Korean dramas became the ultimate comfort watch amidst the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns. Since then, they have taken the world by storm. Due to the popularity of K-pop (thanks, BTS!) and K-dramas, we're all swept up with the Hallyu wave. But how much do we really know about the entertainment industry?
We want to dig a little deeper into what goes on behind the scenes. So we have curated a list of ten essential Korean dramas that zoom into the lives of celebrities and the entertainment industry that makes the stars shine.
Record of Youth
The first series on our list has to be Record of Youth starring Park Bo-gum, Byeon Woo-Seok and Parasite star Park So-dam. The series is about three individuals struggling in the entertainment industry.
This show digs deep into the industry and showcases the glamorous with all the hard truths and struggles of a person to fulfill their dream. And it does this without glorifying the struggle.
Dream High
The story of Dream High revolves around six high school students at Kirin High School who dreams of becoming K-pop idols. During their school years, they develop their singing, songwriting, and dancing skills while growing personally. They also start to develop feelings for one another. Although they all have their strengths and weaknesses, they strive to debut together with each other's support and guidance.
Since the show majorly focuses on wannabe K-pop idols, it's perfectly cast with real-life K-pop idols Bae Suzy, Ok Taec-yeon (from K-pop boy group 2 PM), IU (Lee Ji-Eun) and Jang Woo-young (also a member of 2 PM).
Sh**ting Stars
For the most part, we only see a celebrity's rise to stardom without looking at the people who work hard behind the scenes to make them a celebrity.
This drama focuses on Oh Han-byul (Lee Sung-Kyung) who is the head of the public relations department at the Star Force Entertainment agency. At the centre is her romantic relationship with the top actor of the agency, Gong Tae-sung (Kim Young-dae).
The show does a great job of showcasing the role of a PR in entertainment.
The Producers
The Producers is a comedy show that focuses on three producers who make variety shows under a broadcasting channel. It also focuses on Cindy’s (Lee Ji-Eun) struggles as an idol ranging from mistreatment, toxic fandoms and media scrutiny.
The show does a good job of showcasing the life of a producer by taking us through the characters' hectic schedules of filming, editing, planning and communicating with celebs. It also spotlights the work done behind the production of the variety show 2 Days and 1 Night which is a real series in South Korea. The show also stars Kim Soo-Hyun, Cha Tae-Hyun and Gong Hyo-jin in the lead role.
Be Melodramatic
This K-drama follows three friends Hwang Han Joo (Han Ji-eun), Im Jin Joo (Chun Woo-hee) and Lee Eun Jung (Jeon Yeo-been) who are in their 30s and are navigating through the demanding entertainment industry while also juggling love, careers and dreams.
Hwang Han Joo is the head of a marketing team for a drama production company. Im Jin Joo is a drama writer with a lot of emotional ups and downs and Lee Eun Jung is a documentary director. The drama follows a script within a scripted approach and shows the work done by scriptwriters, directors and producers in the making of a series.
The drama also focuses on relevant topics such as LGBTQ awareness, mental illness and misogyny in the entertainment industry. It delves deep into different realities of being in your late 20s like dealing with career choices, relationships, loss, single parenting and friendships.
Welcome to Waikiki
Welcome to Waikiki is a comedy show about three friends – Dong Goo (Kim Jung Hyun), who aspires to be a film director, Joon Ki (Lee Yi Kyung), an eccentric actor who acts for a living, and Doo Shik (Son Seung Won), a free-lance writer who spends much of his time doing nothing. They team up to manage the "Waikiki" guest home in Itaewon, Seoul which attracts lots of tourists. Their goal is to raise enough money to pay for the making of their future projects, despite having no idea how to operate a guest house.
The show is a slap-stick comedy centred around the titular Waikiki. It also takes us on a ride with these young men who somehow also get intertwined with three female characters. It's all about dreams, success, tragedy and struggles.
The Beauty Inside
The Beauty Inside is a drama that tells the story of two individuals each with a secret of their own. The story is about a chaebol suffering from prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness) and an A-list actress who has the ability to transform into a new person every month.
The main message of this show is about self-acceptance and knowing where true beauty lies. This show also shows a bit of celebrity life as the main lead (played by Seo Hyun-jin) is an A-listed actress in the Korean entertainment industry.
My Love from Stars
This is one of the most popular Korean shows that was responsible for spreading the aforementioned Hallyu wave across Asia, especially in China. The show centres on an alien (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) who arrived on Earth in 1609 during the Joseon Dynasty and 400 years later, falls in love with a famous female actor.
The series focuses on our female lead character Cheon Song-Yi (played by Jun Ji-Hyun), an actor who rose to fame as a student. Her arrogant demeanour earns her ridicule in the entertainment industry and on social media.
Uncontrollably Fond
Uncontrollably Fond is a melodramatic romantic series centred around a top actor-singer (Kim Woo-bin) and a documentary producer (Bae Suzy) who knew each other as teenagers and meet up again in their adulthood.
The show does a good job of setting the background in response to the main characters being a top idol and actor, and with regards to the female lead being a struggling documentary producer.
So I Married an Anti-fan
The story revolves around the romance between famous actor Hoo Joon (Choi Tae-Joon) and anti-fan reporter Lee Geun-young (Choi Soo-young), who eventually participates in a television programme where they live together. More on: kdramas, korean dramas, kdrama, best korean drama, kdrama list, korean drama 2020, korean drama 2021, imitation kdrama, best kdrama, korean drama list, kdramas to watch, best kdrama of all time, top korean drama, korean drama 2019
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