Remember when I am not obsessed in Korean dramas? No you don't. I don't either. Because I believe I have watched a lot... and I do watch a lot, I am confident to present you the Ultimate Amazing and Cool Korean Dramas With Real Storyline For A Big Movie-Brat Like Me (grand music score here). Oh, these titles below don't have a rich arrogant guy and poor innocent cry all the time girl, I promise you. Enjoy!
1. The Moon That Embraces The Sun (2012)
Is and still number one ever since I watched it, The Moon That Embraces The Sun is my ultimate ultimate amazing and cool dramas with storyline for a big movie-brat like me. The story follows Crown Prince Lee Hwon and his first love Heo Yeon Woo. Their beautiful encounter and engagement during teenage years ended tragic when the queen regent conspired to have a future queen from her own household, killing Yeon Woo in process. Only that Yeon Woo is not actually die, as she is rescued by a Shaman indebted to her mother. Years later, Yeon Woo with no memory of her childhood is a Shaman without a name, when Hwon inherited the throne as The King of Joseon. They met again, eventually, now in even more complicated situation, and even stronger love enough to make it a nationwide acclaimed drama.
(ALSO WATCH: Running Man First Love Race, a parody of The Moon That Embraces The Sun)
2. Reply 1988 (2015)
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It is a freshly 2015-made! I have dedicated myself in writing another posts of Reply 1988 just because I love it so much (you know how terribly lazy writer I can be). It is endearing story of families in the same neighborhood of Ssangmun-dong in the 1988. It is a pleasing touch for your heart, as we introduced to the friendship of five bestfriends; Sung Deok Sun, Kim Jung Hwan, Choi Taek, Sun Woo, and Dong Ryong. Yes; slice-of-life is my... biggest weakness. Throughout the story, you will not only love each of them, but also all the families member of Ssangmun-dong. You suddenly don't care about who the heroine would ended up with, because the husband-hunting game the Reply series is famous for becomes not any more important than all the love those families have shared. It doesn't have a revenge plan, chaebol heir, terrible car accident, and somebody losing their memory, but it has something beneath all that which is beautifully written and told.
3. Signal (2016)
3. Signal (2016)
And actually, Signal is airing in Reply 1988's time slot right after the latter ended. I am skeptical, because that's how much I love Reply 1988. It's just wrong to compare both of them in the first place, though. Signal is what I think is the best Korean mystery slash detective drama, with a time-travel twist. Their time-travel-radio-communication made me recalling an old movie, Ditto from way back in 2000 with the same concept. Only that Ditto is telling us a love story, where Signal's Park Hae Yong and Lee Jae Han is trying to save lives with it. It is not that simple, though, changing the past. It is flawed at some points of the butterfly effect given, but it is an overall pleasant watch for me; a very exciting one, even. As the story goes, we then realized that our protagonists are dealing with way more complicated and huge conspiracy, one that made Jae Han is nowhere to be found in the present time. (It still is on going as for today.)
4. Deep Rooted Tree (2013)
Korean's History is naturally something to be keen about when you are watching many enough period dramas. I love period dramas, for its beautiful legacy, sets of clothing, and all traditions I just found so compelling. Deep Rooted Tree is telling a based on real event story of King Sejong The Great's glorious reign, in the eyes of a man whose life-purpose is to kill him. Kang Chae Yoon doesn't really know politics, but he knows his father died because of The King; and he also knows how to fight. The story was carefully written and executed boldly as one of the most intense and strong Korean drama I've ever watched about Joseon's greatest ruler.
(ALSO WATCH: Six Flying Dragon, from the same production teams revolving in the story of the rise of Sejong The Great's father King Taejong)
5. Mandate of Heaven (2013)
I personally think Mandate of Heaven is one of the most underrated Korean dramas. In addition of having both Lee Dong Wook and Song Ji Hyo; I love the plot, I love the screenplay, and I do love their chemistry! It is a tale of man you'll just love no matter what, named Choi Won. He is a brilliant physician of the Joseon era, tangled in an assassination plot to poison the crown prince during the King Injong's reign. That is a pretty badass premise to add in one plot, but Choi Won is merely that. He is a doting father of ever so adorable sick Choi Ran, and will do exactly everything in order to save her. And if that is not promising enough, I don't know what is!
