Top 6 K-Dramas & 1 Netflix Release To Have On Your Watchlist This December
Don't miss these dramas starting this December!
Laure, Kpopmap Editor 5 min to read ·
Published : Dec 1, 2020
· Updated : Feb 11, 2022
KakaoTV / KBS / tvN
The month of December is packed with must-watch dramas!
Every month, Kpopmap selects dramas that are about to start airing to look forward to. Usually, we try to keep the list to 3-4 dramas but this month will be an exception because it is impossible to reduce the list to 3.
Here are 7 dramas starting in December to not forget to watch.
Summary: It tells the romantic comedy story of JuGyeong who has a complex about her appearance and who turns into a goddess thanks to makeup and of SuHo who keeps hidden scars. The two met and by sharing their secrets they grow and restore their self-esteem.
Genre: Romantic comedy, Growth, School
Why watch?: If you like love triangles, handsome leads, and romantic comedy, this is definitely for you. The story is based on the worldwide popular webtoon "True Beauty" and it is also one of the few dramas on the theme of makeup. The story will be comfortable and light but will still touch on serious and deep issues such as self-esteem.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
Summary: It tells the love stories of people from different worlds who communicate with their own languages and create relations in times where it is difficult to communicate even while using the same Korean language
Genre: Romance, Sports
Why watch?: From the teasers and posters, we can already feel the huge chemistry between the lead couple: Im SiWan & Shin SeKyung. If you are looking for a mature love story to watch this winter, this is the one! We can look forward to tons of eye-candy and heart fluttering scenes.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
Summary: It is the comic investigation story of late Joseon secret royal inspectors who are the secret ears of the palace. They actively and cheerfully eradicate corruption and help victims of injustice.
Genre: Comedy, Historical, Investigation
Why watch?: If you are looking for a funny yet serious and intriguing historical drama, this is for you. The drama is focusing on the works of Royal Inspectors which is a new theme. The chemistry between Kim MyungSoo and Kwon NaRa is also rising curiosity along with their chemistry with Lee YiKyung.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
4. "Lovestruck in the City"
KakaoTV
When: From Dec. 22 on Kakao TV available on Netflix
Summary: The real love stories of young people living intensely in a complicated city where you are not revealing your true self.
Genre: Romance
Why watch?: The top Hallyu actors Ji ChangWook and Kim JiWon are acting in this web drama... this is already a major reason why tune into this drama. Moreover, Kakao TV original web dramas just started to be produced but with the good quality of "Love Revolution" and "The In-Laws", we can already look forward to this new web drama of their production.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
Summary: Due to a sudden accident, the soul of a wild man from modern Korea entered Queen Kim SoYong's body in Joseon. It tells the scandalous story of a soul that ran away from its body and the King CheolJong who has now two faces.
Genre: Comedy, Historical
Why watch?: To sum up, it is a drama with two actors with solid acting skills -Shin HyeSun and Kim JungHyun- teaming up for a crazy comedy. This drama promises to not be "correct" but to be wild. From the teasers, the comedy is already at its highest with the soul of a man entering the body of a woman living centuries ago from him.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
Summary: It tells the story of a loner high school student who lost his family and the bizarre and shocking things that happened to him in his new flat.
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Warming: this drama is violent and bloody and is not suitable for all the viewers.
Why watch?: The readers of the webtoon are looking forward to the Netflix adaptation of this thriller-horror webtoon. The cast is solid with rising actors Song Kang and Lee DoHyun along with veteran actors. For fans of this genre, it is a must-watch.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
Summary: It tells the lives of salaried reporters at a newspaper. A veteran reporter and an intern who thinks food is stronger than a pen will evolve together.
Genre: Office
Why watch?: The main reason to look forward to this drama is the duo of the veteran actor Hwang JungMin and YoonAh. The theme of the newspaper is also attractive as "Hush" planned to show journalists under a new angle.
For more information, teaser, and characters’ descriptions, you can check our cast and summary here.
15 Differences Between K-Drama "My ID Is Gangnam Beauty" & Thai Drama "Beauty Newbie" Based On Same Webtoon
Here a few differences between the Korean drama "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" (2018) and the Thai drama "Beauty Newbie" (2024) both based on the same webtoon.
