SomeK-dramasare so good that even those who are not fans of the genre will enjoy them. With various series spread out across several genres gaining worldwide popularity thanks to streaming, it’s difficult to know which ones might be to your taste, especially if you do not particularly like K-drama tropes.
Fortunately, most Korean dramas feature engaging premises that almost anyone can enjoy. Although it’s easy to namepopular K-dramas, there are several hidden gems that someone who has tried and not liked the subgenre can get hooked on. Fromhorror K-dramasto historical series, some shows have premises and characters that anyone can get behind.
Business Proposal
Cast
Business Proposal is a South Korean romantic comedy series. It follows Shin Ha-ri, a company employee who reluctantly goes on a blind date in place of her friend, only to discover her company’s CEO, Kang Tae-mu, is her date. Tae-mu proposes a fake relationship to avoid his family’s pressure to marry, leading to unexpected romantic entanglements and corporate adversity. The series explores themes of love, identity, and ambition within a corporate setting.
Based on the web novelThe Office Blind Dateby Hae Hwa,Business Proposalis a fun and hilarious look into romantic relationships. The series sees Shin A-ri, a young woman who takes her friend’s place on a blind date but instead comes face to face with her boss, who proposes that they should get married in order to stop his grandfather from forcing him to do so. WhenBusiness Proposalwas added to Netflix’s library, the K-drama became one of its most popular shows, and it’s no wonder.
Business Proposal’s biggest draw is that it doesn’t try to be something it’s not by being too deep. Instead,it fully embraces the romantic tropes, which resulted in an engaging story and an incredible love story.The workplace K-dramaisn’t without its faults, particularly because of how the male lead is portrayed as a savior. However, it’s a lighthearted K-drama that will have anyone smiling.
Because This Is My First Life
Because This Is My First Life is a South Korean television series that follows Nam Se-hee, a single man focused on repaying his mortgage, and Yoon Ji-ho, a homeless woman, as they enter a marriage of convenience that slowly evolves into genuine affection and understanding.
Marriages of convenience are a popular trope in K-dramas, butBecause This Is My First Lifeoffers a different look into this type of storyline.Starring Jung So-min as Yoon Ji-ho and Lee Min-ki as Nam Se-hee,Because This Is My First Lifesees the two characters get married due to the circumstances they find themselves in. The series in no way tells a story that hasn’t been seen before, but it sets itself apart in a variety of ways.
The Korean TV show is a slow burn, but it’s worth investing in. Jung So-min and Lee Min-ki are great together, but it’s the way that the show incorporates other storylines without making it feel overwhelming that makes it such an addictive series.
WhileBecause This Is My First Lifeis a romantic K-drama, it isn’t overly dramatic. Instead, the series provides a different way to look at love and how it develops, particularly because of the way Nam Se-hee thinks about romantic relationships. The show is a slow burn, but it’s worth investing in. Jung So-min and Lee Min-ki are great together, but it’s the way that the show incorporates other storylines without making it feel overwhelming that makes it such an addictive series.
Record Of Youth
Record Of Youth is a South Korean television series that follows the lives of three young individuals, Sa Hye-joon, Won Hae-hyo, and Park Do-ha, as they navigate their careers and relationships in the competitive Modeling industry in Seoul.
One of the best K-dramas of 2020,Record of Youthwas also a hit in Korea. It centers around three friends navigating the ups and downs of their professional lives in the entertainment industry. While theseries focuses on millennials and the struggles they go through to achieve their dreams, it also has a sweet love story.
Record of Youthis by no means unique,nor does it feature a storyline that adds something new to the genre. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable K-drama, despite its clichés. The show’s focus on familial discontent and dreams taking too long to come true makes it an incredibly relatable and inspiring show, especially for anyone experiencing the same things.
Itaewon Class
Itaewon Class is a South Korean television series that premiered in 2020. The show revolves around Park Sae-ro-yi, a young entrepreneur who seeks revenge against the corrupt businessman who wronged him and his family. Alongside a group of misfits, Sae-ro-yi establishes a bar in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, and together they navigate love, friendship, and ambition.
Park Seo-joon has been in many great K-dramas, butItaewon Classremains his best so far. The series tells a sad tale of a man whose life is ruined by people more powerful than him, and how he manages to pick himself up after losing everything. WhenItaewon Classaired, it immediately resonated with audiences and remains popular even to this day.
Itaewon Classis an incredibly inspiring Korean TV show. While Park Sae-ro-yi had the odds stacked against him, his hard work and support system helped him achieve his dreams. The series is heartwarming, andits portrayal of people trying to find their place in the world is relatable. With its found family and love story,Itaewon Classis the type of K-drama that will have you going through a range of emotions by the time it comes to a conclusion.
Fight For My Way
Fight For My Way is a South Korean television drama series that aired in 2017. Starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won, the show follows the lives of four young adults struggling to achieve their dreams in the face of societal expectations and everyday challenges. The series explores themes of friendship, ambition, and romance, offering a nuanced portrayal of the hardships and triumphs faced by its characters.
Another great Park Seo-joon TV show isthe slice-of-life Korean series,Fight For My Way. With Kim Ji-won as Choi Ae-ra,the K-drama has set itself apart due to its talented cast,who have all gone on to have incredible careers after appearing inFight For My Way. The friends-to-lovers Korean TV show focuses on Dongman, an MMA fighter who falls for his childhood best friend.
