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in case i need quick recs. no specific order.

patrokalos okt 7, 2021
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  • Kobold

    1. Kobold

    Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Romance, fantasy. A hit or miss for most because of the age gap.  A Goryeo general is cursed to be immortal, and is only allowed death when he finds his mortal "bride" to pull out the sword in his chest. Worth watching because it's referenced 24/7 everywhere, the Gong Yoo-Lee Dongwook chemistry, and a great portrayal of magic realism.

  • Flower of Evil

    2. Flower of Evil

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

    9.5

    Romance/Thriller (heavier on characters than plot).  A homicide detective starts investigating a series of serial murders that links to her seemingly sweet husband. An emotional rollercoaster, best to go into it blind. This is THEEE drama, in terms of acting, writing, and directing. 

  • My Mister

    3. My Mister

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    9.5

    Slice of life, no romance. Details the platonic relationship between a poor temp worker and the engineer who supervises her, all while struggling with familial and workplace issues. A quiet drama about life that will sucker punch you in the gut.

  • The Demon Judge

    4. The Demon Judge

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.5

    Action/Mystery/Law. Set in dystopian South Korea where the court cases are broadcasted live and headed by Kang Yohan, aka "the Devil Judge".  Heavier on found family than one might think and +1 for female villain. Subtext between the two male leads is strong and purposeful, if the director's interviews are anything to go by. 

  • When the Camellia Blooms

    5. When the Camellia Blooms

    Korean Drama - 2019, 40 episodes

    9.0

    Romance/slice of life/mystery. A single mother moves to a small town and opens a bar to the criticism of the townsfolk. A local police man falls for her while reinvestigating a serial murder case. You will feel equal parts love and frustration for each character in the most realistic way possible. Definitely not as lighthearted as it's marketed and its very heavy on the theme of parental love and community. Watching it while being raised with Asian values will definitely make you understand the drama more.

  • Buitengewoon Jij

    6. Buitengewoon Jij

    Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes

    9.0

    Romance, fantasy. A high school drama in which the female lead realizes she’s in a comic book, and ends up falling in love with a nameless side character instead of her designated love interest. Themes of free will and religion wrapped into a romcom that makes fun of its own genre. Drags on in the later eps, but worth pulling through to the end. 

  • Monster

    7. Monster

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Mystery/Thriller. Small town murder mystery revolving around an older, unhinged cop with secrets and his younger, uptight, forcibly-assigned partner who wants to uncover said secrets. Very well written, a lot heavier on the characters/relationship between characters than you'd assume.

  • Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

    8. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

    Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes

    9.0

    Historical, romance, power-struggle. Internationally insanely popular with a star-studded cast. The lead is transported into the body of a girl from the Goryeo era, and has to survive while catching the interest of the princes. Do not expect pure, sweet characters, the male lead especially is very morally grey. I personally found it more enjoyable to watch for the dark toxicity rather than in spite of it. I can't tell if the writing is bad or just insane....idk im obsessed.

  • Vreemdelingen uit hel

    9. Vreemdelingen uit hel

    Korean Drama - 2019, 10 episodes

    9.0

    Thriller, horror, psychological. A young man moves into a cheap, shady apartment building with abnormal residents. Camerawork and editing is great, very Hannibal-esque (and that includes the subtext). Korean name, "Hell is Other People", tells you everything you need to know

  • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

    10. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

    Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Romcom classic. A college romance between a weightlifter and a swimmer. Very well-developed female lead, a++ chemistry, good depiction of burnout and depression.

  • Noodlanding op jou

    11. Noodlanding op jou

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes

    8.5

    Romance.  A rising CEO crash lands in North Korea, where she meets a military general who helps her get back home. Well-rounded plot and romance, and the lead couple are dating irl. Honestly the plot became darker than expected for a romcom.

  • It's Okay to Not Be Okay

    12. It's Okay to Not Be Okay

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

    9.0

     Romance. Follows a health worker as he moves from place to place taking care of his brother, eventually settling down in his hometown where he works at a psychiatric ward. The female lead is a children’s book writer with antisocial personality disorder. The romance was good but the found family was even better.

  • Mr. Sunshine

    13. Mr. Sunshine

    Korean Drama - 2018, 24 episodes

    9.0

    Historical, romance, plot-heavy. Takes place in the early 1900s, just before the Japanese occupation of Korea. The male lead is a slave who escapes Korea to the United States, and returns years later as a U.S marine officer, where he meets the female lead: a noble and rebel shooter. The main cast all are very unique and well-developed and the production is high-budget, and it shows.

