The K-drama hype is real! Even local celebrities are going gaga over Korean actors who tickled their hearts and make them feel kilig in every episode. While we’ve been seeing Korean films in the previous years, it is only now that K-drama gets to its maximum level thanks to local TV networks that bring them to every Filipino home. More than that, the internet and social media have also been effective channels for Korean series to reach a global audience, including Western countries.
Want to start obsessing over Korean dramas, too? Check out this roster of Korean series for your cuddle weather series marathon.
1. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin)
Goblin needs a wife to end his immortality.
Kim Shin, also known as Goblin the protector of souls, no longer wants to be immortal and getting married is the way to end his immortal life. Goblin is living with an amnesiac grim reaper that is in charge of taking the souls of the deceased. Ji Eun-Tak, a high school student accidentally summons the Goblin in ends up falling in love with him. Sunny, a chicken wing shop owner is everyone’s apple of the eye. Sunny and grim reaper’s encounter will begin a turn of events that will affect each one of them.
2. Descendants of the Sun
DOTS witnessed a love story from reel to real.
One of the major hits in South Korea, Descendants of the Sun is a romantic tale set in the middle of the war packed with thrill and humor. Big Boss Yoo Si-Jin (Song Joong-ki) is willing to sacrifice everything to serve his country. Dr. Kang (Song Hye Kyo) lives in the principle that all lives must be saved. Their lives will collide and the pair will eventually fall in love with each other.
But did you know that DOTS lead actors of are expected to tie the knot in real life on October 31 this year? That is after the agency that handles them recently denied the news that the two were dating early this year. Regardless of the inconsistencies, Song-Song fans must be excited to hear the wedding bells ringing.
3. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
This K-drama smashes the stereotype that women are weak.
Do Bong Soon is a woman like no other. She has a Herculean strength that erases the impression that women are weak. Her superpower is hereditary which should be passed on every woman in their family. She dreams of creating a video game where she is the main character. Because of her inexplicable power, she became the body guard of Ahn Min-Hyuk, CEO of a gaming company.
When a series of kidnapping rattles the district of Dobong-dong, Bong Soon will be given the chance to use her strength for a good cause and save her friend who is among the targeted victims. A special connection will blossom between Min-Hyuk and Bong Soon which will give colors to this powerful love story.
4. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
This is a story of reaching dreams, valuing friends, and finding love in between.
This series tells the story of student athletes determined to reach their dreams. Kim Bok Joo is a female weightlifter with a bright and firm personality. She is a daughter to a chicken shop owner and a friend to fellow weightlifters. Bok Joo’s finding a handkerchief on the grass will make a way for her to meet her long-lost childhood friend, varsity swimmer Joon-Hyung. This is where their love story begins – in reel and in real.
K-drama fans went crazy when they finally discovered that the two lead characters of Weightlifting Kim Bok Joo are actually dating in real life. That’s another reason that makes this series interesting to watch, aside from their “swag” lines used in the show which the characters pronounce as “suweeg.”
5. Legend of the Blue Sea
Legend of the Blue Sea is a perfect mix fantasy, humor, and romance.
Inspired by the historical mermaid tales from the Joseon legend, Legend of the Blue Sea revolves around the life of a mermaid named Shim Cheong. Her life will change as she meets the handsome con-man, Heo Joon Jae in Spain. A story of destiny, reincarnation, and unrequited love, Legend of the Blue Sea catches the heart of everyone who believes in love and fate and everything in between.
6. W
What if you find love in a different world?
Kang Chul exists in W, a webtoon created by Oh Yeon-Joo’s father Oh Sung Moo who mysteriously disappeared after he finished writing the final chapter of the webtoon. Oh Yeon-Joo, originally a cardiothoracic surgeon, gets to see a scene of a dying Kang Chul in her father’s computer when a hand coming from the monitor will grab and bring her to W where she will see Kang Chul covered in blood. After healing Kang Chul, she finds out that her ability to teleport back to the real world lies on Kang Chul’s change of emotions.
Compared to majority of Korean television series, W contains a unique premise that’s responsible for its top viewership in Korea when it aired in 2016.
7. Doctor Crush
An unforgotten affair unfolds when love meddles in the lives of four doctors.
Yoo Hye-Jung is a high school girl with a strong personality. She closed her heart to other people to hide her scars inflicted by a bad childhood. Everything changes when she meets her mentor, Hong Ji-Hong, a compassionate doctor and educator. They will part ways due to a controversy that will blister Hye-Jung’s name. They will meet again after 13 years when Hye-Jung is already an accomplished doctor.
8. Love Rain
Love Rain depicts the love that transcends in different era.
Seo In-ha has fallen love at first sight with Kim Yoon-hee in 1970s. He tried to hide his feelings but it only grew stronger. He confessed his affections for Yoon-hee and they eventually became together. But time has come when Yoon-hee needed to leave for the United States to heal her illness. Fast forward to 2012, Seo Joon, In-ha’s son, encounters Jung Ha-Na, Yoon-hee’s daughter. They will start dating unaware of their parents’ romantic past.
Seo In-ha and Yoon-hee will meet again and decide to marry this time, innocent to the fact that their children are dating, too.
Did we miss any K-drama on the list? Tell your favorite at the comments below!
About Karen Grace Libao
Karen writes for a living and for fun. She started her writing career in 2014 when she worked as Content Manager for a women’s website and never looked back since. On her free time, she tries to catch up on her current reads, seeing independently-produced films, watching theatre plays, and attending live music and open mic gigs. She dreams of becoming a published writer and film producer in the future.
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