From 2010 to 2020, South Korean dramas started the Hallyu Wave, which refers to when South Korean music, TV, or films grew in reputation in Western international locations, like the U.S.A. or Europe. Korean dramas have formed complete generations of youngsters, and folks nonetheless think about the 2010s to be the golden period of Korean dramas.

Titles like Boys Over Flowers, and Dream High have been giving success to their nation for many years. They had been the ones that started the first of many Hallyu Wave (television-wise). The second one was Squid Games, in 2020, on Netflix. After gaining some Korean leisure data, in the event you ever needed to start watching Okay-Dramas however do not know the place to start out, these are the 10 Best 2010s Korean Dramas, Ranked.

10 ‘My Secret Romance’ (2017)

Directed by Kang Cheol-woo

South Korean dramas have a spread of genres. But the most well-known one needs to be romance, as the playboy adjustments his flirty methods for the quirky and sort major protagonist he falls in love with, and settles down. This is what My Secret Romance is, in a nutshell. Following the story of Jin-Wook (Sung Hoon), a person who’s the son of an necessary chairman/a widely known playboy, and Yoo-Mi (Song Ji-Eun), who’s at a resort for the wedding ceremony of her mom, the two meet at the similar location and have a one-night stand. As a twist of destiny, they meet three years later, whereas they each work for his father’s firm, starting a push-and-pull love story that may in the end finish with them falling in love.

My Secret Romance is such a easy but candy love story. The improbable appearing of each major characters showcases the pair’s flawless chemistry, but it misses one thing extra that would make this drama even better. It’s a actually underrated Korean drama and it deserves higher. Still, if you’re a fan of unhealthy boy and good woman clichés, the romantic moments of the pair and the hilarious one-liners make this Okay-Drama a great way to start out diving into this style.

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9 ‘Blood’ (2015)

Directed by Ki Min-Soo and Lee Jae-hoon

A fantasy Korean drama on this rating was wanted. Blood focuses on Park Jisang (Ahn Jae-Hyun), a gifted vampire surgeon and medical researcher at Taemin Hospital, and Yoo Ri-Ta (Koo Hye-Sun), an conceited and entitled feminine human surgeon, as they navigate the good and evil of the medical discipline. Humans flip to vampires with the assist of a virus named VBT-01. As the story goes on, the pair notice they’ve identified one another in the previous, however at the similar time, they’ve to save lots of the world from an evil clan of vampires attempting to prey on the hospital’s sufferers.

This medical drama is well-written, and the plot, with the actors’ chemistry, is improbable, as an enjoyer of supernatural tales myself. This Korean drama is low in the rating, simply because some elements of the episodes didn’t make sense, and the FX was not the finest. Blood is severely underrated, which is much more purpose it is best to try this hidden gem.

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8 ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ (2016)

Directed by Kim Kyu-Tae

Historical dramas and romance? Such an awesome mixture! This idea was used loads in South Korean dramas throughout the 2010s. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo additionally focuses on the theme of time journey, so that’s what makes it much more attention-grabbing. Focusing on Ha-Jin (IU), who mistakenly travels again 1000 years earlier than the current, throughout the Goryeo Dynasty, her soul is now caught inside the physique of a younger princess named Hae-Soo. As she tries to determine a method to return to the current, she turns into concerned in a love triangle between two princes: the tormented but impulsive Wang So (Lee Joon-Gi), and the kind-hearted but heroic Wang Wook (Kang Ha-Neul).

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeois fascinating and thrilling. It showcases the themes of friendship, love, and household in unison, all at the similar time. It’s low on this rating as a result of the ending made this Korean Drama deserving of a second season, which wasn’t given. But the glorious soundtrack (in Korean, the soundtrack of a drama is known as OST) and each single one of the major characters could be very well-written, so it is actually value it for somebody who likes this style of Okay-Dramas.

