I'm relatively new to the Korean Drama world, so every show or movie on this list is probably one that most beginner's watch on their first couple of months as KDrama enthusiasts. Maybe you can come on this journey with me and watch as I progressively get sucked into this world.

Beginners Guide to K Dramas

My Strange Hero contains a sketch of the turbulent life of the main character Kang Bok Su. By showing Kang Bok Su's life from his school days, this drama presents how a good teenage boy has gone bad and how he grows up into a good adult by resolving misunderstandings. Kang Bok Su was a handsome and good-natured high school student. He willingly helped his schoolmates who were in trouble and fought against anything he believed unfair and unreasonable. Naturally, most of his schoolmates liked him. One day, however, he was falsely accused of bullying his classmates and ended up being expelled from school. Even his girlfriend and best friend didn't trust and betrayed him. Now, as a grownup, he plans to go back to the high school and take revenge on those who framed him and made him suffer since his teenage years. However, things start to go wrong. Bok Su gets to be involved in a series of incidents and falls in love in the high school.

My Strange Hero

JTBC

Born from a long line of women gifted with monumental strength, Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) is far from ordinary. Only able to use her power for good, Bong Soon agrees to work as a bodyguard for Ahn Min Hyeok (Park Hyung Sik), the recently endangered chaebol heir and CEO of gaming company Ainsoft. With dreams of developing a video game of her own, Bong Soon hopes that by working with Min Hyeok, she’ll find a way to turn her dreams into reality. Meanwhile, her childhood friend, Detective Gook Doo (Ji Soo), is on the hunt for a kidnapper whose path soon crosses with Bong Soon. Using her gifts for the greatest good, will Bong Soon find her life full of everything she’s dreamed of and more? This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy series directed by Lee Hyung Min.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Small but Mighty Team

KBS02

We all once have read about Hwarang and heard about a few famous historical Hwarangs. However, not one of us exactly knows what or who they were, as all myths do. How could beautiful-looking young men have been able to be the leaders of Silla, the millenary kingdom that united the ancient Korean Three Kingdoms? What kind of a rite of passage did they go through in order to become the spirit of Silla? Now, we give full scope to our imagination to answer these questions, which were never written in history. This is a story of the friendship and love of Hwarang and a story of the youth struggling to make the world a better place. Above all, this is a whole new myth.

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

South Korean special forces officer Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) falls for surgeon Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) but their ideological differences force them to split up. Now, war has broken out in a faraway nation, and Si Jin’s unit is deployed on the battleground. Coincidentally, an unpleasant workplace incident has forced Mo Yeon to join a group of medical volunteers in the same country. The former lovers reunite, but can they find love again – against the backdrop of a bloody war? This 2016 South Korean drama series was directed by Lee Eung Bok and Baek Sang Hoon.

Descendants of the Sun

The Sunshine Team

Bok Joo is a college student and a weightlifting player. She deeply loves her father, who is sick but sells fried chicken to support her. She can't stand injustice and values loyalty. She has never had a chance to go on a blind date as she is a weightlifting player, but she accepts it as her life. Jun Hyung is a swimmer who goes to the same college as Bok Joo. They used to know each other when they were kids. He constantly teases her, so she resents him. Jun Hyung has a cousin, Jae Yi. He is kind to everyone, so it sometimes causes misunderstanding, making some women feel led on. One day, Bok Joo runs into Jae Yi and falls for him after seeing him smile at her. She finds out he is a doctor at an obesity clinic and signs up for the weight-loss program at the clinic. However, Jun Hyung finds out about this, and he can't pass up the opportunity to tease her.

Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo

I'm Busy Getting Stronger Team

Inevitably, everybody gets hurt at some point in their lives. There are different remedies for different types of wounds, and as time elapses, these remedies start to become less effective. This is a story about a man who created a shield for his broken heart. Since the day his heart broke, he has been living inside a shell. To make it worse, he suffers from a specific type of allergy. Whenever he comes into contact with a human, he develops rashes all over his body and has trouble breathing. Because of this, he is forced to become a hermit and even start hating people. One day, he encounters Jo Ji A, a being unlike any other. At first, Ji A pretends to be a robot and tries to win Min Kyu's trust. Little does she know, she starts to fall in love with him. In addition, by interacting with her, Min Kyu slowly learns how to break out of his shell, love, and trust.