Laure, Kpopmap Editor 12 min to read ·
Published : Apr 17, 2024
GMMTV / JTBC
“My ID is Gangnam Beauty” (2018), also called “Gangnam Beauty”, was a hit, with many overseas viewers falling in love with the K-Drama. Based on the webtoon of the same name by Gi MaengGi, it tells the story of MiRae who was bullied for her looks at school, leading her to get plastic surgery. She now enters her "new life" with a whole new face at university. While everyone is focused on what people look like, KyungSuk, MiRae’s fellow classmate, thinks differently, and MiRae learns what real “beauty” is.
While it is a rom-com, the story also touches on many deep topics such as lookism, sexism, the societal pressure to meet beauty standards, and the importance of realizing one’s inner beauty. The drama received a lot of positive reviews because of its various messages.
However, did you know that there is a Thai adaptation of the same webtoon and that with top Thai actors? Named "Beauty Newbie" (2024), the Thai drama is based on the same webtoon as the Korean drama. The airing just ended on April 2nd. Although the story largely remains the same, it focuses more on the female lead making her first-ever friend in her new life at university than the Korean show.
Let us introduce the cast to you:
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
MiRae (Im SooHyang) becomes Liu (Baifern), KyungSuk (ASTRO's Cha EunWoo) becomes Guy (Win), SooAh (Jo WooRi) becomes Faye (Jane), and WooYoung (Kwak DongYeon) becomes Saint (Great).
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
ChanWoo (Oh HeeJoon) becomes Mac (Mike), WonHo (Kim DoYeon) becomes Mok (Drake), and Eun (Park YooNa) becomes Ann (Emi).
Important Note: To avoid too many spoilers we will cover until episode 5 of the Thai drama. We can't cover all the points. Also, the comparison is done with the Korean drama and not the original webtoon.
Here are a few differences we could notice between the Korean drama "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" (2018) and the Thai drama "Beauty Newbie" (2024) both based on the same webtoon.
Overall Differences
1. It's faster
The Korean drama consists of sixteen 60-minute episodes while the Thai drama only has fourteen 44-minute episodes, making it 344 minutes (or approximately 6 hours) shorter.
Since the Thai version is shorter, the drama starts way faster than the Korean drama, and all the main elements are quickly settled within the first minutes of the show. However, the Thai production still kept some key scenes, such as the face grading scenes (scenes where the female lead grades women's faces).
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
2. Its use of social media & cyberbullying
Like in some other GMMTV dramas such as “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers”, the characters of “Beauty Newbie” are frequent users of social media. This leads to many cases of cyberbullying which were not present in the Korean drama.
The use of Instagram, X (Twitter), online messengers, online communities, and more are shown on screen and play an important role in the story and heavily impact the characters.
While both MiRae and Liu were victims of bullying in the past, Liu continues to struggle against online bullying at her university. Everywhere she turns, there are people talking behind her back or on the internet, not only in her department, but across the entire school
GMMTV / designed by Kpopmap
3. The fighting is more violent
Compared to the Korean drama, the Thai drama has more severe violence. The fight scenes are longer and taken to a higher level. If you don't like violence, don’t worry as it shouldn’t be anything that will stop you from watching.
KyungSuk does get into a few fights but the intensity of the fights is different from the ones Guy takes part in. We noticed more kicks, punches, and blood shown to viewers.
It might be a cultural difference or solely a choice to show that Guy is ready to be hurt for Liu.
Differences in the characters
4. Liu/MiRae: from a smart to a naive female lead
From the start, MiRae is quite smart and relatively quick-witted while Liu is much more naive. Their mental maturity seems different.
When Liu faces all the red flags of Faye, she still does not realize that she is being used and wronged. What is more, Liu does not side with Guy who is trying to help her. She keeps people who use her by her side and keeps the good ones far.
It seems that the Thai production wanted to make the growth of her character more significant and make her character more dependent on the two lead characters for their romantic interest.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
5. Faye/SooAh: from a villain with flaws to a self-centered vicious lady
This character is one of the most striking differences between the two dramas, in its nature but also in screen time.
The Korean drama villain is SooAh even if some events later on seem to redeem her. SooAh is a liar, has ill feelings for MiRae, and manipulates guys for her gains.
However, in the Thai drama, Faye is more evil and vicious. You might wonder, "how is that even possible?".
