In the 90s, Brazilian and Argentine TV shows were incredibly popular, today the top of the rating belongs to soap operas filmed in the UK and the USA. But even the famously twisted plots begin to bother the viewer, and in search of new products, he turns to the projects of Asian countries, for example, South Korea.
Drama or drama?
The best Korean series are dramas. Yes, yes, this is not a typo. The word âdoramaâ is most often used by Russian-speaking fans, thus designating Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese âsoapâ operas.
The whole secret lies in pronunciation - Japanese and Koreans instead of âdramaâ say âdramaâ. In addition, the best Korean drama has slight differences from the American series.
- Lack of age restrictions. There are no frank scenes and manifestations of violence in dramas, so viewing will be safe for the child's psyche.
- Completeness. You, probably, were upset more than once because the first season of the series you liked was closed due to a low rating. The best Korean dramas are a complete story - the narrative is limited to 10-24 episodes.
- At the request of the viewer. Do not think that the creators of the series do not care about the opinion of the audience. On the contrary, they are ready to change the script depending on the audience preferences. Itâs not very convenient for the crew, but itâs precisely this kind of flexibility that fans of dramas appreciate.
- The lack of pretense. In our world, only children can sincerely express their feelings; for adults, hiding emotions has long been a habit. The relationship of the main characters will make you empathize with them - Korean dramas promise an incredible whirlpool of emotions.
Read the list of the best in our review. And get ready to remember unusual surnames and names.
âBoys are more beautiful than flowersâ
Boys Over Flowers - according to many fans, the best Korean drama. This is the third film based on Japanese comic books Hana Yori Dango. Viewers have already managed to get acquainted with the Japanese and Taiwan film adaptations.
The duration of the drama âBoys more Beautiful than Flowersâ ââis 25 episodes, the premiere took place in early 2009.
The focus is on the elite institution âSinhwaâ, where the heirs of large corporations and children of political figures are studying. The scriptwriters, contrary to tradition, made a group of spoiled boys, not girls. Ku Joon Pyo, Song Woo Bin, Yoon Jin Hu and So Yi John are a group of incredibly popular high school students who consider themselves to be the âmastersâ of the school. They give red cards to âobjectionableâ students - this is the âmarkâ received by the boy who, due to bullying, even tried to end his life.
From fatal step he was saved by Kym Jang Dee - a simple schoolgirl from a poor family. The leadership of âSinhwaâ tried to âhush upâ the hype around the main character, and the girl was offered a scholarship to study. Itâs easy to guess that the new school doesnât like Jan Dee. She struggles to resist spoiled teenagers, for which she herself receives a âredâ card. Gradually, mutual hatred between the âleaderâ of the group and the newcomer develops into the opposite feeling, and a love triangle appears in front of us.
Boys Over Flowers, according to viewers, is on the list: âThe Best Korean Love Dramas.â Fans argue that it is in this series that the plot features of many Korean soap operas are most clearly visible.
"Good guy"
Sometimes the viewer is so worried about the main characters that he is ready to stop watching the movie. Almost everyone who managed to fall in love with Korean dramas experiences similar emotions.
âGood guyâ is a difficult story about a young man who is faced with betrayal. It's no secret that girls usually prefer the âbadâ guys, rather than those who are ready to accompany home and give flowers.
For Kang Ma Roo there is no one more important than two beloved girls - a sister and a friend. His sister, unfortunately, is very ill. Because of this, Ma Roo is studying to be a doctor. The life of her beloved Han Jee Hee is filled with dirt and poverty, and the main character is struggling to protect her.
Once, after an attempted suicide, Jeehee promises to escape from the âdarknessâ at any cost, to become rich and not to need anything else. The accident at the hotel threatens the future of the young girl, and to save her, Ma Roo takes the blame for killing the person.
After leaving prison, the protagonist realizes that Jae Hee simply erased him from her life. The beauty took the chance and married a very rich man.
The best Korean love dramas often touch on betrayal, and âThe Good Guyâ was no exception. Despite the confidence in a good ending, the series keeps in suspense from the first to the last series. Will Ma Rouge revenge on the mercantile Jae Hee?
Agree, the plot is quite vital, and it makes you think about the fate of the good guys. Time will put everything in its place - the main idea that the best Korean dramas are trying to convey. The rating of viewers' sympathies determined the history of Kang Ma Roo in an honorable second place.
âPrince from the atticâ
Itâs impossible to imagine Korean dramas without romance. Top of the best continues the series âPrince from the Atticâ.
Time travel is a fairly common storyline for a full-length science fiction film, but screenwriter Yi Hee Myung chose it for the drama Prince from the Attic.
