Ah, the top ten list. My most recent version was written four years ago and since then, very few recent dramas have been added. I rank my favorite dramas based on my emotional attachment to them and, perhaps because I am getting older, newer dramas don’t strike me hard as the older ones did.
10. Shut Up Flower Boy Band (tvN 2012)- A story about music, youth, and friendship, this drama would have ranked higher if I was younger. A well-written drama through and through and a breath of fresh air in the K-drama landscape, SUFBB was a wonderful surprise for those tired of black and white characters and bipolar dramatics.
9. Star in My Heart (MBC 1997)- Arguably the drama that started the Hallyu wave, this drama has all the classic elements- a Cinderella heroine, a rebel musician with rich parents, a kind-hearted secondary male lead, and a secondary female lead you love to hate. This was the first drama I ever fangirled so until this day, it holds a special place in my heart and it always will.
8. The Devil (KBS 2007)- This drama proved to me that South Korea could do the dark, mystery thriller genre. A story about revenge and redemption, the story is complicated and smart, without ever losing its heart.
7. Save the Last Dance (SBS 2004)- A quintessential Korean drama from its era, it has the Cinderella heroine, the chaebol hero, scheming secondary leads, amnesia, and noble idiocy. Yet, this drama was never annoying. At its core, the drama never forgot it was a love story and that love is beautiful, and its two leads had a warm and gentle chemistry. To me, it was the last of its kind before these types of stories went into makjang territory. It was a ratings success in Korea (hitting 40%) but this drama does not stand out in anyway. If you are in the mood for a easy, traditional K-drama that won’t have you pulling your hair out, I recommend this one. It ranks high on my list because it is so quintessential.
6. Nobuta wo Produce (NTV 2005)- I have watched a spattering of J-dramas and I’m extremely glad that NwP was one of them. About an unlikely friendship between the most popular boy in school, a social outcast, and a oddball, this drama is about growing up and finding your place in the world. Despite the dark humor, there is a lot of hope in this drama and the three main characters are your best friends by the time you are done with the short ten-episode story.
5. Mars (CTS 2004)- I have watched even fewer TW-dramas than J-dramas, but Mars is worth ten, even twenty average dramas. As a love story between an extremely shy art student and a popular motorcycle-driving playboy, this drama shows how two psychologically scarred people find solace and strength in one another. The characters are layered, the story is dark but alive with passion.
4. High as the Sky, Wide as the Earth ( aka By Land and Sky) (KBS 2007)- This is a 165 episode daily family drama and as a story about ordinary people and family, this drama may sound boring but truly, it is worth ever minute you give it. Centered around an adopted hero, this drama is a nuanced portrayal of family relationships. It has a message without being preachy and there are no Cinderellas, cold-hearted chaebols, or evil parents. There is romance, of course, but it shows that romance exists in all forms and in all ages. This drama shows you that there is a tremendous amount of love in the world, as long as you are open to giving it AND receiving it.
3. The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (MBC 2007)- Uhm, who doesn’t know this drama already and what more can I say that hasn’t already been said? With a cross-dressing heroine, a prickly hero, and a coffee shop full of eye-candy, this drama is a joy ride from beginning to end. The soundtrack is to die for and the drama arguably made the careers of its two main stars, Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo. Topped with excellent writing and direction, this drama makes me proud to be K-drama fan.
2. Queen In Hyun’s Man- (tvN 2012)- Ah. Ultimately, I couldn’t give the top spot to QIHM. QIHM is the only drama in nine years that I even considered for taking Damo’s place, which is a testament to how much I love this drama. QIHM is a love story between a time-traveling Joseon scholar and a no-name modern day actress, and the most romantic drama I have ever seen. Yet the romance is perfectly balanced with action, thrills, and tragedy- delivering on everything you would want from a drama in a short sixteen episodes.
This drama is excellently written with painful attention to detail. I could tell that the writer loved her story and characters as much as the fans. She knew what she wanted from her story and never sacrificed narrative to pander to the audience. Yet the writer was not a control freak; she let the story breathe and the characters come alive through the actors. Along with the director who never wasted a shot, she breathed life into the story so that QIHM took on a life of its own and truly became a fantasy, a dream, a story to remain in your heart instead of just moving images on a screen. QIHM broke my heart but it also pieced it together. QIHM, I love you.