Release Date

August 29, 2016

Cast

Lee Joon-Gi , IU , Kang Ha-neul , Nam Joo-hyuk , Ji Soo , Yoon Sun-woo

Main Genre

Fantasy

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Hua Tong

Writers

Hong Jung-eun , Hong Mi-ran

Directors

Boo Sung-chul

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7 ‘Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth’ (2016)

Directed by Yoon Sung-Sik and Kim Yeong-Jo

Melodrama and brotherhood. This is what Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth is all about, following the lives of an elite group of younger males in the historic Kingdom of Silla, as they navigate by the themes of love, friendship, and household. This drama was based mostly on the true story of King Jin Heung, who recruited this group of male youth, they usually grew to become the finest navy commanders in historical past.

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth is actually an awesome historic piece of Korean tv. This drama has a improbable soundtrack and gut-wrenching performances by Kim Taehyung (BTS) and Park Hyung Sik. But the relaxation of the solid additionally had very nice performances as properly, and the storyline is such an emotional roller-coaster journey. A really nice watch, extremely advisable.

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6 ‘Dream High’ (2011)

Directed by Lee Eung-Bok

Fighting on your desires in an leisure business like South Korea’s is actually onerous and full of many obstacles, as there may be solely a 1% probability of stepping into an necessary music firm to change into a trainee. In Dream High, six gifted younger, but poor, youngsters attempt to defy these odds. This sequence, as acknowledged beforehand, has change into an enormous worldwide success, contributing to the Hallyu Wave.

This Korean Drama is actually improbable and really well-written, because it teaches younger folks to not hand over on their desires, even when the strategy to them is full of folks telling you that you just will not make it. With most songs sung by the major solid (Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Suzy Bae, Kim Soo-Hyun, IU, Lim Jeong-Hee), this present’s soundtrack is one thing that ought to be added to historical past books for the way phenomenal it’s. Dream High is such an emotional watch that pulls the heartstrings and makes you wish to change into a Okay-pop star identical to them.

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5 ‘Playful/Mischievous Kiss’ (2010)

Directed by Hwang In-Roi and Kim Do-Hyung

Another South Korean romantic comedy with a cliché heartthrob who falls for an unpopular woman. Despite having many obstacles between them, largely being him ignoring her, they ultimately develop a full-blown love story. Playful Kiss focuses on a highschool woman who has the worst grade in her class but in addition has a crush on the hottest man in class, since the first time she laid eyes on him in her freshman 12 months.

Playful Kiss will remind viewers of a Wattpad highschool fan-fiction, however is value the watch as a result of of the improbable chemistry between the two major leads: clumsy and sort highschool woman Oh Ha-ni (Jung So-Min) and the introverted but good-looking Baek Seung-Jo (Kim Hyun-Joong). It options hilarious moments that may make the viewer yell at the display for Seung-Jo to cease being so cussed and begin courting Ha-ni already. This Korean drama will make you giggle, but level out the Wattpad-like one-liners, however it’s extremely advisable.

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4 ‘Boys Over Flowers’ (2011)

Directed by Jeon Ki-Sang

Boys Over Flowers was the true starting of the phenomenon referred to as the Hallyu Wave and made the major leads Lee Min-Ho and Ku Hye Sun well-known worldwide. That is as a result of this drama grew to become highly regarded inside and out of doors of Korea, because of the breathtaking chemistry between the pair. This Korean drama focuses on the story of Geum Jan-Di (Sun), a poor woman who will get accepted into an necessary but prestigious college as a result of she saved a scholar from hurt. As she enrolls in class, she meets the common male group named F4 and will get entangled in a dramatic love triangle between two of the members: Troublemaker but impulsive Gun Ju-Pyo (Min-Ho) and the creative but introverted Yoon Ji-Hoo.