The transition from friends to lovers isn’t a new one, butFight For My Waydoes it in a believable way.The show is hilarious but also features some emotional scenesthat tug at the heartstrings. Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won are a breath of fresh air, but it’s the friendship that the group of four young people share that holds the series together, especially because of how they support each other’s dreams.
Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine is a historical drama television series that takes place in the late 19th century during the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The story follows Eugene Choi, a young boy who travels to the United States and returns to Korea as an American soldier, and Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-sin, an aristocrat’s daughter who dreams of modernizing Korea.
The critically acclaimed K-drama,Mr. Sunshine, tells a gripping tale of love and loss. Written by Kim Eun-sook,Mr. Sunshinefollows Eugene Choi, an orphan who moves to the US and becomes a soldier after losing his parents. When he goes back home, he falls for Go Ae-shin, a highborn woman with a secret life.Mr. Sunshinebecame a critical and audience hit at the time it premiered, and remains one of tvN’s highest-rated K-dramas even to this day.
Lee Byung-hun won the Best Leading Actor in Broadcasting at the 2019 Baeksang Arts Award for his role inMr. Sunshine.
Several other Korean TV shows depict how class differences affect romantic relationships, butMr.Sunshinestands out because it also focuses on a turbulent time in South Korea.Mr. Sunshineis a well-crafted story that is made even better by the performances. The series has some great strong female characters, who are undoubtedly one of the K-drama’s highlights.
Crash Landing On You
Crash Landing on You is a romantic drama series that follows a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea after a paragliding incident. She encounters an army officer who, despite the political tensions, aids her in concealment, forging an unexpected connection amidst their contrasting worlds.
Crash Landing On Youwas released nearly six years ago and is already considered a classic. Hyun Bin stars as Captain Ri, a soldier in the North Korean army whose life gets upended when he falls for a South Korean heiress. As one of tvN’s most-watched TV shows,Crash Landing On Youproved that forbidden romance stories with engaging characters are things that audiences enjoy.
Crash Landing On Youweaves an engaging and unlikely love story between two people who are supposed to hate each other because of where they come from. Se-ri and Captain Ri’s romantic relationship is, of course, at the heart ofCrash Landing On You, but its subplots and supporting characters are some of the reasons it’s a masterpiece.The romantic Korean series is sure to take anyone on an emotional rollercoasteras its two leads strive to be together despite the low chances of them having a happy ending being low.
When Life Gives You Tangerines
When Life Gives You Tangerines is a romantic drama series released in 2025 that follows the intertwined lives of a bold girl and a devoted boy in Jeju. Their journey spans generations, filled with challenges and victories, exploring the enduring nature of love and resilience.
When Gives You Tangerineshas already set itself up as one of the best K-dramas of 2025.StarringHotel del Luna’s UI as Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik,When Life Gives You Tangerinesfollows the two main characters through different stages of their lives.The historical K-dramacan be heart-wrenching at times, especially when depicting the struggles Ae-sun went through as she was growing up in a poor family in Jeju Island.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score
100%
When Life Gives You Tangerinesis a rich tale of Korean history that sheds light on the haenyeo, a group of women divers who are often overlooked.The K-drama’s characters are so well developedthat it’s hard not to feel emotionally invested in their journey. WhileWhen Life Gives You Tangerinesis heavy at times, it’s one of those Korean TV shows that makes its audiences go through an emotional rollercoaster that is worth it by the time they watch the last episode.
All Of Us Are Dead
All of Us Are Dead is a South Korean series that centers on a high school overrun by a zombie virus outbreak. The students, facing an unprecedented crisis, must navigate survival while combating the threat of becoming part of the undead horde.
One of Netflix’s biggest K-dramas,All of Us Are Deadhas undoubtedly contributed to why the subgenre is becoming popular with audiences.The Netflix original K-drama’s premise focuses on a group of students who have to fight off zombies after the ferocious creatures begin to attack them. The zombie genre is one of fiction’s most popular, so it’s not easy to add something that no one has seen before.
All of Us Are Deadseason 2 doesn’t have a release date.
However,All of Us Are Deadmanages to do that. Not only are the characters complex, but the zombies on the show are unique. The series is so well written that even people who don’t like horror will enjoy it.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows the life of Woo Young-woo, a young attorney with autism spectrum disorder, who navigates the challenges of the legal profession in South Korea. The series portrays her brilliant legal mind and unique approach to cases, highlighting her struggles and triumphs both in and out of the courtroom. Park Eun-bin stars in the titular role, delivering a poignant and nuanced performance.
Like medical dramas, legal dramas are something that most people like to watch as they offer fun insight into what really happens in these professions.K-dramas about lawyers, however, are in a league of their own, as depicted inExtraordinary Attorney Woo.The legal Korean showfocuses on Attorney Woo, a neurodiverse lawyer who gets hired at a prestigious law firm.
What makesExtraordinary Attorney WooaK-dramamasterpiece is how sensible and heartwarming it is. It doesn’t make Woo’s journey in her high-stakes profession easy, but instead highlights her struggles and how she eventually overcomes them. The series also has a love story and interesting legal cases for anyone looking for a drama that features both romance and law.