Faye's mentality and behavior possess a darker edge, as she's prepared to go to any lengths to uphold her façade of the 'beautiful angel.' Despite her charming exterior, her actions are fueled by self-serving motives, leveraging her beauty and influence to manipulate situations in her favor, all while making any of her rivals hit low.
From the first episodes, she gets a lot of screen time and we know what she planning early while we know later for SooAh.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
Liu is also much more under her manipulation, a real puppet. The first episodes portray how Faye is using Liu to give herself a better image. For example, after making sure everyone knows that Liu had plastic surgery and making people make negative comments about it, she would defend Liu. This whole plan makes her look like a "nice" person defending the weak, when really, she had planned it all.
Also, another difference is while SooAh hates being taken in pictures because of her trauma, Faye enjoys it and enjoys having her 'fanclub'/'followers' like Mok taking pictures of her, secretly or not.
The Thai production takes this character further to add more drama (read fun) and makes viewers even more engaged in hating Faye and hoping for Liu to listen to Guy. Also, the summary of the Thai drama mentions that Faye is Liu’s “first friend” ever, making her even more important to the story.
6. Saint/WooYoung: from a quick story use to a real second lead for a love triangle
In "My ID is Gangnam Beauty", WooYoung is a TA for the chemistry department and a neighbor of MiRae. He has a crush on her but this was mostly used to just move the plot forward and make MiRae date KyungSuk. He was not ever taken seriously as a potential boyfriend so there was never any real love triangle in the drama.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
However, in "Beauty Newbie", Saint is much more than just "a oppa with a crush". He creates a love triangle, and makes some viewers feel the second lead syndrome. Furthermore, not only does he live in Liu’s neighborhood, he also lives next door. Living in the same building and floor, he always appears in her sphere.
Saint is also much more sweet and kind to the female lead than WooYoung. He also got the support of Liu's parents from the very first episode, while this happens later for WooYoung. Saint is one step ahead of Guy and a strong contestant for Liu's heart. He also has his own perfume lab on the rooftop of the building, which only makes Liu like him more and spend more time with him.
Saint is even on the main poster of the drama while WooYoung is not. The Thai drama has four characters while the Korean one has three.
The Thai production decided to make Saint a more important character to add more romance and make viewers invested in the love triangle. Also, Liu needed a real friend to help her mature and Saint gives her a lot of help on finding solutions and building self-esteem. The character of Saint is very much popular among the viewers.
7. Not as many friends for the female lead
MiRae makes a few close friends at school, adding on her already close friend and roommate HyunJung (Min DoHee). However, Liu is friends with Faye and her two friends and that is all. In the drama, she is mostly surrounded by men and them. Liu does not have a roommate/friend like HyunJung either.
We can guess that since the drama is shorter, the production decided to make Faye and Saint more present in the story. They had to make some choices on who to put the spotlight on in Liu's life.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
8. Ann/Eun: quite similar but Ann is not Liu's friend but Guy's
Ann and (Yoo) Eun are quite similar. They are blunt and quick-witted. They are both quick to notice Faye/SooAh's true nature. Eun is the first one to know that SooAh was lying about living in Gangnam.
But we noticed that Ann is not as close to Liu than Eun is to MiRae. Also, unlike Ann, Eun is the representative of the department and much interest in what is happening among the students and doesn't hesitate to stand out.
Furthermore, Ann is a very close friend of Guy’s, whereas in the Korean drama, the characters of Eun and KyungSuk are not as close. The reason for this might be that there are no other students that match her mindset. This little twist is quite interesting. It seems that Ann is filling the void left by the character of Seo YooJin (Lee TaeSun), the male lead’s best friend, who is nowhere to be found in the Thai drama.
9. The "sunbae" vs Mac
You will mostly remember the "sunbae" named ChanWoo that annoys everyone and that includes Mirae. The Thai drama kept the character but changed a few things.
While in the Korean drama, ChanWoo grosses out everyone in the department with his actions and is not particularly attractive, Mac is just a senior who is physically attractive but has difficulties with dating.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
Mac becomes interested in both Liu and Faye, and Faye, who he prefers, manipulates him by confessing to him. Eventually, he turns violent towards Liu, but luckily, she is saved by Guy. This is exactly like in the Korean drama. The cafeteria scene and the kick-out scene were both kept with each their own twists.
