With cliffhangers in every episode and endless variations of star-crossed romances, separations, and deaths, K-dramas almost always promise an emotional roller coaster. While certain storylines in Korean dramas remain staples—a love triangle (or square), an unsolved murder mystery, or a tragic backstory—a slew of recent K-dramas have avoided tired tropes and delivered original stories across a variety of genres, from rom-coms to crime thrillers to historical dramas. Thanks to inventive soundtracks—often containing songs by K-pop singers—each Korean series has its own distinct sonic identity. According to the KissAsian, here are some best Korean movie list you should watch now.
I’m Coming Down Hard on You (2019-2020)
While paragliding, a tornado occurred, causing a woman from South Korea to crash-land in North Korea. In the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin), a successful entrepreneur and heiress, finds herself trapped in a tree above North Korean officer Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun Bin). Despite the implausibility of the concept, what follows is a gripping romance that eventually tugs at the heartstrings as Jeong-Hyeok tries to hide Se-Ri and return her home. The plot is propelled forward by the growth of this cross-border connection, yet Crash Landing on You is far more nuanced than a typical rom-com due to its multifaceted portrayal of North Korea (the series was made with input from North Korean defectors).
Itaewon Class is a South Korean high school in Itaewon (2020)
After his father is murdered in an accident, Park Sae-Ro-Yi (Park Seo-Joon) is dead set on bringing down the mighty food conglomerate Jangga Group. The company’s CEO, Jang Dae-Hee (Yoo Jae-Myung), was involved in both Sae-expulsion Ro’s from school and his three-year prison sentence. Despite his criminal past, Sae-Ro-Yi opens a bar-restaurant with the goal of turning it into a top Korean franchise. To take on CEO Jang, he forms a motley group led by adolescent influencer Jo Yi-Seo (Kim Da-Mi), who becomes the restaurant’s manager. Itaewon Class, based on the same-named webtoon, begins as a typical underdog story before morphing into a tale about the limits of vengeance and the strength of solidarity. Thanks to its varied cast, the show freely discusses issues of prejudice based on race and gender identity.
Mr. Sunshine is a make-believe figure (2018)
After his parents were slaughtered by aristocrats, a little boy born into slavery boards a warship and leaves Joseon to America in 1871. Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-Hun), now a captain in the United States Marine Corps, returns to the country that once rejected him decades later on a political mission. He is smitten by Go Ae-Shin (Kim Tae-Ri), a noblewoman who is secretly tied to a group of Korean independence fighters. In the years leading up to Japan’s annexation of Korea, Mr. Sunshine depicts a budding romance in a failing nation where national identification did not always correlate with political dedication. Aside from stunning cinematography, the show contains two of the most formidable female leads in K-drama history—one wields a rifle, the other a sword—as well as a diverse cast of characters, each playing a unique role in Joseon’s war.
The monarchy (2019-2020)
After ten days, the king mysteriously collapses, and stories of his death begin to circulate. The King’s son, Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-Hoon), sets out to learn the truth behind his father’s illness. Far from the palace, he sees that a plague has spread across the kingdom, turning the living into the undead. There is a massacre among powers fighting for the throne, in addition to the fight against the infected. Kingdom reimagines the most thrilling parts of a zombie thriller in this historical drama that asks the question: are the zombies or the humans the enemy? Over the course of its first two seasons, Kingdom reimagines the most thrilling parts of a zombie thriller in this historical drama that asks the question: are the zombies or the humans the enemy?
The Arrival of Camellia Flowering Season (2019)
Camellia, a bar-restaurant in the fictional town of Ongsan, is owned and operated by Dong-Baek (Gong Hyo-Jin). She is the source of rumor among the women of Ongsan because she runs a business that sells wine to men who patronize Camellia and because she is a single mother. When police officer Hwang Yong-Sik (Kang Ha-Neul) falls in love with Dong-Baek, what begins as a one-sided, cringe-inducing crush develops into a poignant romance that gives her a welcome escape from the negativity she is used to. Given that a serial killer is aiming to claim Dong-Baek as his next victim, Yong-presence Sik’s is also timely. When the Camellia Blooms blends the humorous elements of a rom-com with the suspense of a thriller, making the picture even more fascinating because to the strong chemistry between the main characters.
Mama, hello! (2020)
Since an accident five years ago, Cha Yu-Ri (Kim Tae-Hee) has been a ghost. One day, she is the subject of a reincarnation experiment. Yu-Ri reverts to human form, and she is given 49 days to restore “her place” in the household. She makes an appearance in front of her five-year-old daughter, Jo Gang-Hwa, and her remarried spouse (Lee Kyu-Hyung). Hello, Mama! Despite its fanciful basis, it portrays a genuine portrayal of sadness and loss, as well as a heartbreaking representation of a mother-daughter bond scarred by tragedy.
The Message (2016)
Park Hae-Young (Lee Je-Hoon), a criminal profiler, is haunted by the kidnapping and death of one of his elementary school classmates, for which the perpetrator was never captured. He sees an opportunity to solve the crime when a modern-day Hae-Young discovers and answers a mystery walkie-talkie and is connected to Detective Lee Jae-Han (Cho Jin-Woong) from the year 2000. They will soon be able to use their ability to communicate across time to prevent crimes from occurring in the first place. Signal expertly weaves real-life South Korean events—one of the series’ cases is based on the Hwaseong serial murders—into a fast-paced story that transports viewers through a variety of worlds, each with its own mystery. Watch the movie in this website https://kissasian.cx/.
Prisoners’ Playbook (2017)
A Korean star pitcher was found guilty after resisting a man who attempted to sexually abuse his sister. Kim Je-Hyeok (Park Hae-Soo) was sentenced to one year in prison just days before making his MLB debut in the United States. As he adjusts to prison life, Je-Hyeok reconnects with Lee Joon-Ho (Jung Kyung-Ho), a childhood friend who is now a correctional officer. In a society where little pleasures and personal interaction are cherished, Jail Playbook is a dark comedy about corruption in the prison system.
Even stranger (2017)
Prosecutor Hwang Shi-Mok (Cho Seung-Woo) teams up with warm-hearted police officer Han Yeo-Jin (Bae Doo-Na) to solve the murder of a man with close ties to high-ranking law enforcement officers. As the odd couple searches for a criminal’s trail, they uncover the tremendous corruption that prevails throughout the agencies who profess to keep the peace. Stranger is a gripping murder mystery that raises suspicion on those entrusted with maintaining the law’s purposes.
The Reply series is a collection of essays published by people who have responded to a call for help (2012-2016)
This drama’s three seasons (Reply 1997, Reply 1994, and Reply 1988) each follow a group of friends and their families as they recount their lives in the year in question. The cast’s maturation is presented as they navigate relationships against the backdrop of real-life historical events such as the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1995 Sampoong Department Store catastrophe, which killed over 500 people. The show is best known for its heartfelt vignettes about friendships, families, and lovers, bringing sentiment and nostalgia into seemingly mundane duties.
Asian Drama List 