Looking for Korean Family Dramas? Here’s the Best One to Watch!

When you think of K-dramas, the genre of romance may first come to your mind, quickly followed by comedy and crime. But while these three may be the pillars of this industry, there’s one very underrated genre of K-dramas that more people need to check out: Family K-dramas.

Exploring everything from familial relations to generational trauma through the different shades of humor, sentimentality, and even suspense, family K-dramas have got it all! If this has convinced you to give them a go, why not start with the top-rated title in the genre — So, which is the best Korean family drama out there?

Father is Strange is widely considered to be the best Korean family drama, with the highest votes on Imdb. It is praised for its comedic elements that highlight familial tension, parent-kids relationship, and more.

Byun Han-sul may not have the best life out there, but it was decent enough before it all gets turned upside down by the arrival of a celebrity who claims to be his son! Han-sul’s four children are totally shocked when their new “brother,” Joong-hee, who arrives at their doorstep, demanding that he stays with them.

Fans have loved this show because of how funny the interactions between the new family members are, especially as the normal siblings adjust to Joong-hee’s celebrity tantrums and popularity.

Not to mention, audiences were also hooked on because they wanted to figure out what exactly is Han-sul’s dark past that is connected to his so-called son, Jong-hee’s birth. We may not realize that our parents have lived a whole life before our arrival and this is a great sense to see them as individuals with dreams, hardships and experiences with failure, rather than just care takers.

This show got so popular, that they had to produce extra episodes just to satiate the audiences’ cravings!

If you’ve already watched Father is Strange or have finished watching it and want more K-dramas in the same genre, I’ve got you covered. Here’s my list of the top 10 best Korean family dramas — Let’s get into it!

I. Top Korean Family Dramas

1. Father is Strange

Since we’ve already covered Father is Strange in detail above, let’s watch the trailer and move on to nine other titles that are the best Korean family dramas that you should definitely binge!

My Father is Strange | 아버지가 이상해 [Trailer]

2. Revolutionary Sisters

Revolutionary Sisters is one of the best Korean family dramas because it covers a spectrum of genres like comedy, thriller, romance, etc, while depicting three sisters who are considered suspects in their mother’s murder case.

Even if you’re a K-drama veteran, there are some premises that just take you by surprise. Revolutionary sisters will be one of them! Being murder suspects is usually no laughing matter, but these three sisters will take you for a hilarious, heartwarming ride as they try to figure out who the real culprit is!

3. What’s With This Family?

What’s With This Family makes it as one of the top Korean family dramas because of its social commentary that follows a frustrated father who’s trying to keep his three children happy despite their selfish behavior.

Eldest daughter Kang-shim has vowed never to marry after her latest failed relationship, while middle child Kang-jae can’t seem to get over his “humble, poor origins” in spite of being a brilliant oncologist. Last but not least, youngest kid Dal-bong can’t seem to keep a job.

All widower Cha Soon-bong wants is for his kids to be content — but is there any hope for this family?

4. Reply 1988

Reply 1988 is one of the best Korean family dramas because it acts as a time capsule capturing the historical events of 1988 through the story of five friends and their families.

The Reply series are classics to begin with and it is general consensus that 1988 is the best among the three. It is known to give audiences an insight into the cultural happenings of important years in Korean history while personalizing the tales through its idiosyncratic characters. Can’t miss this for sure!

5. Father, I’ll Take Care of You

Father, I’ll Take Care of You is one of the top Korean family dramas because it explores the concept of “empty nests,” inversing the situation by depicting what happens when children return to stay with their retired parents.

As children grow up, they move out of the house and parents are often subjected to living alone or even in nursing homes. So in an adorable, quite comic, twist of events, it’s lovely to watch Father, I’ll Take Care of You, where the parents have to deal with their kids moving back together and the chaos it ensues.

6. Our Blues

Our Blues is one of the best Korean Family dramas because it explores the meaning of communities, found families, and emotional ecosystems through anthological stories of Jeju’s fictional residents.

Not only is the style of Our Blues unique, but looking at its theme of family is also a fresh approach. While some stories do concentrate on blood relations, it’s important to see how the whole town operates as a “family” as well, bringing in a new meaning to the term.

7. Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful is one of the top Korean Family dramas because it explores the everyday life of a multigenerational extended family.

There’s no way to summarize this show’s plot as (like real-life) as there are a lot of things going on across a set of grandparents, parents, children, uncles-aunts, cousins, etc. This is the most holistic view you’ll get of family politics with plenty of dramatic moments.  

PS:This show also has one of the earliest depictions of a gay couple in mainstream Korean media.

8. My Daughter, Seo Young

My Daughter, Seo Young is one of the top Korean family dramas as it focuses on how an absentee and negligible father tries to make up with his daughter when she grows up.

This is truly a bittersweet tale that will tug on your heartstrings, especially as you struggle to decide whether you empathize with the father (who’s definitely at fault) or support the daughter who wants nothing to do with a person who nearly ruined her life.

9. My Unfamiliar Family

My Unfamiliar Family is one of the best Korean Family dramas because it highlights how families drift apart as children start growing older — something that happens universally across cultures.

My Unfamiliar Family’s premise is perhaps the simplest and commonest among all on the list. However, by zeroing in on this phenomenon, it helps us see the situation with more clarity and answer, “how do we keep staying connected with our family in a healthy way?”  

10. Mystic Pop-Up Bar

Mystic Pop-Up Bar is one of the top Korean family dramas because of how it depicts found families through a supernatural and spiritual lens.

Weol-ju has to help a 100,000 souls gain fulfillment, lest something bad happens to her. Thankfully, she finds just the right man and teen to help her with the job!

I’ve kept this one for last because, at first glance, this won’t seem like it has anything to do with family drama. But trust me and watch it right till the end, you’ll understand just exactly why it’s on this list!