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How to watch “The Scarecrow” (my favorite show of the year), “A Bona Fide Killer,” and more during VIKI’s 4th Annual K-Drama Celebration
Category: TV
The 7 Best K-dramas of 2026 So Far
Some people mistakenly describe K-dramas (even the best K-dramas) as soap operas. While daytime shows certainly exist in Korea—typically airing Monday through Friday for about 50 to 200+ episodes—the K-drama umbrella covers a multitude of genres. Read more in my latest article for Teen Vogue.
“My Royal Nemesis” (멋진 신세계)
This charming fish-out-of water K-drama explores timeslips, shamanism, betrayal and, most of all, unconditional love that spans eras.
“Teach You a Lesson” (참교육)
There is a contingent of people who do not approve of adults hitting children. I am one of those people. But I also recognize that in a fictional setting like this, it can be incredibly cathartic to watch morally reprehensible youngsters getting their comeuppance — especially for real-life victims of school violence whose lives were treated as dispensable by those who were supposed to protect them.
“The Scarecrow” (허수아비)
Based on the real-life Hwaseong Serial Killer who brutally murdered 15 South Korean girls and women from 1986-1994, The Scarecrow covers much of the same ground as Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 film Memories of Murder. But this K-drama more than holds its own, adding fictional twists to keep viewers engaged and guessing.
“BEEF” Tackles Korean Identity in Season 2
Saying “I don’t see color” doesn’t mean you’re not racist. How this second season of “Beef” tackles Korean identity.
“Yumi’s Cells” (유미의 세포들): Season 3
This charming trilogy ends with a happily-ever-after for our heroine Yumi (Kim Go-eun). Seasons 1 and 2 were all about her relationships with Woong (Ahn Bo-hyun) and Ba-bi (played by GOT7’s Jinyoung), who at various times seemed like the perfect men for her.
“Phantom Lawyer” (신이랑 법률사무소)
In one of the most delightfully clever K-dramas of 2026, Yoo Yeon-seok portrays Shin Yi-rang, a smart attorney who no one will hire. Why? Because his now-deceased father had been accused of being a corrupt prosecutor, and no law firm wants to have their company associated with those allegations.
“Made in Korea”
Made in Korea doesn’t flinch in its portrayal of corruption by both the Korean government and its strongest ally, the U.S. military. Director Woo Min-ho presents a Korea where there are no heroes, but rather desperate survivors caught in the crosshairs.
15 Best K-Dramas of 2025, From ‘Made in Korea’ to ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’
The best K-dramas of 2025 tackle an array of relevant topics that made us cheer, scream, and cry this year. Get ready to binge. My latest for Teen Vogue.
“The Manipulated”
“The Manipulated” is a film-to-series adaptation of the 2017 action film Fabricated City. Both share the same creative (Park Kwang-hyun) and leading man (Ji Chang-wook).
“As You Stood By” (당신이 죽였다)
“As You Stood By” examines domestic abuse and how people are reluctant to help victims — most often because they are afraid of how their actions could be detrimental to their own lives (which is also a subplot in Our Unwritten Seoul).
“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (폭군의 셰프)
Bon Appetit, Your Majesty is a delicious mashup of sageuk (or historical dramas), time travel, and mukbang. But basing the fictional king on a real-life despot has been controversial.
How to watch “Reborn Rich,” “Lovely Runner,” & “Study Group” for free
VIKI is celebrating its third annual K-Drama Day by removing the paywall from 10 popular shows on the streaming site.
Beyond the Bar (에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들)
“Beyond the Bar” does such a great job of creating complete characters who don’t need a partner to be whole, leaving viewers satisfied with either choice, because we’re confident they will all be OK.
“Law and the City” (서초동)
One of the elements I loved the most about this series was watching the friends eat together in every episode. Delicious jiggaes (stews), grilled meat — it was like a legal mukbang!
The ‘Squid Game’ finale answers questions, then raises one more
NPR invited me back on their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to discuss the third and final season of the Korean series “Squid Game.”
7 Best K-Dramas of 2025, So Far
2025 isn’t over yet, but it’s already been an exciting year for some of the best K-dramas. Though “Squid Game” has come to an end (for now) that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of Korean dramas to obsess over.
“Our Unwritten Seoul” (미지의 서울)
Park Bo-young beautifully captures the nuances of both sisters and the struggles that each deals with daily. “Our Unwritten Seoul” presents everyday choices that may seem too much to bear, but also offers the kind of realistic hope that’s better than a pat, happy ending.
Ew, the VIPs are back in “Squid Game 3” and They’re as Horrible as Ever
The VIPs are back in the third season of “Squid Game” and they’re as insufferable as ever. Acting wise, the characters may actually be worse, sounding more like Sylvestor the Cat exclaiming “sufferin’ succotash” than a group of hedonistic oligarchs. Seriously, couldn’t the creatives have spread a wider net to cast actors who could…act?