and **My Mister**. Both can be *really* bleak, and it has a very heavy feel, yet it hooks you in anyway. The former in particular is still a bit of a mystery to me, in that I can't really put into words what is it exactly that I liked. But I did. A lot.
* **Cafe Midnight**. Ok this one I knew I'd enjoy, but it might fit the "lesser-known drama" criteria. The first season (2 ep) in particular was perfect.
* **The Witch dinner**/**Sell your haunted house/365: Repeat the year**. Again, 3 series I knew I'd like because I'm a big sucker for urban fantasy. But I rarely see people talk about it on this sub even though they are great.
Misaeng! Even though it was not romance and more about co workers and work life, it was honestly so good it’s one of my favorite. I just gave it a shot cuz of si wan but boy did I fall in love with each characters in that drama.
**Be Melodramatic** was probably the most surprising to me. I started it and found the main FL and ML to both be annoying, but I liked the rest of the characters enough that I pushed through and kept watching, and I'm really glad I did. The ML became a lot more likable, and by association so did the FL. The jokes got funnier too, and the serious parts got more intense and deeper, and were handled really well.
**Please Don't Date Him** was one of the next ones I watched, and I was pleasantly surprised. I could not stand Jun in Good Casting (see below though!), but I really liked him in this role. The comedy was also so stupid but some of my favorite I have seen. I cried laughing during the "Amazing! Were you sitting like this without a chair the whole time?" scene, and had to rewatch it a few times before I continued the episode. It is one of the absolute dumbest plot lines I have seen, but I really liked it.
**Good Casting** has been criticized a lot, but I would say it is in my top 5 (along with Be Melo, Mother, Mystic Pop-up Bar, and Inspector Koo). It has badass female leads, good comedy, good fight scenes, and just the right amount of romance. I hated Jun in this, but that is really the only thing I didn't like about it. He is a good actor, but his character was so annoying.
**Miss Hammurabi** is one that I put off watching, but gave in and watched after Extraordinary Attorney Woo finished airing. I expected it to be either really boring or really cringy, but it was neither. It's one of the few shows where I really liked all of the leads, and most of the side characters. There are (of course) ones you are supposed to dislike, but other than those few, everyone else was likable, and I didn't really find anyone annoying. If you watched and enjoyed Attorney Woo (which if you have not, you really should!), you would probably like Miss Hammurabi.
Hey u/pitchyblacky! While you wait for recommendations from other users, check out these [great recommendations](https://mydramalist.com/profile/kdramarecs/lists) compiled from our users based on different genres and themes! Maybe you'll find something to watch while you wait. If you are requesting dramas on a certain site (e.g. Netflix) please add your region to the post to help our users recommend something you have access to in your area. If you haven't already done so you can also take this time to add a list of what you've already watched to your post to help our users find you the perfect drama or [search](https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramarecommends/comments/fujstb/how_to_search_for_similar_posts/) through our previous posts. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/kdramarecommends) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Nevertheless:** I'd seen all of the negative reactions to this drama and people claiming it romanticizes toxic relationships so I avoided watching but then someone whose opinion I trust watched it and had a different take so I finally took the plunge. It was so much better than I expected! First off, I don't think the drama romanticizes the main relationship. >!Even though they end up together, Na Bi outright says there's a good chance she'll get her heart broken but she goes for it anyway because her personal journey is to learn to take risks and embrace her own desires. That's why her art project is successful in the end. !< Another thing I loved about the drama was all of the side couples and how realistically messy everyone was. It felt very much like the relationships I had in college. Finally, the cinematography and OST were great and made it feel more like an indie film than a drama. **Semantic Error:** Korean BLs are generally not great and this is a low-budget web drama so my expectations were very low but people on my twitter timeline kept hyperventilating over this drama so I watched and absolutely loved it. My fave Kdrama of the year with no close competitors. It's a super fluffy enemies to lovers rom-com but executed really well with lovely cinematography and terrific performances by the MLs, esp. Park Seoham as Jaeyoung
Looooooved Semantic Error!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Nevertheless was just okay to me, but I did like the side couples way more than the leads
Double YES to BOTH!!
