Action, romance, mystery, humour… Here are five K-dramas that gather for me all the good ingredients for a perfect binge watch ! To your remote control. Ready ? Let’s go !
Vincenzo : to dive into crime
Vincenzo Casano is a well-known lawyer in Italy. But be careful, he is not just anyone : he works for the mafia. However, when the head of his family dies, he is forced to immigrate to Korea and hide his double identity. However, if everything goes according to his will, his presence in the country will be of short-lived. His plan ? Open a law firm in a building which he suspects hide gold and then flee as far as possible. But the situation escalades and get complicated quickly when he meets Hong Cha-yeong and his father, two lawyers working for rival firms. As a result, he finds himself tangled in a dirty case involving a big pharmaceutical company. Between lies, murders and corruption… Vincenzo must balance between the suspicious residents of his building, an enemy playing hide and seek and his gray depiction of justice.
Vincenzo is the series that really made me started on k-dramas. What I liked the most about this drama is most certainly the characters (Vincenzo, Cha Yeong and the residents of the building) which were all very well built. They were endearing, hilarious and most importantly : faithful to themselves. Vincenzo’s moral gray character, for example, stay true to himself until the last episode, at the cost of showing the other side (way darker) of his personality to the public.
I can assure you that this drama will trigger all your emotions. It will make you laugh, cry of frustrations and will possibly let you at the end, sigh with contentment.
All 20 episodes of Vincenzo are available on Netflix.
Twenty five, twenty one : for the romantic
In 2020, Kim Min-shae decide to give up on dancing, her dream. After an argument about her decision with her mother that ends poorly, she takes refuge to her grandmother’s. There, she discovers her mother’s diary which follows all her teenage years, from 1998 to 2002.
In 1998, Korea is disrupted by the Asian economic crisis. At 18-years, Na Hee-do’s dreams of becoming a professional fencer fall apart when her club is suddenly shut down for financial restrictions. But Na Hee-do is not only talented, she’s also determined than ever to achieve her goals. Soon, she decided to join the school and team of her forever hero, Ko Yu-rim. For Baek Yi-jin, the consequences are more severe. After his father went bankrupt, the young man dropped out of school and has been working to help the rest of his family ever since. When the two young people meet, a strong friendship begins and will turn gradually into a deeper connection.
Twenty five, twenty is an incredible drama that explores love, friendship, as well as other strong themes such as solidarity and determination. The relationship between Na Hee-do, Back Yi-jin and their friends groupe mirrors all the naivety and joy of adolescence and the message behind each episode is always explored in detail.
Reply 1988 : for light-hearted and cozy watch
Sung Deok-sun, Kim Jung-hwan, Choi Taek and Sung Sun-woo are lifelong childhood friends who grew up in the 1980s. These years are as important for South Korea who starts opening up abroad than they’re for these four young people who have just reached the crucial age of eighteen. In their small but vibrant neighbourhood where privacy is non-existent, the four teenagers experience their first steps into adulthood. Between (first) loves, quarrels, disappointments and new responsibilities, the year of 1988 sure will be rich in emotions and challenges. As a bonus, the drama shows us a few flashbacks in 2015 that will certainly pique your curiosity. Who will finish with whom ?
Reply 1988 is the perfect series to chill under your duvet when you’re in the mood for a feel good series. The promise : touching scenes, no useless drama and, above all, a good dose of cheerfulness!
Reply 1988 is the spin-off Reply 1997 and Reply 1994. All episodes are available on Netflix.
Extraordinary attorney Woo : to inspire yourself and overcome imposed barriers
Woo Yeong-woo is a talented and passionate lawyer with an autistic disorder. Her personality : a very high intelligence quotient (more exactly, 164), a law emotional quotient, a passion for whales and a very specific way of thinking. Freshly graduated with honor, she takes her first steps in a renowned law firm where she must constantly show her worth and fight the prejudices against her.
This drama was a very nice discovery. In addition to Yeong-woo’s interesting journey, every episode features new characters, each with a legal issue and an arc that ends at the end of the dedicated episode. At the same time, we also follow the evolution of Yeong-woo professionally, socially… and romantically. A bit like a lawyer’s version of Good Doctor (hallyuwood and hollywood) !
You’ll find all the 16th episodes of Extraordinary attorney Woo on Netflix.
The king’s affection : for fans of historical productions
In the royal family of the Joseon era, twins are considered a bad omen. Thus, tradition dictates that the second born, whatever his sex, is to be killed. The girl, however, is in any case condemned to die immediately her identity discovered. Thus, when the queen dowager gives birth to twins, she already knows their fate. Lee Hwi, the boy, will be welcomed as the heir to the throne, and his sister, won’t certainly live through the night. But the queen will do anything to save her two children from the emperor’s shenanigans. The same night, while all the servants who attended the delivery are executed, the baby girl (Dam Yi) is exfiltrate from the palace.
Ten years later, Lee Hwin meets a palace servant who looks exactly like him. To escape temporarily his obligations, he offered to swap places for a day. But Lee Hwin would never take his place again. To prevent a disaster, the queen makes Dam Yi endorse the identity of the prince. The girl is thus raised to take over the throne and hide her double identity from her brother’s murderers.
The king’s affection is a rollercoaster of emotion. This drama mixes action, betrayal secrets, murders and, of course, romance ! Enough to satisfy fans of the genre for 20 long épisodes on Netflix.
And you, what is your favorite genre of dramas ?
Ready to find out more about the story behind dramas and Hallyuwood ? The article is available !
From left to right : Vincenzo, Donna!, It’s okay not to be okay, Hotel Del Luna
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