Since late 2021, Disney+ has added a slew of Korean content for their growing audience—ranging from slow-burn romance dramas to intense thrillers (there are K-pop films and documentaries, too, BTW). These are exclusively available on the platform and more series are coming our way this year such as Call It Love (starring Lee Sung Kyung, Kim Young Kwang, and Sung Joon), Ask The Stars (led by Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho), and Moving (featuring Ryu Sung Ryong, Jo In Sung, and Han Hyo Joo)!
While we wait for them, we've listed down the best Disney+ Original Korean dramas that you should watch right now:
1. Connect
The cast: Jung Hae In, Go Kyung Pyo, Kim Hye Joon
See Hae In as an immortal with a missing eye in this Disney+ series based on the webtoon of the same name, which is also directed by Japanese horror master Takashi Miike. The actor plays Connect Dong Soo (the word "Connect" has something to do with the race he's part of), a man who got kidnapped by organ hunters.
After waking up on an operating table and escaping with only one eye, he found out that the other was transplanted to a serial killer. Through the murderer's POV, Dong Soo is able to see how he slaughters his victims and turns them into artistic sculptures.
2. Big Mouth
The cast: Lee Jong Suk, Girls' Generation's Yoona
Park Chang Ho (Jong Suk) is a third-rate lawyer known as "Big Mouth" among his colleagues. That's because he's all talk and only has a 10 percent success rate in the cases he handles. Chang Ho's monicker (and life) changes overnight after he got in charge of a murder case and he's now "Big Mouse," a genius con artist.
In order to protect his family whom he loves the most, Chang Ho must reveal a huge scheme that's connected to the upper class no matter what it takes. For his comeback role in Big Mouth, Jong Suk won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards!
3. The Golden Spoon
The cast: BTOB's Sungjae, DIA's Jung Chaeyeon, Lee Jong Won, Yeonwoo
In this webtoon-adapted K-drama, we get a different rags-to-riches story where the main character becomes wealthy in a snap. With the help of a mysterious golden spoon, of course! Lee Seung Chun (Sungjae) is an intelligent student from a poor family.
One day, he was given the chance to swap lives with his privileged friend and just like that, his life turns around. But as we all know, surreal things like this require the hardest decisions to make—like whether he should go back to his true parents.
4. Soundtrack #1
The cast: Han So Hee, Park Hyung Sik
If 16-episode K-dramas are not your cup of tea, then you'll definitely love this. Soundtrack #1 is a musical romance series that tells the story of Han Sun Woo (Hyung Sik) and Lee Eun Soo (So Hee) who are best friends for 20 years. They're total opposites—with Sun Woo being a man of few words while Eun Soo is really outspoken—but this actually makes them the perfect fit.
When they started living under one roof, the two soon realized that they have growing feelings for each other. However, Eun Soo says: "If we don’t want to ever break up, we have to remain friends forever." Ouch!
5. Snowdrop (2021)
The cast: Jung Hae In, BLACKPINK's Jisoo, Yoo In Na, Kim Hye Yoon, Kim Min Kyu
One of the most-anticipated series since 2020 is also Disney+'s first venture in K-dramaland. Set in 1987 Seoul, Snowdrop is about two students: One is named Su Ho (Hae In) who entered a women's university while he's wounded. The other is Young Cho (Jisoo) who took care of him despite the risk it entails.
As you watch the episodes, you will realize that the seemingly simple plot is not simple at all: There's a reason why the trailer's title is "No Ordinary Love Story." Snowdrop is created by the same team behind the high-rating series SKY Castle and it was the talk of the town during its entire broadcast.
6. Rookie Cops
The cast: Chae Soo Bin, Kang Daniel, Lee Shin Young, Park Yoo Na
For something more lighthearted and relaxing, try watching this rom-com drama. Here, you'll get a glimpse of what a police academy is like as it follows a group of students who have their own stories to tell and dreams to achieve. Rookie Cops marks Kang Daniel's first foray into acting (ICYDK, he was a former member of the K-pop boy group Wanna One and is now a soloist!)
7. Crazy Love
The cast: Kim Jae Wook, Krystal Jung, ASTRO's Sanha
Chaotic and romantic—just two words to describe Crazy Love! This show may have the usual tropes that we often see in K-dramas (like enemies-turned-lovers) but we love how it adds several twists to the story such as amnesia, corporate probs, and... murder.
Crazy Love is about a narcissistic CEO named Noh Go Jin (Jae Wook) who eats death threats for breakfast. Then there's Lee Shin Ah (Krystal), his introverted secretary who had to pretend to be his fiance to avoid being blamed when he had an accident.
8. Revenge Of Others
The cast: Lomon, Shin Ye Eun, Seo Ji Hoon
Coming-of-age dramas often show the hardships of adulting, but Revenge Of Others is totally different from the usual. In this dark teen drama, the students swear vengeance on behalf of their loved ones, like Ok Chan Mi (Ye Eun) who witnessed her twin brother's death during a phone call.
Fun fact: Ye Eun shared that she became really emotiona while filming her first scene where she was crying at the police station! Read our exclusive interview with her and the rest of the cast here.
9. Big Bet
The cast: Choi Min Sik, Son Suk Ku, Lee Dong Hwi, Heo Sung Tae
There are K-dramas filmed in the Philippines and K-dramas set in the Philippines—and then there's Big Bet (formerly known as Casino and King Of Savvy) which is both. It also stars our very own Filipino actors!
With the casino scene as its backdrop, the two-part series revolves around a gambling master and how he hit rock bottom due to a series of unfortunate events. Good news: There's no need to wait any longer because Part 2 of Big Bet is now available on Disney+!
This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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