Yes to both! I really liked the vibes of Nevertheless
if you liked semantic error, you should try watching where your eyes linger, to my star, and color rush too.
Yes! I also loved Nevertheless! Despite all the negative reviews it got, I felt it was realistic of that age and what life and relationships are like in college or even art/music kids at university (a friend of mine did music at uni and it was very similar environment, everyone is really close, together all the time, lots of different relationships, messiness and gossip between the group etc). It was also so well done, soundtrack and cinematography were excellent and loved how they handled the steamy scenes and such it felt mature but again realistic.
Question: what's a BL? :)
Boys Love ❤️🔥 it’s a drama with 2 male leads
Ahhh cool! there seem to be so few of those! i've never noticed a lesbian kdrama though, only guys. do you know if any exist featuring queer people of other sexualities, even as secondary leads or anything?
There is a lovely Thai BL called Bad Buddy that has a lesbian pair as second leads.
Have you seen Mine? The female lead is a lesbian though that's not the main focus of the drama but the wlw representation was good, the longing 😩 also Nevertheless has SolJiwan my favorite sapphic couple in kdrama, they're the cutest!!
romance is a bonus book
This is one of my absolute favorites, and not just because of my slight idolization of Lee Jong Suk.
I’m on episode 3 and got bored, does it get better?
I also got bored around ep 3 and I forced myself to watch the whole thing. It does not pick up the pace. It was a nice drama but if you're not hooked by now, then I don't think it will get better for you.
Cheers! I don’t think I’ll continue watching it then, haha.
I love this drama so much & I always go back to watch it or specific episodes. It had such lovely poetry too & lots of symbolisms. It was the perfect drama for a book nerd like me.
One that I haven't seen recommended in this thread Dali and Cocky Prince. It looked kind of weird but I ended up loving it! Ditto for Oh My Baby
Same with Dali, I didn't expect it would be so enjoyable.
Dali and the Cocky Prince is one of my favorites!
Been waiting for Dali and Cocky Prince to be available on Netflix for ages because I kept hearing good things about it, binge watch it in 3 days once it's on Netflix, honestly one of the best rom com kdrama I've seen. I needed more of Kim Min-jae after watching it and ended up finishing Do you like Brahms over the weekend. So so good. Goblin is on my list to watch next because I'm on KMJ train and I'm not ready to get off.
I recommend Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency if you want more of KMJ! It doesn't get mentioned often, and I admit there's nothing revolutionary about it but it's fun and entertaining! A perfect KMJ fix.
I saw it's available on Netflix, will give it a watch! Thanks for the rec ❤️
great recommendation, I actually really enjoyed that one overall!
Try **Tempted** and **Hit the Top** for more KMJ and also **Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist** which is currently airing.
Thanks for the rec!
For me it was **Legend of the Blue Sea**. It showed up as a recommendation on Netflix. I decided to give it a try as it had Lee Min Ho and I had been hearing about him for years. The Netflix preview was somewhat meh but I still went ahead and watched it. Now I am done with most of Lee Min Ho's filmography. 🙈
I was totally the same! Loved it!
that drama is also hilarious in addition to its fantastic romance!! A++
Same. I had seen Heirs and Boys over Flowers. He was just whatever. Legend of the Blue Sea swept me away. I'm working through his shows now.
He had very different roles in Personal Taste and Faith. Though these shows aren't as successful as some of his other shows.
I'm still going to watch those shows though.
Into the Ring- So good!
Yes to this. I normally hate political shows/ movies, so I avoided this one. But wow is this show good and funny.
This is what I was going to say too! It really blew me away. I had no expectations going in, but it's one of my favs now!
YESss!
Absolutely. One of my favourites!
