Korean dramas have gained massive popularity over the last few years, and we all love some good recommendations for binge-watching for sure. There’s nothing like watching a good old K-drama, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.
In 2021, K-dramas such as Squid Game, Red Sleeve Cuff, and Hellbound garnered a lot of popularity and critical acclaim. 2022 is no different, with titles such as Business Proposal, Ghost Doctor, and Twenty-Five Twenty-Nine making a mark already.
Most K-dramas have good plots, unique themes, and are supported by good performances, leading to their massive fan-following and popularity. Here’s a list of some of the best rated K-dramas of 2021-22 that should be on your watchlist.
Whether you’re a beginner who is just venturing into the world of K-dramas or a veteran who is looking for more recommendations, we’ve a pick for every binge watcher and every genre.
1Business Proposal
Also known as The Office Blind Date, this drama is based on a webtoon of the same name, written by Haehwa. It is one of the most popular K-dramas of the year. The rom-com revolves around Shin Ha-ri (Se-Jeong Kim), who accepts the request of going on a blind date at her friend, Jin Young-seo’s (Seol In-ah) house.
The date was arranged by her father. But things turn tricky when Shin finds out that her blind date is actually her CEO—Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop). He offers her a proposal, which she accepts, and it changes her life drastically.
2Ghost Doctor
Directed by Boo Seong-cheol, Ghost Doctor blends the genre of fantasy with medical drama in this unique show featuring two doctors who get attached in a peculiar way. The series introduces a new concept of the ‘coma ghost’.
The story focuses on Cha Young-min (Rain), a renowned but arrogant cardiothoracic surgeon. After facing a car crash, he wanders around the hospital as a coma ghost and possesses Go Seung-tak (Kim Bum), a first-year thoracic surgery student who is completely opposite in nature than the spirit.
As a result of being possessed, Go ends up performing complicated surgeries pretty easily. The medical thriller focuses on how the two doctors remain connected.
3Tomorrow
The fantasy drama series focuses on a group of grim reapers and death angels who take in the dead and prevent people from committing suicide. Choi Jun-woong (Rowoon), who was made half-human and half-spirit by accident, meets grim reapers Goo-Ryeon (Kim Hee-seon) and Lim Ryung-gu (Ji-On Yoon) in the series.
The two reapers take in Choi and makes him a part of their crisis management team. What happens next is what makes the series so interesting and intriguing, and one of the highest rated K-dramas of the year.
4Pachinko
Based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, this drama chronicles the story of a Korean immigrant family across four generations. The story is set in the backdrop of the Japanese invasion of Korea and its devastating consequences that continue to impact lives today.
Pachinko stars Lee Min-ho, Soji Arai, and Jin Ha and narrates the story of a family that fights all odds in life. This too is one of the highest-rated K-dramas of the year and is a must watch.
5Forecasting Love and Weather
This romantic drama tells a sweet love story of a hardworking weather forecaster and her colleague. The series is a must watch for the brilliant performances of the lead actors, Park Min-young, who plays Jin Ha Kyung, and Song Kang, who portrays Lee Shi Woo.
The way the show portrays the budding relationship between the two protagonists, and how they balance their work-life and the relationship, makes it an interesting and wholesome watch.
6All of Us Are Dead
This Netflix series is based on the Naver webtoon Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun. The concept of the series is unique—it follows students who are trapped in a school in South Korea, trying to escape and survive a zombie apocalypse caused by their failed science experiment.
The K-drama stars Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young and Cho Yi-hyun in lead roles, who deliver stellar performances as newcomers. A second season is currently on the way.
7Vincenzo
Vincenzo was one of the most popular K-dramas of 2021. It follows the story of the titular hero (Song Joong-ki) who was adopted by the Cassano family and grew up in Italy. He is now heavily involved with the mafia and is the right-hand man of the don.
The series has a lot to do with murders, competing law firms, big conglomerates, and powerful mafia. So, if you’re a fan of such dramas, this one is definitely for you and promises thrill and camaraderie.
8Squid Game
Squid Game was arguably the most popular K-drama of 2021 and one of the most watched shows ever on Netflix. The series features 456 players in financial debt, who enter a deadly competition to win a prize of 40 million dollars.
The games in the competition were designed like Korean children’s games such as marbles, honeycomb, hopscotch, each with a deadly twist to it. The series threw light upon the evils of capitalism, class struggle, economic struggle, and migrant labor among various other issues.
9Beyond Evil
Our list cannot be complete without a classic murder mystery. Beyond Evil, a close-knit murder mystery set in a small town, was acclaimed as one of the best K-dramas of 2021. The series follows a police officer, Han Joo-wong (Ywo Jin-goo), who gets transferred to Manyang Police Substation.
In this new city, he tries to solve the mystery of a series of murders that took place twenty years ago. His main suspect is his colleague and partner, Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) but soon enough, everyone in town becomes a suspect.
The show promises a nail-biting premise and keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout.
10Juvenile Justice
This series deserves a watch simply for the brilliant performance of the lead actress, Kim Hye-soo. The much-acclaimed K-drama of 2022 is an intense legal drama following Sim Eun-seok (Kim), a judge with a particular dislike for juvenile criminals.
The problem arises when an elite, senior judge like her is appointed the head of a juvenile court. She handles sensitive and serious juvenile cases, keeping her personal distaste and bias aside. The series is an interesting watch with lots of legal drama.
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