It has been nearly seven years since I started my k-drama journey, approaching 250 titles as my next milestone. I now feel that I can see the trends from a wider angle, pinpointing which years really nailed their content and which lacked their luster. 2024 was a bit of a “fill in the dots” year. This was my first year since starting this blog series that I had more trouble narrowing down this list, and not from who qualified, but rather who edged their way in.
Not all was lost, and not every year can have a bumper crop. But 2025 is another year, and there are plenty of untapped older dramas to enjoy.
Lovely Runner
Lovely Runner is streaming on Viki
How do you handle finding out that the boy next door had a crush on you in high school but you totally missed it? It takes becoming his fangirl as an adult and getting swept into the quagmire of rewriting history when he suddenly dies one night after she goes to his concert. Can she change the past to save him and take the fangirl love to the next level?
The Atypical Family
Atypical Family is streaming on Netflix
Atypical could not be a more appropriate descriptor for this drama. A family with hidden superpowers can’t seem to get them to work any more, with everyone slowly spiraling the drain as days go by. The mother chances upon Do Do-Hae while getting a massage and invites her to their home for private sessions. Who knew that one small decision could start a chain reaction that doesn’t go as anyone planned.
Family by Choice
Family by Choice is streaming on Viki
This drama would be more appropriately named Mommy Issues, but since it centers on chosen family, the original name stands. After losing her mom as an infant, Yoon Jo-Woon lives alone with her loving, noodle-shop-owning father when a new family moves in upstairs in their apartment building. Jo-Woon latches on to the neighbor boy, having always wanted an older brother. She unwittingly gets a two-for-one deal when her father ends up permanently caring for the his blind date’s son after she disappears and leaves him in his care.
Marry My Husband
Marry My Husband is streaming on Amazon Prime
All it takes to finally realize your self worth is to marry a pathetic mommy’s boy who cheats on you with your so-called best friend and forces you to literally work yourself to death by getting cancer. When an unfair death gives Kang Ji-Won a second chance at life, she takes her situation in her own hands and decides to change her destiny.
Flex x Cop
Flex x Cop is streaming on Hulu
A spoiled rich kid with too much time on his hands shockingly gets himself into trouble and is sentenced to working as a cop as part of his father’s publicity stunt. His boss can’t stand his bravado and tries to bench him, but he manages to be more helpful than she’d care to admit. Maybe the cheeky golden spoon with more than meets the eye can be an asset to the team after all.
Honorable Mention: When the Phone Rings
When the Phone Rings is streaming on Netflix
What happens when a presidential spokesperson refuses to publicly acknowledge his mute wife, confining her in their marriage with no realistic way out? When Hong Hee-Joo is kidnapped in an attempt to blackmail her husband, Hee-Joo takes matters into her own hands to find an escape from her loveless prison.
This drama was demoted to honorable mention purely because of the last episode. From what I’ve seen, the crew ran out of time to fully execute the last leg of the storyline, causing a large portion of the final episode to confuse viewers if they haven’t read the original webtoon. It would have been smarter to adjust the story to fit the schedule for the sake of successfully landing the plane.
Drama Queens 