“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” said Parasite director Bong Joon-ho when accepting the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. This isn’t just true of films, though. It also applies to highly bingeable K-dramas from kissasian
There’s a rich, wide world of captivating stories told in languages other than English, which many people are only just beginning to explore. South Korean dramas in particular have gained increasing global popularity over the past decade, even before Parasite threw Korean stories into the spotlight.
Tropes in K-dramas are typically less familiar to Western audiences, which can make the stories feel more unpredictable and exciting. They’re also usually produced with a limited, set run of episodes rather than in endlessly renewable seasons. This means you’re more likely to get a complete, satisfying story, and less likely to be left hanging by a show being cancelled before your OTP moves beyond meaningful glances.
In no particular order, here are some of the best Korean dramas to kickstart — or continue — your education. Several are on Netflix while others are available for free on Viki, a streaming service dedicated to Asian shows and movies.
Extraordinary You
Wealthy schoolgirl Eun Dan-oh’s world is turned upside down when she discovers she is a character in a romance comic book — and she does not care for the plot at all. Determined to define her own fate, Dan-oh recruits an unnamed background character to help change the story, discovering some unexpected truths about their world along the way.
Extraordinary You‘s already intriguing premise is further buoyed by a charming cast, including Rowoon of K-pop group SF9, and has an adorable secondary couple who are just as captivating to watch as the main pair. It’s a ton of fun seeing the self-aware characters disparage romance cliches from Asian drama cool series while still unapologetically reveling in them.
