TheK-dramagenre is one that is typicallyknown for its heart-wrenching romances, but it also offers a wide variety of different shows that don’t revolve around the love affairs of the series' protagonists. These dramas sport a variety of different themes, covering everything from thrillers to science fiction and even horror. While some of them might have some romantic element to them, it is never the main focus of the story that the showrunners are trying to tell.
Despite the fact that these shows are often incredibly compelling, they are less often the focus of audiences due to the oversaturation of romance series on the market. The stories are just as compelling, often with more twists and turns and sometimes even supernatural elements than the standard romance allows for. These storylines have made for some ofthe best K-drama of all time, with some of the greatest characters in the medium.
10Extracurricular
It Covers The Dark Reality School Tuition
Following the story of high school student Ji Soo,Extracurricularis a gritty look at the lengths that some people must go in order to afford the high price of tuition. Desperate to pay his way through school, Ji Soo turns to a life of crime. What follows is an anxiety-riddled telling of events as more and more members of Ji Soo’s class are swept up in his less than stellar decisions.
Extracurricular
Cast
Extracurricular is a South Korean television series that follows the story of a group of high school students who become embroiled in a world of crime and corruption as they attempt to navigate their way through the pressures of adolescence and the harsh realities of the adult world.
Extracurricularis just as heart-pounding as it is dark, and with every crime committed comes a new problem to solve. There are many times when it seems there will be no way out, but the story that unfolds eventually pays off in the end. This, coupled with the incredible performances of the show’s actors, make it a must-watch for any K-drama fan.
9My Name
The Story Is One Of K-Drama’s Greatest Revenge Tales
Beingone of the best revenge K-dramas of all time,My Nameis sure to satisfy. Setting the stage for a revenge story of epic proportions, Ji Woo goes undercover,becoming a mole in a dangerous crime gang once her father is killed.Gathering information while working within their ranks, every moment is tense when the threat of Ji Woo’s identity being revealed is lingering over her head.
My Name
My Name is a South Korean television series starring Han So-hee as Ji-woo, a revenge-driven woman who infiltrates a drug cartel to avenge her father’s death. As she rises through the ranks, Ji-woo must navigate the dangerous underworld of organized crime and confront her own morality.
The writing in this series is incredibly well executed, and it is something that immediately grabs the viewers' attention. This, coupled with impeccable stunt work, adds up to makeMy Namesomething greater than the sum of its parts. It is the perfect watch for any fan of crime and mystery, with a well-written female protagonist as well.
8Sweet Home
This Show Plays Host To Terrifying Monsters
Starring Song Kang ofLove Alarmfame,Sweet Homeis a horror series based off of a webtoon. Taking place in an apocalyptic version of future Earth, monsters have run rampant throughout the city, leaving any survivors to take shelter in their homes. They eventually realize that these monsters are people that used to live there, transformed by their desires into horrific creatures of death and destruction.
Sweet Home
Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.
Now three seasons long, with the third having been released as recently as July 2024,Sweet Homeis a series that is always developing and never stagnating.The action and scares always feel fresh, and though the horror in this series is often uncomfortably grotesque, it is pulled off well. With a powerful emotional throughline and unforgettable characters, it is a tragedy thatSweet Homewill not be receiving a fourth season.
7Flower of Evil
The Perfect Couple Is Not So Perfect
On the surface,Flower of Evilmight at first feel like the setup to an interesting slice of life show. It features Detective Cha Ji Won and her seemingly perfect family, her daughter and her husband, Baek Hee Sung. However, things immediately take a turn for the worsewhen Ji Won realizes her husband may be hiding a horrible secret.
Flower of Evil
Flower of Evil is a South Korean thriller series that follows the story of Baek Hee-sung, a man who hides his dark past and pretends to be a perfect husband and father. However, his life is disrupted when Detective Cha Ji-won, a determined and intelligent detective, begins to suspect him of being involved in a series of mysterious events.
This series not only rivals some of the best in the crime thriller genre, but also takes the unique perspective of a wife investigating her husband’s crimes.Flower of Evilis personal, gritty, and it does not shy away from the difficult topics it brings to light. It stands among the best of the best, keeping the viewer hooked when danger seems to be lurking around every corner, even at home.
6D.P.
A Gripping Tale Of The Korean Military Police
Another series based on a webtoon,D.P.,which stands for Deserter Pursuit, is the story of Private Ahn Jun Ho and Corporal Han Ho Yeol. These two work as military police, and it is their job to track down deserters to the South Korean military. Their job leads them on a journey throughout the country, taking a hard-hitting stance on the South Korean military and the horrible things that happen within it.
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Unafraid of portraying the reasons why someone might choose to desert,D.P.broaches topics such as hazing, corruption, and even discrimination within the military.It has its tense moments, but above all it is a series that feels grounded in the reality that it emulates. This is a series informed by the world around it, and because of that,D.P.features incredible storytelling with an even more memorable cast of sympathetic characters.
