KDr-awe-ma Opinions & Recommendations
by Christy Quang ‘2025
With the countless different forms of medium continuously being created, it’s difficult to choose what to allocate your free time towards. Especially with quarantine over the past couple of years, people have had the opportunity to experiment with different forms of entertainment. One avenue AWE members have taken is indulging in korean dramas (kdramas/k-dramas). Nowadays, there is an abundance of information on the internet — in fact, it can be overwhelming sometimes.
So, here is a guide to help you find the next kdrama to watch and fun facts about the AWE community regarding kdramas!
Note: The following statistics and opinions are from a few AWE members and may not be representative of the entire community.
Statistical Consensus
Q: What platform is typically used to watch kdramas?
A:
Similar to how there are multiple streaming services for TV shows, the same applies for kdramas. Since the majority of AWE members reside in Berkeley, we don’t have easy access to the korean television channels that host the dramas. As someone who doesn’t have Netflix, it was hard for me to find where to watch a kdrama. Additionally, it can be a bit difficult and confusing for a newcomer to choose which sites to use since most sites can lead to viruses, so above is a breakdown of the most popular sites that are used by AWE members. I personally recommend the site linked on Reddit (someone coded that!) since it has no ads but if the kdrama you want to watch is on Netflix, it won’t be on that website due to licensing issues. Otherwise, I found Dramanice to have nearly every kdrama/cdrama but there are ads so make sure to have an Adblock extension downloaded!
Q: What genre do you typically watch?
A:
As shown above in the pie chart, most AWE members enjoy watching romance k-dramas, with the second most popular genre being professional-themed dramas.
Q: Take on OSTs (original soundtrack)?
A:
A main component of kdramas is the OST (original soundtrack) used to complement the different types of scenes throughout a drama. As seen from the survey, an overwhelming majority of AWE members frequently listen to OSTs to relive the emotions felt when first watching that drama.
Q: Most times you’ve rewatched a kdrama?
A:
The majority of AWE members have rewatched a kdrama at most 2 times.
Q: Which one are you?
- No control: Binges the entire kdrama within one or a few days
- Self -control: You have restraint and spread out the episodes over time
A:
Unfortunately, the majority of AWE members do not have self control and binge watch the entire kdrama within one or a couple of days. Luckily, winter break is coming up so binge all the kdramas you want to your heart’s content.
Personal Opinions
Favorite Actor(s)/Actresses(es)
- Hyeri
“Hyeri for her comedic expressions.” — AWE member
- Lee Ji-eun (IU)
“IU because I’ve been able to see her improve so much in different avenues (singing, acting, etc). Her work ethic is inspiring and she’s just a queen overall.” — AWE member
- Park Hyung-Sik
Favorite Kdramas
- Crash Landing on You
- Start-Up
- I’m Not a Robot
- Hospital Playlist
- Reply 1988 & Reply 1994
- Goblin
- Racket Boys
- One Spring Night
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
- She Was Pretty
- Legend of Blue Sea
Recommendations!
Here is a list of kdramas recommended by different AWE members organized by genre/category. Each is linked to the Dramanice site where you can read the more detailed synopsis and potentially watch! Under a few of the recommendations will be my personal opinions on the kdramas I’ve watched!
Note: All of the short blurbs for the listed kdramas were results from Google.
Romance
A paragliding mishap drops a South Korean heiress in North Korea — and into the life of an army officer, who decides he will help her hide.
“Even though it’s mainstream, it genuinely is one of the best kdramas out there because it will take you through all of the emotions and the leads are dating in real life too!” — AWE member
~ I was initially skeptical about this drama because the title is a little bit cringe but this kdrama made me so sad and almost made me cry. Highly recommend!
A woman becomes entangled in a strange love triangle after pretending to be a robot that looks exactly like her.
~ The cover for this kdrama also looked a bit cringe and the plot includes the stereotypical storyline of someone impersonating a robot but this kdrama was surprisingly good and very underrated. While some of the side characters were cringe and unrealistic, the leads acted very well and there weren’t dead fish kissing scenes.
When pharmacist and single father Yu Ji-ho has a chance meeting with librarian Lee Jeong-in, they start seeing love and relationships in a brand new light.
“The fall vibes are 10/10.” — AWE member
A gifted writer who’s the youngest editor-in-chief ever at his publishing company becomes enmeshed in the life of a former copywriter desperate for a job.
“Focuses on a woman trying to get her life back together as a mom/working woman who was homeless” — AWE member
A love story between Captain Yoo Shi Jin, Korean Special Forces, and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon, surgeon at Haesung Hospital. Together they face danger in a war-torn country.
Professional
Seo Dal Mi has dreams of becoming Korea’s own Steve Jobs, and with her genius first love, an investor, and a business insider by her side, her dream may be closer than she thinks.
