KOREAN dramas (K-dramas) have taken the world by storm with its intriguing and intense plot twists. 2021 has been a year full of sweet and bitter treats for the fans. With the recent release of Squid Game, the industry continues to make waves. If you haven’t hopped on the K-drama train, now is the right time to do. Here are a list of K-dramas that you need to watch as we welcome 2022.
Hellbound
This drama is not for the weak-hearted. After the Squid Game craze, Hellbound is another Korean drama that has fans obsessed. The world is thrown into chaos when an angel of death appears to inform people that they will be dragged to hell at a predetermined time.
When the moment finally arrives, three demons from hell appear to take away the individual’s soul.
Amidst the chaos, a religious cult called The New Truth is formed. The voluntary religious organisation calls it divine retribution, using it to spread their agenda of raising a pure society.
However, a small group of people begins to fight back against the cult.
My Name
This drama screams women power! Directed by Kim Jin-min, My Name follows the story of a young lady named Yoon Ji-Woo who is desperate to seek vengeance after her father’s sudden death.
Ji-Woo – who works in a drug crime group – later puts her trust in the hands of her own boss, Choi Mu-Jin. To find her father’s murderer, she goes undercover as a police officer under her boss’s direction.
Assigned to the drug investigation unit, Ji-Woo works alongside Detective Jeon Pil-Do. Will Ji-Woo be able to find her father’s killer?
Taxi Driver
If you love crime-fighting shows, this is a must-watch series. This enthralling 16-episode drama centres on a group of employees in a premium taxi company called Rainbow Deluxe Taxi. However, this isn’t your typical taxi company, the company provides a ‘revenge-call’ service, where they seek revenge on behalf of their clients.
Led by Jang Sung-chul and Kim Do-gi, the team consists of a hacker and engineers. But, when a prosecutor gets involved and her cases get entangled with the group’s activities, she begins to learn about and understand the group’s vision. Meanwhile, Do-gi tries to figure the true definition of justice.
Vincenzo
If you love seeing Song Joong-ki on your screen, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this show.
After being adopted, Park Joo Hyeon moves to Italy at the age of eight to start his new life.
After becoming a lawyer, he gets employed as a consigliere for the Mafia, who calls him Vincenzo Cassano.
When the mafia groups go to war with each other, Vincenzo escapes to South Korea and gets involved with Hong Cha-Young, who is also an attorney, and who will do anything to win her case. Now back in his homeland, Vincenzo must try to achieve social justice in his own way.
Law School
Born into a poor family, Kang Sol is a first-year student at Hankuk University Law School who feels inferior to her wealthy and smart classmates.
She soon meets Han Joon-Hwi, a top student among the first-year students. Although he is an intelligent and handsome young man, he hides a dark secret.
When a professor’s death leads to chaos, Kang Sol and Joon-hwi find themselves caught up in an unusual case along with a criminal law professor, Kim Eun-Sook.
Now We Are Breaking Up
If you’re in the mood to watch a romantic series, Now We Are Breaking Up is a must-watch drama. Released on Nov 12, this drama focuses on Ha Young Eun, who works in one of the country’s top fashion companies as a team leader in the design department. She is the full package – beautiful, trendy and smart.
But, when it comes to relationships, she’s often described as cold-hearted, as she tends to prioritise stability over everything else. Things take an unexpected turn when she meets a popular freelance photographer named Yoon Jae Kook. When the two start falling for each other, will their story end with a happy ending – or heartbreak?
Beyond Evil
This award-nominated drama has become the talk of the town after its release. Beyond Evil follows two police officers as they try to solve a rash of serial murders. Once-capable detective Lee Dong-Sik is tasked with doing all the tedious jobs at Manyang Police Substation. Han Joo-Won, an elite officer who is also the son of a prominent police chief, is transferred to the small station and assigned to work with Dong-Sik.
Despite Joo-Won’s distinguished status, he harbours a dark secret.
When the two encounter a new series of murders that weirdly resemble a several serial-murder cases that took place 20 years ago, they must work together to answer the questions that surround the case.
Sweet Home
Sweet Home is another must-watch horror and thriller drama. Set in an antique apartment called Green Home, this series takes the thriller genre in a new direction. When Cha Hyun Soo moves in after a tragic incident, a mysterious worldwide event begins to take place where people start turning into monsters, and these supernatural creatures start making their way into his aprtment building.
While the plot focuses on supernatural villains and makes it seem like they are the main conflict, the Netflix Original series takes a detour and uses the monsters to depict an internal human conflict. Will the residents of Green Home be able to survive and fight these monsters?
The Uncanny Counter
Returning for a second season, The Uncanny Counter follows a team called Counter who track down evil spirits. The story begins when So Mun, who always gets bullied, is enlisted to become a member of Counter. Unbeknownst to him, his heroic journey is about to take off. Disguised as employees at a noodle restaurant, each member has their own special abilities and a story to tell. The group has to endure the tough challenge of hunting down and summoning evil spirits back to the spiritual realm.
Hi Bye Mama
Despite being dead for five years, Cha Yu Ri continues to stay by her daughter’s side to watch over her. When her daughter starts seeing her, Yu Ri is given the chance to reincarnate as a human being for 49 days. In order to stay alive, she has to reclaim her place in the family, otherwise she will die again. But, her mission is not as easy as she thinks it will be, especially when she finds out that her husband has remarried.
Get ready to laugh and cry as she takes you on a rollercoaster journey.