5Kingdom
This Period Drama Is An Unexpected Zombie Horror Show
Featuring a bit of a unique premise,Kingdomis a South Korean period drama with a surprising twist. Instead of courtly romance and political intrigue, the greatest threat to the characters of this series is actually a deadly plague that is turning people into zombies. While there is still plenty of political intrigue to be had, any that is featured inthe series is only amplified by the existential threat of the apocalyptic world that is beginning to crumble.
Kingdom
Based on the webtoonThe Kingdom of the Gods,Kingdom is a 2019 South Korean historical drama-horror series created for Netflix. Lee Chang, the crown prince of a fictional interpretation of 16th-century Korea, is forced to stand in for his ailing father as a plague begins to ravage their homeland, all while fighting off would-be-usurpers to the throne.
However, in this world where terrifying zombies seem to roam free, the characters populating the world are oftentimes even more monstrous. There is always another scheme just waiting to be uncovered.Kingdomperfectly ties all this and more together, making for one of the greatest zombie shows of the modern era.
4The Silent Sea
Gong Yoo Is At His Finest In This Sci-Fi Thriller
Referring to the Sea of Traquility located on the moon,The Silent Seais a mystery thriller following a hand-picked crew of astronauts as they make their way to Balhae Station. After the previous crew has mysteriously disappeared, it is their job to not only discover what happened to the researchers that were there, but also to retrieve the samples they found. This leads to plenty of tension between the members of the group, as not everyone is in it for the right reasons.
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Starring Gong Yoo, one of South Korea’s superstars who has appeared in everything fromTrain to BusantoGuardian: The Lonely and Great God,this series has incredible acting across the board. The science fiction is believable, and the world presented has been thrown into chaos, addressing the possible future of widespread drought. Claustrophobic and eerie at its core,The Silent Seaexcels in making the viewer feel like anything could go wrong at any moment.
3Beyond Evil
Showcasing Brutal And Grounded Detective Fiction
While there are many different K-dramas revolving around mysteries and the detectives that solve them, none hit quite as hard asBeyond Evil.When a serial killer runs rampant through the countryside, it is up to Lee Dong Sik and Han Joo Won to stop them. However, it seems that they are stopped at every possible turn, discovering that there are more threats lurking behind closed doors than the serial killer they came to stop.
Beyond Evil
In a small town, two policemen with hidden pasts are drawn into a complex web of secrets as they investigate a new killing that mirrors an unresolved cold case. The series delves into themes of trust, deception, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
Like any good piece of detective fiction, the mystery is a tough one to crack, both for the viewers and for the detectives themselves. The mystery as to who the serial killer could possibly be is excellently hidden throughout the series, leaving viewers guessing,but also feeding them just enough information to make them feel as though they are piecing together the clues alongside the series' detectives.To say the series is compelling is an understatement, as it truly takes its time to flesh out the characters, their motivations, as well as whether they are capable of the evils committed.
2Squid Game
The Netflix Series That Swept The World
WhenSquid Gameinitially released in 2021, it took the world by storm.Depicting the massive disparity between the rich and the poor in South Korea,this show about a series of death games is a little closer to real life than one might realize. When only one person can win life-changing money, the sky is the limit when it comes to what these 456 players might do in order to get ahead in the game.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
Exciting and tragic from beginning to end,Squid Gamereally takes its time to show the lives of its characters and how they ended up where they are when the games begin. It is incredibly no-nonsense in its approach to showing their struggles and why they should be the one to win at the end. This show is an emotional rollercoaster, depicting exploitation and desperation in equal measure.
1Strangers from Hell
You Never Know Who Might Be Living Next Door
Also known asHell is Other People, Strangers from Hellis one of the most suspenseful K-drama stories to date. When down-on-his-luck Yoon Jong Woo begins to struggle financially, he moves into a sketchy dormitory building called Eden Studio. At first keeping to himself,Jong Woo slowly starts to realize that the people he has moved in with are more dangerous than they initially seemed.
Strangers From Hell
Strangers From Hell is a South Korean psychological thriller series directed by Lee Chang-hee. The show follows Yoon Jong-woo, a young man who moves to Seoul for a job and ends up in a sinister, rundown apartment complex. As he encounters strange and unsettling neighbors, he becomes entangled in horrifying events, questioning the reality around him.
Starring the legendary Lee Dong Wook in one of his most chilling roles to date alongside one-time singer Im Si Wan, the slow build ofStrangers from Hell’sopening ultimately pays off in bombastic fashion. Manipulation is the name of the game, and viewers are left to wonder whether the real monsters are the people Jong Woo finds himself living with or the one Jong Woo is becoming.Strangers from Hellis a masterclass in terror and subverting audience expectations, making it one of the greatestK-dramaseries of all time.
