I’ve been watching kdramas since about 2012 – long enough that I’ve seen a few here and there and heard about what was trending along the way. This post is a list of some that were popular over the years. In my opinion, these kdramas are still worth watching in 2024.
Fantasy Mystery/Crime/Thriller Kdrama
Pinnochio
2014
Lee Jong-Suk and Park Shin-Hye. Star studded is an understatement. When you saw these names, you could usually guess that the kdrama was a big deal. And this one with both of them was huge.
I wasn’t sure what to label it as since there is a huge romantic subplot (friends to enemies to lovers). But the crime and mystery details stuck with me the most. It has themes of betrayal, healing, and justice among others. And the fantasy aspect comes in because of the strange medical condition the female lead has.
It’s a classic, and worth the watch. But…tissues. Get your tissues. Even with the fantasy element, it covers some important topics.
Signal
2016
So let me admit that I am NOT a fan of crime dramas. But when I heard that everyone was going bananas over this one, and that it had a little bit of time travel involved, I had to check it out. I didn’t know the kdrama actors in it (at the time), but people were raving about the story so much that I had to check it out.
And once I did: I was hooked. Let this be your TRIGGER WARNING: there are graphic scenes, and it deals with many difficult subjects. But the story is SO WORTH IT if you’re able to handle those things. Prepare the tissue box in advance.
Also, if you’re looking for a kdrama without romance, this is a decent one. I think there was a small romantic subplot but emphasis on small (it’s more like tension).
W – Two Worlds Apart
2016
This was insanely popular when it first came out, and it’s got so much packed into it that I wasn’t sure which category to put it in. It’s definitely a thriller first and foremost. But it’s also fantasy, medical, world hopping, speculative, and romance. There aren’t a lot of dramas that do all those things.
It’s comparable to the kdrama ‘Extraordinary You’, although with much darker themes because of the medical undertones. And with actor Lee Jong Suk…of course it’s intense and sucks you in.
Prepare some tissues for the end – don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Mystery/Crime/Thriller Kdramas
School 2015: Who are you
2015
I admit that I watched this because I got into the Kpop group BTOB. And back during 2nd gen/3rd gen, it was really common for kpop idols to start starring in kdramas once they became popular. So when Yook Sung-Jae of BTOB starred in this, of course I had to watch it.
And dang…I was not prepared. Rich people, high school, bullies, school pressures in Korea: this exposed me to a lot of issues that actually happen – like for real – in Korea. Kculture isn’t always sunshine and roses, and this was one of the first kdramas to open my eyes to that. If you need a deludu check because you’ve been binging kdramas where everything IS perfect, this is a great drama to watch.
Queen of Mystery
2017
So I don’t think this became hugely popular, BUT it was popular enough for me to notice it even though I strongly dislike crime. I actually loved it enough that I ended up watching the second season when it came out.
Basically it’s like Nancy Drew but if she was an older woman, Korean, and had a police side kick who was pretty awesome in his own right. It feeds some universal fantasies about being an ordinary citizen with the hobby of reading, yet being able to do extraordinary things because of that hobby.
Plus – the romantic side plot is also very small. There’s tension, but…no satisfaction. And yet somehow, it made this show even more awesome.
Fantasy Romance Kdramas
Secret Garden
2010
Holy gosh. 2010. I did NOT watch this back when it was new, obviously, but it was a drama people still spoke about even into 2012. HyunBin’s work, from my understanding, almost *always* caused a stir. And this was one of his kdramas that absolutely everybody loved.
Basically you’ve got body switching going on because of…well, I think that’s a plot twist so I’ll let you watch to find out. But it’s got a rich chaebol guy switching with the tough-girl Cinderella (she’s an action scene actress and knows how to fight, but she’s poor). Enemies to lovers and definitely a slow burn tropes.
Prepare the tissues at the end, though. I wasn’t prepared. It puts the drama in “kdrama.”
Queen Inhyeon’s Man
2012
I had to do a double take on the year this was made because…it doesn’t feel that old. This is another drama that found a lasting spot in my heart and mind. It’s super cute, and has some time travel. There’s lots of different tropes at work, here.
Plus…the chemistry between the leads is just amazing. And this is super slow burn.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but you’ll probably love this for a million reasons. It feels like I just watched this (and bawled my eyes out) yesterday. Of course, the title song for this kdrama could bring me to tears after just a few notes, too.
My Love from the Star
2013
Y’all, I’m having a hard time with the date of this. I watched it just after it aired, and I can’t believe it’s been that long ago. EVERYONE was raving about it back then, too. Rich immortal alien dude falls for rich celebrity woman. Romance with lots of cool things. Forbidden love trope.
It has a lot of cute moments, and is worth a watch at least once. They got imaginative and pulled on some common universal fantasies that still exist today.
P.S. Yes, it has a happily-ever-after despite the forbidden love trope.