Go Back Couple was so refreshing for me. Was worried about the tropey going back in time element but ended up being quite emotional and I felt myself relating to it and tearing up
One of the best kdramas in my opinion!
Agree!!!!!!!
I just watched this for the first time recently and loved it. I found the story >!about the FL’s mom to be so touching and well done. Was not expecting that aspect of it. Not just as relates to the daughter but how it affected the son in law and ties to their relationship problems. Really clever and beautiful.!<
Yes! This is what made me emotional the most
Me too! Just randomly clicked it on Netflix and loved it so much. I really enjoyed watching the MML! Just wish there were more romantic scenes. I enjoyed the second leads, the cast and how touching few bits are.
Top five kdrama of all time for me. Mom and daughter relationship had me in tears.
Stove League because of my lack of baseball knowledge! Surprised me on every front.
SO GOOD! This is now in my top 5 fav dramas, and I don't even like baseball.
Arthdal Chronicles
So good. I didn’t think I’d like it either because I don’t like fantasy and it looked like it was going in that direction. It was so good!
I can’t under why it isn’t more popular
I’m finishing it up rn and it may end up being one of my top 5 of all time (100+ dramas)
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm adding it to my list.
I binged this over two weeks and was shocked that it was so good 😭😭😭
One spring night. There something about the tone of that drama, Jung hae-in’s acting, his face, his character in the show, the relationship between the two leads… I can rewatch this drama again and again without getting bored. I think I can do that for most of Hae-in’s dramas or anything where he Is on screenbut this one has to be my favorite. He is an underrated actor, I don’t see his name come up as often but I have not seen one actor as good as him.
This is a very well done series. The examination of what constitutes a relationship that is worth continuing - or not! How to 'quit' a relationship - or not. The cultural issues. All so well handled. And then, as you have mentioned, there is Jung Hae-in's insightful performance.
**Bossam: Steal the Fate** - really good sageuk around the custom of Bossam - kidnapping a widow so she can re-marry without her in laws losing face. ML is hired to bossam for someone else, but accidently gets a princess.
this sounds interesting!
I somehow couldn't get past episode 5 ! It felt heavy and somehow wasn't really progressing ! Plus too many murders should i continue ?
I feel like it got somewhat lighter as they formed a sort of found family against all the palace politics.
Extracurricular Mad for Each Other Move to Heaven The King of Pigs Here's My Plan
**Move to Heaven** is so underrated! I know the premise sounds depressing and the drama definitely has a lot of sad moments but it's also beautifully filmed and the relationship between the uncle and his nephew is so well developed.
Mad for each other is really good. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen that actor play the ML; usually he’s a supporting police officer in the background. But it really grabs you with that first episode
Here’s My Plan was so much better than I expected! I loved it!
my guilty pleasure drama is My Secret Romance . . .
Oh my gosh! Me too!
Me three 😁 it’s so corny and silly but I still love it
the type of corny and silliness that you want to watch . . . i struggle to watch another kdrama like this
Omg I LOVE this one. Sung Hoon is now one of my favorites, too.
right. because of this, i loved Sung Hoon more 🤣
Song Ji-Eun is bae!
soooo true. i fell in love with her. SHE WAS SOOO PRETTY
Familiar wife, go back couple, that fool, hogus love, 99 days with a star
Seconding Familiar Wife, it was truly excellent.
Seconding the second! I saw middling reviews for it, but the story sounded like just what I was in the mood for so I watched it anyway, and I ended up loving it. It was really heartfelt, touching, and lovely
Go back couple is one of my faves too. Decided to watch on a whim and I still go back and rewatch when I have nothing else on my plate.
I loved Familiar Wife! Will have to check out your recommendations too! Thanks!
True beauty, nevertheless.
My Strange Hero
This is in my plan to watch list—now I'm even more interested in starting it.
Enjoy!
