The Top 10 K-Dramas of 2017

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, one of Korea’s most popular exports is its television dramas. Unlike TV shows in other countries, Korean dramas tend to air for only one season, with roughly 12-30 episodes. These dramas either focus on a historical period (Saeguk) or are set in contemporary times.

Whether you’re looking for a tear-jerking love story or action-packed thriller, there is sure to be a K-Drama for you. To make your selection process easier we’ve compiled a list of the 10 hottest K-Dramas of 2017 (in no particular order).

In case some of these links go dead, be sure to check our article that focuses on how to access Korean dramas with English subtitles.

#10. Suspicious Partner

Marking actor Ji Chang-wook’s last project before he heads to fulfill his mandatory military service, “Suspicious Partner” delivers to its audience a charming blend of complex legalese and conventional love story.

The plot focuses on the relationship between a prosecutor and prosecutor trainee as they attempt to solve a case involving a devious serial killer. Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook), is a private attorney who harbors a painful past regarding his parents and first love.

He struggles to work with naive, young prosecutor trainee Eun Bong-hee, whose abrasive personality immediately he dislikes. However, as with all love stories, the two grow closer as the case unravels and they begin to fall in love.

#9. Strong Woman Do Bong-soon

This drama tells the story of a young woman (Do Bong-soon), blessed with the gift of superhuman strength. Bong-soon’s strength is a hereditary gene passed on to female members of her family.

Bong-soon’s dream of creating her own hit video game comes closer to fruition when she is hired as the bodyguard for the wealthy Ahn Min-hyuk. Min-hyuk is the CEO of a video game company and his carefree attitude and general dislike for following the rules is the exact opposite of what Bong Soon looks for in a man.
After a series of kidnappings in her neighborhood, Bong-soon, with the guidance of Min-hyuk, learns how to use her powers to combat crime. As the two spend more time together, it’s clear what was once a professional relationship is growing into something more.

#8. The Bride of the Water God

Venturing away from traditional K-Drama settings, “The Bride of the Water God” is a fantasy drama that tells the story of the water god Ha-baek (Nam Joo-hyuk). Ha-baek, like most gods, is arrogant and comes to Earth in order to discover a stone that would allow him to reacquire his throne.

Things get complicated when he attempts to use his servant and bride-to-be So-Ah (Shin Se-kyung) to help him find the stone. So-Ah is unaware that her family has been destined to serve the water god for generations and thinks that Ha-Baek is crazy. Eventually, more gods arrive on Earth, some of whom are longtime rivals of Ha-Baek.

#7. Fight My Way

At first glance, “Fight My Way” looks like a drama you’d only watch for a few weeks before you get bored and move onto something new. Incredibly, this drama starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won received high ratings and was the most watched show in its time slot.

It tells the story of four friends in their mid-20’s struggling to survive in a world that has seemingly turned its back on them. Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) is a former taekwondo prodigy, who is now a washed up MMA fighter. His childhood friend, Choi Ae-ra, is a department store clerk, who yearns to become a news anchor.
Their two other friends Joo-man and Seol-hee live relatively comfortable lives, but on the inside, their six-year relationship is fracturing. The drama also focuses on the blossoming romance between Dong-man and Ae-ra.

#6. Hit the Top

With a charming mix of K-Pop and time travel elements, “Hit the Top” begins in the year 1993 and tells the story of popular 90’s idol singer Hyun-jae (Yoon Shi-yoon), who is admired for his good looks, fashion sense, and talents in singing and dancing.

Everything seems to be running smoothly for Hyun-jae, until one day, he is suddenly transported to the year 2017. Hyun-jae has no idea why he was suddenly sent into the future, but he learns that he was destined to die in 1994. Unbeknownst to him, Hyun-jae has a biological son with his girlfriend Bong-hee named Ji-hoon (Kim Min-jae), who dreams of one day becoming an idol like his father.
To make matters worse, Hyun-jae’s former manager Gwang-jae (Cha Tae-hyun) has adopted Ji-hoon as his son and secretly harbors feelings for Bong-hee. Hyun-jae finds that all the people he once knew have moved on with their lives and struggles to adapt to a much different world than the one he knew.

