While it is common to watch the mainstream-approved K-dramas, which usually gets very popular, attracting a huge line of viewers, sometimes we run out of knowledge of good Korean shows. While this year many people have entered into the world of K-dramas, most of them have watched just the popular shows like Vincenzo, Squid Game and Penthouse. It’s not always possible to know about every single shows out in Korea, especially for the international fans, who tend to overlook deserving K-dramas just because they aren’t very hyped. If you are one of them, who have watched almost all the popular Korean dramas this year, it’s now time you should dive deeper into the ocean and discover some underrated gems. Here is a list of the top ten underrated Korean dramas of 2021 that you might have missed but shouldn’t have.
10. Mine
Screenwriter: Baek Mi Kyung
Director: Lee Na Jung
Starring: Lee Bo Young, Kim Seo Hyung, Ok Ja Yeon, Lee Hyun Wook, N, Jung Yi Seo
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Netflix
‘Mine’ is a woman-centred K-drama that revolves around two ambitious married women, trying to find their true selves. Seo Hee Soo is a former actress, who has given up her previous life in order to marry into a rich family, presently trying to adjust to being the best daughter-in-law. On the other hand, Jung Seo Hyun is an elegant, intelligent, and rational woman and also a daughter-in-law of the same family. The series showcases the women determined to free themselves from the world’s prejudices, giving us a glimpse of the seemingly perfect lives of wealthy people. The plotline is nothing new, however, it’s the characters who nails it. Strong but sensitive women having their own share of low moments and weaknesses owing to the abusive environment brings the drama very close to the real world.
9. Run On
Director: Lee Jae Hoon
Screenwriter: Park Shi Hyun
Starring: Im Shi Wan, Shin Se Kyung, Choi Soo Young, Kang Tae Oh, Park Young Gyu, Cha Hwa Yun
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Netflix
Run On isn’t a race, it is a beautiful journey! The story revolves around four different individuals with different life mottos, during their journey of self-discovery. While Ki Sun Gyeom is a former sprinter on the national team, who had to retire owing to some legal reasons, Oh Mi Joo is a translator for movies. Just when Ki Sun Gyeom loses his dream career in sprinting, he encounters Oh Mi Joo, assuming that fate has brought them together at the perfect time.
On the other hand, although Seo Dan Ah is the president of a sports agency as well as the lawful successor to the company, she is impeded from advancing due to her gender. She is ambitious and works hard to reclaim her possessions. She soon meets a university art student, Lee Young Hwa, who loves drawing and watching movies. ‘Run On’ is a slice-of-life series with a slow-paced but engaging storyline. In the series, the writer has also commented on the hierarchy system of our society, misogyny, bullying and assault.
8. So I Married an Anti-fan
Screenwriter: Kim Eun Jung, Nam Ji Yeon
Director: Kang Cheol Woo
Starring: Choi Tae Joon, Choi Soo Young, Hwang Chan Sung, Han Ji An, Kim Min Kyu, Kim Min Kyo
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Viki
After a delayed release, ‘So I Married an Anti-fan’ was broadcast in 2021 and went on to become one of the most light-hearted, fun-to-watch K-Dramas of 2021. The story follows a top celebrity named Hoo Joon and a magazine reporter named Geun Young who crosses paths with each other at a club’s opening night. After Young sees Joon’s violent and unruly behaviour and ends up vomitting on him, she is fired from her job and assumes it to happen because of Hoo Joon.
Furious Geun Young tries to get back at him by visiting his management office, after which she is labelled as an anti-fan by his fans on social media. This attracts the attention of a producer who approaches her for being a contestant in a reality TV series where a celebrity is asked to live with their anti-fan. She accepts the offer in no time only to come to know that the celebrity she has been paired with is none other than Hoo Joon. The shooting begins and both Young and Joon try to make living difficult for each other, not realising that they are falling for each other in the process.
7. Monthly Magazine Home
Director: Lee Chang Min
Screenwriter: Myung Soo Hyun
Starring: Kim Ji Suk, Jung So Min, Jung Gun Joo, Kim Won Hae, Chae Jung An, Ahn Chang Hwan
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Viki
The show follows an editor named Na Young Won at the monthly magazine, ‘Monthly House’ who, in spite of being very successful in her field, lives in a rented house alone. She makes adjustments in her house as she sees fit but never spends a lot of time in making it beyond sub-par. However, when Yoo Ja Sung, the CEO of the magazine, buys the house where she has been living, Yoo Ja Sung realises that keeping her newly-appointed fussy landlord is far more difficult than she had thought. Yoo Ja Sung is determined to flip his fortune with real estate investment after living a life full of poverty and hard work.
Although living with each other was initially an unpleasant experience, their attitudes toward each other, as well as the real estate market, begin to change after a while. The series, ‘Monthly Magazine Home’ narrates the stories of the editors through this exclusive magazine.
6. Imitation
Screenwriter: Kim Min Jung, Choi Sun Young
Starring: Lee Jun Young, Jeong Ji So, Park Ji Yeon, Jeong Yun Ho, Kim Min Seo, Im Na Young,
Total number of Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Viki
This is a musical rom-com inspired by a webtoon by Park Kyung Ran, named the same as the series. The story revolves around the life of K-pop idols— Kwon Ryok and Lee Ma Ha. While Kwon Ryok is a member of a popular boy group of South Korea named ‘Shax,’ Lee Ma Ha is a former member of ‘Omega III’. The group disbanded on the same day of its debut because of a shocking incident, leaving Ma Ha by herself to support her life. So, when she gets an opportunity to be on the stage as an impersonator of a famous solo artist, she cannot let go of it.