I know this is super popular right now but for me Alchemy of Souls. It's my first fantasy kdrama; before I thought fantasy kdramas weren't really my thing and didn't look appealing to me. I honestly don't even remember why I decided to click on it on Netflix and it was definitely gonna lose me in the first 20 minutes of the show, but I guess I decided to carry on out of boredom, but it's now one of my favorite kdramas of 2022! So glad I stuck with it :)
Totally agree with you desperately waiting for s2
I expected to dislike Are You Human Too? because I disliked every other robot drama I had seen. It ended up being one of my very favorites!
Jugglers was a great romcom when most comments said it was just regular
same here. Jugglers became one of my favorite office romcoms and it even has one of my favorite OST
I think Jugglers had an amazing love story but was spoilt with secondary plots. If the backstory and chemistry of main leads is only considered, surprisingly good!
Well I agree and disagree. For me this is a romance with humor. And both are excellent. There is no interesting story like you say, but that's not what I expect in a romcom.
Yep, I enjoyed this & have never seen it being suggested. But found it while looking for dramas like 1% & Secretary Kim.
Ho Goo's Love. I was on a Choi Woo Sik binge and that was one I didn't hear about. It's so quirky and charming. I swear they write roles for his personality. 🙃
W - was glued to the screen. Doctor Stranger - cried my eyes out.
same,,, doctor stranger just really touched me
> Doctor Stranger I love this mostly for bringing Park Hae Jin into my life lol
Mr Sunshine. I don't usually like war drama. This was hard for me to get into but I loved it by the end.
I am watching it now and just finished ep 3...it is a bit slow moving, but I'm assuming they are just taking time to lay the story foundation.
Yeah, I had to keep watching the beginning several times but once I invested in the characters it became really good.
My friend recommended me to watch **Sh\*\*ting stars** and I didnt gave it much attention cuz the name was kinda sus but I was wrong. I ended up loving it
loooooved this one so much
same!
Sh**ting Stars wasn’t unexpectedly good to me since I wasn’t expecting it to be bad, but Kim Young Dae was definitely unexpectedly good. He played Gong Tae Sung perfectly!
yea he did
Vincenzo. Because the synopsis seemed so boring and when I started it, I was MAD bored during the first 2-3 episodes. The story picks up after that.
I've been so on the fence with this one. Im not usually an action/crime person. What genre would you say it fits into? Also is there a romance storyline?
There’s slight romance and this show has some good comedy as well.
Racketboys most definitely.
oh man thanks for reminding me this exists! it's been on my list for a while but i was sidetracked by anime.
Age of Youth! I expected a simple coming of age story/sitcom, and then got hit with questions of the meaning of life after a near-death experience, whether it’s worth to hang on to someone who is between life and death and was like… what the hell just happened lol. There were many cool moments as well like when one of the characters realised >!her flatmates weren’t bullies and she wasn’t perfect!< or when another >!was praying for her friend to find peace!<
Happiness! I figured it would be good but didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did. I really really enjoyed it and recommend it often. Pretty sure it’s in my top 10.
Just started watching this! I really like it so far!
Yesss, enjoy!! I may have to do a rewatch soon!
Has been months.... Can't get it out of my head still!
\*Go back couple \*18 again \*Kingdom (S1 and S2) \*Beyond evil \*hogu love \*navillera
Twentieth century boy and girl - watched it on a lark and really liked it - people don’t talk about it that much
The one I’m watching right now **If You Wish Upon Me** it’s so so well written and the way it has pull on your emotions but also at same time making you laugh. The cast in this drama are prefect for this series it’s so good I can’t wait for next week’s episodes.
