Want to watch a Kdrama but don’t know where to start? I know. I know. There are so many Kdrama’s available to watch now that it’s staggering. Almost every major streaming service has a bunch of them (and if they don’t they probably need to catch up). Once I realized just how many shows are available, I quickly became overwhelmed. But – having worked as a Systems Engineer for much of my career, I knew I could tackle it. As a result, I have some advice and tips for the Kdrama newbie.
My tips for the Kdrama newbie
I like to keep things organized so I started by developing a simple spreadsheet to keep track of shows. The spreadsheet includes the names, main actors, writer, production company, year of issue and IMDB rating. As I wrote in Looking for Something to Watch, I planned to start with shows that that are highly rated. IMDB is a great source as it includes ratings, where you might be able to watch a drama, and other productions an actor, writer or director has been involved in. Netflix can also be helpful as it indicates when a show is highly rated or has been re-watched by viewers. Searches through other websites and YouTube videos can uncover things like the top 15 romantic Kdramas, or the most watch Kdramas of 2022.
Your Kdrama Preference
Do you like romance, criminal procedurals, medical, period pieces, fantasy, futuristic or some combination of any of the above (which Kdramas are really good at doing)? Start with something you like and search for shows like it. This is how I found the office romance dramas: What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, and Business Proposal. Do you like a particular actor/actress? After watching The King: Eternal Monarch, I went down the Lee Min-ho rabbit hole to view Boys Over Flowers, Legend of the Blue Sea and Pachinko. I also watched Woo Do-hwan in My Country: The New Age (boy can he do everything- act (duh), sword fighting, horseback riding, get stabbed – like a lot), Devine Fury and Bloodhounds.
As I discovered shows, if they were included with a streaming service I subscribe to, I began saving them in my watch list on that service so that I wouldn’t have to search for them again. I knew that if I put a show in my watch list, then I had done a little homework on it and wanted to watch at some point. Sadly, I discovered shows (like the highly rated Goblin and Lee Min-ho’s City Hunter) were not available on one of my streaming services. To watch dramas I couldn’t find, I finally bit the bullet and got a Rakuten Viki Subscription that has proven its worth.
Kdrama on Streaming Services
Which services, you may ask, have the best Kdrama content? Netflix not only has some of the best content from Korean television but also has its own Netflix developed Kdramas. This has been helped along by the popularity of shows such as Squid Game and The Glory. In 2023, the company announced a $2.5 billion (yes, billion) investment in Korean content. I’m no expert, but that seems like a lot. Hooray for us viewers!
There are shows that are not available in the US market, but Rakuten Viki is available, as well as getting a different VPN. Prime Video has the second most content behind Netflix and includes some original content but not as many of the highly rated Kdramas. Still, it is worth a look. Hulu comes next with a small amount of Kdramas in partnership with Rakuten Viki. Disney (who owns a share in Hulu), is investing in its own Korean show content. Apple TV has Pachinko. I suspect that in the future, more Korean content with be available there as well. Max (formerly known as HBOMax), doesn’t carry Kdrama content at this time. Likewise, I only found a limited amount on Paramount Plus. This is not a full list of streaming providers carrying Kdramas but happens to be the ones I sorted through.
Starting with these tips for the Kdrama newbie, finding a Kdrama to watch has never been easier. So what are you waiting for?
