16 Best K-Dramas Of The 2020s So Far, Ranked
K-dramas become better and better every year, but the globally adored genre is truly hitting its stride in the 2020s. While the so-called Korean Wave hit Asia and Eastern Europe in the 1990s, the 21st century only made Korean media more popular overseas. With so many K-dramas on Netflix, the genre is now a mainstream staple for North American viewers. Although many essential K-dramas aired in the early 2000s or 2010s, increased popularity has caused the genre to adapt and change its conventions. As such, the melodramatic, soap opera-esque charm of K-dramas gradually gave way to more grounded, nuanced storylines. Naturally, the 2020s have become an age of innovation for the genre, yielding some of the best K-dramas to date.
16
When The Phone Rings
2024
A concerned man and woman hold each other in the K-drama When The Phone Rings.
In common K-drama thrillers, the female lead becomes a damsel in distress for the male lead to rescue. When the Phone Rings even starts out on a similar note, with Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin) being accosted by a stranger who demands ransom from her husband. Yet, Hee-joo saves herself and uses the experience as a springboard to orchestrate a divorce. Hee-joo initially hoped to escape her loveless marriage, but the kidnapper’s return unexpectedly brings her closer to her aloof husband. When the Phone Rings intriguingly highlights the flaws in its main characters, preventing them from being one-dimensional figureheads. Consequently, the drama’s love story plays out as heartwarming proof of development rather than a gauche inevitability.
15
The Glory
2022
The Glory starts out as a horrific story of school bullying, but it quickly devolves into a convoluted revenge plot. The specific violence Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) suffers makes The Glory a devastating but unsurprising K-drama based on a true story, but Dong-eun devoting her adult life to making her tormentors pay is the show’s gratifying, fictional resolution. Watching horrible adolescents who grew into equally horrible adults get the consequences they deserve is a uniquely fulfilling experience, but seeing Dong-eun begin to heal and forge a better life for herself is even better. It may be a tough watch at first, but The Glory takes the viewer on a captivating journey of karmic retribution.
14
Our Blues
2022
The cast of Our Blues.
The vast majority of Korean dramas eventually end up on Jeju Island, whether it be for a romantic rendezvous or broader vacation episode, but Our Blues takes a deeper look at life on the seemingly idyllic island. While the cinematography alone is unforgettable, the beauty of Jeju Island is a poignant contrast to the main characters and their inner turmoil. Few ensemble K-dramas are as successful as Our Blues at telling comprehensive stories for every member of the cast. The show’s omnibus format allows each character to shine individually, but their independent stories overlap and come to an emotional coda in the series finale. As a result, Our Blues is rich with soulful storytelling.
13
True Beauty
2020
Moon Ga-young as Lim Ju-kyung in True Beauty.
True Beauty’s controversial history may make prospective viewers wary, but the 2020 adaptation of the webtoon of the same name is by far one of the best teen romances in K-drama history. From Cha Eun-woo’s moving performance as male lead Lee Su-ho to Moon Ga-young’s evocative portrayal of protagonist Lim Ju-kyung, True Beauty is a perfectly cast masterpiece. The drama mainly focuses on Ju-kyung’s double life as a school “goddess” thanks to her heavy makeup, while her bare face is the subject of scrutiny at home. As she and Su-ho grow closer, however, they help each other heal— Su-ho begins to move past his trauma, and Ju-kyung starts to recuperate her self-esteem.
12
Juvenile Justice
2022
Kim Hye-soo as judge Shim Eun-seok in the K-drama Juvenile Justice.
When a drama takes place in a courtroom, there’s typically a dramatic legal battle between a heroic prosecutor and a villainous defendant, save for the overwrought twist where the defendant is secretly innocent. In Juvenile Justice, however, the focus is on young offenders who are guilty of their charges. The realistic K-drama deconstructs what contributes to adolescent crime, including the oppressive social stigma surrounding juvenile justice as a whole. Though atypical, the drama forgoes frills and traditionally exciting plot twists to deliver something much more valuable: a profound reflection of the real world, flawed justice system and all.
11
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
2021
Many iconic K-drama romances stand the test of time, but few have such a tender love story as Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) and Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Unlike most K-drama couples who are brought together by a dramatic and oftentimes tragic event, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is an uplifting story of love in a small town. The central seaside village offers stunning backdrops to the action, and its original soundtrack is considered one of the best of all time. There are typical highs and lows, twists and turns, fights and reconciliations, et al., but the idyllic setting and endearing ensemble cast make Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha the perfect comfort watch.
10
All of Us Are Dead
2022
All of Us Are Dead was so well-received, it became one of the few K-dramas to bag a lucrative second season. The premise is fairly simple: a zombie apocalypse breaks out while a group of students is trapped in their high school. The simplicity, however, allows All of Us Are Dead’s precise details to shine. From having one of the most heartbreaking twists to one of the most disturbing K-drama villains, All of Us Are Dead is a goosebump-inducing series. Its captivating plot and gruesome gore also make it appealing to the average horror fan in need of a good zombie story.
9
Lovely Runner
2024
Byeon Woo-seok as Ryu Sun-jae and Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol in Lovely Runner.
For much of Lovely Runner, it feels like a typical K-drama about young love for Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok) and Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon). Yet, their romance is the culmination of time-travel narrative conceits and a tangled web of fate.
The groundbreaking K-drama tracks the two through adolescence and adulthood, via multiple timelines. At first, it seems Sun-jae and Sol are doomed to a tragic ending, but not even destiny can get in the way of pure love and willpower.
8
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
2022
Most period piece dramas hark back to the Joseon dynasty or earlier, but Twenty-Five Twenty-One is in the group of rare but popular K-dramas set in the 1990s. As a young adult, Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) is a promising fencer with growing feelings for Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk). In the present day, conversely, the former lovers are strangers. Twenty-Five Twenty-One’s frame narrative is what makes it truly special, as the events we watch unfold are memories discovered by Hee-do’s daughter as she reads her mother’s diary. Though it’s understandably divisive, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a K-drama with a perfect ending and a bona fide must-watch.
7
Happiness
2021
The concept of marrying a zombie K-drama with a mystery with a romance seems like a recipe for disaster, but Happiness was a perfect storm of seemingly clashing themes. In the near future, the confounding Lytta Virus is reducing humanity to violent, mindless creatures. Only a select few rise to the occasion, including detective Jung Yi-hyun (Park Hyung-sik) and special agent Yoon Sae-bom (Han Hyo-joo). As the duo fight to protect the residents of a quarantined apartment complex and reveal the truth behind the virus, Sae-bom and Yi-hyun have bigger enemies than zombies to contend with.
已发布: 2025-12-24 01:16:00
来源: screenrant.com
