If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be actively seeking out shows and limited series from South Korea, I would have laughed. But I can’t get enough of them. Truly, I can’t.
Most of them have plot twists that I have never seen on American television, and that is extremely refreshing. Usually I can predict how a story will end, and that makes it a lot less fun for me to watch. But these shows are brilliantly unique, and for the first time in a long time, I’m excited about television again.
What follows is a short list of some of the South Korean shows I’ve been watching recently, in no particular order. I must admit that I do tend to skip the ones that are not dubbed in English, though, because my eyesight comes and goes, and that can be extremely frustrating. But it also means that I’m probably missing quite a few excellent ones. If they aren’t dubbed, please don’t take their absence here as any kind of a thumbs down on my part. All of these shows are on Netflix.
This one is sort of a no-brainer. This show blasted onto the scene just as most of us were getting past the severe shock of COVID lockdown and wanted something else to think about. It definitely did not disappoint. Yes, it’s an extremely violent series, but it examines quite a few very interesting sociological questions about morality vs. sheer survival. And I enjoyed season 2 just as much as season 1. It was my first South Korean show, and the start of an addiction that I hope I never manage to break.
You may think you know what matters most to you, but when everything in your life is threatened, your priorities quickly change, and you figure out what really, truly matters. This limited series is a tense thriller with a lot of unexpected twists and turns, and I have to say that Go Min-si plays one of the most convincing psychopaths I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t even have to say a word to give me the creeps. Every single episode ends in a gasp-worthy cliffhanger. Yes, this one, too, is violent, but nothing could be as violent as Squid Game, and at least the violence here takes place in an idyllic setting.
I’m about halfway through this series and I’m still at a loss as to why they named it this, but hey, I’m willing to go with it. It took a few episodes for this show to find its rhythm, but it grows on you. A young dentist from Seoul who’s used to all the finer things in life finds herself struggling to find work, and winds up setting up a much-needed clinic in a rural country town with a lot of quirky and charming residents. Currently there’s a budding romance with the young Jack-of-all-trades who is alternatively the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, and a flaming a$$hole. And the transition that he makes from one state to the other and back again can be rather abrupt. But that works well, because she’s also sweet, compassionate, and kind, and the worst, most selfish, entitled snob by turns, so maybe they’re made for each other. I’d love to see them get together in the end, but realistically, as amazing as he can often be, I can’t see how a career woman would ever marry a guy with no defined job and no plans whatsoever for his future. If she winds up being the one to make all the compromises so this relationship will work, I’ll be bitterly disappointed, but not particularly surprised. We shall see.
Now, this show is well worth reading the subtitles, although they talk so fast I often have to pause and back up to keep up. (Total props to the people who had to translate and caption these episodes!) What made me make the effort in the first place was the fact that this is the story of an autistic attorney. She has a ton of challenges, but she’s not only competent but also incredibly charming without even realizing it. Her unique way of looking at the world allows her to win cases in unexpected ways. Her obsession with whales makes for some amazing CGI scenes, and you can’t help but root for her romance with an amazingly patient, tolerant and handsome neurotypical man. I can’t wait for season 2!
A young girl, just moments away from becoming the newest young singing sensation in South Korea, instead finds herself stranded on a tropical island for 15 years. When she is finally found, the world has moved on without her, but she still has her dreams. This is a really cute coming of age dramedy interspersed with some wonderful singing. I have to admit that I’m probably not the demographic they were aiming for, but I still found the main character a pure delight, and I would have loved to have had a friend like her when I was a girl.
I just finished this one, and wow, what an unexpected ending. And the scenery, the protagonist’s home in particular, is mesmerizing. The bad guy is so incredibly disturbing I’m a little surprised he didn’t get killed on several occasions. The opportunity was there, but the people who could have done it had a much healthier moral compass than he did. The main story arc is that for some crazy reason, a man’s manipulative wife talks him into divorcing her and marrying someone else for a just year, strictly as a contractual obligation. But things get more complicated with each passing day. It’s a romantic murder mystery. It’s well worth the watch. And I’m discovering that South Korean script writers have a knack for sexual tension that has been lost here in America, a country that has long since forgotten the sweet flavor of delayed gratification.
What would you and the people around you do if you knew you only had 200 days left before the planet, or at least your part of it, was destroyed? This limited series studies the question from many angles. You explore new love, elitism, martial law, corruption, cults, religion, and basically the best and the very worst of humanity. (Some of the worst bits can be very upsetting.) I went to bed much later than I should have on more than one occasion because I couldn’t stop watching this show.
This is another one that is meant for a much younger demographic than mine, but it’s nice to enter a more innocent world these days, if only for an hour. It’s your basic girl meets boy and falls in love scenario, except the boy is a holographic AI. Sort of. But not. It’s kind of hard to explain. It’s got a great deal of comedy thrown in, along with a mystery to unravel, and it’s a sweet romance. But if you do wind up watching it, there is something kind of perplexing to me in the last episode. Maybe it’s a cultural difference, but I really don’t get it. And I can’t talk about it here without spoiling the whole thing for you, so, contact me because I’d really love to talk to somebody about this.
And that leads me to mention my one big concern about the increasing popularity of K-dramas here in America. I hope the South Koreans will continue to write toward their own culture, rather than go for the big bucks and turn their eyes toward America, because there is a certain innocence and charm about South Korean TV that we lost in the 1950’s, and it’s so refreshing to go back there again. Especially now. If they turn all their programming into sex for sex’ sake, and gratuitous violence and blatant disrespect and cynicism, they’ll have lost something more precious than they’ll realize and first. But when the massive loss finally dawns on them, it will be too late to get it back.
And while this is a post about shows, there are two movies I’d like to mention as well. If you love a good post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi super-tense action film, then you’ll enjoy Space Sweepers. It takes a minute to warm up to the characters, but once you do, you’ll be rooting for them all the way. And I love the humor they manage to throw in there as well. And the CGI is amazing. And if you haven’t seen the movie Parasite, then I urge you to make the effort. It’s a satire on socioeconomic disparities that has many unexpected plot twists. This movie will take you on a wild ride. It definitely deserved its Oscar for best picture.
These South Koreans are on fire, man!
If you can suggest any other dubbed South Korean programs for me to watch, please let me know in the comments below! K-dramas are just the kind of escapism I need these days. Reality is just too harsh.
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