Although they don’t like each other in the beginning, repeated close encounters with Kwon Ryok paves way for them to fall in love with each other. However, dating in the entertainment industry can be really risky as they are bound to suffer a downfall when it gets exposed to the public.
Read: Most Popular K-Pop Survival Shows That Are Worth-Watching
5. Youth of May
Director: Song Min Yeop
Screenwriter: Lee Kang
Starring: Lee Do Hyun, Go Min Si, Lee Sang Yi, Geum Sae Rok, Oh Man Suk, Uhm Hyo Sub
Total Number of Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Viki
‘Youth of May’ has been set during the 1980s when Gwangju was heated with the cries for democracy. It is an old-school and innocent love story of two individuals, Hee Tae and Myung Hee, blended with a political and social backdrop. Kim Myeong-hee is a nurse who wants to attain higher studies in Germany but is facing financial issues. When her best friend, Lee Soo-ryeon asks her to meet Hwang Hee-tae, as her replacement to a blind date, promising to lend her the remaining money, she agrees to it. On the other hand, Hee-tae, a medical student, decides to go for the blind date in order to fulfil his father’s orders. However, the two of them unexpectedly fall in love, not knowing what fate has planned for them. Their love is pushed to great limits, entangled within the future of Korea.
4. The Witch’s Diner
Director: So Jae Hyun, Lee Soo Hyun
Screenwriter: Lee Young Sook
Starring: Song Ji Hyo, Nam Ji Hyun, Chae Jong Hyeop, Yoon Da Young, Son Kwang Eop, Ha Do Gwon
Total Number of Episodes: 8
Where to Watch: Viki, We TV
It is an urban fantasy series that centres on the mysterious ways of contemporary witchcraft. The story follows people who are desperate of having their wishes granted and the owner of a witch-cum-masterchef, Jo Hee Ra, who has been alive for uncountable years, after suffering a tragic fate. As the customers make a wish at the mysterious restaurant, Jo Hee Ra prepares a magical unique dish as per the wish and offers them to eat. Although eating the special dish fulfils their wishes, they need to pay a price for it. This K-drama has a perfect blend of supernatural elements, mystery, dark arts with romance and slice of life.
3. Taxi Driver
Screenwriter: Oh Sang Ho, Lee Ji Hyun
Director: Park Joon Woo
Starring: Esom, Lee Je Hoon, Kim Eui Sung, Jang Hyuk Jin, Pyo Ye Jin, Cha Ji Yeon
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Viki, Prime Video
After losing his mother at the hands of a serial killer, Do Gi starts working as a taxi driver of a special company named ‘Rainbow Taxi’ which is a secret organization aiming at punishing those culprits who have been left unpunished from the court of law. On the other hand, an investigating prosecutor named Ha Na doesn’t like Do Gi’s illegal approach to deal with the cases but admires the way he provides justice to the needy even though she cannot. The show is extremely compelling, poignant, dark and violent and something you cannot afford to lose.
2. Navillera
Director: Han Dong Hwa
Screenwriter: Lee Eun Mi
Starring: Park In Hwan, Song Kang, Hong Seung Hee, Na Moon Hee, Kim Tae Hoon, Yoon Ji Hye
Number of Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Netflix
Navillera is about an unusual friendship between a seventy-year-old man, Shim Deok-chul and a young ballet dancer, Lee Chae-rok who crosses paths unexpectedly but ends up being an important part of one another’s lives. Shim Deok-chul, after watching the last few empty days of his longtime best friend who hasn’t been able to live up to his life’s expectations, takes a strong decision to fulfil his lifetime dream of performing on the stage as a ballet dancer for once. Despite his interest in ballet, he had to give it up at different stages of his life for different reasons. However, neither does his wife nor his children support his decision but Deok-chul stands firm.
He meets a 23-year-old ballet dancer, Lee Chae-rok who has been living a hard life ever since his mother died. Although he starts doing ballet quite late, he immediately catches up with everyone owing to his exceptional talent. Lee Chae-rok is asked to help Shim Deok-chul learn ballet while the latter takes care of him as a manager. This K-drama delivers several life lessons that one needs in day-to-day life including the importance of family and the determination one should have to fulfil their dreams, despite the social obstacles.
1. Mad for Each Other
Director: Lee Tae Gon
Screenwriter: Ah Kyung
Starring: Oh Yeon Seo, Jung Woo, Lee Soo Hyun, Ahn Woo Yeon, Kim Nam Hee, Baek Ji Won
Total Number of Episodes: 13
Where to Watch: Netflix
The story follows a man and a woman living as next-door neighbours to each other, going through a crazy phase in their lives. On one hand, No Hwi Oh, who has been working as a detective in the violent crimes section, realises that he is getting crazy, acquiring major anger issues and isn’t been able to control his temper. Meanwhile, the sophisticated-looking ordinary woman called Lee Min Kyung has been caught up in her own hallucinations and compulsions, losing her ability to trust people which ultimately makes those around her, uncomfortable and annoyed.
Coincidentally, both No Hwi Oh and Lee Min Kyung start seeing a common psychiatric and are bound to cross paths with each other repeatedly. The two broken people fall in love with each other as they undergo the tangled process of hurting and healing together. The show has perfectly portrayed the concept of mental illness and the way the main leads deal with the trauma.
Read: Best Action Korean Movies To Watch On Netflix If You’re Bored With Rom-Coms
