I started watching Korean dramas and movies back when was in high school. Initially, I started watching Korean dramas because of the focus pure and innocent romance. But the romance trope seemed too cliche as I started watching more and more dramas. It always start with the male lead being an obnoxious jerk and the female being dumb enough to choose him over the caring second male lead (I think every Kdrama viewer has suffered from the second lead syndrome). So, I started looking for dramas with different kind of content and I found there are some good underrated ones. Following is my list of non-romance Korean dramas that I recommend people to watch:
1. Misaeng
Misaeng is an office drama that shows misadventures of Jang Gu Rae who used to be a promising baduk player and because of the cruelty of fate ends up working as an intern in an office environment. The struggle is real because Jang Gu Rae does not have any skills compared to his peers yet he uses his learnings from baduk and perseveres. The actors in the drama were too good and I ended up loving all the characters. I became a fan of Im Siwan, Kang Haneul and Kang Sora through this drama.
2. Signal
I almost didn’t watch this drama because of the fantasy element. Regardless, the drama was too good. Two cops from two different timelines are connected to each other through a walkie-talkie and they try to solve a series of cold case murders. The acting was brilliant and it made me wonder why I had never heard of Lee Je Hoon before this drama. I loved how the cinematography shows the transition from the past to the present. I wish there was a Season 2 for the drama.
3. Save Me
I don’t think a lot of people have heard about this drama. This drama gave me chills. The story is about a family who moves to a town and through a sequence of events ends up being involved in a cult. The leader of the cult has manipulated his followers into thinking that he is some kind of god. One of the notable things about the drama was the portrayal of character growth especially of the female lead. Also, I love Woo Do Hwan.
4. Sky Castle
The entire South Korea has watched this drama and it deserves all the hype. From excellent cast and characters to the storyline everything about this drama was perfect. It does show the ugly reality of the society and the problem that drama has tried to highlight in the drama exists in most of the Asian countries. It would be nice if people would learn from the drama and not be hell bent on pressuring students on their academics.
5. School 2013
School 2013 is arguably the best out of all the School series. There was no romance only bromance and I squealed really hard. The drama is about school life, grades and friendship and it’s relatable. Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin has the best bromance.
6. Solomon’s Perjury
This drama didn’t get much attention that it deserved. Based on the Japanese movie with the same name, the drama throws some light on bullying and depression. A group of school students decide to hold their own trial when one of the students died after falling from the school building. As the story progresses, the audience gets to learn more about the characters in depth.
I hope dramas like the ones I have mentioned above get more appreciation.
Hanguk Fan 