However, there are quite a few differences from the Korean drama. MiRae was never really interested in ChanWoo, who didn't quite have the charm – mentally or physically – and even showed some borderline aggression in the first episodes. On the other hand, Mac seemed like a much better fit from the start, which is why Liu decided to give him a chance.
We can't be sure of the reason for these changes, but we can guess that the impact on Liu's mental would be bigger if she was interested in this character but then threatened by him.
10. Guy's sister is free to do her broadcast
In "My ID Gangnam Beauty", KyungSuk's sister hides from her family to do her broadcast and covers her face with masks to keep secret her identity. But in "Beauty Newbie", Guy's sister is openly doing her broadcasts, face fully shown on camera, and is supported by both her father and brother. They even help her fix some of her props, something we would never see with KyungSuk’s family. Also in the Thai drama, the sister is a bit older.
We guess that since the Thai production had to shorten the story, they removed this element of the story that required more scenes in the Korean drama.
11. Professors are involved in the school tensions
In the Thai drama, professors (administrative professors) are involved in the trouble students are facing. If students fight, they are called and receive a punishment. The characters are more responsible for their actions and they are asked about it and face punishment for it. In the Korean drama, WooYoung is the TA and takes care of these.
As seen earlier, WooYoung and Saint are different in both dramas, so we can guess the Thai production did not want to give him this role at school in the drama. Saint is here to support Liu emotionally and as a man and not as a school authority. He also makes his stands clear in front of the professors when she is facing difficulties.
Differences in the story
12. A different level of the "bathroom kick-out" scene ft. kendo
One of the most famous scenes of "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" is KyungSuk kicking ChanWoo (or "the sunbae") in the bathroom to save MiRae. In this scene, everyone is scared to stop ChanWoo from screaming and threatening MiRae. KyungSuk jumps in and fights the sunbae putting him K.O. on the toilet seat.
Are you not curious how the Thai version portrayed this scene?
The fight scene was a bit different. Mac threatens Liu that he will reveal to everyone her pre-surgery picture by clicking on the remote if she does not agree with what he wants. Guy jumps in the room and intervenes. Since Guy does Kendo, he takes the broom from Mac's hands and makes a few moves. He ends up hurting his hand and bleeding but Mac is defeated.
While the two dramas use a broom, the result is different. Also, students were not helping Liu because they were curious about the picture while students were not helping MiRae because they were scared of the sunbae. The Thai version went for a longer scene for more impact and painted Guy as Liu's savior.
13. MiRae & KyungSuk vs Liu & Guy
In the first episodes of "My ID is Gangnam Beauty", MiRae and KyungSuk are not close but MiRae has no hatred towards him, whereas Liu as a deep resentment of Guy. Their relationships have different starting points. Even if Guy helps Liu at various times, she always has a reason to hate him even more and does not let him explain himself.
The Thai drama production team decided to put one more obstacle for Guy and Liu to get closer. It has a small taste of a "from enemies to lovers" trope.
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
14. Liu's dad is aware of her plastic surgery
In the Korean version, only MiRae's mom knows about her plastic surgery (and was the only one who agreed on it!). It's a big secret to her dad, who only finds out later on and is greatly impacted by it.
Picture JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
However, in the Thai drama, the dad knows about her plastic surgery just like the mom and is just as supportive from the start, which makes for quite a big difference in the story.
Just like KyungSuk's sister, this aspect of the drama has been omitted.
15. The whole school accessed Liu's pre-surgery picture
In “My ID is Gangnam Beauty,” MiRae’s department does know that she had plastic surgery but they don’t have access to her pre-surgery picture. However, in "Beauty Newbie", the whole school accessed it as it was spread through social media. The trauma for Liu and the hardships to overcome seem much bigger than MiRae with this element.
Bonus: Liu/MiRae pre-surgery face stay not shown to drama viewers
We were happy to see that the Thai production also chose to not reveal on screen the pre-surgery face of the lead character. She is seen with a blur or a mask.
The Korean drama never revealed her face, showing only her eyes or her back, because the production team did not want to create a standard for what is ‘ugly’ or not. The Korean director Choi SungBum talked about it before and highlighted that "it is unethical to create a fixed definition of ugliness in a drama that strives to find the real meaning of beauty" as translated by The Korea Herald (here). They left it up to the viewers' imagination to represent the "ugly"/"unattractive" face.
