With all of the hype around Squid Game’s season two release, many viewers are introduced to an entirely new genre. Korean dramas have recently grown in popularity in the U.S. Here are a few of our top shows to get you started.
Kate – “Crash Landing on You”
The first K-drama I ever watched was “Crash Landing on You.” It is still my favorite K-drama to date. It focuses on the story of a Korean heiress who, through a freak wind storm when on a paragliding trip, crash lands in North Korea. She is determined to get back to South Korea, but faces many challenges along the way.
Though it has a few over-the-top plot twists, the show is grounded by simple moments. At one point during Se-ri’s stay in North Korea, North Korean soldier Jeong-hyeok and his patrol share a meal of oysters with her. This heartwarming scene has stayed with me because it connects people from vastly different backgrounds through a simple meal.
While I don’t find this show’s ending to be the most satisfying, it leaves a lot up to interpretation, which I do appreciate. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is looking to try out a new genre and appreciates a sweet story that has both suspense and humor.
Kate – “Hotel del Luna”
“Hotel del Luna” takes a darker route. It does have heartwarming moments, but it is more historical and fantastical. I don’t usually enjoy anything that is intended to be scary, but this was an exception.
The story starts in the past. It focuses on a girl that has been cursed to be immortal until she finds love. As part of that curse, she must run the hotel for ghosts. Now, in the present day, she is looking for a hotel manager. Unshockingly, they fall in love. Though it is more a predictable plot, it was entertaining to watch the unique problems that come with managing a ghost hotel.
Though some scenes do have some gore, the show maintains a lighthearted tone through comedic moments. I really enjoyed the way this show explores loving someone past life; showcasing both romantic and more familial forms of love between characters.
Sophia – “Alice in Borderland”
Imagine walking down the most popular street in Japan, Shibuya Crossing, with your two friends, and suddenly, you hear a boom, and everyone disappears from the streets. At first, it’s amazing. Free food, silence, and it’s just you three. But then you realize to survive, you have no choice but to play games.
Alice in Borderland is arguably the best, most action-filled show I have seen. Although it leaves me pulling my hair in almost every scene, it also depicts true human nature in the most vulnerable ways. The only way to survive is by playing games, each ranked in difficulty by the number of spades or hearts. In the first game, the main character, Arisu, proves his witty thinking and solves a puzzle to save his friends from death. But I warn anyone who wants to watch that there is a lot of gore. It emphasizes the desperation of the games and sets the tone of a thriller.
Sophia – “The Glory”
We are all familiar with the classic American bully that pushes younger students into lockers, but in the show “The Glory,” bullying is taken to a different level. The main character, Dong-eun, is in high school when she becomes a target for her wealthy classmate, Park Yeon-jin. While Dong-eun struggles with her financial troubles and poverty-stricken mother, she is tortured at school with burns, scars and beatings. Seeing her suffering was painful to watch, but her revenge arc is the actual focus of the drama. Over a decade later, when her high-school bullies have married and started families, she conducts her plan to ruin each of her bullies’ lives. It is a slow and grueling process, but watching Dong-eun succeed makes it all worth it.