Since Boys Over Flowers is taken into account a blueprint for romantic Korean Dramas, it impressed the creation of two remakes: one in China, named Meteor Garden, which additionally gave stardom recognition to the major lead, Dylan Wang, and F4: Thailand, made in Thailand. Boys Over Flowers options many hilarious one-liners and is a lovely mix of love, friendship, and drama. Lee Min-Ho has improbable appearing and his emotional moments in the sequence really feel like a punch in the intestine from how phenomenal he’s. Meteor Garden was capable of recreate it completely; however F4: Thailand appeared bland compared to the different two. There is at all times discourse on social media about which one of the three is the finest, however there is just one factor clear: No remake is best than the unique. This drama is an distinctive watch and can hold you at the edge of your seat until the final second, leaving you torn about which half of the love triangle deserves to be endgame.

Boys Over Flowers

Release Date

January 6, 2009

Cast

Ku Hye-Sun , Lee Min-ho , Kim Hyun-joong , Kim Bum

Main Genre

Okay-Drama

Seasons

1

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3 ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’ (2016)

Directed by Oh Hyun-jong

A superb outdated friends-to-lovers trope, however it’s comedic but healthful! Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo focuses on the story of Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung-Kyung), a weightlifting scholar, and Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk), a competing swimming scholar, at the fictional Haneul Sports University of Seoul (in actual life its true identify is Inha University). They fatefully meet after 13 years by mistake, and, as the sequence goes on, they navigate by the themes of friendship, love, and sports activities earlier than they graduate.

This drama is actually tear-jerking but endearing, all because of the fabulous appearing expertise of the two major leads, which make you fall in love with them immediately. Featuring one-liners and English slang that may make the viewers snort out loud for hours, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is an ideal coming-of-age drama that may tug your heartstrings and make you want a person like Jung Joon Hyung by your aspect.

(*10*)

Release Date

November 16, 2016

Cast

Lee Sung-kyung , Nam Joo-hyuk , Lee Jae-yoon , Kyung Soo-jin

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Yang Hee-seung

Writers

Yang Hee-seung

Directors

Oh Hyun-jong

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2 ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’

Directed by Lee Hyeong-Min

A lady with superhuman power and a expertise for videogame animation, and the wealthy CEO of the firm she finally ends up working for. This is what Strong Woman Do Bong Soon focuses on. Both are cussed, but full of braveness and willpower. Furthermore, after the wealthy CEO Ahn Min-Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik), sees Do Bong Soon (Park Bo-Young)‘s power, hires her to be his bodyguard as a result of of threatening letters he has been receiving. At the similar time, Seoul is terrorized by a prison who abducts ladies, and it is as much as the hilarious major leads to determine who the perpetrator is.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon blends completely the genres of fantasy, romance, comedy, and thriller. The excellent performances of the two major leads make the drama move so properly. The crime and investigation scenes in the police precinct are very properly carried out. The emotional performances of Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik in episodes 13 and 14 had been excellent. The phenomenal storyline will hold you guessing who the perpetrator is until the final minute.

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1 ‘The Heirs’ (2013)

Directed by Kang Shin-hyo Boo

Two strangers, with totally different social backgrounds (she is poor, and he’s the wealthy son of an necessary Korean firm), meet in Los Angeles and find yourself changing into the most tragic but lovely love story that anybody has ever witnessed in a Korean drama. But what’s The Heirs really about? It focuses on a number of younger youngsters’ tales that come collectively in a single, all being the future heirs of their households’ corporations and their households deciding for them as a result of of their social standing.

Because of this sequence’ rising abroad reputation, Min-Ho obtained a “Star of Korean Tourism” award in 2015 at the Korean Tourism Awards, which is one of the most prestigious achievements a Korean actor can obtain (the solely Korean pop group to obtain a Merit Cultural Award after him was BTS in 2018). This Korean drama is ideal in each sense of the phrase. It has a love triangle that may pull the coronary heart’s strings, and Min-Ho’s excellent efficiency offers chills to your backbone. This is the finest 2010s Okay-Drama!

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Keep Reading: The 13 Best Okay-Dramas of All Time, Ranked