Prince Joseon (the name of Korea during the reign of the Li Dynasty) Lee Huck is in love with a charming princess. Parents agreed to marry the children many years ago. The beauty conquered the heart of the young man, and there were no obstacles to marriage. âAnd they lived happily ever afterâ - you must admit, itâs impossible to imagine the best Korean dramas about love without suffering. Once the brideâs body is found in a pond, but Lee Huck does not believe in an accident.
In search of a killer, a young man in the company of three devoted knights of Joseon is ambushed, from which an unknown force saves them. In the next instant, the brave prince with his retinue is transported in time for 300 years in advance. Modern Seoul is shocking and scaring young people. Park Ha helps adapt in the new world, in whose attic were guests from the past.
The girl gives Lee Huck and his friends a roof over their heads and work, protects them from the outside world and does everything to make them feel better. Suddenly, the prince meets the deceased lover and his double. The young man is the heir to a huge company, and the girl works as his secretary. Then Lee Huck notes that Park Ha is similar to the sister of the very princess who had been in love with him since childhood.
The main character will have to figure out his feelings and understand which of the girls was destined for him by fate. The best Korean dramas with Russian dubbing are pretty easy to find, so we recommend spending time watching twenty episodes of The Prince from the Attic.
"Full house"
Sometimes only losses can open our eyes to the value of what is lost. Father Han Ji Yoon built a wonderful house many years ago - at the moment this is the only thing left in memory after the death of his parents. The girl does not really respect the inheritance and does not at all monitor the state of the mansion, but for the sake of justice, life itself indicates this to her.
Envious friends Han Ji Yoon come up with a cunning plan. A naive writer is made to believe in winning the lottery, the main prize of which is a trip to Saigon. During the absence of the hostess, the house is safely sold, and an unsuspecting traveler, after returning, is âvisitingâ the famous actor.
It is worth noting that the best Korean dramas are quite similar in character set. The protagonist in the series âFull Houseâ can be described as narcissistic and self-confident handsome. Lee Yoon Jae suffers from a "star" illness, but, despite this, cannot admit her feelings to her old friend Hye-won. However, it is not only a matter of shyness, Yoon Jae knows that the girl is in love with another - Yu Min Hyuk.
So, after the sale of the house, the worlds of the main characters intersect. Ji Yoon and Yoon Jae find themselves under the same roof, where everyone considers himself the master. You will be surprised, but by the end of the series, the attitude of young people to each other will radically change.
âFull Houseâ is the best Korean drama to cheer you up. Wonderful cast, original plot and, of course, humor. Try and you unravel the tangle of relationships.
"Moon Embracing The Sun"
The best Korean historical dramas give fans a special pleasure thanks to the work of costumers and decorators.
These talented professionals manage to match incredibly precisely this or that period of history. The viewer does not have a sense of deception and props; he really is transferred to the past.
âThe Sun in the Embrace of the Moonâ tells the story of Lee Hwon and Young W. The heirs of the titled families were engaged at a fairly young age. Unfortunately, this union found opponents who organized an attempt on the future bride.
The girl miraculously managed to survive. Yong-woo ended up in the house of a shaman woman who taught her everything she knew. Eight years later, young people meet, but obstacles reappear on their way. They hardly recognize each other, and explain old memories by the influence of talismans.
Scenes of battles, a love triangle, magic and a sea of ââtears. If you are looking for the best Korean dramas, the list should begin with the series âThe Sun in the Embrace of the Moonâ.
âKing of two heartsâ
This time, the basis of the plot of the drama was politics. The conflict between North and South Korea is a rather sensitive topic, but director Lee Jae-gyu decided to dream up.
According to his plan, a constitutional monarchy was established on the territory of South Korea , and Prince Li Jae-ha is the heir to the throne. On the other side is Kim Han A, a special agent from North Korea and the daughter of an influential person.
âKing of Two Heartsâ is the best Korean drama where politics is closely intertwined with love. For the peaceful future of both countries, an alliance of Kim Han-ah and Lee Jae-ha is necessary, but the viewer will not see love at first sight. The character, upbringing and worldview of the main characters are too different.
The prince will have to go a difficult way from a spoiled young man to the present head of state, and a self-confident special agent will find out what it means to be a wise woman and a support for his beloved man.
âMemories of Baliâ
We again return to the topic of tender feelings, without which the best Korean dramas cannot do. The rating mercilessly conquers the classic of Korean cinema - âMemories of Baliâ. How to distinguish love from passion, to see cold calculation and not to pass by tender affection - these are the difficult tasks set by screenwriter Kim Ki Ho in front of the main characters.
There are four characters on the wonderful island of Bali:
- Lee Soo-jeong is a girl working part-time as a guide, with the âbaggageâ of a difficult childhood and material difficulties.