I Am Not a Robot

The Robotic Team

This drama is about the youth who is not qualified for what the heartless society demands. Without backgrounds such as high education and certificates, the world tells them to focus on playing supporting roles in life. However, they all have their advantages and deserve to be the main character in their own lives. This is a story about four individuals, Dong Man, Ae Ra, Joo Man, and Sul Hee, and the dreams they are pursuing. Dong Man used to be a top athlete in taekwondo. However, his dreams of becoming a national athlete is shredded into pieces when he helplessly loses against authority and money. Choi Ae Ra has always dreamed of becoming an announcer. Although for now, she works at a department store, she continuously goes to job interviews and fights for her way. When the world turns its back on one of them, the other rushes to comfort them.

Fight For My Way

The Fighting Team

Noh Ji Wook is a brainiac prosecutor and Eun Bong Hee is a rookie justice department intern, who always seems to find herself in the most unfortunate and embarrassing situations. Bong Hee is falsely accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, and Ji Wook gets demoted because he risks his career and reputation to save Bong Hee. Things get complicated as their careers, and love lives get entangled, but one thing brings them together- catching the real culprit responsible for a series of murders before they run out of time and get themselves killed. Ji Eun Hyuk used to be a good friend of Ji Wook, and their friendship used to be the strongest ever. During Eun Hyuk's troubled childhood, Ji Wook used to feel like his only family.

Suspicious Partner

The Suspicious Team

When Joseon-era mermaid Sim Cheong (Jun Ji Hyun) follows her true love, she finds herself mysteriously transported into modern-day Seoul. Though separated from her true love, she soon crosses paths with his doppelgänger, Heo Joon Jae (Lee Min Ho). With nowhere else to go, Joon Jae takes the stranded mermaid in, though not out of the goodness of his heart. As a con artist, Joon Jae is quick to spot the priceless jade bracelet Sim Cheong wears. Determined to take Sim Cheong for all she’s worth, Joon Jae soon finds himself thinking twice about the mermaid after she helps him evade the lethal plans of his greedy stepmother. As the two draw closer together, will the charms of the ancient mermaid begin to melt the icy heart of a bitter conman? Inspired by a historical folktale, this 2016 South Korean drama series was directed by Jin Hyuk.

The Legend of the Blue Sea

The Blue Sea

Once a popular girl, Hye Jin grew into freckles and curly hair, losing the perfect features she had during childhood. Sung Joon, who used to be chubby and fainthearted, grew up into a successful and perfect looking guy. Ha Ri, the girl who seems to have everything, lacks some sex appeal. Shin Hyuk is a guy with regurgitative humor who has something to hide. Hye Jin and Sung Joon had a crush on each other back in childhood, but He and his family moved to the states. After many years have passed, Sung Joon came back to Korea as a fashion magazine chief editor while Hye Jin was still jobless. He wishes to meet Hye Jin after his return.

She Was Pretty

The Ugly Ducklings

Oh Yoon Seo (Yoo In Na), a glamorous actress with a tarnished career, is given a chance at redemption with a new lead part. To prepare for it, she must work as a secretary for icy lawyer Kwon Jung Rok (Lee Dong Wook) for several months. As she struggles to adapt to her new role and prove her acting skills, tensions rise between the two – his cold demeanor constantly clashes with her determination. Amidst professional challenges and personal conflicts, Yoon Seo must navigate this tumultuous journey to restore her reputation and find her true self. Will this unexpected opportunity be her path to success or lead to more setbacks? This 2019 Korean drama series was directed by Park Joon Hwa.

Touch Your Heart

Sincerely, Yours Team

XtvN

Oh Ji Na (Ahn Seo Hyun), a 17-year-old high school student, discovers a mysterious app called Revenge Note that grants her the power to exact revenge on anyone by simply inputting their name. When twin brothers Seo Robin (Samuel) and Seo Je Yi (Ji Min Hyuk) move in next door and transfer to her school, Ji Na becomes entangled in a complex love triangle. Her younger sister Oh Sa Na (Kim Ji Young) further complicates matters by also falling for the brothers. As Ji Na navigates the temptations and consequences of the app's vengeful capabilities, she begins to learn profound lessons about life, love, and the true meaning of revenge. This is a 2018 South Korean web drama series directed by Oh Seung Yeol and the second season of the original "Revenge Note 1" web drama.

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