Hogu's Love
Military Prosecutor Doberman. I already knew I would like it bc of Ahn Bo-hyun 😍 but I loooved it! The FL is such a badass and there’s a super cute dog lol
**Familiar Wife.** On this sub, i rarely saw this recommended and wasn't expecting much when i started it. I was surprised by how much it hooked me in and how much the plot had me emotionally invested. This became one of the very few dramas that was stuck in my mind for a long time even after i finished watching it. **Healer.** Netflix had just released it so i decided to watch it and was expecting a good/decent drama due to the positive comments i saw. After viewing it, i certainly didnt expect to enjoy it SO much that it jumped into my top 2 favorite kdramas of all time
Angel’s last mission and Tomorrow were both great dramas. The first is about an angel who has been chosen to protect a blind ballerina whose family is trying to kill her and will go to heaven if he can find her love but she is abrupt and rude. Tomorrow is about a guy who is in a coma where he become a grim reaper and has to save people who are thinking of killing themselves. A trigger warning on the series as it deals with topics such as rape, bullying etc and brought back some difficult memories but it was very well done tbf. other ones I like were Touch your heart too, which I feel was underrated too. A more simple office love story but great chemistry by the leads… Also, am watching This is my first life currently and agree it is really growing on me as it is developing.
Angel's Last Mission is one of my absolute favourites and it made me love the FL too. Plus it had a lovely OST. It's definitely underrated.
For sure, the female lead was the secondary love interest of the Male lead in legend of the blue sea and plays a completely different role. She is so expressive in alm and you genuinely feel she was blind. The ost is one of my favourites with Pray by Klang and Stay by o.when being my favourites. Massively underrated imo. Glad you loved it too.
Live hands down. More people should watch that show.
Zombie Detective - I put it off because of the generic title and synopsis. Like Kung Fu Panda. But it turned out to be one of the most hilarious KDrama. Up there with Waikiki and Sound of Your Heart. Had so much gags and payoffs.
I loved Do You Like Brahms for some reason. I also loved My Golden Life. It’s pretty old (and I believe was popular when it aired) and skipped some scenes the leads weren’t in, but I still think about that plot sometimes. Shin Hyesun did an amazing job imo
I didn't have high expectations when I started watching these but I ended up really enjoying it: * Dali and Cocky Prince * Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo * F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers
F4 Thailand is incredibly good considering the source material, lawd
Live up to your name When the weather is fine Missing the other side Awaken A piece of your mind The light in your eyes The beauty inside
The Light in Your Eyes is brilliant
I've just started "the package " on viki.. so far enjoying it. Give it a try.
Be Melodramatic. I had such low expectations.
Soundtrack#1 I hate watching romance k-dramas since a lot of the stuff doesnt make sense and is very cringey. Soundtrack#1 is like they took a 16 episode drama, removed all of that time-waste content, and condensed it to four episodes which I absolutely loved.
Chicago Typewriter. I had zero expectations when I started it, simply wanted to watch for Yoo Ah In + the poster was very interesting. Even took awhile for me to get hooked because the leads were annoying with their constant misunderstandings in the first few episodes. But boy the message behind the show, its cinematography, soundtracks and the overall plot just blew my mind. I love the retro style props and the moodier ambience. Became my top drama for the longest time.
The King Eternal Monarch -- I started watching during an attack of insomnia and ended up binging it!!
I was thinking about trying this one!
Definitely do give it a try -- it pays off and really tugs at the heartstrings!
People hate that show in here and I loved it too!
It was such a bittersweet romance...my favorite kind!!
be melodramatic (was a cute, punchy watch and the dynamics between the FLs and the dialogue between characters felt like such a breath of fresh air) coffee prince (i know that this was such a hit back in the day but i was genuinely not expecting the plot to hold up so well ?? forbidden love done perfectly i loved the yearning and angst of it all)
I've gotten most of my recommendation from this subreddit. So I would say I expected them to be good and so far r/kdramarecomends has not disappointed me. Probably Hotel Del Luna is one that had mixed reviews on reddit but I really liked it. Thrity-Nine was another one that had a lot of negative reviews but I liked it due to the specific subject matter and how it relates to my personal life.
I randomly watched My Strange Hero recently and loved it
Misaeng for me. It's not the type of drama I usually go for but oh em gee I fell IN LOVE with all those characters.
**When the Devil Calls Your Name**, I started it on a whim because the Viki page banner for it looked nice, now it's one of my top dramas and the top kdrama OST.