1. Damo (MBC 2003)- Ah, this drama has reigned in my heart for nine years and counting. This drama is not for the light of heart. It will leave you devastated, broken, and weeping in a dark corner by the time you are done with the short fourteen episodes. (Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything. You know this from the start.) But you will be a better person for it because if you wanted poetry in drama form, that is what you just got. The first fusion sageuk in K-drama history- an epic story of a lowly Joseon era female detective and the two men whom she loved and loved her back- everyone that I know who has watched this drama was dramatically affected by it. I moped for months after this drama ended- the story and its characters lingering in my heart and haunted my dreams.
Everything is top-notch in this drama- the writing, the direction, the acting, the music- I really mean everything. The visuals are sweeping and the dialogue pierces your heart over and over and over and over (people were ripping just the audio of the dialogue and sharing them as mp3′s at the time it was airing). There are two heroes in this drama and both are worthy of your devotion, adoration, and respect. They are just and noble men who fight on opposite sides of society. Both fight for what is right in a battle with no conclusion, only causalities. And both love a girl, who embodies loyalty and strength. No other K-drama heroine will ever come close in comparison to the heroine of this drama- she kicks ass like no other and her intelligence can only be equaled by her sense of justice and courage.
Watch this drama. Watch it! (It’s available on Dramafever.) Don’t be scared by the sad ending or melodrama. It’s hard to describe what you see in Damo as “melodrama” or “angst.” Those words seems too…cheap to describe Damo properly. What you see in Damo is above that. Damo is drama on another level.
I just noticed that my top two dramas are both fusion sageuks. Obviously the genre works with me. So give me more drama gods, you hear!
I might be wrong but no one mentioned the quirky and pretty insightful Kimi Wa Petto and the brilliant Nodame Cantabile…they hold a special place in my heart (I`v seen them more than once) alongside Trick and Galileo (lol…i can`t vouch for these two mystery solving dramas but i loved them to death especially Trick was hilarious…also the chemistry between the two leads was awesome in both dramas).
As for Taiwanese dramas Mars and Fated to love you will always be my favorites followed by Down with Love, Autumns Concerto and Hi My Sweetheart
the first Korean drama i`ve ever watched was My Lovely Kim Sam Soon (actually first asian drama) and it was that good that it made me a fan for life…it took me a while to realize that not all Asian women are so real, tough and ballsy as her…some others that are definitely worth watching must be First Shop Coffee Prince, The Greatest Love, You are Beautiful …but I also liked Me too Flower, Which Yoo hee, What`s up Fox, City Hall (starts out awful but it becomes pretty intense and interesting till the end), Ten, and my guilty pleasure: Bad Couple (I`m the first to admit it`s not perfect, quite unbalanced, but the main characters and the chemistry between them was awesome)
Hi ada!
I absolutely loved Nodame Cantabile with its memorable characters, quirky storyline and beautiful music.
Kimi Wa Petto- I don’t remember much of the drama unfortunately.
Didn’t watch Trick but watched Galileo. Thought it was an excellent drama. It was my first japanese procedural and really appreciated how well it was made.
interesting list. I’ve seen many lists of favourite dramas. You will see the same titles cropping up on many of them. But High as the sky, is the one that catches my attention, and Damo. Although that one I have heard of.
I love your list of top ten: heres my list to share with: trust me all of it have a happy ending…Im a sucker of “they live happily ever after”
1. operation proposal-so cute that I cant even sleep
2. queen inhyuns man-best love story, sweet and simple…
3. Faith-2 people inlove so deep
4. Ojakgyo brothers- its a classic love story
5. tamra -the island- a love triangle
6. Dr. JIn- heart always remember
7. Moments to Remember-sad but worth to watch
8. Playfull kiss-funny and sweet
9. Sunkyunkyan scandal- funny abut good to watch
10. moon embracing the sun–wonderful
I love Daddy long legs although its sad but it will reach your heart.. warmhearted story.
thank you. hope you guys like my list
Thanks for sharing Dreico.
Besides Dr. Jin and Operation Proposal, I’ve seen them all and loved them too.