Bonus: The outfits for the school festival stay similar
Do you remember the scene when the girls of the department were forced to wear these revealing outfits to sell drinks at the uni festival? It stayed the same in the Thai drama.
To give you a bit of a spoiler, Liu is the victim of sexual harassment but the men in her department do not take her side because "it is her job to make customers satisfied".
Pictures from GMMTV and JTBC / designed by Kpopmap
Let us share one shocking line. Faye has customers staring at her chest and taking illegal pictures so she goes to ask for help from one of the men of the department. He then decides to send Liu to that table and says to Faye: "It's okay. She's all plastic. A bit of staring and touching wouldn't tarnish her, unlike a natural beauty like you."
You can watch the drama for free and officially with subs on GMMTV YouTube below:
Top 15 tvN Dramas With The Highest Ratings Ever (2024 Update)
Find out the tvN dramas with the highest ratings up until now.
Laure, Kpopmap Editor 5 min to read ·
Published : Apr 8, 2024
· Updated : Apr 15, 2024
tvN
tvN is a cable channel of Korea and its dramas are popular in and out of Korea. The channel has quite a lot of hit dramas on its record. The channel keeps on having high ratings with interesting plots and Hallyu actors in its cast.
Here is a list of the tvN dramas with the highest ratings up until now (all years) (updated article).
The drama "Crash Landing On You" (2019-2020) with Hyun Bin and Son YeJin makes tvN history by breaking the record of its highest ratings. With the final episode of the drama, the drama ratings reached 21.7%. The love story of the North Korean soldier and South Korean chaebol hooked the country.
2. "Queen of Tears" - 20.7%
The awaited K-Drama "Queen of Tears" (2024) with top Hallyu stars Kim SooHyun and Kim JiWon started with 5.9% and reached impressive ratings of 20.7% with episode 12. Viewers are hooked and the drama went viral for its story and amazing acting. It is still airing.
3. "Goblin" - 20.5%
The drama "Goblin" also titled "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" aired in 2016-2017 starring Gong Yoo, Kim GoEun, Lee DongWook and more. In and out of Korea, the drama was extremely popular. There was definitely a "Goblin craze". The final episode of the drama reached its highest personal ratings at 20.5%. "Goblin" held the record of tvN best ratings until "Crash Landing on You" broke it.
4. "Reply 1988" - 18.8%
The "Replies" series were popular and "Reply 1988" (2015-2016) was the most popular. The last episode reached 18.8%. Girl's Day's HyeRi, Park BoGum, Go KyungPyo, Ryu JunYeol and Lee DongHwi acted in the drama.
The historical drama "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) with Lee ByungHun and Kim TaeRi had a huge budget and it received a lot of love in and outside of Korea. The drama scored 18.1% of ratings on its last episode.
The comedy historical drama "Mr. Queen" (2020-2021) starring Shin HyeSun and Kim JungHyun was also popular. The drama started at 8.0% and kept on increasing its ratings up to 17.4% for the final episode.
7. "Crash Course In Romance" - 17%
The romance drama "Crash Course in Romance" (2023) starred Jeon DoYeon and Jung KyungHo. The drama started with 4.0% but gained a lot of popularity week after week with its love story, elite education, and scandals. The drama reached 17% with its last episode.
The historical drama "Under The Queen's Umbrella" (2022) starred Kim HyeSoo, Kim HaeSook, Choi WonYoung, Moon SangMin, SF9's Chani, Yoo SeonHo, Kim MinGi, and more. It was a hit drama. Starting at 7.6%, the drama kept on gaining viewers and reached 16.852% with its last episode. The story of the queen, her sons, and all the political schemes passionated.
The black comedy drama "Vincenzo" (2021) starring Song JoongKi, Jeon YeoBeen, 2PM's Ok TaecYeon, Kim YeoJin, and Kwak DongYeon was popular. The drama was also available on Netflix at the same time. The drama started at 7.7% and ended at 14.6%. Viewers have been stunned by the amazing acting and the catchy storyline of a mafia consigliere getting rid of the bad guys.
The life drama "Our Blues" (2022) starring Lee ByungHun, Shin MinA, Han JiMin, Kim WooBin, Cha SeoungWon, and Lee JungEun gathered a lot of interest with its touching story and its talented cast. The drama started at 7.3% and ended at 14.6%.