- Jung Jae Min is the heir to a huge corporation, a spoiled and narcissistic young man.
- Choi Young Joo is the future wife of Jae Min, whom his parents chose for him.
- Kang In Uk is a former lover of the bride, a charming young man with a deplorable financial situation.
Under the influence of the heady air, Bali Young Joo decides to remember his youthful love and meets In Wook. For some reason, the future bridegroom is not against such entertainments, but still decides to control the bride. Young people get to know each other, and then the real struggle for the heart of Yong Ju begins. Her feelings for her ex-lover were not weakened at all, but the girl, however, was not going to destroy the profitable union.
The line of modesty Suu Jeong is quite inconspicuous. Troubles again fall upon the poor thing - some stranger steals all her money. In search of a villain, the girl goes to Korea, where she again meets with the main characters. This time, young people pay her much more attention, or rather, completely switch to a modest woman, forgetting about Yong Joo. The beauty is not ready to put up with this state of affairs, she wants to return both men and avenge a random rival.
It is obvious to the viewer that the main characters are confused in their own feelings and desires. Fortunately, the best Korean dramas have a logical conclusion, which means that in the final everything will fall into place.
âThe scent of a womanâ
The rhythm of the metropolis makes us spin like a squirrel in a wheel. We do not have time to live and do not notice how quickly children grow. Everything important is transferred âfor laterâ, but what if this âlaterâ does not happen?
Lee Young Jae is surprised to learn that she has only six months left to live. Prior to this news, the girl, without raising her head, worked in a travel agency and dreamed someday in her life to visit beautiful countries where she sent clients.
Many will say: "The best Korean drama cannot be with such a primitive plot." Yes, indeed, the idea is far from fresh, but its meaning is incredibly relevant today. When was the last time you just read a book, walked in the park with a child, or had fun from the heart in the company of best friends? Working for wealth sometimes takes too much of our time. Perhaps itâs time to âwake upâ, as the heroine of the drama âWoman's Fragranceâ did.
Young Jae bought a business class ticket, booked a room in a luxury hotel, and set off on her last trip. On the coast of Okinawa, a girl meets a young man who is ready to be near and perform a small miracle for her beloved every day.
âFragrance of a Womanâ is the best Korean drama for many fans of the genre, despite the difficult plot. The fate of the main character really makes you think about your own life and rethink some things.
"Rain of love"
The narrative of the drama begins in the 80s. Shy beauty Kim Yong- hee and student So In Ha experience the most tender feelings for each other. First love and first kisses - strong families are rarely made from young couples. This time, fate did not give the main characters a chance, but forever tied them together.
After many years, Ying Ha's son and Yoon Hee's daughter meet. Children are not at all like their parents. So June is a talented photographer who is sure that any girl will fall in love with him in three seconds. However, this ânumberâ does not work with the main character, and instead of tender feelings, the handsome man receives a portion of hatred.
Gradually, Yoon Hee's daughter conquers her sincerity and changes her mind about the narcissistic photographer. Will young people be able to be happy together, despite the unfortunate history of their parents? Is a happy ending waiting for them, or has fate prepared many more tests?
Spectators who watched the best Korean dramas with voice acting say that the main characters were best able to play a kiss scene.
âWinter Sonataâ
The search for a real father brings Kang Zhong Sana to his motherâs hometown. Here, a high school student meets charming Yu Jin and San Hyuk. The young man is hopelessly in love with a childhood friend, and she perceives him exclusively as a brother. One day on a school trip, Yu Jin is lost in the forest, and Zhong San, who until then had been quite detached among classmates, becomes her savior. The protagonist realizes that he fell in love. Zhong San wants to talk about his feelings on Christmas Eve, but dies in an accident.
Years later, San Hyuk still achieves his goal - Yu Jin, despite the love for the deceased Zhong San, agrees to get married. The young man desperately needs her devotion and is ready to be there in any circumstances.
At the engagement party, former classmates gather. Among the guests, the girl sees her late lover. But how is this possible? A classmate O Chae Rin came to the party with her boyfriend Lee Min Hyo, like two drops of water similar to Zhong Sana. From this moment, the love triangle begins to revive.
The final
If you are tired of the "stamped" Hollywood series, and the soul asks for something gentle and touching, then pay attention to Korean dramas. The list of the best presented in our review, be sure to take a note.
Any of the ten dramas can be the beginning of a long acquaintance with Korean cinema. Gradually, you will have your favorites among the actors who have already managed to conquer millions of hearts.
It is interesting that in many stories quite vital situations are described, and the behavior of the main characters exactly repeats the reaction of ordinary people. Social inequality, intrigue and betrayal, love at first sight, tender affection and fidelity - the game of talented actors captivates from the first second and makes you believe in the reality of what is happening.