There are a handful of incredibleK-dramasthat are best enjoyed when audiences slow down and take time to sit with their stories. Whilea bingeable K-dramais certainly appreciated now and then,some series are a bit more complex and require audiences to move leisurely.These K-dramas feature many moving parts, whether it is a large ensemble cast or a complex narrative that cannot be properly digested when binge-watching through episodes.
Several of the shows that are best enjoyed when audiences move at a casual pace areK-dramas that are considered masterpieces. Therefore, those wishing to get the best out of the beloved K-dramas are encouraged to take the time to fully savor the strong stories, performances, and visuals provided by these series. Patient viewers are rewarded the most when watching lighthearted slice-of-life K-dramas such asHospital Playlistand gripping thriller series likeFlower of Evil.
Healer
Cast
An incident took place 30 years ago involving a group of friends who ran an illegal broadcasting station. Now three people, an illegal courier called “Healer”, a reporter from a second-rate news website and a famous journalist are on a journey to discover the truth about what happened in 1992.
K-dramas likeHealerare best enjoyed casually. The K-drama combines thrills with romance and followsthe determined mission of three individuals to solve a series of murders and remain truthful in their reporting. The three individuals are an illegal night courier known by the codename “Healer,” who also happens to be a highly skilled fighter (Ji Chang-wook), a tabloid reporter (Park Min-young), and an acclaimed journalist from a notable broadcast station (Yoo Ji-tae).
Healerearned a moderate amount of attention in South Korea, but gained an even larger audience worldwide, bringing a lot of attention to its stars, particularly Ji. The actor, who’d eventually be celebrated for his performances inThe K2andWelcome to Samdal-ri, and his co-stars are captivating on screen. Their characters must face off against powerful figures in the media, but audiences don’t dare to question the trio of investigators' strength and ability to follow through with their mission.
Crash Landing On You
Crash Landing on You is a romantic drama series that follows a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea after a paragliding incident. She encounters an army officer who, despite the political tensions, aids her in concealment, forging an unexpected connection amidst their contrasting worlds.
Most romantic comedy K-dramas make for an ideal series to binge, as the sweet, sentimental acts of love on screen don’t ask for much from audiences in return. However, the romance and comedy on display inCrash Landing on Youare elevated thanks to the K-drama’s themes of political tension, which reward viewers who move through the series at a leisurely pace. The series followsthe forbidden romance between chaebol heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) and North Korean officer Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin).
Crash Landing on Youhas a 100% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
The romance between the two begins when Se-ri, from South Korea, crashes into North Korea while paragliding and is discovered by Jeong-hyeok.Crash Landing on Yourivals the best American TVshows thanks to its gripping, well-written drama. Also contributing to the K-drama’s popularity is Son and Hyun’s chemistry, which draws audiences in and easily gets them invested in their characters' doomed romance.
The Trunk
The Trunk, releasing on June 17, 2025, follows the mysterious discovery of a trunk on the shoreline, unveiling a hidden marriage service and the peculiar relationship of a couple intertwined in its secrets.
One ofthe best K-dramas of 2024,The Trunkseestwo individuals in a contract marriage become intertwined in a murder mystery. In the series, Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), who works at NM (New Marriage), a company that organizes temporary marriages, is put into an arranged marriage with troubled music producer Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo). Their relationship is orchestrated by Jeong-won’s ex-wife, and though they don’t intend on developing an emotional attachment to one another, they find themselves being drawn closer.
Like any other great melodramatic series,The Trunk’s central relationship is not without its obstacles, as Jeong-won and In-ji’s pasts interfere with their chance at a happy ending.
However, like any other great melodramatic series,The Trunk’s central relationship is not without its obstacles, as Jeong-won and In-ji’s pasts interfere with their chance at a happy ending. While much ofThe Trunkis centered around the fate of the pair’s relationship, the K-drama also contains a compelling mystery surrounding a dead body that’ll have audiences glued to their screens until the end.
Business Proposal
Business Proposal is a South Korean romantic comedy series. It follows Shin Ha-ri, a company employee who reluctantly goes on a blind date in place of her friend, only to discover her company’s CEO, Kang Tae-mu, is her date. Tae-mu proposes a fake relationship to avoid his family’s pressure to marry, leading to unexpected romantic entanglements and corporate adversity. The series explores themes of love, identity, and ambition within a corporate setting.
InBusiness Proposal, Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) agrees to conceal her identity and replace her friend on a blind date, only to discover the man she’s seeing is her boss, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). To appease Tae-moo’s pushy grandfather, the two agree to pretend to be engaged, which leads to a predictable but enjoyable drawback when Tae-moo and Ha-ri begin to develop real feelings for one another.
