- Feeling a good laugh (So Not Worth It)
Hailed as the first global “K-sitcom”, So Not Worth It revolves around the international student’s dorm at a college in Seoul and the variegated personalities they bring. There’s hopeless romantic Minnie from Thailand, handsome newcomer Jamie and old soul Carson from the US, stiff Hans from Sweden, petulant Sam from Australia, and playboy Terris from Trinidad. They’re joined by the Korean RA Sewan and African Korean Hyunmin to form one giant group that is constantly getting into gaffes. The show features an all-star cast with idols like Youngjae from GOT7, Minnie from G(IDLE), and Yujin of Kep1er as lead and supporting roles. It also addresses prominent social issues that plague non-Koreans during their stints in the country such as racism, cult recruitment, and sexuality while keeping the mood light and full of good laughs.
- Feeling a good cry (Hotel Del Luna)
In my opinion, Hotel Del Luna is one of the greatest shows ever made regardless of being a K-drama. It tells the story of the mythic Hotel Del Luna, a rest house for the dead run by the cold and materialistic Jang Manwol (IU) who has been tethered to the hotel for 3000 years unable to pass on to the afterlife due to her past sins. With the help of human manager Gu Chansung (Yeo Jingoo), she begins to unravel her past and encounters some murderous spirits, faces from the past, and eventually love as Chansung aims to help Manwol move to the afterlife. I have cried to this show more times than I count, especially the finale; it’s such a touching and deep piece about life and love. The actors portray the emotions of the turbulent characters beautifully and besides being well written, the outfits IU sports are incredible, I can’t recommend it enough.
- Feeling motivated (Start Up)
Nothing makes you feel good like an underdog’s rise to the top, and Start Up is just that kind of show. The show follows Seo Dalmi (Suzy), a disgruntled manager who yearns to start her own company and face off with her richer sister in the tech world. She revisits the letters of her first love Nam Dosan (Nam Joohyuk) and decides to enlist him to help start her company. Only problem… Dosan never wrote her the letters; it was simply the name used by Han Jipyeong (Kim Seonho) to write the letters as a favor to her grandmother. As Dalmi and Dosan unite and “rekindle their love”, they develop their idea for a company and enter the Sandbox (kind of like Silicon Valley) Hackathon to make their dreams come true. The show’s all-star cast and message about fighting for your dreams really picked me up when I was down, and they approach heavy topics about women in positions of power, death, and suicide in relation to occupational security so well, if not for motivation, anyone thinking of start ups should check it out.
- Feeling the need to romanticize life (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha)
We all have those days where we dream about living in a beachside town while our handsome neighbor banters with us, and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha brings the fantasy to life. Following Yoon Hyejin (Shin Mina), a hardworking and sophisticated dentist as she moves to a small beach town called Gongjin to start her own private practice, the show emits warmth and good vibes as she tends to the elderly and youth of the town in both dental and nondental needs. As for the romance, there’s Hyejin’s charming neighbor, town handyman Hong Dusik (Kim Seonho) who loves to flirtatiously tease her but is always there when she needs him. The show strikes that beautiful balance between retro and modern, heartwarming, and hilarious, and is a surefire way to cheer up anyone who feels life is too dull.
- Feeling a scream (All of Us Are Dead)
All of Us Are Dead would be the perfect October 31st watch, but it’s truly perfect for the entire year. The show follows a group of high school students that are trapped in their school without any supplies or aid. Why? A freak science experiment has turned the school population into zombies, and they are forced to combat any hatred they previously had for each other to survive. The zombies are grotesque, and there are some horrifying elements to the show from people losing eyes and being devoured by zombies. I’m not too great with horror, but the show hooks you until the end, and the cliffhanger and promise of a second season is more than enough to keep you jumping till the end.
