Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Rest of the Best

Woot! Woot!

Here we are at our last stop in our Kdrama Beginner’s Tour! Thank you so much for riding the newb train with us, and I hope you’ve found some entertaining Korean Dramas to get you going with your addiction.

So far, we’ve looked at gateway dramas, young love dramas, action dramas, and sageuk (historical) dramas. For our last stop, I wanted to throw out a bunch of my other favorite dramas that didn’t make it to the previous lists.

Introducing…

The Rest of the Best

Let’s kick this off with a classic. I have seen this drama three times all the way through, and after looking for pictures to put in this post, I might be tempted to watch it a fourth.

Secret Garden

This beloved drama. There are so many things that put this one in my top 5 dramas of all time, and still holding. At the time, a lot of the Kdrama “tropes” were still new to me, and the plot felt completely original.

This drama is about a wealthy CEO who finds himself captivated by a poor stuntwoman. At first he chases her based on curiosity, but then mystical forces intervene in their lives, and ZAP! Body swap. The body swap was hilarious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s their chemistry and interactions that made this one of my top dramas. Hyun Bin plays the CEO jerk-turned-besotted-lover extraordinarily well. Hawt.

My next random, must-see drama is one that recently finished airing. I might be taking a gamble in posting this now, because I’m still swooning over the feels from the show, and might not be clear-headed about it. But I don’t care. I know you’ll enjoy it.

Goblin: The Great and Lonely God

Wow, how do I count the ways I loved this show? The music was entrancing. The scenery was jaw-dropping. The love story was epic. I really couldn’t ask for anything more!

Goblin is actually the story of a dokkaebi, which is a Korean supernatural creature that we don’t have a good word for. Someone decided “goblin” would be a good translation, which I don’t agree with, but oh well. It is what it is. The dokkaebi is an immortal being, cursed to live forever with a blade in his heart as punishment for the thousands of men he killed as a soldier 900 years ago. The only way he can pass on to the next life is if he finds the goblin’s bride, and she pulls it out for him.

As you can imagine, the tragedy of finding his bride is that he loves her, only to have the sword ripped from his chest, and his life ended. How does one overcome this????

That is the epic love story told in this drama, and I loved. it. Loved it.

My only word of caution is that the pacing is a little slow-ish. They spend a lot of time focusing on pretty imagery and inner conflict in the middle of the plot, but personally, I didn’t mind one bit. Because they were nice to look at, and I enjoyed the characters so much.

But if epic isn’t what you’re hankering for, I’ll give you a hilarious comedy, and see if that grabs your interest.

Marriage, Not Dating

The main girl in this drama is a hoot! She’s completely outrageous, but her antics gave me several hours of laughter. Also the skinship in this drama is pretty significant, and I enjoyed their chemistry as a whole. Looking back, the plot is really simple, but the shenanigans they get into were too much fun to pass up! Basically, a successful plastic surgeon has parents nagging him to get a wife, so he presents this crazy chick as his girlfriend to get the ‘rents to shut up. Only, it backfires, and she turns out to be just the kind of mania he never knew he needed.

Also in the RomCom category, and not to be missed is this one:

Personal Taste

Oh baby, there’s that Lee Min Ho guy again. Can he do no wrong? (Heirs…>.>)

Here we have the hilarious, but heart-felt RomCom about a young woman who is a little strapped for cash, and puts out an ad for a roommate in her lovely, one-of-a-kind home that her father built. It just so happens that an architect who is desperate to get into that house, sees the room for rent. In order to live with her, he allows our main girl to mistakenly believe that he is gay, so she doesn’t feel uncomfortable about the whole thing.

The thing I really loved about this show was that it was initially built on a silly pretense, but quickly built into a memorable relationship that is chock full of romantic gooeyness. Also, this is the drama with the infamous “game over” kiss.

That might be a bit of a spoiler, but I’ll bet you’re wondering what “game over” means, and how they even got to that point right? Right?!

Right.

And that, my friends, is the end of our journey together!

Of course, after you’ve watched a few of these, and find yourself intractably gripped with all things Korean, you can hop right back to our blog and follow along as we review dramas and give you updates on our Kdrama-inspired romance novel!