The K-drama is based on a web novel of the same name and isa solid romance series packed with hilarious hijinks, acts of deception, and endearing displays of love. With only 12 episodes,Business Proposalis an idealromantic comedy series to watch on a bad day. Though the K-drama is easy for audiences to binge, doing so will diminish the excitement of the series' budding love story.
Prison Playbook
Baseball star Kim Je-hyeok is about to make his Major League Baseball debut. However, due to some misfortune, he ends up in prison and must learn to survive in this new world full of life and death challenges.
Audiences are first introduced to the world ofPrison Playbookthrough Kim Je-hyuk (Park Hae-soo), a former baseball player and newest inmate. However, the series quickly becomes a comedicslice-of-life K-dramafollowing the day-to-day lives of Je-hyuk, his fellow inmates, and duty officers. What makesPrison Playbooksuch a compelling series is its balance of humor and heartfelt moments. The inmates surrounding Je-hyuk aren’t merely side characters created to help push the protagonist’s story along.
Instead,each inmate comes with fleshed-out backstories, some more tragic than others, presenting them as more than just another character, and someone audiences can empathize with. ThoughPrison Playbookcan easily be binged, those who choose to do so won’t get the same effect of the K-drama’s unique angle, and they risk the chance of missing out on the extent of the series' heartwarming connections.
Hospital Playlist
Hospital Playlist is a South Korean television series that follows the lives of five doctors working at a hospital. It explores their personal and professional struggles as they navigate the challenges of their jobs and personal relationships. The series delves into themes of friendship, love, and growth as the characters face various medical cases and personal struggles.
Combining musical performances with endearing depictions of friendship and the high-stress environment that comes with working at a hospital isHospital Playlist. The series comes from the creator and director ofPrison Playbookand followsa group of doctors who have been close friendssince their days at medical school.Hospital Playlistputs a refreshing spin onmedical K-dramas, and one can only fully appreciate the series' greatness when all of its components are carefully taken in.
The tone ofHospital Playlistremains light and fun for the most part, but as is the case with most medical dramas,the K-drama is not without its moments of heartache.The series does an exceptional job of balancing its humorous and musical moments with the tense and emotional scenes that depict the hardships of working in a hospital.
Flower of Evil
Flower of Evil is a South Korean thriller series that follows the story of Baek Hee-sung, a man who hides his dark past and pretends to be a perfect husband and father. However, his life is disrupted when Detective Cha Ji-won, a determined and intelligent detective, begins to suspect him of being involved in a series of mysterious events.
Flower of Evilis a strong mystery K-dramathat keeps audiences guessing until the very end. By cleverly dropping a series of subtle clues throughout its 16 episodes, audiences are encouraged to take their time with the K-drama. Both an emotionaldark romance K-dramaand a crime thriller,Flower of Evildetails the unraveling marriage between Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won) and Baek Hee-sung (Lee Joon-gi), whose life, to outsiders, appears to be perfect.
However,when Ji-won, a detective, begins investigating a series of murders, she grows suspicious of her already enigmatic husband.Flower of Evil’s suspense is well-crafted and will have audiences on the edge of their seats, fighting the urge to binge the series and find out what Hee-sung is hiding. However, to feel the full effect of the K-drama’s plot twists and emotional ending, audiences shouldn’t rush to the end.
Something in the Rain
Something in the Rain is a romantic drama series that follows Yoon Jin-ah, a single woman in her 30s, and her unexpected romance with Seo Joon-hee, the younger brother of her best friend. As their relationship develops, they confront societal expectations and personal challenges. The series explores themes of love, age, and societal norms connected to modern relationships.
Romance is one of the more popular genres within K-dramas, as many well-known series feature charming lead characters, grand acts of love, and are filled to the brim with cheesy, but admirable romance tropes. However, there are still a handful of morerealistic romance K-dramas, includingSomething in the Rain. This K-drama, whichtackles the stigma surrounding age-gap relationships, is a series audiences shouldn’t speed through.
Jin-ah and Jun-hui’s relationship is portrayed with an appreciated amount of honesty and depth, making it a K-drama that is most rewarding for patient viewers.
Something in the Rainfollows the risky romance between Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin), who is in her 30s, and Seo Jun-hui (Jung Hae-in), who is in his late 20s.The K-drama beautifully captures the couple’s highs and lows, the latter revolving around the hesitation they have to go public with their relationship due to prejudices. Jin-ah and Jun-hui’s relationship is portrayed with an appreciated amount of honesty and depth, making it a K-drama that is most rewarding for patient viewers.
