Favourite Korean Shows

[ravenmoon]

Okay, I never knew about this world and how vast it was until very recently.

I also found a lot of their stuff refreshing. Less convoluted drama, less violence, and a lot less sex, which I was both surprised at and very pleased, which also surprised me how pleased I was.

So, since I am also human, and all of you are as well, I can't imagine I'm the only one that got into Korean shows. What are some of your favourite?

I'll be frank, but I found Korean shows to be significantly better all round than their chinese and japanese counterparts. The live action chinsese/jap shows seemed really amateur for the most part, school play quality of acting, and often shallow scripts... while I sort of enjoyed a few, the Koreans were a lot more developed, felt a lot more genuine, far more impressed with their acting quality, script writing and plots too.

Also it was refreshing to see something nice enough that wasn't American or european.

Anyway, which were some of your favourites?

I quite liked Abyss, although I think i have actually enjoyed the romance ones a lot more, which surprised me considerably.

[Daedius]

None, cause I watch none?

Spam isn't allowed. Contribute to the discussion or don't post. Infracted.

[CrawlFromThePit]

Okay, I never knew about this world and how vast it was until very recently.

I also found a lot of their stuff refreshing. Less convoluted drama, less violence, and a lot less sex, which I was both surprised at and very pleased, which also surprised me how pleased I was.

So, sinc I am also human, and all of you are as well, I can't imagine I'm the only one that got into Korean shows. What are some of your favourite?

I'll be frank, but I found Korean shows to be significantly better all round than their chinese and japanese counterparts. The live action chinsese/jap shows seemed really amateur for the most part, school play quality of acting, and often shallow scripts... while I sort of enjoyed a few, the Koreans were a lot more developed, felt a lot more genuine, far more impressed with their acting quality, script writing and plots too.

Also it was refreshing to see something nice enough that wasn't American or european.

Anyway, which were some of your favourites?

I quite liked Abyss, although I think i have actually enjoyed the romance ones a lot more, which surprised me considerably.

I heard Hotel Del Luna is the big deal right now, but I haven't watched it, don't even know what it's about.

[ravenmoon]

I heard Hotel Del Luna is the big deal right now, but I haven't watched it, don't even know what it's about.

Is it on Netflix? I kinda need the subtitles sadly.

Watching Uncontrollably Fond and a few others at the moment.

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Uncontrollably Fond is another classic, it is one of the very enjoyable ones I have watched recently amongst a few others.

[CrawlFromThePit]

Is it on Netflix? I kinda need the subtitles sadly.

Watching Uncontrollably Fond and a few others at the moment.

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Uncontrollably Fond is another classic, it is one of the very enjoyable ones I have watched recently amongst a few others.

I don't even know lol, haven't been subbed to Netflix in a while, and even if I was, Netflix offers different stuff per country so many you can get it there and I can't or vice versa.

[Stefanus]

Check out "My Love from the Star (Korean drama)".

[Sorshen]

Their porn is ok

I thought it was banned over there, so I'm surprised to hear this industry exists at all.

Unless you're making a light-hearted joke, considering their pop industry and soap operas.

[JadedTauren]

Kingdom on Netflix, all time favorite though is Hyori's B&B

There's also IRIS albeit it's an old one.

[Sinaa]

I thought it was banned over there, so I'm surprised to hear this industry exists at all.

Unless you're making a light-hearted joke, considering their pop industry and soap operas.

They have something that they call "porn", but intercourse does not happen, it's just playing with camera angles.

My favorite show is Runningman! (there is also Goblin)

[ravenmoon]

Check out "My Love from the Star (Korean drama)".

Oh, I loved that too, that was really good and touching.


It's interesting, but i keep stumbling onto very interesting ones, it's like opening a whole new world I never knew existed that had some quality stuff that actually felt different and fresh.. it would shock you how similar a lot of U.S stuff is, and how much they stick to certain formats almost universally across the board for genres, only when you switch to another culture's works can you see. Sadly, most chinese and Japanese live action I've watched is just not good enough and often feels amateurish, even with some very good special fx and fighting choreography, the scripts way too simple, and makes you feel m ore like a school play or a theatre companies first shot at stuff. The korean ones are of much higher quality on average. (there are a 1 or 2 chinese ones I thought were actually good, and a couple more that I still watched all the way and enjoyed a lot even though they had much to improve on.

I'll add this, the music in the Korean shows is also a lot better across the board, whether, ballads, contemporary classical, theatrical. And I like that they are not as dramatic as the western one. The writers seem to actually be able to spin more realistic plots, even when they go over the top. Compare it to many US shows, where every opportunity to generate drama through events is taken. As if the writers revised scripts many times over to add drama to them for the sake of drama. i.e. pointless drama. Convoluting the show. It's a refreshing change, I cannot predict scenes half as well as I do for western shows.

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Kingdom on Netflix, all time favorite though is Hyori's B&B

There's also IRIS albeit it's an old one.