6. Healer (2014)
I love Healer, mainly because it is consistent to their story and being good at it. The production team did a fit job without unnecessarily adding two-or-four episodes, despite of the relatively high rating. It is entertaining, witty, and not dragging story of Seo Jung Hoo, an illegal night errand agent under the code name Healer. Though being pretty kickass in doing the job, he really has no ambition of his life despite of owning a private island he is to spend the rest of his early retirement in. But of course that won't make a great story, because Jung Hoo has so many questionable pasts he himself has no clues about, one that tells us about his journalist father and four bestfriends of his. He has once simply put it aside, because he is that simple kind of man. It is the past that won't put Jung Hoo aside, though, as he met Chae Young Shin during one of his errand, and can't help but to recall the memories he has had once with her, and all the dangers she is facing because of it.
7. Oh My Ghostess (2015)
Oh My Ghostess is light and enjoyable story about a girl with the ability to see ghost. Set in the culinary world, Na Bong Sun, who played by ever so adorable Park Bo Young, is a frustating character with zero self esteem. If anything, she has a secret crush for her cocky, senior Top Chef of Sun Restaurant, Kang Sun Woo. That, is turned upside down when a lustful virgin ghost Shin Soon Ae posses her body and changes Na Bong Sun's overall personality. Everything is wrapped in such a funny and witty ways, as Shin Soon Ae is determined to seduce Kang Sun Woo because she strongly believes that she can only move on to the next life by losing her virginity. Only that Soon Ae's death turned to be more complicated than she thought. Bits by bits, secrets are revealed and Na Bong Sun is left to stand up for herself, eventually.
8. Twenty Again (2015)
I really can't stand a helpless main lead, and it is everything Ha No Ra ever was. For Ha No Ra, her world is only revolved around her husband and son. Being pregnant in the age of 19 and committed to her family ever after, she has nearly zero youth experience in her life. Beautiful goddess Choi Ji Woo is starring as now 38 years old Ha No Ra that is being divorced by her snob husband, Kim Woo Chul. As a well respected professor, Woo Chul considers No Ra as an uneducated woman whom he can't conversate with. After a wrong terminal cancer diagnosis, No Ra is ended up enrolling herself at a college as she has never got the chance to experience in her life. That is how we are introduced to once an aspiring, bright dancer Ha No Ra, and how she is slowly finding herself again as much as her prickly high school friend turned professor Cha Hyun Seok is finding his longtime crush again.
9. Reply 1997 (2012)
Another Reply series is here! I love the franchise, and I really hope they will continue making another one, because there is always chance for it becoming better than the predecessor. When I watched Reply 1997, I was so in love with it. Then, I watched Reply 1988 and being even more in love. Regardless, Reply 1977 is another story of the endearing past we had forgotten about family, friendship, and love. I say that when Reply 1988 is focusing more to the family story, Reply 1977 is going strong in the sweet first love story of Sung Shi Won and Yoon Yoon Jae. True to the franchise, we are also introduced to another suitor for the future Shi Won, though I don't know if it's really Song Jong Ho, or HOT's Tony all along. Funny, lovely, and definitely worth the time!
10. The Princess' Man
Yet another period drama to add on the list! Although I must admit that The Princess Man is exhausting to watch at some point, I still am keen on the Romeo and Juliet of Joseon that portrayed in Grand Prince Suyang's daughter Se Ryung and his fraternal enemy Prime Minister Kim Jong Seo's son Kim Seung Yoo. Several events and coincidences led the two to meet and eventually fall for each other, before even realizing how much harm it can give to their respective fathers. The real historical background of Grand Prince Suyang's conspiracy to dethrone his own nephew is serving as a big deal of the flowing plot. Though I am not a big fan of overly melodramatic stories, The Princess Man is one exception with fair tense and action sequences.
4. Deep Rooted Tree (2013)
Korean's History is naturally something to be keen about when you are watching many enough period dramas. I love period dramas, for its beautiful legacy, sets of clothing, and all traditions I just found so compelling. Deep Rooted Tree is telling a based on real event story of King Sejong The Great's glorious reign, in the eyes of a man whose life-purpose is to kill him. Kang Chae Yoon doesn't really know politics, but he knows his father died because of The King; and he also knows how to fight. The story was carefully written and executed boldly as one of the most intense and strong Korean drama I've ever watched about Joseon's greatest ruler.