Hai Joonni, I followed your blog since Faith, and I really love your recap
I’ve been a silent reader all this time,bcause I’m not fluent in english.but when I saw your top ten list of drama, it give me courage to share my favorite dramas too, so before I start please forgive me if you find a lot of mistake in my comment ^_^;
); METEOR GARDEN (oh this drama is very famous in my country); DOWN WITH LOVE (I love ella chen since her role in hana kimi and I fall in love again with her role in this drama); PRINCESS HUANZHU(that’s how we call this drama in my country)
thanks Joonni for your beautiful blog. It really helpful for a drama freak like me 
from J-Drama :
I really love NODAME CANTABILLE (I watched the anime and read the manga too); LAST FRIENDS (I watched it after nodame and it give me a shock because ueno juri can play a totally diferent character from nodame, since this drama I have a high praise for ueno juri as an actress) ; Proposal daisakusen (I really enjoyed this drama, not only about love, but it teach us about life too); Hana kimi ikemen paradise(such a fresh and light drama to spend your time)
From T-Drama : ISWAK (even though Ariel character in this drama is nonsense,but in my opinion this drama is the best adaptation from it’s manga. I read the manga, I watched the anime version, the J-Drama version, Indonesian Drama version,the K-Drama version but still ISWAK is the best) ; MARS (I really appreciate that you put this drama into your list, I think this is the reason I leave my comment in your blog.because I really love it and I need to share my emotion about this drama before my heart blown
From K-Drama : FULL HOUSE (it’s a big hit in my country, I guess the biggest hallyu wave in my country started from this drama the first hallyu wave is WINTER SONATA); PRINCESS HOUR, COFFEE PRINCE, WEDDING, FAITH, 49 DAYS, JEWEL IN THE PALACE, etc it’s too much to tell hehehe.
Wow, I can’t believe that I made such a long comment, I get a great energy when I talk about drama
Joonni, I enjoyed reading your list.
I am so glad my favorite “Save the Last Dance” made it to your list.
Over the years, the drama never left my consciousness.
It is akin to the “first bud of spring” in my Kdrama experiences,
because it is the very first Kdrama I have ever watched.
I do not live in Korea, and didn’t even know it was really a hit there.
I cannot exactly remember how or why I found myself gravitating towards it,
episode after episode.
It just felt like HOME.
Hee! Someone else who has watched this drama!
Hi Joonni! I’ve watched Save the Last Dance too. The truth is I am still keeping the photo of that scene I printed using our P3 computer in my photo album. I wonder why I still can’t throw it into bin yet.
Maybe I’ve loved the flowers crowned in Eugene’s head.:-D:-D:-D
Hi Jyam,yes, love, love those flowers.
Thanks for making me remember it again.
I am happy to know many of you here who also watched SLD.
Among my friends, it seems I was the only one who did.
I thought it was one fortune cookie of the night – that night, many years ago, when I wasn’t busy and had the time to just do “leisure TV”.
Soon as I tuned in, I was glued, for life. That was before I even knew what kdrama addiction really meant, although I heard lots of Kdrama titles already, and have heard of so many hooked on kdrama.
It is so wonderful to always go back to that first kdrama in one’s life, right?
To me, it being SLD, it is much more than wonderful.
While the others I have watched subsequently, also made their mark,
to SLD I must give the credit for being HOME. A place where I intend to go back. Always.
Hi Apple Box! Couldn’t agree more bec. I am no good in words but I share the same feelings with you towards S.L.D.
:-):-)
I am so happy to
know someone like you here who treasured S.L.D. as/as much as I do. (besides Joonni of course)
Thanks Apple Box!
See you around here at Joonni’s.
To Joonni: *waves* *vow* thank Ü
Jyam,
see you around here at Joonni’s, yes!
planning too, to watch some of the dramas in the list,
especially anything with Ha Ji Won!
Joonni, finally took up your offer to watch Damo. I cried during the first episode and now I am thinking, “WTH did I get myself into?”. Huhuhuhu!!! Although Faith about killed me, I think Damo just might do me in finally. I am shipping Chae Ohk and Naeuri but then I am only on Ep 6 and have not seen the romance develop between Chae Ohk and Rebel leader. I think by the end of Damo, I will be rolled up into a ball rocking myself back and forth in a dark corner somewhere with a garbage full of wet tissues. Nevertheless, I am excited to finish it and report back to you.
