kdrama

Where to start with K-dramas: beginner-friendly picks by genre

TUREFF• •0
If you are new to Korean dramas, the number of shows can be overwhelming. Most K-dramas run a single season of 12 to 20 episodes with a complete story, which makes them easy to start and actually finish. Here are widely loved picks to start with, sorted by genre. Availability varies by country and changes often, so check your local streaming services.

Romance and romantic comedy

  • Crash Landing on You: a South Korean heiress paraglides into North Korea. Funny, warm and the show that got many people into K-dramas.
  • Business Proposal: a fake-dating comedy that is light and fast; a good first binge.
  • What's Wrong with Secretary Kim: an office romance played for laughs.
  • Twenty-Five Twenty-One: a coming-of-age story of a young fencer in the late 1990s.

Thriller and crime

  • Signal: a detective in the present talks to one in the past through an old walkie-talkie. Often named as one of the best Korean thrillers.
  • Stranger (Secret Forest): a prosecutor who feels almost no emotion investigates corruption.
  • Squid Game: the global hit, a survival game with heavy social themes. Violent.

Slice of life and family

  • Reply 1988: neighbourhood families in Seoul in the late 1980s. Slow, funny and moving; many fans rate it the best of all.
  • Hospital Playlist: five doctor friends who have known each other since medical school.
  • My Mister: a quiet, heavy story about two damaged people helping each other.

Fantasy and historical

  • Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God): an immortal goblin looking for his bride. Iconic soundtrack.
  • Kingdom: zombies in the Joseon era; a short, high-budget series.
  • Mr. Sunshine: a sweeping drama set in the early 1900s.

Tips for new viewers

  • Give a show two or three episodes. Many start slowly and build.
  • Watch with subtitles rather than dubbing; much of the feeling is in the voices and the music.
  • Recurring tropes (the wrist grab, the piggyback ride, the childhood connection) are part of the fun.
  • The OST, the soundtrack, is a big part of each drama and worth playing on its own.
What was your first K-drama, and what would you recommend to someone starting today? Leave it in the comments.

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