Master’s Sun
2013
TRIGGER WARNING: This drama has an early jump scare (don’t watch in the dark), and deals with death/possession/ghosts/insomnia. But…It’s not really a horror kdrama. But those things are why I’ve labelled it under “fantasy”. The main point of the story is…romance. It has a happy ending.
And it’s got, once again, the rich chaebol man and the poor Cinderella type woman trope. There are some funny moments, and lots of cute ones, and lots of sad ones. The poster image doesn’t do it justice. For 2013, this kdrama was just really well done.
Another Oh Hae Young
2016
I don’t remember how I came across this drama, but it roped me in and I’m pretty sure I binge watched it. Which is…rare for me. It’s just so unique, and also one of those kdramas that puts the drama in kdrama.
But it’s got some cool fantasy elements (I’ll keep it a secret since it’s something the viewer figures out with the character!) and the romance is very subtle, but very sweet. It also has a mild enemies-to-lovers trope, but it hits a bit different (in a good way). It’s already so many years later but I still get a craving for this drama because of the feelings it gave me.
Manhole
2017
I think this was Kim Jaejoong’s first drama after he finished his military service. He looked happy, and healthy, and I was so glad to see him in this.
Plus…it’s super cute. It’s got time travel that works in a really unique way, and the friends-to-lovers trope. Each episode was adorable and made me want to see what happened next. Definitely worth a watch if you want something cute, chill and funny! It has a happy ending, too.
Marry My Husband
2024
You probably already know this one because it kept trending every time a new episode came out. But just in case you haven’t, IT’S SO GOOD.
Once again, we have some time travel stuffs going on. And some crime stuff. And some thriller stuff. But I listed it under romance because that’s the most important thing in this kdrama. You’re going to get those warm fuzzy feels (after being shocked for a while), and this has a super satisfying happily-ever-after.
TRIGGER WARNING: If you’ve experienced negative things from someone with Cluster B symptoms, this is going to bring those memories back up. Those scenes always have a good resolution, but will temporarily feel very uncomfortable.
Noona Romance Kdramas
My Lovely Samsoon
2005
Can you believe when this came out?! I didn’t realise it was so long ago. I think it was one of HyunBin’s earlier works…and I’m pretty sure that’s why I watched it. Don’t we all like to see what else our fav’s have done? BUT it’s still amazing.
And it’s a noona kdrama. I think she’s like…5 years older? Or something like that. And…she’s also considered “plus size,” so there’s actually a lot of different social issues that get tackled in this. It has a super cute happily-ever-after ending.
Once again: rich chaebol guy and poor Cinderella type trope. But the noona and plus size components make it very unique.
I Need Romance Season 3
2014
I think this can still be found on blog lists if you search specifically for noona drama’s. I know that’s how I found it. I was curious after watching My Lovely Samsoon above. Anyways. The story itself is actually pretty healthy; from what I remember, there’s a lot of exploration of both the age gap issue as well as emotional regulation/conflict resolution.
I know the male lead actor has said some problematic things lately, but…there aren’t many noona romance kdramas so it’s sorta slim pickings if this is something you’re looking for. Plus it’s old, so I’m sure the arrrrr matey side of things has many options by now.
Historical Romance Kdramas
Queen For Seven Days
2017
If you want a drama that makes you wait for satisfaction, this is perfect. Aside from the brutal palace intrigue, this is one of the dramas where I remember waiting FOREVER for satisfaction. Like…you’ll see what I mean when you watch it. I loved it, but also hated it.
Anyways. I’m pretty sure this is based on real history, but I’m horrible with names and dates. Although I’m sure there was lots of fictional components added to make it into a kdrama, it’s really eye opening and beautiful all at the same time. This is one of my all-time favourite kdramas even though I hate how it wrecked me.
Make sure you have tissues on hand. And if you have a strong sense of justice: prepare yourself. It’s a doozy.
100 Days My Prince
2018
This was another idol drama that I watched because I was curious how Exo members were doing when it came to acting (DO is in this one). Lemme tell you…this drama stole my heart.
I don’t know the name of all the tropes it uses, but it’s got forgotten memories/forced proximity, AND royalty, plus a bit of court intrigue without going overboard. It’s just really cute and hit the sweet spot for me. DO is great at acting, and I’m glad he’s still doing it (although sad about the lack of historical dramas – he should do more of these for sure).
Conclusions
There are SO many popular kdramas out there, and I know I’ve left out a bunch. Ahem – Goblin is one of them, because I could never find the heart to finish it. So I can’t really comment on it as an entire work. And as it is, I’ve been sitting here for about 4 hours trying to compile and format and comment on the list you see above.
But for now, hopefully this gives you some less conventional ideas for kdramas to watch. I know when I have searched before that many of these didn’t come up anymore on newer blog posts. So I figured it was worth mentioning them here on mine.
Either way – I hope you find a kdrama that sets your soul on fire and gives you what you need today. There’s so much variety out there that if you keep looking, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s perfect for you.