The 10 Most Underrated K-Dramas Of All Time

K-dramas, South Korean scripted television of any genre, are gaining in popularity worldwide without showing any signs of slowing down. But while shows like “Squid Game” and the chart-topping “Bloodhounds” are certainly deserving of their place in the spotlight, quite a few K-dramas stand overlooked and under-appreciated in their shadow. While these series might not get the international streaming success or buzz like their more prominent counterparts, they are worthy of being recognized as some of the best K-dramas ever. Like so much television programming that comes out of Korea, there are shows for every genre fan that go by without their time in the global sun.

Whether it’s shows on streaming services little known for K-drama content or stories that go against the expected norms, there are a variety of reasons why these series are overlooked. Fortunately, many are still available to international audiences who may have missed them upon their initial debuts. 

Here are the 10 most underrated K-dramas of all time, ready to finally be recognized as your new streaming obsession.

Past lives, liberation movements, and writer’s block collide in the semi-period piece K-drama “Chicago Typewriter.” The story is set across two periods, with the first being during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s, following three Korean resistance fighters trying to liberate their country. These three are reincarnated in the present-day as writer Han Se-joo (Yoo Ah-in), ghostwriter Yoo Jin-oh (Go Kyung-pyo), and Jeon Seol (Im Soo-jung), a fan of Se-joo’s. Reunited by destiny, these three men discover what exactly occurred between them in their past lives during more turbulent times.

There is a central mystery at the heart of “Chicago Typewriter,” one heavily informed by jealousy, ill-fated romance, and betrayal. Over its 16 episodes, the show steadily offers more clues and plot twists at a deliberate pace, paying off on those bigger questions richly in the series’ latter half. In doing so, the series seamlessly blends romance and action as it flits between its two time periods and the familiar faces populating both. Increasingly intriguing with every passing episode, “Chicago Typewriter” is a K-drama masterwork of the slow burn approach.

“Orange Is the New Black” notwithstanding, a prison doesn’t quite seem like the most obvious setting for a television comedy. The 2017 series “Prison Playbook” breaks the mold in that regard, starring Park Hae-soo as Kim Je-hyuk, a professional baseball player convicted of manslaughter after defending his sister from assault. One of the most prominent guard’s at Je-hyuk’s prison is Lee Joon-ho (Jung Kyung-ho), who played baseball with Je-hyuk in high school. Behind bars, Je-hyuk quickly gets to know the guards and his fellow inmates as he serves out his one-year prison sentence.

Though “Prison Playbook” was enormously popular with Korean audiences upon its cable television debut, it never quite gained the same level of acclaim and viewership overseas. This may be the premise of setting a comedy in a prison, but the show doesn’t downplay its emotional stakes or people involved in the story. “Prison Playbook” can be uproariously funny in one scene and utterly heartbreaking in the next, especially as it explores the nuances of its ensemble cast. An emotionally raw and darkly funny look at life in a South Korean adult detention center, “Prison Playbook” is a particularly well-rounded dramedy.

Several K-dramas, like “Melo Movie” and “Record of Youth,” involve young adults trying to make their way in the entertainment industry. The 2018 comedy “Welcome to Waikiki” offers its own twist on this premise, following three men with their own aspirations to work in entertainment while running a struggling guest house. The latest group of boarders that these three take in not only are at similar professional crossroads, but they shake up the trio’s personal lives. The second season follows the returning CEO Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung), who retains his dreams of becoming an actor while continuing to run the guest house.

Compared to its more serious counterparts, “Welcome to Waikiki” doesn’t seem to get as much international attention. But between all the screwball comedy, there is a surprising amount of heart to the show’s story and characters. Though the second season is, admittedly, not on par with its first, the core appeal is still there, even with an almost entirely new cast. Funny and not as preoccupied in dialing up the drama as similar K-dramas, “Welcome to Waikiki” is a light-hearted effective ensemble comedy.

The popular 2014 webtoon “Joseon Love Story: The Tale of Nokdu” by Hye Jin-yang was adapted into a live-action romantic comedy in 2019. Set during Korea’s classical Joseon period, the series has Jeon Nok-du (Jang Dong-yoon) out to discover why his family was attacked by assassins. Nok-du’s investigation has him infiltrate a remote village populated exclusively by women, with Nok-du disguised as a woman himself to gain access. Under his assumed identity Nok-du meets Dong Dong-joo (Kim So-hyun), a courtesan-in-training with her own secret vendetta against someone who targeted her family.

Despite its period piece setting and high narrative stakes, “The Tale of Nokdu” goes into wacky comedy often through its unique premise. Jang Dong-yoon shines as Nok-du tries to avoid suspicion posing as a woman, with his physical comedy skills laudable throughout the series. The central love is similarly well-executed, with Jang playing well off Kim So-hyun’s vengeful, yet clumsy Dong Dong-joo. Though period piece shows like “Mr. Queen” or “The King’s Affection” may get more of the spotlight, “The Tale of Nokdu” is well worth checking out too.

Many K-dramas star young and beautiful lead actors, often capturing the vibrancy of youth with perfect skin and teeth. The 2021 drama “Navillera” features a 70-year-old protagonist in Shim Deok-chul (Park In-hwan), a retiree who decides to fulfill his lifelong dream of learning ballet. At the local dance academy, Deok-chul meets Lee Chae-rok (Song Kang), a struggling 20-something dancer who contemplates leaving his own dreams of performing in fine arts. Fortunately, Deok-chul’s determination and unbridled passion for ballet not only inspires Lee Dam but those around Deok-chul who were initially skeptical of his post-career interests.

