It’s a star-studded September when it comes to Korean dramas, with some well-known names coming to your favourite device or TV screen. There’s Korea’s first actress to win a Cannes acting award (Jeon Do-yeon), a few Blue Dragon Film Awards winners, and two faces that will be instantly recognisable by fans of K-pop. These shows are perfect for weekends and late-night binging:
Lost
When: Now streaming on iQiyi, with new episodes premiering every Saturday and Sunday at 9.30pm
If you love: Relatable dramas about second chances
Bu-jeong (played by Jeon Do-yeon) is a middle-aged woman who has accomplished nothing. Feeling like a failure, she goes through phases of emotional breakdowns in her pursuit of success and happiness. Kang-jae (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), who’s 13 years younger, is facing a similar problem. Constantly feeling worthless, he thinks he has hit a dead end in life and is afraid of what’s to come. Together, they find a way to heal their personal heartbreaks and fight their inner demons. With life seldom going according to plan, this series explores how we each find our way when we’re lost.
High Class
When: Now streaming on iQiyi, with new episodes every Tuesday and Wednesday at 12pm—you can also follow it via Astro K-Plus (Astro GO Ch 396 HD)
Watch if you love: Suspenseful stories about dangerous lies and high society, such as Sky Castle
The uberwealthy women of South Korea are expected to be proper and polished. However, behind all that wealth hides secrets, lies, mysteries, and hypocrisy. Cho Yeo-jeong plays Song Yeo-wool, a lawyer who is framed for killing her husband and loses everything overnight. Unexpectedly, the truth and answers she seeks may be found at her son’s ultra-luxurious new school located on an island paradise. There, she encounters rumours and judgment from the elite; a woman who is supposedly her husband’s mistress; as well as deception and tribulation of the richest.
Yumi’s Cells
When: From 17 September, with new episodes every Friday and Saturday at 10.50pm
Watch if you love: Charming office romances—or K-pop heartthrobs
Adapted from the eponymous webtoon, Yumi’s Cells is a K-drama starring Kim Go-Eun as Yumi, an ordinary office worker. The series is narrated by her brain cells—after a major heartbreak, Yumi’s cells try to heal from the emotional and physical trauma it has caused her, but she has no clue this is going on. Her cells—love cells, to be more specific—work hard to ensure Yumi falls in love again; this time, perhaps, with her colleague Goo Wong (played by Ahn Bo-hyun). Will the efforts of her subconscious and autonomic nervous system be enough to carry a heavy heart? Got7’s Jinyoung and Shinee’s Minho also have roles in this heartwarming series!
Squid Game
When: From 17 September on Netflix
If you love: Thrillers set in terrifying dystopias
Winning 45.6 billion won (around 162 million ringgit) is anything but child’s play. When an innocent children’s game played in neighbourhood alleyways becomes a fight for survival, how far will the 456 participants go? The stakes are high as they face early disqualification—death. This thrilling series depicts societal pandemonium and a nuanced sense of humanity amidst an uncertain future. Do you dare to play watch?
That’s not all, as here’s a bonus movie to check out if you’re in the mood for love:
Waiting For Rain
When: Now showing on iQiyi
If you love: Romance
Kang Ha-neul seems to be a jack of all trades—effortlessly portraying every character brilliantly, including the expressive Hwang Yong-sik in When the Camellia Blooms. In Waiting For Rain he plays Young-ho, who has failed the college entrance exam three times and tries desperately to pass. Serendipity strikes when he remembers his elementary school classmate So-hee (played by Chun Woo-hee), whom he hasn’t seen for years. They begin to exchange letters and find a spark, but there’s a catch: She wants him to never request to meet or visit her. After much persuasion, she gives in and they agree to meet on New Year’s Eve. This is the moment he has been waiting for, but will she show up or will their letters turn into nothing but ashes?
For August’s K-Drama guide, click here
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