8 Classic Kdramas You Should Watch
Are you new to Kdramas? There is a LOT of back catalogue to catch up on. Looking at all those years of Kdramas can be a bit daunting. In our March #KdramaChat on Twitter, we asked which classic Kdramas people would most recommend to other fans. Here’s the list we came up with. Maybe you’ll find a new favourite.
1. My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)
At the top of the list with the most frequent mention is the 2005 drama My Lovely Sam Soon. This drama about a baker who suffers heartbreak and winds up working for a boss she can’t get along with is, a rewatchable favourite for many Kdrama fans. It has been on my plan to watch list for a while. It stars Hyun Bin as the prickly boss and Kim Sun Ah as the title character. The cast includes a lot of very recognizable faces, including Daniel Henney who some will have just discovered while watching last year’s Amazon Prime series, The Wheel of Time. Twitter users in our KdramaChat described it as “a true gem” and “a hilarious, sexy romcom”. The show was a huge hit back when it aired and it remains in the hearts of fans to this day.
2. Secret Garden (2010)
Listen, folks just love Hyun Bin, and if you are one of the many new Kdrama fans who started with Crash Landing On You, I think you probably can understand why. Secret Garden was the 2010 drama craze that launched a thousand sparkly tracksuits. If you’re into the kpop scene at all, you will likely have seen at least one group doing a spoof of this body swap drama.
As with a lot of older dramas (and newer ones too, lets be honest) not all of it holds up on a rewatch. Some parts feel more dated than other parts but overall, the fun remains the same. People who love this drama really love it, and most people who don’t love it, still appreciate it for what it is. One benefit of watching some of these really popular older dramas is that they give insight into Kdramaland. Newer dramas will often have references to some of the more memorable moments in older dramas, and it adds fun to be in on the jokes.
3. Coffee Prince (2007)
It feels like every time we ask for recommendations for anything, the 2007 drama Coffee Prince shows up in the answers. There’s a reason why. Almost everyone loves this mistaken identity drama. And just as folks love to see a young Hyun Bin, everyone loves Gong Yoo at any age. I finally watched this classic last year and I’m glad that I did. Is it perfect? In my opinion, no. But is it a lot of fun and worth watching? Definitely yes. You can catch more of my thoughts on this drama from the time I guested over on the Soju Chronicles podcast.
4. Goong/Princess Hours (2006)
If you’ve watched Coffee Prince and want to see more of adorable lead Yoon Eun Hye, then Goong is the classic Kdrama for you. This drama tells the story of an imaginary modern Korea which is still ruled by a monarchy. In order to satisfy his grandfather’s promise to an old friend, the Crown Prince becomes married to a commoner. This fish out of water tale has bright and fun costumes and is an enjoyable watch. It was one of my earliest classic watches since we did an episode on modern monarchy dramas over on the Certified Noonas podcast. It’s basically your classic rich boy/poor girl high school drama with the added twist of a monarchy thrown into the mix.
5. Moon Embracing the Sun (2012)
If you think that you’re ready to dip your foot into the waters of classic historical Kdramas, then the 2012 drama Moon Embracing the Sun is a great place to start. It has all the palace politics and backstabbing of a typical sageuk (historical drama) but with (seemingly) a happier ending than a lot of them will give you.This is another one of those classics that shows up a lot in variety shows and parodies.
I’ll admit that I have not watched this one yet, sageuks aren’t really my thing, so I might be wrong about that happy ending thing… but people who’ve watched it seem to love it a lot. So if you do love historical Kdramas and you are looking for a classic watch, you might want to start here.
6. Mary Stayed Out All Night (2010)
You’re unlikely to find any list of classic Kdramas that doesn’t have a Jang Geun Suk drama on it somewhere. His face and glorious hair dominated dramaland back in the day. His 2010 drama, Mary Stayed Out All Night seems to be a favourite. Described as “messy” in our KdramaChat, the consensus seems to be that it is messy but fun. I have had people recommending it to me since the early days of my kdrama watching and I think that it might be time to finally get this one going.
The story is about a young woman who fakes a marriage to one man while being fraudulently married off legally to another man. She is given 100 days to figure out which man she wants to stay married to. Shenanigans ensue. Everyone I know who talks about this drama says that it is a lot of fun. The second husband is played by Kim Jae Wook. Between him and Jang Geun Suk, you know there is at least a lot of pretty to look at π
7. Love Rain (2012)
If you watch Jang Geun Suk in Mary Stayed out all night, and are thirsty for some more, I highly recommend the 2012 drama Love Rain. This drama was wildly popular in its heyday, especially in Japan. It has an odd mix of melo and romcom which creates a pretty unique drama. The first 4 episodes are almost a completely separate drama telling the story of a group of college students falling in love back in the late 70s. The remaining episodes use the same cast in order to tell the story of their children 30 years later.
This drama holds a special place in my heart. It was the first and only full kdrama soundtrack that I ever purchased and one of the first kdramas I ever watched. The slow, soft pace of the first 4 episodes grabbed hold of me, and the brighter, sillier cohabitation of enemies to lovers in the second portion held onto me. The music is pretty and the cinematography is gorgeous. Some of the most beautiful kdrama scenes I’ve ever watched show up in this drama. If you want a drama that’s a little more serious, but still a fun watch, I really recommend checking out Love Rain.
10. Shut Up Flower Boy Band! (2012)
Last, but definitely not least on this list is Shut Up Flower Boy Band! This is another one that I’ve been meaning to watch for a very long time. Unfortunately it disappeared from easy streaming sites a few years back (RIP Dramafever). But good news! It’s back! CJ ENM entertainment group has a YouTube channel where you can watch kdramas legally streaming for free. And all of Shut Up & Let’s Go! as it is titled there, is available for streaming now.
This story of rival boy bands who are battling for supremacy in their high school looks and sounds like so much fun. There are surprises and twists to the story and a cast of fresh young faces that will have you doing your best Leonardo DiCaprio.
Love getting recommendations from other kdrama fans? Remember to come hang out with us on Twitter for our KdramaChat on the first Monday of every month. Just follow the hashtag #kdramachat and our Drama Current Twitter account.
