A while back, I was browsing the latest IE print edition, eating my fast food go-to variety dumpling meal at Dim Sum King, and walking (not very far mind you the mere half a block on foot) back to my Hing Hay Coworks desk, and thought to myself: do K-dramas and other East Asian television series have a home here, literally, in the heart of Seattle Chinatown International District? So, here I am, taking a big leap of faith that I have fellow hyperlocal binge addicts of East Asian dramas, and that by investing time in the appreciation of these K-dramas, C-dramas, and J-dramas, that you will enjoy these suggestions AND embrace local Asian American theater, books, film festivals, and serve on boards and donate to charitable causes, whatever those causes may be. But for a moment, allow me to transport you into the world of Korean dramas.
The fascinating part about K-dramas is the speed at which these series get churned out, and their reach globally. In many online forums, one can find comments not only in Korean, but also plenty written in Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, Malaysian, and of course English.
Though there is a lot to critique about the impacts of third wave Hallyu (Korea’s version of Hollywood) including its projection of liberal capitalism embodied in chaebol heir status, brand consumption and modernity, and hard to attain notions of feminine beauty, these recommendations are one among many “edgy” series that are pushing boundaries about belonging and featuring non-standard and more “taboo” societal topics. Bracketing that aside, one can also make the case that these are just plain fun to watch and talk about.
During the start of the pandemic, I was on a very restricted quarantine along with many others, due to multi-generational family arrangements in our immune compromised pod. It was during this period I got sucked into K-dramas. Series are typically 12-16 episodes in length, and truly, anything goes when it comes to scripts. If you have never sat through a series, these are what I would consider “gateway” shows that demonstrate the variety out there. By sheer coincidence, everything listed below is viewable on Netflix apps, but one can also find many of these titles on Rakuten, Youtube, Prime Video, and other platforms.
Crash Landing on You (2019) – A South Korean heiress parachutes her way into a North Korean military captain’s heart, both literally and figuratively. Fun fact, the co-stars of this show fell in love in real life.
Itaewon Class (2020) – An ex-felon gets a second chance at success by starting a restaurant in the global itaewon neighborhood of Seoul and hiring social castaways as part of his crew. The gender and racial diversity in this series was good, and unusual for peer-level series coming from South Korea.
Vincenzo (2021) – What do you get when you cross a skilled martial arts fighting Italian-raised Korean adoptee mafioso with an aggrieved attorney whose father was killed by a common enemy? Wonder no more, this series has everything from action to comedy/romance.
Extraordinary Attorney Yoo (2022) – A “genius” legal attorney handles each case with stunning results, and finds herself in love with a colleague. The way her autism symptoms are portrayed skillfully by the lead actress has won much critical acclaim. Must love whales.
Alchemy of Souls (2022) – A period costume historical Korean drama but with sci-fi elements, plenty of royal intrigue, gorgeous characters, and a cliff hanger which essentially forces you to watch part II of this series.
When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025) – A multigenerational story about youthful love, poverty, and resilience, and the timeline starts out in the historical period of the last of Haenyeo female abalone divers off Jeju Island. This series is what I affectionately call crying sessions, one must have tissue on hand. IU is the main lead, and is also a singer/songwriter.
Mytoan’s K-drama trope bingo card
I have so, so many more shows in my highly recommended list, but be patient, I’ll share more in future write ups. Meanwhile, enjoy watching these shows and enjoy my bingo card that I designed and tested against other fellow K-drama gurus, including my friend Thanh Tan, who might be one of the handful of real life friends I have who appreciates K-drama watching as an artform unto itself. A K-drama trope is a recurring, often overused plot device, archetype, or narrative convention not just unique to Korean dramas, but magnified by their overuse in K-drama scripts.