(ALSO WATCH: Six Flying Dragon, from the same production teams revolving in the story of the rise of Sejong The Great's father King Taejong)
5. Mandate of Heaven (2013)
I personally think Mandate of Heaven is one of the most underrated Korean dramas. In addition of having both Lee Dong Wook and Song Ji Hyo; I love the plot, I love the screenplay, and I do love their chemistry! It is a tale of man you'll just love no matter what, named Choi Won. He is a brilliant physician of the Joseon era, tangled in an assassination plot to poison the crown prince during the King Injong's reign. That is a pretty badass premise to add in one plot, but Choi Won is merely that. He is a doting father of ever so adorable sick Choi Ran, and will do exactly everything in order to save her. And if that is not promising enough, I don't know what is!
6. Healer (2014)
I love Healer, mainly because it is consistent to their story and being good at it. The production team did a fit job without unnecessarily adding two-or-four episodes, despite of the relatively high rating. It is entertaining, witty, and not dragging story of Seo Jung Hoo, an illegal night errand agent under the code name Healer. Though being pretty kickass in doing the job, he really has no ambition of his life despite of owning a private island he is to spend the rest of his early retirement in. But of course that won't make a great story, because Jung Hoo has so many questionable pasts he himself has no clues about, one that tells us about his journalist father and four bestfriends of his. He has once simply put it aside, because he is that simple kind of man. It is the past that won't put Jung Hoo aside, though, as he met Chae Young Shin during one of his errand, and can't help but to recall the memories he has had once with her, and all the dangers she is facing because of it.
7. Oh My Ghostess (2015)
Oh My Ghostess is light and enjoyable story about a girl with the ability to see ghost. Set in the culinary world, Na Bong Sun, who played by ever so adorable Park Bo Young, is a frustating character with zero self esteem. If anything, she has a secret crush for her cocky, senior Top Chef of Sun Restaurant, Kang Sun Woo. That, is turned upside down when a lustful virgin ghost Shin Soon Ae posses her body and changes Na Bong Sun's overall personality. Everything is wrapped in such a funny and witty ways, as Shin Soon Ae is determined to seduce Kang Sun Woo because she strongly believes that she can only move on to the next life by losing her virginity. Only that Soon Ae's death turned to be more complicated than she thought. Bits by bits, secrets are revealed and Na Bong Sun is left to stand up for herself, eventually.
8. Twenty Again (2015)
I really can't stand a helpless main lead, and it is everything Ha No Ra ever was. For Ha No Ra, her world is only revolved around her husband and son. Being pregnant in the age of 19 and committed to her family ever after, she has nearly zero youth experience in her life. Beautiful goddess Choi Ji Woo is starring as now 38 years old Ha No Ra that is being divorced by her snob husband, Kim Woo Chul. As a well respected professor, Woo Chul considers No Ra as an uneducated woman whom he can't conversate with. After a wrong terminal cancer diagnosis, No Ra is ended up enrolling herself at a college as she has never got the chance to experience in her life. That is how we are introduced to once an aspiring, bright dancer Ha No Ra, and how she is slowly finding herself again as much as her prickly high school friend turned professor Cha Hyun Seok is finding his longtime crush again.
9. Reply 1997 (2012)
Another Reply series is here! I love the franchise, and I really hope they will continue making another one, because there is always chance for it becoming better than the predecessor. When I watched Reply 1997, I was so in love with it. Then, I watched Reply 1988 and being even more in love. Regardless, Reply 1977 is another story of the endearing past we had forgotten about family, friendship, and love. I say that when Reply 1988 is focusing more to the family story, Reply 1977 is going strong in the sweet first love story of Sung Shi Won and Yoon Yoon Jae. True to the franchise, we are also introduced to another suitor for the future Shi Won, though I don't know if it's really Song Jong Ho, or HOT's Tony all along. Funny, lovely, and definitely worth the time!
10. The Princess' Man
Yet another period drama to add on the list! Although I must admit that The Princess Man is exhausting to watch at some point, I still am keen on the Romeo and Juliet of Joseon that portrayed in Grand Prince Suyang's daughter Se Ryung and his fraternal enemy Prime Minister Kim Jong Seo's son Kim Seung Yoo. Several events and coincidences led the two to meet and eventually fall for each other, before even realizing how much harm it can give to their respective fathers. The real historical background of Grand Prince Suyang's conspiracy to dethrone his own nephew is serving as a big deal of the flowing plot. Though I am not a big fan of overly melodramatic stories, The Princess Man is one exception with fair tense and action sequences.
Just when I reached number ten, I realize that I haven't written about some other titles that actually deserved to be on the list! That's how it goes, right, making a list--you'll remember everything only when you reached the end. So I will definitely write a part two, whenever I got the chance! Thank you for reading, and I promise you, I will write more about Hollywood blockbuster in the mean time.
x
Michelle
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