Sometimes in life, you watch a Korean drama, and you just know that this is the one you will always come back to. 

I have been a K-drama fan for the past decade, and during this time, I have watched a lottttt of dramas. 

It was only in the past 5 years or so that I diligently started keeping up with the latest releases, and needless to say, this has been the most fruitful and enjoyable endeavour of my life. 

But some have stuck with me throughout the years, and these are the dramas I always turn to whenever I am in a drama drought, and they are the ones I will always recommend to people.

1. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

Whenever people talk about K-drama couples with undeniable chemistry, I think of Moon Young and Gang Tae because they’re the stuff you dream about.

Moon Young, in particular, is one of those very unique female leads that I essentially became obsessed with at one point, and trust me, if you watch this drama, you are going to totally understand.

Also See: Review of It’s Okay To Not Be Okay & Kdramas To Watch Next

2. You Are Beautiful

Have you ever watched a Korean drama and the OST becomes a part of you so much so you are literally almost always humming it, and it becomes the soundtrack to many events in your life?

I watched You Are Beautiful in my second year of junior secondary school, and to date, it is one of the best Korean dramas about a girl who pretends to be a boy, at least as far as I am concerned, and it is also the only Korean drama OST that still manages to make me cry.

Related: 8 Musical K-Dramas With Leads & Stories That Speak To The Heart

3. Bossam: Steal The Fate

I started this historical Korean drama on a whim while it was airing, and I picked it up in the 10th episode or so, but if I had known that this would become one of my best dramas of all time, I would have started it sooner.

This drama introduced me to one of my favourite Korean male actors to date (Jung Il Woo), and whenever I see an edit of him and Kwon Yu Ri even now, years later after watching, I still become a little teary.

You May Also Like: 35 Historical Korean Drama Recs That Will Take You Back In Time

4. Because This Is My First Life

I know that the cohabitation trope in Korean dramas is a deal-closer for many, but I didn’t have very high expectations for this drama because I hadn’t watched the male lead (Lee Min Ki) in anything, but as for the female lead (Jung So Min), I watched and loved Playful Kiss, so I gave this one a chance.

Now that I’m done watching it, I have to say that my favorite thing about this drama by far was the fact that the romance was sublime and introspective, and we got an ensemble cast that made me genuinely care for every single character.

5. Alchemy Of Souls

This drama probably needs no introduction, but I’ll say it anyway – Mu Deok and Jang Uk resurrected the slowly waning global buzz of Korean dramas.

Alchemy of Souls is different from everybody’s accounts because we’ve gotten fantasy dramas before, but there have been very few historical fantasy Korean dramas.

For those who righteously watch Wuxia and Xianxia Chinese dramas, everything Alchemy of Souls brought to the table was basically old news, but there’s a certain melodramatic element the Koreans bring to things that made this one stand out a lot.

6. Mother

I binged this entire drama in 2 days, and by the time I raised my head from my laptop, my eyes were bloodshot from crying like a maniac.

And to be very honest, I was also very shocked at my reaction to this drama because there’s a certain stage you get to when watching dramas that you almost feel as if you are immune to character theatrics, but this drama proved me wrong.

It follows a woman (Kang Soo Jin) who takes away a girl (Kim Hye Na) who is being abused by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, and while the authorities hunt them down, they bond in the sweetest way possible.

One thing I especially appreciated about this drama was how it was about the general idea of motherhood and how different persons in different situations with different backgrounds and personalities approached their roles as mothers.

7. My Dearest

If you can read this article, I’m going to assume you weren’t born this year, so that means you must have been alive last year, and if you are not a new Korean drama watcher, there is no way you could have existed on this earth without hearing about My Dearest.

Gil Chae and Jang Hyun’s love is what I think about when I think about romance that perseveres and endures and blooms no matter the situation, and with the amount of fame this drama got, it seems a lot of people agreed with me.

Also Check Out: 11 Swoony K-Dramas That Show The Beauty & Pain of First Love

8. Summer Strike

Summer Strike came to me at a point in my life where, cliché as it sounds, I was very burnt out and very lost about my next steps.

Like Yeo Reum, I really wanted to move to somewhere new and learn to breathe again, but while I couldn’t do this, watching her slowly learn more about herself warmed my spirit.

So since then, I haven’t travelled around the world or simply dropped everything and moved to somewhere completely new, but one thing I’ve learned after watching this drama is that I can find happiness in simple things.

Also See: 21 Small Town Korean Dramas Set Away From Seoul You Should Stream

9. Defendant

I know that this might not be the most memorable Korean thriller drama, but it stars one of my favourite Korean actors of all time (Ji Sung), and when I found it on an OTT, I just had to check it out, and I was amazed.

This drama is about Park Jung Woo, a man who wakes up in jail with no memories of how he got there, and he’s told that he killed his wife and his daughter.

Does this sound trailing? It probably does. Just know that this drama is absolutely bonkers, and you will totally love it just as much as I did.

10. My Perfect Stranger

Finally, My Perfect Stranger was released last year, and it had me in a total chokehold while it was airing – It was almost unbelievable how much I loved this time-travel thriller drama.

This time around, we have two time-travelling leads who, to prevent deaths in the future, go to the past to find the real serial killer.

Every bit of this drama is so perfect, and you will literally never believe that the female actress (Jin Ki Joo) is not a veteran actor. She’s so severely underrated, and I really need everyone to check out all her works, and first start with Come and Hug Me.

What is your all-time favorite drama that you will always watch? Let me know in the comment section below. I am always looking for new recommendations.

And make sure you check the related post because I have an obsession with all dramas, and I’m always recommending different stuff to different people, and this website is my ongoing brain rot.

Happy watching!