  • Just Between Lovers

    14. Just Between Lovers

    Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Romance, slice of life. The two leads are connected by a building collapse, and find each other years later when they both work at the construction site. They work through their trauma together, and fall in love. Quiet romance, copious amounts of whump for Junho's character, and a working class male lead for once. 

  • Mother

    15. Mother

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Suspense. A teacher kidnaps one of her students to rescue her after realizing she's being abused, and the drama follows the two as they try to escape. Very sweet and sad, as expected, but super well written.

  • Hotel del Luna

    16. Hotel del Luna

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes

    8.5

    Fantasy, romance. A rebel from the Goryeo era is cursed to run a hotel for ghosts before they move into the afterlife, and the male lead ends up working for her. The rich, morally grey, badass role is given to the girl for once, which honestly was the main pull of the drama for me.

  • Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

    17. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    8.5

    Romcom. A dentist from Seoul moves to a seaside town to open up a clinic. There, she meets a jack-of-all trades, designated town helper, and they grow to like each other despite their differences. Just a solid, well done romcom.

  • Run On

    18. Run On

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Romcom. A  realistic/quiet romance between a translator and a runner. The side couple was also really good. Just an easy watch. 

  • Touch Your Heart

    19. Touch Your Heart

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes

    8.5

    Romcom. A lighthearted drama about an actress caught up in a drug scandal who ends up working at a law firm to gain experience for her next role. Just easy-to-watch, fluffy romance with the side-couple actors from Goblin. 

  • Wat is er aan de hand met secretaresse Kim?

    20. Wat is er aan de hand met secretaresse Kim?

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Romcom. After working for nine years, a secretary quits her job under a self-centered CEO in order to find love. The CEO then decides to date her so she has no reason to quit. Could've been toxic, but the FL is too competent and the ML is too comedic. Another classic.

  • Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

    21. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

    Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Romcom, fantasy. A girl with superhuman strength is hired by the CEO of a gaming company to act as his personal bodyguard, with a serial killer subplot. Romance and chemistry is amazing, but the side plots are very boring and there are problematic jokes (racism, homophobia). I still enjoyed it by skipping past said plots but it depends on tolerance. ML/FL carried hard.

  • Because This is My First Life

    22. Because This is My First Life

    Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Romance. A fake marriage between a woman looking for a home and a man in debt because of his house. The drama is a bit on the slower side and tackles sexism in the workplace with their three strong female characters.

  • Lawless Attorney

    23. Lawless Attorney

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    8.5

    Action, law, very light romance. Follows a lawyer who likes to use both his fists and his words to fight corruption. It's nothing incredibly unique, but it's a fun watch with over-the-top action scenes and a fast pace. 

  • Coffee Prince

    24. Coffee Prince

    Korean Drama - 2007, 17 episodes

  • Time Between Dog and Wolf

    25. Time Between Dog and Wolf

    Korean Drama - 2007, 16 episodes

    8.5

    An old but very ambitious drama in terms of plot and themes about an NIS agent who goes undercover in a criminal syndicate and then plot twists happen. It's definitely dated in production and styling, but the plot is so fast-paced and it still remains one of the better action dramas I've seen. Once the dual-personality plot really kicks in, I was hooked. 

  • The Untamed

    26. The Untamed

    Chinese Drama - 2019, 50 episodes

    10

    Bonus C-drama

    Fantasy, romance. The synopsis explains it the best, watch 10 eps even if you're confused and then you'll be hooked. Aside from the (censored) love story, it has an incredible fantasy-political plot. Still have not moved on from it.

  • 30Sai made Doteida to Mahotsukai ni Narerurashi

    27. 30Sai made Doteida to Mahotsukai ni Narerurashi

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes

    9.0

    Bonus J-drama

    Office romcom. Don't let the summary throw you off, it's just a very sweet and soft love story.

  • Love is Sweet

    28. Love is Sweet

    Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes

    8.5
  • Go Back Couple

    29. Go Back Couple

    Korean Drama - 2017, 12 episodes

    8.5
  • Happiness

    30. Happiness

    Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    9.0
  • Our Beloved Summer

    31. Our Beloved Summer

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    8.5
  • Kai Duan

    32. Kai Duan

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 15 episodes

    8.5
  • The Glory

    33. The Glory

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    9.0

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