8 K-Dramas you need to add to your watch list in April 2022
It is no doubt that the K-Drama craze has caught on in India. Even Netflix India knows this and that’s why it asked Twitteratis on March 29, 2022, “Who’s your Oppa?” For the unversed, Oppa is a Korean term used by women to address an elder brother or an older male friend.
Seems like K-Pop band BTS’s Jungkook, K-Drama series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’s Kim Seon-ho, actor Lee Min-ho and Gong Yoo were the top picks of Desi Hallyu wave fans.
Who’s your Oppa? ?
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) March 29, 2022
In the latest K-Drama land craze, there have been some big recent releases and some upcoming releases that have fans marking their calendars.
So, here is our pick of 8 most-anticipated K-Drama series that have either recently been released or are set for release, ranked:
8. FORECASTING LOVE AND WEATHER
K-Dramas sure know how to make even the most mundane office space seem like a battlefield full of passion. Forecasting Love and Weather started streaming on Netflix in February 2022, and there are two more episodes left to be released. This fresh spin on office romance is set at a weather forecasting agency. When was the weather so interesting?
What roped in viewers is the hype created around the K-Drama and of course its two main leads. Park Min-young plays the role of Jin Ha-kyung. K-Drama fans would certainly know of the actor who’s starred in numerous hits including What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. Opposite Park is Song Kang who plays Lee Siu. Song Kang rose to fame with Love Alarm and Sweet Home then gave back-to-back hits in Nevertheless and Navillera.
These two actors are known for creating the best chemistry with their co-stars. But reviews of the show have not been the best. Hence, this K-Drama with its last two episodes yet to release on Netlfix, is ranked the last in our pick. But it is among the top 10 trending shows on Netflix.
7. THIRTY-NINE
Thirty-Nine is actor Son Ye-jin’s latest drama after the uber popular Crash Landing On You (remember the North Korea-South Korea romance?). The show talks about friendship between three women approaching their 40s and finding love on the way.
But this K-Drama is not for those looking for a typical drama watch filled with butterfly-inducing romance and crazy humour. Instead, Thirty-Nine is a tragic drama. If you are looking for a good cry, then this is for you.
Thirty-Nine has two more episodes left to go on Netflix.
6. MY LIBERATION NOTES
My Liberation Notes is actor Kim Ji-won’s newest drama after the documentary-style romantic drama Lovestruck in the City. Kim is known for several of her dramas; most notably, Arthdal Chronicles, Fight For My Way and Descendants of the Sun.
My Liberation Notes is set to start streaming on Netflix on April 9, 2022. The plot revolves around three siblings living in a village who want to break free from their mundane lives. When a stranger with a drinking problem arrives in the village, he brings some excitement to the lives of the three siblings. But not all is as hunky-dory as it appears. The drama combines an element of a thriller in it.
5. OUR BLUES
It seems like the season of rural romantic K-Dramas. After My Liberation Notes about siblings in a village, the latest drama Our Blues with an all-star ensemble cast also talks about rural romance. Speaking of stars, have you been missing Kim Woo-bin of The Heirs and Uncontrollably Fond?
Kim is set to make his first on-screen appearance with Our Blues since his hiatus and his struggle with nasopharyngeal cancer. He also has another Netflix drama project in the making called the Black Knight. What makes Our Blues further stand out in terms of casting is that it involves Kim Woo-bin's real-life partner Shin Min-a (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) too. But the drama doesn’t pair the two in a romantic relationship.
Other than Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-a, the drama stars Lee Byung-hun (who played the Front Man in Squid Game) who’s known for several critically-acclaimed movies and dramas and Han Ji-min (Miss Baek).
4. BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Kim Sejeong (Uncanny Counter and School 2017) and Ahn Hyo-seop (Abyss) star in this webtoon-based rom-com drama. The drama also has an interesting second lead couple starring Seol In-ah and Kim Min-Kyu. The drama started streaming on Netflix on February 28, 2022 and several episodes are yet to be released.
Business Proposal is your typical K-Drama about a rich chaebol falling in love with the daughter of a chicken shop owner. But the humour in between and the light-heartedness of the storyline makes the drama a good casual watch.
3. TOMORROW
Tomorrow is set for an April 1, 2022 release. The drama stars first generation Hallyu wave star Kim Hee-sun and Rowoon of K-Pop band SF9, who is among the recent breakout stars with dramas like Extraordinary You and King’s Affection.
Tomorrow tells the story of a young man who fails to get a good footing in the job market despite having fancy school accreditations. He meets two Angels of Death (one of them played by Kim Hee-sun), part of the underworld, who are tasked with preventing suicides. The drama is based on a webtoon and if you are looking for some supernatural fix, then this drama is for you.
2. TWENTY FIVE TWENTY ONE
This drama, which is among the Top 10 trending Netflix watch list, did soar to a different level of popularity when BTS member Jungkook shared a clip from it on his Instagram. Now, the legions of Jungkook fans are likely to be tuning into the drama just because their favourite idol watches it.
Twenty Five Twenty One starring Nam Joo-hyuk (Start-Up and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo) and Kim Tae-ri (The Handmaiden and Mr Sunshin), follows the romantic relationship between the two characters. Kim Tae-ri plays Na Hui-do, who is a teenager and a member of high school fencing team and Nam Joo-hyuk plays Baek Ijin, a regular young man.
This coming-of-age drama set in the 90s is a perfect watch if you are looking for some nostalgic shows.
1. PACHINKO
The number one on this list of most-anticipated K-Dramas is Pachinko, which started streaming on Apple TV Plus on March 25, 2022. The drama tells the tale of four generations of a Korean immigrant family taking place in Korea, Japan and the US. The show stars Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, Anna Sawai and others. Lee Min-ho is known for several of his K-Dramas, his last popular project being King: The Eternal Monarch.
The story is based on a 2017 novel. There are reports that the drama series could win an Emmy award.