The comedy historical drama "100 Days My Prince" (2018) starring EXO’s D.O. and Nam JiHyun was also one of the most popular dramas of tvN. The last episode of the drama reached 14.4%.
The drama "Hospital Playlist" (2020) with Jo JungSuk, Yoo YeonSeok, Jung KyungHo, and Kim DaeMyung was popular. The drama kept increasing in ratings and reached 14.1% with its last episode. The story of these close friends working at the hospital had interested many.
13. "Signal" - 12.5%
The drama "Signal" (2016) with Lee JeHoon, Kim HyeSoo, and Choi JinWoong was also a hit. The drama reached 12.5% of ratings with its last episode. This drama is often mentioned as one of the best K-Dramas in the international K-Drama community.
IU and Yeo JinGoo addicted viewers to the ghosty fantasy drama “Hotel del Luna”. The drama was so popular that many are hoping for a second season. The drama reached 12.0% on its last episode.
15. "Marry My Husband" - 12.0%
The 2024 drama "Marry My Husband" based on a web novel and webtoon was a hit. With Park MinYoung, Na InWoo, Lee YiKyung, Song HaYoon, and Highlight's Lee GiKwang, the revenge drama caught attention from the start with 5.2%. It continuously grabbed viewers' attention until reaching 12.0% with its last episode.
Top 18 MBC Dramas With The Highest Ratings Since 2020 (2024 Update)
Check out which MBC dramas have the highest ratings in the history of the channel from 2020 to 2024!
Dyllan Mykel, Kpopmap Editor 7 min to read ·
Published : Feb 18, 2024
· Updated : Apr 15, 2024
MBC
Throughout the world of K-Dramas, various broadcasting stations bring numerous series to the home of fans all across the globe. One of these stations is the illustrious MBC. MBC is one of the most popular broadcasting channels, with its K-Dramas consistently placing in the best ratings list. The channel continues to deliver high-quality productions appealing to fans in South Korea and abroad. As such, MBC drama ratings rise to the very top, with many reaching record highs.
Here are the top MBC Dramas with the highest ratings since 2020!
1. "Knight Flower" - 18.4%
Starring Lee Hanee and Lee JongWon, the historical drama "Knight Flower" starred high in ratings and quickly reached high ratings. The drama gained even more popularity in its last weeks and reached the ratings of 18.4% with its final episode. In 2024, the drama broke the previous records held by "The Red Sleeve". The drama is available on Viki, Kocowa, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
Among historical K-Dramas, "The Red Sleeve" was phenomenally made, filled with moments of romance and yearning that cannot be easily forgotten. Due to its massive success, it gained 17.4% ratings, making it the highest rated series among MBC K-Dramas from 2020 to 2023. Luckily for fans new and old, the K-Drama is available to watch on Rakuten Viki.
"Big Mouth" made big waves during its initial run. The chemistry between Lee JongSuk and Girls' Generation's YoonA was magnificent, and combined with a compelling storyline, it became an immediate hit, reaching 13.7% ratings. The drama can be watched via streaming site Hulu.
4. "My Dearest (part 1 & 2)" - 12.9%
MBC
Starring NamKoong Min and Ahn EunJin, "My Dearest" gained massive success and tugged on the heartstrings of all its viewers with a total of 21 episodes. Reaching its highest rating of 12.9% with the final episodes, it puts the series as one of the most watched of MBC. "My Dearest" is currently available on Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.
5. "Wonderful World" - 11.4%
MBC
"Wonderful World" (2024) is a revenge and thriller drama starring Kim NamJoo and ASTRO's Cha EunWoo. The drama went viral on social media and the mysterious story caught attention. The drama peaked at 11.4% with its 9th, 11th, and 13th episodes. It started at 5.3%.
Also starring NamKoong Min, "The Veil" kept audiences at the edge of their seats with its various twists and turns. Its captivating suspense allowed the drama to reach its highest ratings of 9.8%, landing it at number four among MBC dramas. "The Veil" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki or Kocowa.
7. "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" - 9.6%
MBC
"The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" based on webtoon gained a lot of popularity. Bae InHyuk and Lee SeYoung's chemistry was amazing and the story was full of mystery so the drama gained a lot of viewers. The drama started at 5.6% and reached the highest rating of 9.6%.