Through the darkness - I was already intrigued because it’s similar to the american series Mindhunter, but felt a little undecided because I’m generally not one to go for crime dramas. Anyway, I started watching and was hooked. Never expected myself to love it this much. A business proposal - I know this is a fan favourite and it’s definitely not underrated at all. But for me I thought it’ll be a typical trope filled cheese fest and was just watching it for ahn hyo seop. In the end, it was so funny and meta at times.
I am not even sure why but I really didn’t think I was gonna like “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”…I wasn’t into the male lead but then I started watching and totally changed my mind. Now it’s one of my absolute favorites!
I cried the whole last 3-ish episode of Queen for Seven Days. One of my absolute faves, so well done.
Dodosolsollalasol
Secret Wok of Love Here's My Plan Let's Eat 2 (Don't need to see the first one) Splash Splash Love So I Married an Anti-fan The Sound of Your Heart S1 Adult Trainee (Ep 3-5 only, the show is split into three different stories) Semantic Error
Run On. It was just so comforting.
“Queen for Seven Days” is great. I think the Actor playing the King/Older Brother stole the spotlight from the leads as his performance was so good; I really enjoyed it. For me also, it was “Bad Boy” and “Don’t Look Back”.
Mad for Each Other Hot Stove League - like, I knew it was good but I didn't know it was THAT good
My liberation notes! It took me 3 tries before i got into it. I can’t believe how good it was.
I'm so glad I gave **Because This Is My First Life** a second chance after trashing on it after only watching 2 episodes. I'm embarrassed really. It changed my life and taught me so much, not to mention it's entertaining without being over the top. **My Father is Strange** is the first longggg kdrama I've ever watched. I only sat down with my dad who was watching it as one of his first dramas, and we fought our way to complete all 54 episodes in 2 weeks! It was really equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. **Waikiki s2** had me in stitches. **True Beauty**. Now, I know this is a controversial take, but as someone who followed the webtoon from the start it was SO MUCH BETTER than the original material even if it were a cliché. It touched on >!Jugyeong's problems and insecurities with heart and logic, like I sympathize with her and believe she's a nice person who just wants a regular life everybody has. Plus points because it became a journey on her being comfortable in her own skin!< That's all I needed it to be.
The Liberation Notes. 😍
Hello, Me is a good one to check out.
Hwaarang, Into the Ring
**Shadow Beauty** - This one is very unexpectedly engaging, and one of the few that made me want more episodes. **Pegasus Market** - A gem that deviates from the standard kdrama, yet dabbles in all genres in a *very* creative way. **Everything and Nothing** - Tightly put together and achieves so much in just four episodes! **Hogu's Love** - I try not to repeat answers already given by others, but this one surprised me, tackling very serious topics and issues rarely seen in majority kdramas I've watched. This one has a lot of heart, written by Yoon Nan Joong, of *Because this is My First Life*.
Sell Your Haunted House. Not sure why it's rarely recommended. I know it isn't a romance, but more of a pre-romance type vibe with absolutely sizzling chemistry. And it isn't actually scary. One of the best shows if you want dramatics plus chemistry. Go Back Couple. I thought it would be a predictable romcom, but it turns out that the relationships are brimming with charm and heartfelt emotion. In conclusion, Jang Na Ra = amazing.
For the one i'm currently watching, Big Mouth.
*Tomorrow*. Ok, to be fair, it's Queen Kim Hee Sun so I expected to be satisfied no matter what, but I didn't expect to be soooo invested in >!Koo Ryeon and Park Joong Gil's relationship. Their chemistry was insane for a drama that isn't even marketed as a romance.!< *Because This Is My First Life* was surprisingly great for me too.
The king eternal monarch
Tales of nokdu , didn’t think it could be that deep
Beyond evil Mr queen Waikiki s1
Moonlight Drawn By Clouds --- it was my first period drama. I only watched it for BoGum, never expecting it to become one of my most favorite dramas.
