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Best Korean Dramas of 2024
Written by YumCha! Editorial Team
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A Virtuous Business
Kim So Yeon, Kim Sung Ryung, Kim Sun Young and Lee Se Hee start A Virtuous Business selling adult products in the Korean remake of the 2016 British series Brief Encounters! The JTBC comedy-drama transplants the retro backdrop to a rural village in 1992 Korea without losing its core theme of celebrating women's growth and independence. The four heroines – who either can't or don't want to rely on their partners – join forces as the Bangpan Sisters and boldly break taboos doing door-to-door sales of lingerie and sex toys. Facing discrimination for both their gender and job nature, the women unleash dream-team efforts to grow their business and support each other whenever and wherever needed – like when they assemble at the police station to fight a sex offender. The bond and sisterhood shown in the show is electrifying!
Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard
Before getting Season 3 of the acclaimed Stranger series, fans are blessed with the well-made spin-off Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard. Created by Stranger's writer Lee Soo Yun, the legal crime thriller mainly sticks to the dark and suspenseful contour of the original series, while also adding humor to balance the duality and character development of prosecutor Seo Dong Jae portrayed by Lee Joon Hyuk. This series completely showcases his bad side as a corrupt prosecutor trying to gain the favor of CEO Nam (a new character played by Park Sung Woong) in the past, as well as his good side striving to investigate the complicated murder case of a high schooler. With Lee Joon Hyuk's detailed and charismatic performance, Seo Dong Jae somehow has the ability to make audiences feel bad for him and even defend his morally gray character at times – he's just working hard to provide for his family! Whether you're already a fan of the Stranger franchise or not, Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard is a binge-worthy watch on its own, as it's fun, intriguing and barely requires knowledge from the previous dramas.
Good Partner
Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun partner up in court to fight divorce cases for clients in the SBS legal drama Good Partner. In a performance that won her the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards, Jang Na Ra plays star lawyer Cha Eun Kyung who is strong and independent when representing Korea's top law firm, but vulnerable when coping with her husband's infidelity. She hands her own divorce proceedings and custody battle to rookie lawyer Han Yu Ri (Nam Ji Hyun). With the veteran's technique and experience and the newbie's empathy and intuition, the duo make a strong showing in court and develop an inspiring friendship, even as their relationship evolves from co-workers to attorney and client to rivals. Written by a real-life divorce lawyer, Good Partner reveals interesting aspects of Korean divorce law while celebrating how women thrive and empower each other in a challenging workplace.
Light Shop
A year after the sensational Moving, another fantasy work by webtoon artist and screenwriter Kang Full arrives on Disney+ in the hit series Light Shop. In his directorial debut, seasoned actor Kim Hee Won helms the supernatural mystery horror series about a light shop in a dark alley that connects the living world and the underworld. People who have near-death experiences visit the light shop owned by Ju Ji Hoon to find their own light through their willpower. While the first half of the thrilling eight-episode drama may seem gloomy and ambiguous, the second half illuminates the backstory and relationships of the different strangers who have been to the light shop, capturing stirring and heartbreaking moments of an ill-fated pair, a mom and daughter, a lesbian couple and more in life-or-death situations. Light Shop leaves audiences in tears at times, but also comforts with warm words from Park Bo Young as an ICU nurse who has a special connection with the living and the dead, as well as Kim Kwang Seok's song "Where Wind Comes From" that is played for ICU patients.
Love in the Big City
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Park Sang Young, Love in the Big City tracks a young gay man's search for love and self in the city of Seoul over a decade's time. Breaking barriers for LGBTQ stories in Korea, the eight-episode adaptation delivers a refreshingly candid portrayal of the gay experience, from its frank depiction of freewheeling sexuality to its aching portrait of living with loss and loneliness. Nam Yoon Su gives a magnetic performance in the lead role of Go Young, who is flawed and frustrating but also raw and irrepressible while traversing the formative relationships of his life. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he invariably gets hurt and hurts others on his bumpy coming-of-age journey. Beyond the tumultuous ups and downs of romance, Go Young experiences the love and loss of family and friendship, and makes sense of his relationship with "Kylie," something that will follow him for life. Helmed by a directing team that includes movie directors Hur Jin Ho and Hong Ji Young, Love in the Big City boasts a cinematic quality in its production values and artistic choices that brings alive this heartfelt and heartbreaking tale of growing into oneself.
