Top 5 iconic Kdrama shows of all the time to binge watch this season

In the last two decades, South Korean entertainment and culture have expanded internationally, with works like Parasite and Minari receiving positive reviews and buzz for awards in the US.

Many of Netflix’s best original and distributed dramas debuted on the streamer well before the enormous success of its breakout hit Squid Game, which is fortunate for lovers of these works who want to try out K-dramas.

Here are the top 5 K-dramas shows to watch as you begin your exploration of Korean entertainment industry, ranging from gripping criminal dramas and tender love stories to supernatural action and slice-of-life drama.

1) Crash Landing On You

Crash Landing On You might be the ideal choice if you’re looking for romance with a dash of drama. This endearing, sincere, primarily lighthearted series centres on a South Korean heiress who unintentionally crosses the DMZ into North Korea and is taken in by a dashing soldier until she can return home. The swoon-worthy programme became the third highest-rated K-drama in cable television history, and you can watch the entire thing on Netflix!

2) Twenty Five Twenty Two

Without a heartbreaking young adult romantic drama on Netflix, no list of Korean dramas would be complete, and Twenty Five Twenty One stands out as one of the best among many other excellent choices. From the 1990s to the 2020s, the show follows five characters and their love lives, complete with high school turmoil, first loves, and lessons learnt. It’s beautiful, heartwarming, and undoubtedly one of the best Korean dramas available on Netflix.

3) All Of Us Are Dead- Season 1

The popular zombie drama series All of Us Are Dead, which follows teenagers stranded in their high school, is last but surely not least. After a science experiment goes wrong, the students gradually realise they are stuck at the epicentre of a zombie outbreak, and no one is coming to pick them up after school. It stinks. It’s bloody. It’s interesting and occasionally even makes you think. And it’s entertaining for horror enthusiasts. This violent thriller will appeal to fans of Battle Royale and The Walking Dead, but perhaps avoid trying to eat spaghetti or chilli while watching.

4) Our Blues

Our Blues, another of the most popular Korean dramas, is a delicate and moving series that quietly depicts the daily lives of residents of Jeju Island. This realistic, melancholy series, which is similar to This Is Us and Love Actually, focuses on a large cast of characters to depict life’s major and small moments yet being less over-the-top theatrical than some other well-liked K-dramas.

5) Squid Game

Squid Game is a heartbreaking yet fascinating drama series that helped introduce Korean drama on Netflix into new living rooms around the world. It broke records when it debuted in 2021, topping Netflix’s top 10 lists in 94 different nations. The focus of the show is on contestants on a game show that attracts debtors and offers them a tempting prize, but that prize has a lethal price. Squid Game, which has already been renewed for a second season, is a definite must-watch for anyone interested in the best Korean dramas available on Netflix.