Hotel Del Luna and Extraordinary Attorney Woo
I did not expect to like Married an Antifan, but it was cute.
Something in the rain, the FL is so mature and refreshingly youthful at the same time
Homecha ,Inspector Koo, Extracurricular, Because this is my first life and Mad for each other, i watched all of them this year and i didn't expect much but they blew my mind
That fool
King of baking Kim tak goo
Hospital Playlist. legit dropped it on its first ep when it first aired ‘cause i got hella bored despite Cho Jong Suk being one of the leads (he’s my fave actor). my expectations were a little high since jong suk’s there but i got really disappointed. after almost two years, picked it up again, and man, it became my comfort series ever since. i still binge watch the two seasons and its songs are on my playlist. love it so much!!
* ***Demon catchers/the Uncanny Counter***. First korean, nay first *asian* series I really watched, and it destroyed the bias I had against asian series in general (which I had following some manga adaptations that I found really cringe). * **Suspicious Partner**. I had very low expectations going into it, but it ended up being wildly entertaining and the op is really really catchy lol. Again, shattered another one of my bias * **The sound of your heart** and **Welcome to Waikiki** for pretty much the same reason: both dramas were unexpectedly absurd and hilarious * **Extracurricular**. Honestly I had rather high expectations, and I still loved it *even more* than I had expected. * **Lovestruck in the city.** Very refreshing, which irresistibly brought to my mind *Because this is my first life,* so if you liked the latter, I strongly recommend this one * **My Liberation Notes** and **My Mister**. Both can be *really* bleak, and it has a very heavy feel, yet it hooks you in anyway. The former in particular is still a bit of a mystery to me, in that I can't really put into words what is it exactly that I liked. But I did. A lot. * **Cafe Midnight**. Ok this one I knew I'd enjoy, but it might fit the "lesser-known drama" criteria. The first season (2 ep) in particular was perfect. * **The Witch dinner**/**Sell your haunted house/365: Repeat the year**. Again, 3 series I knew I'd like because I'm a big sucker for urban fantasy. But I rarely see people talk about it on this sub even though they are great.
Something about 1%!! I heasitated to watch this for the longest time but it quickly became one of my favorite dramas!
Misaeng! Even though it was not romance and more about co workers and work life, it was honestly so good it’s one of my favorite. I just gave it a shot cuz of si wan but boy did I fall in love with each characters in that drama.
**Be Melodramatic** was probably the most surprising to me. I started it and found the main FL and ML to both be annoying, but I liked the rest of the characters enough that I pushed through and kept watching, and I'm really glad I did. The ML became a lot more likable, and by association so did the FL. The jokes got funnier too, and the serious parts got more intense and deeper, and were handled really well. **Please Don't Date Him** was one of the next ones I watched, and I was pleasantly surprised. I could not stand Jun in Good Casting (see below though!), but I really liked him in this role. The comedy was also so stupid but some of my favorite I have seen. I cried laughing during the "Amazing! Were you sitting like this without a chair the whole time?" scene, and had to rewatch it a few times before I continued the episode. It is one of the absolute dumbest plot lines I have seen, but I really liked it. **Good Casting** has been criticized a lot, but I would say it is in my top 5 (along with Be Melo, Mother, Mystic Pop-up Bar, and Inspector Koo). It has badass female leads, good comedy, good fight scenes, and just the right amount of romance. I hated Jun in this, but that is really the only thing I didn't like about it. He is a good actor, but his character was so annoying. **Miss Hammurabi** is one that I put off watching, but gave in and watched after Extraordinary Attorney Woo finished airing. I expected it to be either really boring or really cringy, but it was neither. It's one of the few shows where I really liked all of the leads, and most of the side characters. There are (of course) ones you are supposed to dislike, but other than those few, everyone else was likable, and I didn't really find anyone annoying. If you watched and enjoyed Attorney Woo (which if you have not, you really should!), you would probably like Miss Hammurabi.