With its older protagonist, “Navillera” is often overlooked in favor of its flashier and more virile counterparts, but the show is beautifully serene. In pursuing his dreams, Deok-chul is able to connect with his family and friends like never before, all while inspiring younger generations, no matter what their individual passions are. Like those characters, you don’t have to have an interest in ballet or general dance to appreciate the slice-of-life qualities of this K-drama. Easygoing, yet deeply affecting and emotionally resonant, “Navillera” has a cross-demographic appeal like its dream-chasing protagonist.

Though Netflix has a library of impressive K-dramas, they certainly don’t hold a monopoly as an American streaming service with Korean television programming. The first Apple TV+ K-drama was a sci-fi thriller of mind-bending proportions: the overlooked “Dr. Brain.” The series has neuroscientist Sewon Koh (Lee Sun-kyun) use an experimental device allowing him to interface with brains of the deceased and view their memories. Sewon uses the device to investigate the mysterious deaths of his family, uncovering a conspiracy while having his sense of reality distorted by the flood of outside memories.

A lot of people probably don’t know that Apple TV+ has any original K-dramas –- and, no, though “Pachinko” is very good, it doesn’t quite count. True to its premise, “Dr. Brain” is a darkly surreal exploration of memory and existence as Sewon unravels the truth about his family. A second season was planned, though the untimely death of Lee Sun-kyun quietly shelved any chances of a follow-up. A psychological thriller in more ways than one, “Dr. Brain” is among Apple TV+’s more under-appreciated original series.

“Snowdrop,” Disney+’s first K-drama, was a controversial headache for all parties involved with its production and distribution. The show is set in 1987, amidst the widespread student protests throughout South Korea against the ruling military dictatorship at the time. Through the confusion, North Korean spy Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) takes shelter from South Korean authorities in a university dormitory. Soo-ho meets college student Eun Yeong-ro (Jisoo), who initially confuses him for a protester as a standoff between Soo-ho’s fellow spies and the authorities escalates.

In the lead-up to its premiere, “Snowdrop” endured an overwhelming amount of criticism over its historical inaccuracy, especially the presence of North Korean spies during the student protests. On its own merits, separate from the historical incidents and its real-life victims, “Snowdrop” is an engrossing K-drama with noticeably high production value. Predating fellow Blackpink member Lisa’s acting turn on “The White Lotus,” Jisoo stands out in her first major starring role. While it’s important to know and respect the real history behind “Snowdrop,” the show in itself is actually quite well-made.

Korea has excelled at producing cerebral crime procedurals for decades, with the genre taking off after 2003’s “Memories of Murder” by Bong Joon-ho. One of the finest in the television medium is 2022’s “Through the Darkness,” set in 1990s Seoul during the early days of criminal profiling. Song Ha-young (Kim Nam-gil) profiles serial killer behavior patterns, proving the new forensic science technique’s value to police against rampant murderers. This puts Ha-young on a collision course with several notorious killers, as well as facing heightened scrutiny for his then-revolutionary crime-solving methods.

With all the attention on similar shows like “Mindhunter” and “Luther,” one would think “Through the Darkness” would’ve attracted a lot more international buzz. After appearing in numerous light-hearted roles, Kim Nam-gil’s turn as the meticulous and methodical Ha-young is an impressive shift for the actor. The suspense and mounting tension are all paced perfectly as Ha-young explores and understands the twisted psyches of the subjects he studies. A tautly constructed thriller with stellar performances throughout, “Through the Darkness” is a must-watch for any psychological crime thriller fan.

Westerns isn’t one of the first genres one normally associates with K-dramas but one of the finest Western shows produced in recent years comes from Korea. 2023’s “Song of the Bandits” is set in Gando, a Chinese region near the Korean peninsula, which saw an influx of Korean refugees during the Japanese occupation of the country. Former Japanese soldier Lee Yoon (Kim Nam-gil) seeks atonement for injustices he committed in the military by defending these refugees from those that would prey on them. This leads to Lee becoming a wanted man, hunted by the Japanese military and local mercenaries, as Lee becomes involved with the Korean liberation movement.

“The Song of the Bandits” is Netflix’s best original Western, though woefully overlooked compared to other K-dramas on the platform. While providing the typical Western thrills, including gunfights and train robberies, it also features a conflict of revolutionary proportions. Kim Nam-gil delivers an excellent, nuanced performance as Lee Yoon, capturing the character as both a stoic gunslinger and a man seeking redemption. A unique take on the tried-and-true genre, “Song of the Bandits” definitely is worth checking out for Western and K-drama fans alike.

One genre that Korean cinema and television particularly excel at is horror, whether it be the medieval zombie epic “Kingdom” or the sinister ghost movie “Exhuma.” One horror series that never quite gained as much attention, despite being very well-made, is 2024’s “The Bequeathed.” After Yoon Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo) inherits her family’s burial ground, this begins a gruesome chain of events, including several murders. This spreads to the entire nearby community as a police investigation on the deaths and their connection to the burial ground uncovers ghastly secrets.

While not as overtly scary as a lot of other K-horror projects, “The Bequeathed” is still well worth checking out, especially for fans of the genre. More intent on building a compelling mystery and dialing up the suspense steadily, “The Bequeathed” moves at a deliberate pace, stacking its payoffs in the back half of the series. Audiences shouldn’t go in expecting the usual frights, at least right from jump, but more unsettling stakes that grow more disturbing as the show progresses. Though not as acclaimed or popular as other Netflix original K-dramas, “The Bequeathed” is a solid slow burn procedural that takes its time to overturn its cards.