Last Updated: December 22, 2022, 07:30 IST
Here’s a list of 10 popular K-Dramas of 2022
While it is hard to pick just a few from the long list of one hit after another, here are the 10 dramas that captured the audience’s attention.
When Squid Game took over Netflix in 2021, no one thought 2022 would outdo the craze. But this year has proved to be one of the best for K-dramas. From teen-centric dramas that stole the internet at the start of the year, to tales that make you reflect, 2022 has been a grand ride. While it is hard to pick just a few from the long list of one hit after another, here are the 10 dramas that captured the audience’s attention:
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Meet the endearing attorney, Woo Young Woo, making her way to a major law firm. She might have an IQ of 164 and a photogenic memory but her highly visible autistic traits put her somewhat on a back paddle with the rest of the rookie attorneys. The soul-searching drama left the audience cheering for Young Woo with tears in their eyes.
All of Us Are Dead
No one does zombie flicks quite as well as South Korea. Imagine the worst place to be stuck during a zombie apocalypse? School might be the last location on your mind but this is exactly where this K-drama is set. When a high school becomes the ground zero for the zombie outbreak, a few students band together to make their survival possible. But it is not just zombies that are endangering them.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Set during the late ‘90s, when the IMF crisis crashed South Korea’s economy, the coming-of-age story centres around the dreams of high school students. As they navigate their lives and dreams, they learn to embrace the massive changes in society and what comes with growing up. A known tear-jerker, this K-drama left the audience mending their hearts for a long time.
The Sound Of Magic
Do you believe in magic? This musical k-drama forces the audience to relive their innocence that they have possibly forgotten. High schooler Yoon Ah-yi whose desperate situation has forced her to grow up too soon crosses paths with Ri-eul, a magician who still believes in magic. They take the audience on a heartwarming journey filled with beautifully choreographed music numbers.
Tomorrow
Grim reapers sure took a different turn this year. Instead of guiding people to the light, a team of three grim reapers are tasked to save lives. Tomorrow explored several sensitive topics from sexual abuse, to losing one’s child, even the stories of the Japanese comfort women all under the theme of suicide. It was one such drama that made the audience pause and wonder about all the intricacies of life.
Pachinko
Based on Min Jin Lee’s novel of the same name, this epic retelling takes the audience on a journey of a Korean family over one of the most turbulent times in East Asia’s history. It talked about the complicated history between Korea and Japan and what it meant for the people.
Thirty-Nine
This is one tear-jerking story about the lifelong friendships between three young women who are about to turn 40. Their friendship is put to the test when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness. They bring the audience on a journey of finding joy in small moments and supporting each other through the lowest of lows, as they embrace the pain of inevitable loss.
Little Women
This excellent Korean adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel of the same name explores the themes of struggles in quite a modern way. Set in modern-day South Korea, the audience is taken on a journey with the Oh sisters. Their mission? To take on Korea’s richest family. The storyline has the perfect mix of murder, fraud, and embezzlement.
Juvenile Justice
In another one of the procedural legal dramas, Sim Eun-seok, a newly appointed judge at a juvenile court takes the audience on a riveting journey. Sim is abundantly clear in her dislike for young offenders and believes the law must severely punish them. She comes across associate judge Cha Tae-joo who believes in second chances. The series asks the audience to decide whether the punishment that is delivered fits the crime.
Weak Hero Class 1
A physically weak high school student takes it upon himself to end the torment of his bullies. He harnesses the powers of Classical conditioning and Newton’s Laws of Motions. Park Ji-hoon is eventually joined by fellow students and outcasts Beom-Seok and Soo-ho. But when the tormented turns into the tormentor, how will Ji-hoon deal with the turn of events?
