A North Korean soldier falls in love with a multi-millionaire businesswoman from South Korea. A son avenges the death of his father by building a food empire. A mother gets a second chance to settle things that she has left behind on Earth. A zombie apocalypse inches their way in ancient Korea.
These are narratives depicted in today’s trending Korean dramas on Netflix. Some of these include "Crash Landing On You" (CLOY), "Itaewon Class," "Hi Bye," "Mama" and "Kingdom."
Itaewon Class is a 2020 hit South Korean drama series that focuses on family, camaraderie and diversity – with Park Seo-joon as one of the lead characters. (Photo from soompi.com)
With the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, there’s been a surge on viewers in various streaming devices. In recent reports, streaming giant Netflix has placed caps on video quality in the Philippines for 30 days while still maintaining the quality of its service.
The rise in popularity of Korean dramas
It is without a doubt that the Philippines has been hit hard by the Korean Wave or Hallyu – a phenomenon that started in the early 2000s. It was the rise of Filipino-dubbed hit Korean dramas which include "Princess Hours," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Coffee Prince." In 2018, the Philippines had the biggest growth rate in terms of Hallyu fans in South East Asia.
To date, many Filipinos nationwide continue to love and appreciate the Korean culture through its drama series and music. Here are some avid Korean drama fans who shared some of their favorite Korean drama series. Check out some of these binge-worthy series on Netflix, Iflix or Viu.
The kilig factor
Mjane Francisco has always been a Korean drama enthusiast. According to her, she always go for the classic rom-com Korean dramas. “Top of my list are 'Princess Hours' and 'Sassy Girl,' 'Chun-Hyang' (Delightful Girl, Choon-Hyang),” Francisco said. She is also a fan of the contemporary series including, 'Something in the Rain' and the 'Reply Series' (1997, 1994 and 1988).
“What made me fall in love with these rom-com masterpieces is that high-school-kind-of-kilig-plots. I love how Korean dramas create stories and tie them into a concise 16-episode (to 20-episode) offering. Not only are the stories rich, you will also be treated with a carefully-chosen locations and sets that highlight the beauty of South Korea,” Francisco said.
"Princess Hours" is a 2006 South Korean drama series that stars Ju Ji-hoon and Yoon Eun-hye as lead characters. (Photo from koreaboo.com)
21-year-old Joleena Santiago is a huge Lee Jong-suk fan. She mostly watches Korean dramas within the romantic-comedy (rom-com) and romantic-drama genres. “Some of my favorite Korean dramas are 'Doctor Strange' because of how detailed the surgery scenes were portrayed in the drama. 'Chicago Typewriter' is also a very good series because of its unique and one-of-a-kind story. I also enjoyed watching 'Reply 1988' because of the characters and the storyline,” Santiago said.
An avid fan of Bae Suzy, Harvey Barrameda loves watching Korean dramas within the action and suspense genre, including "Lawless Lawyer" and "Criminal Minds." “I also enjoy watching rom-com Korean drama series like 'What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,' 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon,' 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo' and 'Fight For My Way,'” Barrameda said.
'Reply 1988' is a South Korean drama series that centers on family while narrating the stories of five teenagers. The series is led by Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo and Lee Dong-hwi. (Photo from annyeongoppa.com)
The compelling storyline
For Charm Dimaculangan, the Korean dramas that are on the top of her list include "Descendants of the Sun," "Goblin" and "Crash Landing On You." “'Descendants of the Sun' will always be special to me because it’s the first Korean drama that I watched and liked,” Dimaculangan said. According to her, one of the reasons why she got hooked with watching Korean dramas was because of its interesting plot, relatable characters and beautiful cinematography. “The official soundtrack of every Korean drama just gives you so much feels about the story. At the same time, the fashion trend in Korean dramas are also very appealing. A lot of Korean dramas also include some of everyone’s favorite oppas which makes watching these series even more enjoyable,” she added.
According to Kelsey Mallari, watching Korean dramas has been a source of hope amid tough times. “I started watching Korean dramas and becoming so invested in it after my college graduated. I was unemployed and depressed. Watching Korean dramas actually kept me afloat,” Mallari said. According to her, some of her favorite series include Master’s Sun and It’s Okay, That’s Love. “Both are well-thought-out series and all the pieces or elements of the drama are tied together seamlessly,” she said.
On the other hand, Louella Desiderio is a big Park Seo-joon fan. According to her, She Was Pretty is on the top of her list of favorite Korean dramas. “There are so many reasons why I absolutely love this series. First, it features eye candies Park Seo-joon and Choi Si-won. I also like the message the show wanted to get across on beauty, that being pretty is not just how you look outside but also on the inside,” Desiderio said. “In a country where plastic surgery is a booming business, it's refreshing to see that message in a drama.”
"Goblin" ("Guardian: The Lonely and Great God") is a fantasy drama that stars Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In-na and Yook Sung-jae. (Photo from korearookie.com)
22-year-old Chariz Ricasio shares that the "Legend of the Blue Sea," which stars Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun, is her favorite Korean drama. “It has a good story – the way the plot twist is happening. It’s also very diverse and it's really different from the other Korean dramas that I’ve watched,” Ricasio said.
For 26-year-old Mia Bautista the storytelling and chemistry of the actors in Korean dramas are the main reasons why she enjoys watching these series. “Storytelling in Korean dramas always offer something new and fresh but they don't forget to add familiar slice of life elements like family, relationships, career, and/or society. That's why, despite the difference in our culture to theirs, Filipinos can heavily relate,” Bautista said.
Bautista considers So Ji Sub as her ‘ultimate oppa’. The actor, along with Shin Min-ah, stars in one of her favorite Korean drama series which is "Oh My Venus." According to her, Joo Ji Hoon is her first oppa. The actor plays the role of the Crown Prince in both of her other favorite series which are "Princess Hours" ("Goong") and the contemporary series "Kingdom."