I don't think i've seen Kingdom yet, or IRIS... might check em out.

I really want to watch Heirs, it seems to be a top favourite on many top 10 google searches, but Netflix doesn't have it, and I need the subtitles.

[ravenmoon]

Just watched Shopaholic Louis - really enjoyed it.. it's funny, light paced, and with an innocent naivete that is so refreshing..

Korean shows have a beautiful simplicity to them, and from a western mindset, you don't always guess where they are going, and they surprise you with that direction.. which makes you ask the question, why do our shows always go in the same way to mmaximise certain negative qualities, across the board.


Anyway, fully recommend Shopaholic Louis.


I'm also watching the Liar and his Lover, also quite enjoyable. The actress has such an infectious smile, and comes of so sweetly - she really carries that show.


I do notice that i tend to go through the Korean shows faster than the chinese/taiwanese and Japanese shows. Some of the mindsets in the chinese shows are just downright wtf.. but these shows do give you an insight to the cultures of the nations, i didn't realise how different official chinese mindset is, but then knowing it is communist led, it makes me understand why we see their tv shows, which I'm sure the government has okayed because it depicts the way they think of and view themselves and shows all the good and impressive areas and things of their people and culture (as they view it), but sadly, I'm not that impressed, even though I have enjoyed some of their shows.. I think many women would find them quite offensive too.. and rightly so.

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Anyway, both the way they write htem out and act them is more compelling in the Korean shows than the other. Taiwanese, Phillippino and japanses live actions haven't been that impressive, the ones i've glanced or started watching. Chinese have been better though, some even good, but the chinese ones have better pictures and scenes, you can tell their equpment is more state of the art, but the scripting, plot and acting have a long way to go.

The Korean ones are far more convincing , allowing them to seem a lot more genuine.

Either way it is nice to see another culture. I suggest you watch them in the original language and read the subtitles for meaning. There is something you lose when you don't see a thing in its original language with the mannerisms and gestures that typify a culture, although you may not understand a word, there is a lot of meaning conveyed in tone, body language that fits much better when subtitles give the context you can undestand. It doens't fit to westernise it like the japanese transaltions do, although many of those are quite good these days tehy do suffer from exacty the same voice actors pretty much doing all the translated animes, after watching a few you notice, and though you are okay with the translation, at least the original makes it sound better.

Also the japanese seem to do anime a lot better than they do live action (of waht i've seen so far)

[ravenmoon]

I just started watching the Korean version of suits, and one of the good things about K-dramas is that no one is bitching about what race characters are, or changing x for y.. hehe.


Anyway her eare a few more of my faviourites:

• Pinnochio
• Lover alarm
• Rookie Historian
• My ID is Gangnam Beauty
• Cinderrella and the 4 Knights
• W- 2 Worlds Apart
• Doctor Stranger
• The Liar and His Lover
• Uncontrollably Fond
• Are You Human
• Shopaholic Louis
• My Love from the Star
• Beauty Inside - that started the craze
• Strong Girl Bong-Soon
• I am not a Robot

Chinese:

• Well Intended Love (chinese)
• Love o2o (chineses)
• King's Avatar

I have watched I think twice as much of those, but the above are my favourites, I really enjoyed every single one of htem, the Chinese ones not as much, they were a bit weird and quite long, but some were enjoyable enough to watch all the way.

I would recommend any of the list above

[Kyphael]

The one where contestants get hit in the groin!!!

Because there is nothing funnier, than watching someone get hit in the groin.

[PhantomAgony]

While not shows, they are Korean Movies. The ones I have seen have all been pretty great.

Train to Busan (Zombie Movie)
Pandora (Chernobyl type movie)
Tunnel (Tunnel collapse)

All are on Netflix. and I enjoyed them quite a bit

[Halicia]

Some more movies...

Dad for Rent
My Wife is a Gangster 3
Royal Tailor

(Chinese) Mr Six

[Stelio Kontos]

I don't really watch modern Asian shows, something about how they make many of their young male actors appear just puts me off. They look too boyish to take seriously as grown-ass men.

But I did like some Korean historical dramas back in the day, namely Taejo Wang Geon and Muinsidae (Age of Warriors). I especially liked Lee Deok-hwa's role in Age of Warriors.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I guess old boy is a classic. Not really into the dramas and the pop shit, they have some decent web comics though. Love Solo Leveling, sadly getting a hold of them via legit channels is still quite hard. Japan has certainly been opened up better in that regard .

[ravenmoon]

@Stelios Kontos , @PhantomAgony and @Haidaes is it just me or do you all find the acting in the K-dramas just a level above the other asian live action series? Across the board, they generally come across a lot more genuine, both acting and story plots - isit just me ? or they just feel more real, moreso than the Chinese ones, and certainly some western ones like CW shows and soap operas, this is despite some of the fantasy/supernatural themes of some and soapy feel to others.

[PhantomAgony]

Tbh, I havent really watched any Korean or Chinese series. Pretty much only the films I mentioned.