Start-Up
“That first episode made me actually cry and feel all the feels.” — Jackie R.
~ I watched this during quarantine and Zoom high school because I am a cool kid but also because it was the trend last year, just like how Squid Game is the trend now. Since most AWE members are interested in computer/data science, this kdrama is the one to watch because it’s the best produced one relating to this field so far. Depending on which side you are on, the ending of the kdrama might be really good or bad for you but ultimately, the beginning of the kdrama is phenomenal. The OST is also one of the best I’ve heard so far.
Friends since undergrad school, five doctors remain close and share a love for music while working at the same hospital.
A famous surgeon with the nickname of “Hand of God” suddenly disappears and resurfaces as “Teacher Kim” in a small hospital to guide young doctors.
~ I watched both Dr. Romantic and Dr. Romantic 2 (I don’t know even know why I chose to watch these, the title alone is cringe) and the romantic leads change for each drama. There’s apparently a Dr. Romantic 3 coming out too which is surprisingly. It was overall not bad but even though I don’t know anything about the medical field, the surgery scenes were extremely unrealistic.
Crime/Dark and Niche Themes
Determined to escape a dead-end life, a gifted high school student turns to a life of crime to ensure he can pay for college.
“SUPER different from traditional kdramas, explores different themes, kind of like Parasite where after watching an episode leaves you pondering about what in the world just happened.” — AWE member
~ THIS ONE IS REALLY GOOD! It’s extremely different from the typical crime dramas since topics such as teenage crime and drug usage are referenced. I thought I wouldn’t like this but I was hooked and I tried looking for analysis videos on YouTube after finishing the kdrama. It’s also pretty short (relative to the typical 16 episode one hour plus long episodes) so give this one a shot!
An ex-con and his friends fight to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality.
~ This one is also different from generic kdramas since the main female lead isn’t the typical “I need a guy to save me” role. There is a lot of diversity and representation in this kdrama in terms of ethnicities, relationships, etc. There’s a little bit of romance but the story overall is very touching.
As a killing resembling a cold case resurfaces in a small town, the chase for the truth falls on two policemen who each harbour secrets of their own.
“[It] has darker themes which was a nice break from overly romantic k-dramas” — AWE member
Fantasy & Supernatural
Kim Shin, an immortal goblin, goes to find a human bride to remove an invisible sword from his chest and end his life. One day, school student Ji Eun-Tak confesses to him that she is the chosen one.
“Super cool fantasy dramas:D i esp like goblin because the aesthetics are so nice, and they drop some real life advice.” — AWE member
~ Goblin was the first kdrama I watched and it’s a staple that everyone should watch at some point. The cinematography is incredible and the OST is great. I personally thought it was overrated but it’s still an incredible kdrama.
Located in the middle of Seoul, Hotel del Luna is the eponymous hotel that caters only to ghosts; the beautiful but ill-tempered CEO is cursed to manage the hotel due to a terrible crime she committed, but cannot remember.
“Everyone should give this a shot! This one was just so good and everything was so beautiful, plus IU is so good in this!” — AWE member
~ I was kind of scared of some of the ghosts since I watched this at like 4 AM during quarantine but this is a really good kdrama. The plot is unique and this drama has one of the best OSTs.
Ha-jin travels 1000 years back in time and lands in the era of Goryeo Dynasty as a young girl named Hae-soo. Ha-jin, now trapped in another person’s body, becomes involved in a power struggle against various vicious contenders to the throne.
A road to emotional healing opens up for an antisocial children’s book author and an employee in a psychiatric hospital.
A young woman has visions through her dreams of terrible things that will happen to people in the future. A prosecutor tries to prevent these dreams from happening in real life.
Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.
Wholesome, Funny, Healing, Good Vibes
Follows the lives of 5 families living on the same street in a neighbourhood called Ssangmundong in Seoul. A nostalgic look back at the year 1988.
A group of college students from all over Korea go from being complete strangers to a big happy family at a Seoul boarding house.
A city kid moves to the countryside after his father gets a coaching job reviving a ragtag middle school badminton team on the brink of extinction.
A coming-of-age story about a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams, experiencing and finding love in the process.
Hye Jin had it all: money, brains, and beauty. But after a painful rough patch, she’s found herself working at The Most magazine, trying to turn her life around. Soon, Hye Jin’s got a new boss: her first love. Romance, drama, and high-stakes entertainment industry adventures: welcome to the K-Drama world of “She Was Pretty”.
Make sure to check out these great recommendations from fellow AWE members when you have free time! If you haven’t watched a kdrama before, try one out — there’s one for everyone! Make sure to check out Start-Up if you haven’t already since it’s about the tech industry which is especially applicable to AWE members! :D
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