Is the Netflix subscription price worth it? These Korean dramas say “yes”
With a deluge of streaming services to choose from, how do you decide which ones to subscribe to? One easy way is to look at the offerings in their library. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, Starz, among others, have each developed a personality over time. We intuitively know what kind of content to expect when we sign up on a platform.
Netflix seems to have the most variety at any given point in time – plus a massive library you can endlessly browse. That said, what makes Netflix worth its subscription fee? We’re inclined to introduce you to the phenomenon that has gripped a lot of fangirls & fanboys: K-dramas.
Korean dramas are the South Korean entertainment industry’s gift to the world. Not only do they have strong cinematography, their storytelling is relentlessly heartfelt too. They also cover a gamut of genres, from apocalyptic zombie dramas to romance. K-dramas carry a unique brand of ambition, ideals, self-exploration, hijinks, and melodrama. Come for the story – stay for the feelings.
Vincenzo
Starring Song Joong-ki, Jeon Yeo-been, Ok Taec-yeon, Kim Yeo-jin, and Kwak Dong-yeon, Vincenzo follows the story of a mafia lawyer Vincenzo Cassano. Among other obstacles, he’s battling a big company called the Babel Corporation. We all know individuals & conglomerates aren’t equal competitors, but their battle of wits doesn’t go unnoticed.
Vincenzo kicks off on a dark note, then evolves into a comic thriller revenge drama soon. It’s not exactly punchy, but the dramatic pauses & pace have a charm of their own.
Crash Landing on You
Using a classic premise, Crash Landing on You is on every K-drama fan’s favorite list. Yoon Se-ri is a South Korean heiress who lands in North Korea as a result of a paragliding accident. She now has to deal with an army officer in North Korea.
Son Ye-jin & Hyun Bin make an amazing onscreen couple. Doting fans also call then #BinJin fondly. Crash Landing on You has everything that a modern fairy tale romance would be expected to have.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
WIth Kim Soo-hyun & Seo Ye-Jin in leaving roles, It’s Okay to Not be Okay is one of the most heartwarming Korean dramas out there. It follows the story of Gang-tae & his autistic brother Sang-tae. He has just left behind a nomadic lifestyle & started working at the OK Psychiatric hospital.
On the other end, we have Moon-young, a writer healing from her trauma. The empathetic portrayal of mental health & healing makes the show different from all others on this list.
In fact, Seo Ye-Jin herself found acting for the role cathartic, “Personifying the woman who found a way to heal the scars remaining from her past trauma, I also found a lot of personal healing. It was plenty difficult, but there was plenty of happiness too.”
Boys Over Flowers
No list on K-dramas would ever be complete without the wildly popular show based on the eponymous manga. It’s a typical clash of the two worlds: rich & poor people together in a school and all the tropes & cliches that follow such a story. Boys Over Flowers follows Jan-Di who has recently transferred to a new, elite school. But she isn’t having the best of time trying to co-exist with spoiled brats.
She soon becomes friends with them. Our teens are the best time to learn & evolve as human beings & to learn the significance of community. Viewers have a lot of feelings about the story after watching it, so be prepared to get emotionally riled up.
This coming-of-age romantic teen drama can easily win the viewer’s heart. A second season might be in the cards, too.
