10 Hottest K-Dramas to Watch on VIU
Ride the Korean wave with these top K-Dramas
Scroll through the internet for a minute, and you’ll surely spot one or more Korean hits on your feed. Whether it’s an idol fan cam response on Twitter or a teaser shared on Facebook, the Korean Wave AKA Hallyu, is getting harder to miss by the day.
Not surprisingly, Filipinos are among the top K-Pop fans worldwide; according to a Twitter tally, the Philippines ranked fourth in tweet volume and fifth by unique voices in 2020. And although some K-Dramas have been aired on national television since the early 2000s, more people are taking interest due to the rise of streaming platforms.
If you haven’t jumped in the bandwagon yet, it’s never too late to catch up. Hop on to Viu and check their wide catalog of Koreanovelas and films. Here are some that will get you hooked on the K-Craze!
Oh My Venus
Oh My Venus follows Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) as she tries to reclaim her former glory as Daegu’s Venus by working with Kim Young-ho (So Ji-sub), a professional trainer who returns to Korea to cool down after getting involved in a scandal in America.
More than the fitness sequences in this drama, this rom-com highlights the importance of inner health over physical beauty. If you feel like getting empowered and kilig at once, you’re in for a treat!
Coffee Prince
If you went crazy over the Goblin in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God or the fund-manager-turned-zombie-slayer in Train to Busan, you should also meet Han Gyul (Gong Yoo), the manager from the classic Coffee Prince!
To attract more female customers to the café, Han Gyul hires good-looking male employees. Enter Eun Chan (Yoon Eun-hye), a tomboyish woman who decides to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince. If you’re into caffeine, dreams and relationships, this series is for you!
Love in the Moonlight
Set in the Joseon Dynasty, Love in the Moonlight is a coming-of-age story about Crown Prince Lee Young (Park Bo-gum), who enjoys breaking away from his routine palace life, and eunuch Hong Ra-on (Kim Yoo-jung), who disguises as a man to work as a dating counselor.
Aside from its gender-bender theme, the plot also involves political scenes and fluff moments that are sure to make your heart wrench the more you watch.
Good Doctor
If you’re a fan of the American medical drama series The Good Doctor, you’ll be happy to know that it’s actually based on a Korean TV show.
The OG Good Doctor follows Park Si-on (Joo Won), a savant medical intern on the autism spectrum. Despite having impeccable memory and spatial skills suitable for a pediatric surgeon position, his atypical mental and emotional state induces conflict from his peers and patients. If you like your medical series with a hint of romance and lots of drama, be sure to add this to your list.
Reply 1988
Like the slice of life genre? Look no further than Reply 1988.
This crowd-favorite and youth-oriented show is the third installment of the Reply series, featuring a nostalgic 80s celebration of love, family and friendship among the people from a block in Ssangmundong.
You’ll grow to love the five neighborhood friends, Duk-sun (Lee Hye-ri), Jung-hwan (Ryoo Joon-yeol), Sun-woo (Ko Gyung-pyo), Dong-ryong (Lee Dong-hwi), Taek (Park Bo-gum) and their families as you carry on with the story!
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
For a light and fun watch, put Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo on! This sports drama follows Kim Bok-Joo (Lee Sung-Kyung), a student-athlete chasing her dreams of becoming a weightlifter while finding love with swimmer Jung Joon-Hyung (Nam Joo-Hyuk).
If you’re on the lookout for a mild enemies-to-lovers story with a mix of sports, passion and swag on the side, this coming-of-age series is something you can’t miss!
While You Were Sleeping
While You Were Sleeping is a tale of Nam Hong-Joo (Bae Suzy), Jung Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk) and Han Woo-Tak (Jung Hae-in), who can all see accidents that will take place through their dreams. Alarmed by these disastrous visions, the three get together to prevent those from coming true.
Intrigued? Get ready to binge this legal and fantasy drama and find out how they solve cases and save lives!
Hotel del Luna
Who says paranormal and romance don’t go together? In Hotel del Luna, Gu Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) is an MBA graduate who unexpectedly becomes the new manager of a supernatural hotel owned by Jang Man-Wol (IU). Old and shabby as the building may be, he settles in his new job and starts to learn about the mysteries and secrets behind the hotel and its owner.
True Beauty
True Beauty centers on the life of a high school student named Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young). Ever since she was little, she was perceived as ugly and was constantly bullied by her family and peers. One day, she starts watching makeup tutorials on the internet and becomes masterfully skilled at it. With a brand new look and a fresh start at a new school, everyone is suddenly heads over heels for her.
If you’re itching for a feel-good rom-com, then True Beauty should be on your watch list!
Mr. Queen
Jan Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk) is just your typical modern-day chef. One day, he finds himself transported to the Joseon era where he has swapped bodies with Queen Kim So-Yong (Shin Hye-sun). With a new body and identity, he meets the reigning monarch King Cheoljong (Kim Jung-hyun), who happens to be a kind and gentle soul. Struggling to get back home, he finds himself intertwined within the complications and secrets of the palace.
If you need a new series to watch with your partner, we highly recommend Mr. Queen for your next binge-watching session!
Catch the Korean Wave
The K-Drama scene is rich in captivating stories. It truly can be a struggle to choose which ones to watch. If any of these titles piqued your interest, catch them anytime, anywhere by downloading the Viu app and getting a subscription. Browse through the vast selection of Korean movies and series to get on with the K-Craze!
Enjoy hours of K-Drama streaming when you subscribe to a GoWATCH promo. Get additional data for videos for as low as ₱29/day and watch your next favorite show today!