So how about it, friends? Did you watch any of the dramas we suggested? Let us know which ones are your favorites!

And thanks for visiting our blog!

-Devon-

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Advertisement

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Sageuk

Stop 4

Wow, what a ride this has been so far! We’re nearing the end of our journey, and by now, you might be starting to feel a lot less new to Kdramas if you’ve watched any of the ones I have suggested! If you’re just joining us here at this stop, take a look at our gateway dramas, young love dramas, and action dramas!

For now, we will be delving into the Sageuk genre of Kdramas. These are usually set in the Joseon era of Korea’s history, which was anywhere from 1100 to 1900! I guess Korea didn’t change too drastically during that time, because the drama costumes stay pretty much the same. (At least to my untrained eye!) Once you get used to the get-ups, you will love all the interesting situations and historical facts you learn while watching these stories!

Sageuk (Historical) Dramas

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

Try saying that ten times! This drama features a scholarly young woman who, out of necessity, must dress like a boy to stay safe. However, she accidentally gets tricked into enrolling in Sungkyunkwan University, and must keep her identity as a woman hidden from all her curious male roommates. If she doesn’t, she could lose her life. But if she keeps it hidden much longer, her best friend is going to start questioning his sexual orientation. The chemistry and fun of this drama is what got me hooked on Kdramas! It was my first ever Kdrama.

The Princess’s Man

Oh gracious, do I dare add this one?

I dare.

I know you are Kdrama beginners, but I have faith in your ability to be CONSUMED by this drama. It is a marathon of emotions, and you will feel every one of them in watching this drama. It is absolutely something you must add to your list when you are feeling ready to fall head-long into something sweeping, beautiful, and impossibly addicting.

I decided not to give you a summary of the plot, because I’m going to fail miserably. Just think Korean Romeo and Juliet.

Gu Family Book

Lee Seung Gi must have liked dating a Gumiho, because in Gu Family Book, he decided to be one! This Sageuk is more of a Fantasy, which is set in the Joseon time period, but tells the story of a young male Gumiho in search of his origins. The cast in this drama is off the chain! And the action, combined with the humor, romance, and adventure, really makes this one a winner! I even got my husband to watch this one with me!

As a bonus, look at the guy who plays his father.

Hubba hubba. Suzy can have Lee Seung Gi. I’ll take Choi Jin Hyuk any day!

The Great Doctor/Faith

I don’t get this drama’s title, you guys. I always knew it as Faith, but I keep seeing The Great Doctor, which totally makes more sense. I dunno. Regardless…

This drama rocks!! It was in my top five for a really long time, and is still in my top ten. Faith tells the story of a war general from the past who finds a rift in time to the future. His queen is dying, and he needs a doctor. So what does he do? He kidnaps one, of course! Fortunately she’s cute, she’s feisty, and she’s smart, so between the two of them, they manage to save the kingdom.

Also Lee Min Ho. Look at this guy. LOOK AT HIM.

Scrummy.

Empress Ki

 

Alright, so I know that my drama suggestions are basically all about the guys. I realize that. But my friends, this drama is all about Empress Ki. All. About. Woman.

Her fierceness

Her cunning.

Her manipulation of man’s world, and her determination to survive.

The romance is there, don’t get me wrong, but it’s as much about a lowly servant rising from nothing to becoming the Empress of Goreyo as much as it is about who she gives her heart to. And that, she does not give easily!

If you want something epic, stunning, and gripping, then you must watch this drama. The performances are flawless, and the story is mind-blowing. The best part? It’s based off a smidgeon of historical fact. It will make you want to look her up, because her reality is almost as unbelievable as the drama.

Who better to round off our Sageuks than a strong queen? There’s my top five suggestions for historical Korean Dramas!

I realized as I was writing this post that I have so many Sageuk dramas that I love. I didn’t think I was a Sageuk super fan, but I might be, because I’ve seen a lot of them!

What are your thoughts on historical dramas? Any favorites?

Thanks for joining me on our fourth stop, and look forward to our LAST stop, where I finish us off with all my random beginner favorites. Have an awesome weekend!