This MBC drama depicted the hard working performance of the National Tax Service. Featuring a cast with Yim SiWan, Go AhSung, Son HyunJoo, and much more, "Tracer" reached its highest rating at 9.0%, earning it the fifth spot among MBC dramas so far. "Tracer" is available on Rakuten Viki, Kocowa, and Wavve.
"The Golden Spoon" is a webtoon-based drama that followed poor, yet studious Lee SeungCheon (BTOB's SungJae) and chaebol son Hwang TaeYong (Lee JongWon) as they switched lives during adolescence and adulthood. The drama explored the stark differences between the extremely rich and those living in poverty. While there were moments of crushing heartache, there were scenes of uplifting hope that lit up all the dark spaces in your heart. "The Golden Spoon" earned its highest ratings at 7.8% and is available on Disney+ and Hulu.
While this webtoon-based drama had various moments of uplifting comedy, it also did an excellent job at exploring hard-hitting topics. This involved aspects of mental health, life after death and those left behind, as well as the will to live on. At its highest peak, "Tomorrow" earned 7.6% in ratings. This MBC K-Drama is available on streaming platform, Netflix.
Starring the iconic actor, So JiSub, "Doctor Lawyer" is a fusion of medical and law, providing the best of both worlds. As Han YiHan (So JiSub) searched for the truth, viewers could not help but remain by his side. With the help of its loyal viewers, the MBC drama reached its highest ratings of 7.2%, placing it at eighth on this list. "Doctor Lawyer" is currently available on Disney+ and Hulu.
Adapted from the winning script from MBC's 2018 drama writing contest, "Kkondae Intern" follows the reversal of roles between Ka YeolChan (Park HaeJin) and Lee ManSik (Kim EungSoo). The office comedy provided viewers a reason to smile and laugh, week after week, and reached its highest ratings of 7.1%. "Kkondae Intern" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.
A story of strangers to lovers, Kim HaeKyung (Song SeungHeon) and Woo DoHee (Seo JiHye) unexpectedly meet on Jeju Island. Bonding over their respective heartaches and love of food, they remain in contact and gradually fall for one another. "Dinner Mate" earned its highest ratings at 6.1% and is available to watch via streaming sites iQIYI and Prime Video.
"Find Me In Your Memory" is a moving story between Lee JungHoon (Kim DongWook) and Yeo HaJin (Mun KaYoung). While the drama had its fair share of romance, it also offered moments of healing that aided broken souls everywhere. The drama earned its highest ratings at 5.4%, landing at eleventh among MBC K-Dramas. It is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.
"The Forbidden Marriage" certainly had it all: a budding romance, a swoon-worthy second lead, a love triangle that broke your heart, and so much more. Audiences certainly agreed, sticking with the drama for every new episode, helping it reach its peak at 4.9% ratings. "The Forbidden Marriage" is available to watch on Prime Video, Rakuten Viki, and Kocowa.
16. "Kokdu: Season Of Deity" - 4.8%
MBC
"Kokdu: Season Of Deity" was filled with quirky characters, electrifying chemistry, and a romance that withstood the test of time. Switching between historical and modern, "Kokdu: Season Of Deity" had fans constantly coming back for more, earning 4.8% ratings. The MBC drama is made available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Wavve.
"When I Was Most Beautiful" is a heartbreaking love story featuring Oh YeJi (Im SooHyang) who is caught between brothers Seo Hwan (Ji Soo) and Seo Jin (Ha SeokJin). As they navigated feelings of love and jealousy, audiences remained glued to their seats, watching the story unfold. With the help of its dedicated viewers, the series earned 4.7% ratings, placing it at number fourteen among MBC K-Dramas. "When I Was Most Beautiful" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.
18. "From Now On, Showtime!" - 4.6% & "The Game: Towards Zero" - 4.6%
MBC
Comedic with a touch of mystery, "From Now On, Showtime!" was able to captivate viewers with its lighthearted storyline and incredible lineup of actors. On the other hand, there was the more serious, thriller series "The Game: Towards Zero" which kept viewers shrouded in suspense. While two different genres, these series earned its highest ranking at 4.6%, tying at number fifteen among MBC K-Dramas.
Which of these MBC dramas is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Comments