My 5-Star K-drama Recommendations

I've been absent for a while - a combination of real life interruptions, as well as too much K-drama binge-watching. 

Back in September, Netflix announced that a whopping number of K-dramas (at least 15, by my count) would soon be leaving their platform so, for about six weeks, I burned the midnight oil to catch as many of them as I could before they were gone. If you'd told me before that it was possible to get burned out on K-dramas, I wouldn't have believed you, but I did need a recovery period after watching so many shows in so short a time! (However, it was clearly either a marketing stunt, or so many viewers did what I did and the numbers rose significantly enough that Netflix renegotiated with the distributors, as none of them ended up leaving the platform!)

Now that I've recovered from my binge, I'll start sharing new reviews, but for today I thought I'd share a list of my 5-star K-dramas. These are the shows I regularly dip back into, the ones I never wanted to end because I didn't want to leave their worlds, and the ones that really moved me emotionally. If you're looking for a starting point for your own K-drama journey, I don't think you can go wrong with these (in my opinion, at least!)

My 5-Star Choices

In the order that I discovered them:

Wow - that list is a lot shorter than I thought it would be!

Honourable Mentions

These are 4-stars that were borderline 5-star and only just missed being perfect:

Shows I would only recommend to my worst enemies

Finally these are the shows that left me cold and which I don't recommend, mostly because they were too slow-paced or because they hurt my feminist heart. If you loved any of these (and there are many viewers who do!) then my blog may not be the best place for you to look for recommendations.

This final category needs an honourable mention for Boys Over Flowers. This beloved classic was one of South Korea's earliest big break-out hits. I understand why it was such a huge hit, but it hasn't aged well. It's long, very slow, and has issues around consent and abuse - but it's also strangely addictive. I watched all 25 episodes - but if you choose to do the same, just know what you're letting yourself in for!

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