-Devon-

 

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Gateway Drama

Are you wondering what all this “Kdrama” talk is about? Well, you’ve come to the right tour guide! Korean Drama Land is a busy, confusing place, with hundreds of thousands of shows to choose from. Once you realize how many there are, you are left to wonder: Where do I start?

That’s where I come in! I might not be Barbie, but I make a pretty great Kdrama Tour Guide for your Kdrama Beginner’s Tour, or KBT. Here on your KBT, I will lead you from beginner’s dramas, and onto all the different kinds of Korean Dramas that will inevitably get you hooked on some of the best love stories of all time. If you follow this map of posts, I will show you the best path to becoming a Kdrama fangirl:

The first stop on our KBT is what I like to call, your “gateway drama.” This is the drama that opens the gilded doors to the Drama Land beyond. This should be a drama that is somewhat familiar to the Western shows you already enjoy, but delightfully unique enough to suck you into the fandom you will never escape.

Gateway Dramas

My Love From Another Star

This addicting, Sci-Fi Romance has enchanted viewers from all over the world. From its steamy but stoic male lead who happens to come from another planet, and it’s quirky but confident female love interest, this show has it all: Passion, action, gripping story, laugh out loud comedy, heart-rending sorrow, and a happily-ever-after to tie it all together. (Just make sure you watch the “extra” episode to get that happy ending you’re looking for!)

I insist you watch this drama. Now.

Healer

Healer is an Action Romance about an “errand boy” who does the shady dirty work rich people need done, and he’s really good at it. But when an innocent girl gets caught up in a dangerous plot, he has to both protect her, and clear his own name. Think Jason Bourne with smexy romance. I wish I could dedicate the rest of this entire post to just pictures of Healer in all his hot spy outfits.

Okay, maybe just one.

You’re welcome.

Queen In-Hyun’s Man

This is probably my number one favorite couple of all time–Kdrama or not. They have chemistry for DAYYYSSS. This Paranormal Romance features a man from the Joseon era, which is Korea’s historical period from 14th century to 19th century. He mysteriously finds his way to our modern day, and falls in love with darling actress Choi Hee Jin. Not only does this drama dip your toes into the Joseon era (which can take some getting used to), but the pure, delicious romance between these two characters is something you cannot miss! Also of note is the fact that most Kdramas don’t show a lot of sexual chemistry. They are very sparing about showing us kisses, and definitely keep “skinship” (which is physical chemistry) fairly PG. Queen In-Hyun’s man pushes that boundary just a bit. Which is refreshing for us Americans!

Speaking of Americans…

Descendants of the Sun

This right here is a grown up, sexy as heck, super interesting drama. It’s a bit of a risk to call it a gateway drama, because in many ways, Descendants of the Sun broke the Kdrama mold a little bit. It’s shot in a fictional, foreign country, which is not the Kdrama norm. But it allowed them to add all kinds of scrumptious elements like danger, American bad guys (totally not a normal thing you find in Kdramas! I was happily surprised), and super sexy military uniforms.

Super.

Sexy.

Uniforms.

Okay, so that last one might have been more about the lack of uniform. But still, you get my point. It’s a great drama to ease into Korean culture, because they are dealing with a whole lot of other cultures anyway. The gist of the show is that a very driven female doctor is sent to a war-torn country to give relief aid, and be stationed at a military base. While there, she meets a very fine soldier who finds her absolutely irresistible.

I hope you enjoyed your first stop on our Kdrama Beginners Tour! As you can see from the map, there will be several more stops forthcoming. But for now, I suggest you sit back and enjoy the ride with one of these fantastic gateway dramas.

**Where to find Kdramas**

I felt it was important to add this, especially if you are new to watching them. There are two main websites that feature Kdramas: Viki and Dramafever. Both can be viewed from your computer, or from an app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device. All you have to do is download the apps, and you’ve got access to pretty much every Kdrama ever made!

You can also find some of them on Netflix and Hulu. My good friend over at I Know my Writes has recently made a post with some of the best dramas found on those two apps you might already have. Check it out here:

How to Create Korean Drama Addicts

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best