In March 2020, when the world shut down due to COVID-19, I, like many others, turned to binge watching Netflix as a form of entertainment. While scrolling Netflix, I came across a series called “Crash Landing on You”. The premise was intriguing, following a romance between a South Korean heiress and a North Korean officer. After the first episode, I was hooked. This launched a year’s long love of K-Dramas for me, having watched most available to stream on Netflix. After 4 years of watching K-Dramas, I have narrowed down five favourites that I recommend you check out for your next binge watch.
1. Crash landing on you
Crash Landing on You was the first K-Drama I ever watched, and probably my favourite. There’s so much to love about this series; enemies to lovers romance, potential espionage, fish-out-of-water storylines and a great soundtrack. It follows the story of Yoon Se-Ri, a South Korean heiress, who, following a paragliding accident, crash lands in North Korea, having to be rescued by a North Korean military captain. Our protagonists, Yoon Se-Ri and Captain Ri, played by Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, are married in real life. They met and fell in love while filming the series, contributing to the amazing chemistry between the two characters. Great performances aren’t limited to our main couple however; from 2-star generals to trophy wives and department store moguls, this series has many diverse characters who all add their own spice to the story. With its unique premise, great soundtrack and larger-than-life characters, Crash Landing on You is bound to become your next favourite show.
2. Hometown Cha-cha-cha
Have you ever wanted to drop everything and run away to the seaside? Well, in this series, that’s exactly what our heroine, Yoon Hye-Jin, does! Abandoning her high-paying job as a dentist in Seoul following a career set-back, Hye-Jin returns to her hometown and establishes her own practice. While adjusting to village life and establishing a new practice, Hye-Jin meets charming jack-of-all-trades Hong Du Sik, and a romance blossoms. This series is sweet to its core, focusing on the importance of community and the idea that there is more to life than the hustle of work. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha allows the viewer to take part in an escapist coastline fantasy with a K-Pop soundtrack.
3. Daily Dose of Sunshine
Fans of Grey’s Anatomy? This one’s for you! This series follows the trials and tribulations of Da-eun, a psychiatric nurse, as she navigates treating patients, a love triangle and her own battle with depression. Each episode follows the story of a patient in the psychiatric ward; covering how and why they ended up there and their road to recovery. The shows cover mental illness with empathy, while balancing humour and societal critique. Daily Dose of Sunshine offers a unique take on the procedural hospital drama, focusing on the much-stigmatized psychiatry instead of surgery or the ER. I recommend this series for anyone wanting to work in healthcare or in mental health.
4. Chocolate
A common theme in K-Dramas is the idea of fate, that two people are destined from birth to fall in love. Chocolate is the story of a romance between a chef and a neurosurgeon, who meet while working at a hospice care center. Together, they work through childhood trauma, professional failures and complicated family dynamics. Visually beautiful, the series features many scenes along the picturesque seaside, alongside steaming bowls of rice and stew. The subplots of the patients, nurses and doctors working at the hospice care center are equally interesting, really working to give this series a well-rounded view of love. Chocolate shows that alongside tragedy, beauty and romance can blossom, all culminating in the complexity of life.
5. Mr. Sunshine
For those interested in history and politics, Mr. Sunshine is a drama tackling the annexation of Korea by Japan. The protagonist, Eugene Choi, was born into slavery, but manages to escape to the United States with the help of a Christian missionary, and later becomes an officer in the Marine Corps. As an adult he is sent back to Korea, and falls in love with a nobleman’s daughter, Ae-shin. Ae-shin is secretly a freedom fighter with the Righteous Army; a militia that fights against the Japanese occupation of Korea. Praised for its cinematography and strong female characters, Mr. Sunshine is both educational and entertaining, always keeping audiences on the edge of their seats.
All five of the following K-Dramas are available to stream on Netflix.