5 most anticipated K-dramas to add to your watch list
The South Korean entertainment wave is arresting the world’s attention like never before. If you liked Oscar-winning film Parasite, or the critically-acclaimed Netflix original Squid Game or Amazon’s Minari, here is a list of 5 most anticipated K-dramas you can binge on this winter:
1. DR BRAIN
Dr Brain has made it to the lists of the most anticipated international TV shows that are streaming or will be releasing this winter. Dr. Brain is currently streaming on Apple TV Plus and is the first Korean language original on the platform. It is expected to be the next Squid Game.
Dr Brain stars Lee Sun-kyun, of Parasite fame as the titular character. It is a sci-fi mystery thriller where Lee Sun-Kyun, a genius neuroscientist, conducts brain syncs or navigates through the memories of the dead, to solve a family tragedy. Acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon of I Saw the Devil fame, helms the 6-episode series.
2. HELLBOUND
Pop culture fanatics will know of the South Korean cult classic Train to Busan. Remember the lead played by Gong Yoo, who also made a guest appearance on Squid Game as the Metro station slapping agent? The director of the zombie film, Yeon Sang-ho, is offering a new thriller and fantasy series, Hellbound. The supernatural and dystopain genre series follows the rise of a mysterious cult during a period when sinners are being dragged back to hell by demons. It will release on Netflix on November 19.
3. THE SILENT SEA
Speaking of South Korean actor Gong Yoo again (seriously the man is like Leonardo Di Caprio of the Hallyu wave), the star is back with an 8-episode series for the upcoming drama The Silent Sea. The sci-fi horror series set in a post-apocalyptic era will release on Netflix in December 2021.
The drama tells the story of a team assigned to retrieve a sample from a deserted research station on the Moon. The series also stars Heo Sung-tae, who played gangster Jang Deok-Su in Squid Game, and Lee Joon, who K-drama stans will know from the shows My Father is Strange and Gap Dong.
4. SNOWDROP
Not many Korean dramas are controversial, but this one is. Snowdrop marks the debut of K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK’s idol Ji Soo as the leading lady. It also boasts of a stellar cast from Jung Hae-In (While You Were Sleeping, One Spring Night, DP) as the leading man, to Yoo In-Na of Goblin fame.
Snowdrop ran into such controversy that some feared it would be cancelled altogether. The drama follows the story of a bunch of students in South Korea during the 1980s when the country was under dictatorship, and focuses on the romance of the leads. A mass movement led by student protests during the 80s for democratic reforms is what made the modern-day South Korea.
It will release on December 18 at 10.30 pm KST (7 pm IST) and Disney+ has plans to stream the episodes on its platform after the release.
5. NOW, WE ARE BREAKING UP
Song Hye-Kyo of the Descendants of the Sun fame is back in the K-drama scene after a two year hiatus. My Roommate is a Gumiho star Jang Ki-Yong takes on the role of the leading man. Now, We Are Breaking Up is the final role of Ki-Yong before he joins South Korea’s mandatory military service. The drama is your classic cushy romance. It is already airing on South Korea’s SBS network, and international viewers can catch the series on Rakuten Viki.