I just finished watching Damo and I’m numb. *Whimpers in pain, while rolled up into a ball rocking in some corner* Damo is some sick shiz!
Oh Pam! Sorry to read that. It is a good drama but now you need some fluff to lighten up after Damo. I’ve been watching The Legend but seriously my next drama has to be a comedy. Can’t deal with sad stories.
@wendy and Pam
Try Protect the boss or the Gentleman’s Dignity .
They are the right fodder for the wrenching heartbreak from Damo and Legend..
Also my girlfriend is a Gumiho is another comedy you just have to see.
Its fluffy comedy and hilariously funny and has enough moments of Awwwww!!
Classy….huhuhuhu… Yes, Damo about killed me. Team Naeuri/Yoon all the way! I know he’s a fictional character, but he needs to be my husband in my next lifetime..hehe. Thanks for the recommendations. I will be sure to watch something fluffy next…anything but a sageuk.
I have always suffered from the second-lead syndrome so the first time I watched, I was devastated by Jang Sung-baek. But on my third watch, I fell for Yoon so hard. Gosh, his love for Chae-ok still gets me teary.
Thanks, WendyM. Damo is such a good all-around drama but I hate tragedy, that’s all. I will take your offer and make sure I watch a fluffy drama next, maybe Shut Up Flower Boy Band. BTW, I heard Legend is heavy as well, so I’ll save that for another time.
Legend isn’t actually that serious in terms of emotional pain. It’s just a smart and excellently produced drama all-around. But still, after Damo, you definitely need something lighter. I second SUFBB. Very uplifting.
I was in trauma for about two months after this drama. So tragically beautiful. Don’t regret a single moment of it.
I’m glad that many drama i love are in your list, Jonni. Mars, Nobuta wa produce, coffee house and QIHM (just watch only because your list tempt me. And i’m feel so happy watch it).
But, i dont have any courage to watch Damo. I cant take any hard story with so many upside down things. My heart cant bear it.
What i’m really curious now is, Where you will put Faith at your Top 10 list, Joonni ? And what drama will be kick out from your top 10 list ? *grinning
I hope, you will placed FAIT at big three.
Chikoku, I think you’ll like it despite the heavy stuff. Damo is tragic but beautiful. It’s like watching a car crash but you just can’t avert your eyes. Beautiful cinematography…even though the HD quality is not as good as it is today. Great acting, directing, editing, despite a lot of shaky camera work. The technical details that Faith (even though I over look it all) lacked, Damo really got it right.
<3
@Pam, your words “It’s like watching a car crash but you just can’t avert your eyes” make me want to taste Damo. The most sad k-movie i’ve ever watch is the story about 2 siblings, boy and girl. The elder brother seems hate his sister so much, but at the end of the story, young sister died and from her back the beautiful wings pop out. I forgot the title, because it make me sooooooo miserable. T___T
@ Joonni :your words “It never fails to hurt every time though”, make me retreat again. LOL.. But i’m really curious. I love any drama which has great stroyline and cinematography.
I’ll report again, if i already watch Damo..
Joonni, I’m sorry if I’m putting this in the wrong spot, but may I make a suggestion? Have you ever thought about writing post paying tribute to all the second male leads that never get the girl, be it because she chose the main guy or because it was fate…? *Cough-Damo* And who are your all time favorite 2nd male leads? Thanks!
LOL. I had this very idea once in a long while ago. I should resurrect it.
Oh goodness, all this Damo talk is making me itch to watch it again for the umpteenth time. It never fails to hurt every time though.
Very good suggestion, Pam
Yes, joonni, please, if it is not asking too much.
****sending smiles to you both****
What about Faith? Where would you put it in an updated version of this ranking?
Hehehehe. I am reorganizing this list in my head. It will be up soon.
Joonni, maybe you can do a runner up list of your next 10 fave dramas of all time? Have you joined mydramalist.com? I’d be curious to see more of your recommendations
Thanks!
Hi dolls, stumbled on this fantastic video of our city hunter LMH serious practice for filming