- Feeling hopelessly romantic (Business Proposal)
There’s nothing quite like a good office romance, and Business Proposal delivers all the romantic goodness you could possibly want. The show follows Shin Hari (Kim Sejeong), a nutritionist at GO Food, who agrees to go on a date as her wealthy friend Jin Youngseo (Seol Ina) to mess it up and kill an arranged marriage proposal. However, Hari is shocked to find that her date is none other than Kang Taemu (Ahn Hyoseop), the CEO of her company. Hari tries to scare Taemu off, but he ends up taking interest in her instead spurring a hilarious series of events in which Hari aims to keep her identity a secret and also resist falling for the handsome CEO. Meanwhile, Taemu wonders for the first time why the one girl he wants doesn’t want him back and enlists his secretary Cha Sunghoon (Kim Mingue) to get to the bottom of it. The show plays into all the tropes of K-dramas, but it still was one of the best shows to come out this year because sometimes we all need good and honest romantic fluff.
- Feeling something mysterious (Penthouse: War in Life)
One of the highest rated K-dramas of 2020, Penthouse is a show for people who love twists, turns, and morally grey characters. The show follows a group of wealthy socialites who all reside in an elite apartment complex Hera Palace. Their children are all classically trained musicians and singers, and they will do anything to allow their children to reach the top… even murder. The show centers around three women: Cheon Seojin (Kim Soyeon), Oh Yoonhee (Eugene), and Shim Suryeon (Lee Jia) who are bonded by their maternal instincts but go about caring for their children in completely different ways. When a girl turns up murdered at Hera Palace, the socialites dissolve into chaos to cover it up and keep their images spotless, feuding and stepping over each other’s toes to do so. Whether it be dazzling opera, shocking deeds, or incredible acting, Penthouse has something for everyone, and it will keep you hooked for 3 seasons, begging to find out what will happen next.
- Feeling fantasy (Alchemy of Souls)
Fantasy K-dramas are always so interesting, and Alchemy of Souls was no exception. It involves a fictional country where mages unlock distinct magical powers that occurred due to alchemy of souls which allows souls to move between bodies. In this way, Naksu, a dangerous spirit (Jung Somin) is cast into the weak and helpless body of Mudeok, a servant the noble family of Jang Uk (Lee Jaewook) whose father she swore to destroy alongside those of his 3 other companions: Seo Yul (Hwang Minhyun), Jin Choyeon (Arin), and Park Dangu (Yoo Insoo). The only problem, Uk wants Naksu to be his teacher as his magic was locked away from him, and she begrudgingly agrees to help bringing the two closer and giving the harsh Naksu a soft edge. I’m in the process of watching this one, and I’m trying to fly fast because Season 2 is on the way. It’s such a unique concept that I can’t wait to see more from.
- Feeling reminiscent (Twenty-Five, Twenty-One)
The K-dramas about youth and first love are dangerous because they make me smile and cry at the same time. Twenty-Five, Twenty-One follows the story of youths who lost everything in the IMF crisis: Na Heedo (Kim Taeri), a former fencing prodigy looking to get back in the game, Baek Yijin (Nam Joohyuk), a former wealthy engineering hopeful whose dreams were crushed when his family lost their money, Ko Yurim (Bona) a fencing champion whose winnings support her family, and best friends Ji Seungwan (Lee Joomyung) and Moon Jiung (Choi Hyunwook) student body president and resident school rebel respectively. This unlikely group forms a deep bond at having their dreams ruined by the lack of money, and Heedo and Yijin vow to live life happily and enjoy the little moments of youth with their friends, including first love. This heartbreaking drama is a real tearjerker and flashes between the past and the present, depicting a message about the past: once gone, it may fade away and never return.
- Feeling unique (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay)
Subverting the trope of a shy girl-strong guy, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay follows eccentric children’s book writer Ko Munyeong (Seo Yeji) as she grapples with her traumatic past as old faces reappear including Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soohyun) and his autistic brother Moon Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se). It’s a dark fairytale story full of whimsy and deep issues pertaining to psychological trauma as the trio of connected main characters heal each other’s emotional wounds and discover the secrets of their past that led them to who they are now. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay was dark, and it hooked me for how it used fairytales to explain trauma responses, the characters are morally grey, and all you want in the end is for everyone to be okay (pun intended). It was different from any drama I had watched before because, though the romance and comedy is present, it attempts to focus more on storytelling and issues rather than these traditional drama elements. If you’re into something dark and gritty to sink your teeth into as opposed to a lighthearted show, this is the one for you.