My Love from The Star
Do Min-Joon (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) is an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago during the rule of the Joseon Dynasty. He has enhanced vision, hearing and speed. Because his human appearance doesn’t age, he has to change his identity often. At present he is a drop-dead gorgeous college professor, who is cold and clinical about humanity. He is also the neighbour of accident-prone actress Cheon Song-Yi. Despite his efforts to not get involved in her life, he gets dragged into it and soon their relationship goes from being strangers to something special.
1st shop of the Coffee Prince
This gender-bender romance, starring Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye, is one of the most popular shows. Choi Han-Kyul hires a woman, Go Eun-Chan, who he mistakenly assumes to be a man, to pose as his gay lover. Over the course of time Han-Kyul finds himself falling in love with Eun-Chan, without knowing that she is a girl. After much self-reflection, the man confesses his feelings in one of the most touching and romantic scenes ever, saying that he doesn’t care about Eun-Chan’s gender, because he loves the person.
Jewel in the Palace
Based on the true story of Jang-Geum, the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty, Jewel in the Palace is the story of an orphan girl who goes from being a helper in the kitchen to a physician at the king’s court, fighting social discrimination. Actress Lee Young Ae’s unforgettable performance is one of the major reasons behind the success of the show.
Kill me, Heal me
Cha Do Hyun, a man diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, enlists the help of a first-year psychiatry resident Oh Ri Jin to heal him by killing off each personality one by one.
My Secret Romance
Rich boy Cha Jin-Wook is a party animal who doesn’t believe in love or relationships. He meets Lee Yoo-Mi at a resort and after they spend the night together she leaves. The experience changes Jin-Wook and he becomes more responsible. Three years later they meet again when Yoo-Mi comes to work for his father’s company. They pretend not to know each other but cannot keep their attraction a secret. Their chemistry is what makes this show such a fun watch.
Good Doctor
A remake of the American series The Good Doctor, it is the story of an autistic savant who becomes a paediatric surgery resident at a hospital where he has to face hostility from many of his colleagues who see him as unreliable. But he also has help from friendly colleagues, one of whom he falls in love with.
The Heirs
Can the haves and the have-nots make a life together? The Heirs follows the lives of rich heirs as they deal with the burden of living up to the demands of running a business and finding love in the unlikeliest of places. The show’s leading pair is Kim Tan and Cha Eun-Sang, who meet in America and become friends before Tan’s fiancee makes Eun-Sang leave. Tan goes back to South Korea only to find out that Eun-Sang is the daughter of their housekeeper.
City Hunter
Lee Yoon-Sung (Lee Min-Ho), an IT expert, joins the National Communication Network Team at the Blue House to carry out revenge on some officials as per his adoptive father’s request. At the Blue House, he meets Kim Na-Na, who works as a bodyguard there, who eventually joins him in his plot for revenge. He falls in love despite being warned by his father against it.
Manhole
Bong Pil (Kim Jae-Joong) has been in love with Kang Soo-Jin (Uee) but Soo-Jin is going to be married off to a pharmacist in a week and Bong Pil can’t do anything about it. One day he falls into a manhole and travels through time and then tries to use it to prevent Soo-Jin’s marriage.
Goblin: The Lonely and Great God
Gong Yoo (Coffee Prince) stars as Kim Shin who was turned forcefully into a goblin 900 years ago and is looking for a human bride to break his curse. He finds his salvation in Ji Eun-Tak, the daughter of a pregnant woman he once saved from dying.
Dream High
If you liked Glee, you’ll love this too. Dream High is the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who want to make a name in the Korean music industry. They all learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses as they go through high school, fall in love, deal with jealousy and rivalry.
I’m not a Robot
Yoo Seung-Ho plays Kim Min-Kyu, a man who breaks out into rashes when he comes into contact with other human beings, so he spends his time in isolation or adopting extreme measures to keep them away. Jo Ji-Ah (Chae Soo-Bin) pretends to be an advanced robot that Seung-Ho’s character is supposed to test. Both start developing feelings for the other despite the fact that Min-Kyu believes that Ji-Ah is a robot and Ji-Ah can’t tell him the truth.
Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon
Do Bong-Soon was born with super-strength and while she is a sweet girl, she can’t seem to get a break with her childhood crush In Guk-doo, a police officer, who like girls more elegant than the clumsy Bong-Soon. While she tries to win him over, she lands a job as a bodyguard to the CEO of a gaming company, Ahn Min-hyuk, and finds herself torn between her infatuation with her childhood crush and growing feelings for her arrogant boss.
Boys Over Flowers
The infamous F4 boys have been winning fans around the world ever since the story about a gutsy girl from the wrong side of the tracks taming a wealthy and aloof guy at a rich people’s school hit the air. The Korean adaptation of the famous Japanese manga, Hana Yori Dango, became an instant success and made stars out of the young cast, especially the lead couple Ku Hye-Sun and Lee Min-Ho.
Descendants of The Sun
A captain of the special forces, Yoo Si-Jin (Song Joong-ki) falls for doctor Kang Mo-Yeon (Song Hye-Kyo). Despite a rocky start, where Mo-Yeon assumes Shi-Jin is part of a criminal gang, they start dating before their very different approaches towards life create a distance. The two meet again under stressful conditions when Mo-Yeon is sent to Uruk where Si-Jin is posted, and their love story takes off again.
Compiled by Manjis Kar
Which Korean television series would you recommend? Tell t2@abp.in