Lovely Runner
tvN's Lovely Runner is, beyond question, the sensational dark horse of this year's Korean drama scene. Five years after Extraordinary You, Kim Hye Yoon travels in time again for another youthful fantasy romance tale adapted from a web novel – this time to save her beloved idol Ryu Seon Jae played by breakout star Byeon Woo Seok, who has become the real-life heartthrob of the country thanks to the drama. In their time-leap journey, they run towards each other at different timestamps of life, and illustrate their colorful, poignant teen love story over a span of 15 years. More than just a pure love story, Lovely Runner gives solace and strength to those who are struggling in life by connecting viewers with the individual growth of the star-crossed lovers.
LTNS
Long Time No Sex. You can tell how bold this TVING original series is solely from the title. In their third collaboration, Esom and Ahn Jae Hong show amazing on-screen chemistry as an estranged married couple of seven years who would rather find pleasure on their own than sleep with each other. As they gradually discover each other's affairs, they are forced to bitterly reconsider their relationship. Though packaged with an eye-catching concept in a light black comedy tone, LTNS in fact explores in-depth the differences and correlations between love, intimacy, desire and marriage in modern society, as reflected in the protagonists' marriage and the relationships they pursue on the side.
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon
You know what to expect when director Ahn Pan Suk is at the helm of an urban romance: mood, music and feels. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon stars Jung Ryeo Won and Wi Ha Jun as tutorial school teachers Seo Hye Jin and Lee Joon Ho who fall in love while navigating the intricacies of their work and workplace. Like Ahn's other recent works, there are secretive forbidden romance elements, with Joon Ho being a former student and current subordinate of Hye Jin. Their relationship development is subtle but certain, building quietly on long glances, honest talks and lingering moments wrapped in atmospheric nighttime aesthetics and the gentle indie rock sounds of The Restless Age. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon is as much about the "hagwon" part as the romance though. Rather than melodrama tropes like family opposition and gratuitous breakups, the couple fends their greatest challenges from career decisions and difficulties. Cram school culture and competition drives much of the story, especially the second half of the series, making The Midnight Romance in Hagwon less immediately accessible than Something in the Rain or One Spring Night. Those who stick out the long conversations will be rewarded with a mature romance and workplace story.
Mr. Plankton
A man is diagnosed with terminal brain disease. He goes to "kidnap" his ex-girlfriend – a bride-to-be with skeletons in her closet – on her wedding day to go on a journey searching for his biological father. Despite such a clichéd opening, Netflix romantic comedy Mr. Plankton touches hearts with the bittersweet love story between the fated pair of Woo Do Hwan and Lee Yoo Mi in a road trip setting, which is rarely seen in Korean dramas. As the female lead's fiancé, Oh Jung Se's character turns into the third wheel and he even eventually forms a brotherly bond with the male lead. Weird as that may sound, it all seems oddly reasonable in this unusual romcom – a drifter and a stolen bride on their last ride. The feels hit hard when each episode closes with the background music of California Dreamin': "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray…"
Squid Game 2
Another round of Squid Game begins. Topping Netflix charts in all regions, Squid Game 2 does not surpass the first season, but it's still violent, brutal and disturbing in a way that is addictive. Not to mention that the art direction, creatives and music are still very much on point. In this round, Lee Jung Jae returns for revenge and comes across various interesting players portrayed by a starry cast that includes Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Lee Jin Wook, Park Sung Hoon, Yang Dong Geun, Kang Ae Shim, Jo Yu Ri, T.O.P and unexpectedly, even the frontman Lee Byung Hun as #001. The sequel still drops the classic "Red Light, Green Light" as the game opener, while bringing freshness with tense and hellish new games in the climax that turn a nursery rhyme into a nightmare. Rather than merely putting on another game, this season of the survival thriller is tailored to give more insight into the devilish game's operation and the backstory of characters like salesman Gong Yoo and the soldiers. Leaving audiences on a cliffhanger, Season 2's ending is not perfect but it's justifiable when seen as a stepping stone to the finale. Just think of it as Squid Game 2: Part 1.Related Articles:
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Published December 30, 2024
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