2023 was a good year for K-dramas. A lot of great shows were released starring rookie actors and actresses, who are sure to make a comeback on screen soon. There were many webtoon adaptations that were highly praised, and there were sequels that surpassed their first seasons in viewership and applause.
But great K-dramas are timeless. Your favorite K-dramas that aired years ago probably still bring a tear to your eye or make you feel all giddy and warm. More than being hits, these K-dramas from 2023 are memorable for those who’ve watched them.
10. Strong Girl Namsoon
Who would’ve thought that Strong Girl Do Bong-soon’s cousin would get the spotlight in this K-drama? Strong Girl Nam-soon is probably among the most highly anticipated comedy K-dramas of 2023. After getting lost in Mongolia as a child, Gang Nam-soon was adopted by a couple of shepherds.
Nam-soon had unusual physical strength, just like her mother and grandmother. She grew curious about her origins and decided to learn Korean through TV. It turns out that Nam-soon is the daughter of Hwang Geum-ju, a wealthy, self-made businesswoman who comes from a family of physically strong women.
9. A Time Called You
If time travel was possible, but you had to do it in someone else’s body, would you do it? This is more than just a Freaky Friday situation. A Time Called You started with Jun-hee, who was grieving over her deceased boyfriend, then traveled back in time in the body of another girl named Min-ju.
But this series isn’t just about reliving what-ifs, and it gradually became a show that centered around preventing tragedies around its main cast despite a killer on the loose and selfishness threatening to ruin their friendships. Before you jump straight into watching this K-drama, know that there are themes of bullying and suicide in this series.
8. Queenmaker
Queenmaker is the best political K-drama to come out in 2023, and it’s all about South Korea’s conglomerates (chaebols). Despite its occasionally comedic undertones, it’s still a series about corruption and how the rich go above and beyond the law.
Hwang Do-hee, who came from a humble background, became an enabler of corruption by being a “fixer” for the Eunsung Group. She met Oh Kyung-sook, a human rights lawyer, who was leading a strike against the Eunsung Group. After a gruesome accident, Do-hee resigns out of guilt, bands together with Kyung-sook, and takes down the Eunsung Group. If you plan to watch this drama, you should know that there are graphic themes of sexual assault and suicide shown on screen.
7. See You in My 19th Life
There’s nothing worse than being forgotten by the love of your life—not just once, but in almost every life. See You in My 19th Life is a hit webtoon-turned-K-drama that made a lot of people cry. Nobody wants to be forgotten even after they’re gone, but this series does a double-down on that feeling.
The story follows a woman named Ban Ji-eun. She retains the memories of her 18 lives and can recognize the souls of people she connected with. The only problem is that only she remembers them, and none of them remember her.
6. Bloodhounds
If you need the power of friendship, corruption, drama, and action all in one, then Bloodhounds will be perfect for you. Gun-woo and Woo-jin’s friendship is just lovely to watch, despite the darkness that surrounds the two of them as they enter the debt collection industry.
Gun-woo would’ve been just a talented and successful boxer with parents from a humble background. But because his father lost his lawsuit, Gun-woo is now forced to work hard to keep his family afloat. All hell breaks loose when Smile Capital tricks Gun-woo’s mother into signing a contract, which entrenches her in further debt.
5. Sweet Home Season 2
Everybody loved the first season of Sweet Home, but all the buzz in 2023 was around Sweet Home 2. The new series had some characters rising from their graves, but not in the zombie-like way you’re currently imagining. Unlike the first season, the series went beyond the dingy apartment complex of Green Home.
The rest of the survivors from the first season, who’ve split since leaving Green Home, Dr. Lim is searching for a vaccine to end the apocalypse, and Hyun-soo willingly subjects himself to the strange doctor’s torturous experiments. Sweet Home 2 will make you wonder what truly makes a monster.
4. Daily Dose of Sunshine
The Daily Dose of Sunshine isn’t just among the best medical dramas of 2023. It’s arguably one of the best medical dramas of all time since it’s based on a webtoon written by a retired nurse named Lee Ra-ha, which blends her real-life experiences into her fictional work.
It’s a story about a nurse named Da-eun, who is transferred into the psychiatric unit of a hospital, and her experiences with her patients. Despite how heartwarming this drama is, there are graphic depictions of panic attacks and other mental health issues that might trigger you if you’re not in a good headspace.
3. My Perfect Stranger
If you want a binge-worthy drama with a satisfying ending, My Perfect Stranger is the mystery drama you’ll need to watch. The drama will take you back in time to 1987. Yoon-young travels back in time and is trying to prevent her parents’ marriage after seeing her mother’s life fall apart because of her father.
Hae-joon gets murdered in his current life and goes back to 1987 to prevent his own death. Hae-joon and Yoon-young meet, both time travelers who are trying to prevent tragedies that are about to happen.
2. Mask Girl
Needless to say, Mask Girl is a gritty series that will induce feminine rage in you. It’s a commentary about how the male gaze shapes women and how their dreams and ambitions are hampered because of patriarchal structures.
The story follows Kim Mo-mi, a young girl who wanted to be a dancer. She has talent, but Mo-mi doesn’t fit conventional Korean beauty standards. Without affirmation for her looks or support from those around her, Mo-mi grows up and secretly becomes a livestreamer who dances with a mask on and becomes popular.
1. Taxi Driver Season 2
Taxi Driver 2 is so good, it beat The Glory in South Korean ratings. Just when you think Kim Do-gi’s journey in the first season was already finished, the second season enters a new chapter that starts two years later from where the first season left off.
Rainbow Taxi offers “revenge calls” for those who have been severely mistreated and wronged. This vigilante justice saga continues, and many of its episodes have been inspired by some of the most controversial and real-life cases in South Korea.
(featured images: Netflix)
