Top 5 K-Dramas To Have On Your Watchlist This October 2023

Looking for new K-Dramas? Check out our curated list of five October K-Dramas that you absolutely do not want to miss!

Ishani Sarkar, Kpopmap Editor
5 min to read · Published : Sep 25, 2023 · Updated : Jan 26, 2024

Top 5 K-Dramas To Have On Your Watchlist This October 2023

ENA / MBC

October is officially here as fall makes an entrance. With such good weather, we're also in the mood for some amazing K-Dramas. From webtoon-based K-Dramas to highly-anticipated actor comebacks, we have a lot to look forward to in the month of October. So, we compiled some of the most exciting October K-Dramas in a watchlist for you!

Here are 5 K-Dramas you absolutely do not want to miss in October 2023!

Note: This watchlist is not a ranking. It includes select K-Dramas airing on Korean national television as well as Netflix, Disney+, and Apple+ original series. For web dramas, check out our watchlist here.

1. "Doona!"

Netflix

When & Where: October 20, Netflix

Cast: Suzy, Yang SeJong

Summary: "Doona!" is a light-hearted yet meaningful romance K-Drama based on the webtoon of the same name about two young people who cross paths and change each other's lives forever. What follows is, in the main character's own words, an "exciting", "heart-aching" and "heart-throbbing" story. Suzy plays Lee DooNa, an idol superstar and main vocalist of the fictional girl group SWEET DREAM, who abruptly decides to retire and moves into the same student housing as Lee Joon (Yang SeJong), a freshman at Minsong University. They are neither friends nor lovers, but the tangle of emotions between them deepens until they can't ignore it any longer.

Reasons To Watch: Fans have been waiting for Yang SeJong and Bae Suzy's acting comebacks for quite a while now. To think that both of these amazing actors will be returning in the same project is already exciting enough to tune in. If you need more reasons, consider that Suzy will be returning to her idol roots with this K-Drama as her character, the eponymous DooNa, is a former idol. Moreover, Yang SeJong is ready to play a smitten young man who draws DooNa (and us) in with his effortless charm. If you liked the realistic portrayal of modern dating and love in "Nevertheless,", "Doona!" might be your next favorite K-Drama.

2. "The Perfect Deal"

Wavve

When & Where: October 6, Wavve

Cast: Yoo SeungHo, Kim DongHwi, Yoo SuBin, Lee JooYoung

Summary: Lee JoonSeong's (Yoo SeungHo) life is a mess. Just when he thought he could start over, he gets involved in a fake kidnapping carried out by his old friend Song JaeHo (Kim DongHwi), who is in a bit of a fix himself. The victim? Their rich high school friend Park MinWoo (Yoo SuBin). The staging seems to go as planned, but things go awry as complications arise. With a staggering 1 billion KRW ransom hanging in the balance, will these three friends be able to make it out unscathed?

Reasons To Watch: Wavve has a reputation for producing high-quality thriller K-Dramas that are a cut above the rest. "The Perfect Deal" is set to prove this fact further. Yoo SeungHo's small-screen comeback, joined by rising stars Kim DongHwi and Yoo SuBin as well as beloved actress Lee JooYoung, is going to be a dark, twisted, suspenseful masterpiece, and if the webtoon of the same name is anything to go by, we have a rollercoaster ride waiting for us.

3. "The Matchmakers"

KBS

When & Where: October 30, KBS/Viki

Cast: RoWoon, Cho YiHyun

Summary: Set in the Joseon Dynasty, "The Matchmakers" will tell the story of an unfortunate young widower Sim JeongWoo (RoWoon), and a feisty business-minded widow Jeong SoonDeok (Cho YiHyun), who get involved with each other and take it upon themselves to help other single people in the nation get married.

Reasons To Watch: RoWoon and Cho YiHyun in a historical drama together? This pairing could not have been dreamier. From the visual combination to the height difference, the lively plot, and the colorful setting, everything about "The Matchmakers" makes us eager for it to arrive on our screens. Besides, it's always a welcome trope when the matchmakers fall in love themselves! Needless to say, we're already rooting for this couple.

4. "Moon In The Day"

ENA

When & Where: October 25, Netflix

Cast: Kim YoungDae, Pyo YeJin, On JooWan

Summary: "The Moon That Rises In The Day" is a timeless love story spanning a thousand years, based on the webtoon of the same name. It begins with Hwarang warrior DoHa (Kim YoungDae) and his fateful encounter with Han RiTa (Pyo YeJin), a prisoner of war. They marry, but guilt drives RiTa to murder DoHa, trapping his soul in time. RiTa, on the other hand, reincarnates through numerous lifetimes. In her 19th life as Kang YoungHwa, she can see DoHa's spirit in mirrors. When DoHa's spirit enters her boss, top star Han JunOh, revenge takes center stage.

Reasons To Watch: "Moon In The Day" is the perfect mix of romance, comedy, fantasy and tragedy. One might even say that it is the best of both worlds (pun intended). If you like tropes such as past life connection, fish out of water, and forced proximity, "Moon In The Day" will be right up your alley. It will certainly be interesting to see centuries of hate turn into love as our main characters navigate their feelings for each other, but even more fun will be watching them bicker and come to terms with their bizarre situation. You do not want to miss this one.

5. "A Good Day To Be A Dog"

MBC

When & Where: October 11, MBC

Cast: ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Park GyuYoung, Lee HyunWoo

Summary: Han HaeNa (Park GyuYoung), is cursed to become a dog every day at the stroke of midnight. Only a second kiss from the same person with whom she had her first kiss, Jin SeoWon (Cha EunWoo), can break this curse, but with SeoWon having a phobia of dogs and HaeNa needing him to kiss her as a dog, things don't really go as planned.

Reasons To Watch: This K-Drama is going to be puppy love at its finest. Fans all over the world are utterly giddy about the chemistry between Cha EunWoo and Park GyuYoung, which is already giving us butterflies. What's more is that we're sensing a heavy dose of second-lead syndrome coming in with Lee HyunWoo's dreamy smile. "A Good Day To Be A Dog" has all the makings of "rom-com of the year", and if you're in the mood to close out 2023 with a lovely little stress-free, spirited romance, we recommend adding this K-Drama to your watchlist.

Which of these October K-Dramas are you looking forward to the most? Tell us in the comments section down below!