#5. The King Loves

Taking a break from the modern day drama, “The King Loves” is a historical period piece (saeguk) set during the Goryeo Dynasty. It focuses on the crown prince Wang-won (Im Si-wan), who beneath his handsome exterior, harbors desires for conquest and glory. His childhood best friend Wang-rin (Hong Jong-hyun) works as his bodyguard and possesses strong moral values.

These two friends’ lives are forever altered with the arrival of the beautiful Eun-san (Im Yoo-na). Eun-san immediately catches the attentions of both Won and Rin. They are soon entangled in a love triangle that could potentially put the entire country in grave danger.

#4. School 2017

“School 2017” is a drama that provides an insightful look into the everyday lives of high school students in Korea. It focuses on a class of students trying to survive in a school system that ranks them based on exam scores. With each passing year, they feel the pressures of competing with their peers in a flawed education system that is slowly breaking their will.

Ra Eun-ho (Kim Se-jeong) is a sweet natured girl, who dreams of someday becoming a “webtoon” artist. She’s well liked among her peers, however, when one day she is falsely accused of being a delinquent, her world is turned upside down. Eun-ho’s dreams are now in jeopardy and in order to clear her name, she must discover the identity of the real culprit: Student X.

#3. Man to Man

If you want to see the year’s best action-comedy, look no further than “Man to Man”. Starring Park Hae-jin, who rose to fame with his acclaimed role in “My Love From the Star”, this drama focuses on a bodyguard named Kim Seol-woo (Park Hae-jin).

He is charged with protecting the famous actor Yeo Woon-gwang (Park Sung-woong). While in Woon-gwang’s employment, Seol-woo falls in love with his manager Cha Do-ha (Kim Min-jung).
In reality, Seol-woo is not a bodyguard but an undercover agent working for the NIS. The bodyguard position is merely a cover for a bigger operation. Most of the episodes focus on the developing bromance between the two men and their adventures as they fend off an evil chaebol named Seung-jae (Yeon Jung-hoon), who is hell-bent on acquiring three wooden carvings.

#2. My Sassy Girl

Based on the popular 2001 film of the same name, “My Sassy Girl” unlike its predecessor, takes place in the Joseon Dynasty. It’s basically a saeguk version of the 2001 film that features Joo-won as Gyeon-woo and Oh Yeon-seo as Princess Hye-myung.

Gyeon-woo is a brilliant scholar and considered a legend of the Joseon Dynasty. Although he carries an impressive resume, Gyeon-woo is cold in nature. Hye-mung, a sassy princess, enters his life and disrupts the seemingly quiet life of one of Korea’s greatest scholars. He falls in love with Hye-mung at first but must learn to deal with the baggage Hye-mung carries.

#1. Chicago Typewriter

“Chicago Typewriter” follows the stories of people who lived during the 1930’s and are reincarnated into the 21st century. The three main characters consist of a renowned writer known as Han Se-joo (Yoo Ah-in), his devoted fan Jeon Seol (Im Soo-jung), and a ghostwriter named Yoo Jin-oh (Go Kyung-pyo).

Se-joo, while considered one of the top writers in the nation, is secretly depressed and struggles to find balance in his life. He also suffers from a severe case of writer’s block that prevents him from writing his next bestseller.
To cope with this matter, he hires a genius ghostwriter in Jin-Oh, who can solve his needs. However, Jin-oh is not all that he appears and harbors a mysterious past. Meanwhile, Jeon-seol works as a meager job and in the modern day, she becomes an anti-fan of Se-joo.
The drama’s timeline shifts back and forth between the 1930’s and modern day Seoul, as the three characters struggle to understand the causes behind their reincarnation and what they can do to finally be at peace.