10 Best Non-Romance K-Dramas, Ranked

The K-drama Genre is one that is typically known for its heart-wrenching romance, but it also offers a wide variety of different shows that do not revolve around the love affairs of the series’ protagonists. These dramas sport a variety of different themes, covering everything from thrillers to science fiction and even horror. While some of them may have a romantic element to them, it’s never the main focus of the story the showrunners are trying to tell.

Despite the fact that these shows are often incredibly compelling, they are less often the focus of audiences due to the oversaturation of romance series on the market. The stories are just as compelling, often with more twists and turns and sometimes even supernatural elements than the standard romance allows. These storylines have made for some of the best K-dramas of all time, with some of the greatest characters in the medium.

It covers the Dark Reality School tuition

Following the story of high school student Ji Soo, Extracurricular is a grim look at the lengths some people must go to afford the high cost of tuition. Desperate to pay his way through school, Ji Soo turns to a life of crime. What follows is an anxiety-riddled narrative of events as more and more members of Ji Soo’s class are swept up in his less than stellar decisions.

Extracurricular is just as heart-pounding as it is darkAnd with every crime committed comes a new problem to solve. There are many times when it seems that there will be no way out, but the story that unfolds eventually pays off in the end. This, along with the incredible performances of the show’s actors, make it a must-watch for any K-drama fan.

9

My name

The story is one of the greatest revenge stories of K-Drama

Its one of the best revenge K-dramas of all time, My name is sure to please. Setting the stage for a revenge story of epic proportions, Ji Woo goes undercover, Become a mole in a dangerous crime gang once her father is killed. Gathering information while working within their ranks, every moment is tense as the threat of Ji Woo’s identity being revealed lingers over her head.

The writing in this series is incredibly well executed, and it is something that immediately grabs the attention of the viewers. This, along with impeccable stunt work, adds up to make My name Something greater than the sum of its parts. It’s the perfect watch for any crime and mystery fan, with a well-written female protagonist.

8

sweet home

The show is host to terrifying monsters

Starring Song Kang of Love fear honor, sweet home is a horror series based on a webtoon. In an apocalyptic version of ​​Future Earth, monsters have swept over the city, leaving no survivors to take shelter in their homes. They eventually realize that the monsters are people who used to live there, transformed by their desires into terrible creatures of death and destruction.

Now three seasons long, with the third set to be released as recently as July 2024, sweet home is a series that is always developing and never stagnating. The action and scares always feel fresh, and although the horror in this series is often uncomfortably grotesque, it is well done. With a strong emotional plotline and unforgettable characters, it is a tragedy that sweet home Will not get a fourth season.

7

Flower of evil

The perfect couple isn’t so perfect

on the surface, Flower of evil May at first feel like the setup to an interesting slice of life show. It features Detective Cha Ji Won and her seemingly perfect family, her daughter and her husband, Baek Hee Sung. However, things immediately take a turn for the worse When Ji Won realizes that her husband may be hiding a terrible secret.

The series not only rivals some of the best in the crime thriller genre, but also takes the unique perspective of a woman investigating her husband’s crimes. Flower of evil is personal, serious, and it does not shy away from the difficult topics it brings up. It stands among the best of the best, keeping the viewer hooked when danger seems to be lurking around every corner, even at home.

6

DP

A gripping tale of the Korean military police

Another series based on a webtoon, dp, Which stands for Deserter Pursuit, is the story of Private Ahn Jun Ho and Corporal Han Ho Yeol. The two work as military police, and it is their job to track down deserters to the South Korean military. Their work takes them on a trip across the country, and takes a hard stance on the South Korean military and the horrible things that happen there.

Not afraid to outline the reasons why someone might choose to waste, DP Broaches topics such as hazing, corruption and even discrimination in the military. It has its tense moments, but above all it is a series that feels grounded in the fact that it emulates. This is a series informed by the world around it, and because of that, DP Features incredible storytelling with an even more memorable cast of sympathetic characters.

5

kingdom

This period drama is an unexpected zombie horror show

With a bit of a unique premise, kingdom is a South Korean period drama with a surprising twist. Instead of courtly romance and political intrigue, the greatest threat to the characters of the series is actually a deadly plague that turns people into zombies. Although there is still plenty of political intrigue to be had, everyone who is featured in The series is only amplified by the existential threat of ​​the apocalyptic world that begins to crumble.

However, in the world where terrifying zombies seem to roam free, the characters that populate the world are often even more monstrous. There is always another scheme just waiting to be uncovered. kingdom Perfectly ties all this and more together, making for one of the greatest zombie shows of the modern era.

4

The silent sea

Gong Yoo is at his best in this sci-fi thriller

Referring to the sea of ​​trinity located on the moon, The silent sea is a mystery thriller following a hand-picked crew of astronauts as they make their way to Balhae Station. After the previous crew mysteriously disappeared, it is their job to not only discover what happened to the researchers who were there, but also to recover the samples they found. This leads to a lot of tension between the members of the group, because not everyone is in it for the right reasons.

Starring Gong Yoo, one of South Korea’s superstars who has appeared in everything from Train to Busan to Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, This series has incredible acting across the board. The science fiction is believable, and the world presented is thrown into chaos, addressing the possible future of widespread drought. Claustrophobic and eerie at its core, The silent sea Excels at making the viewer feel like something could go wrong at any moment.

3

Beyond evil

Show brutal and grounded detective fiction

Although there are many different K-dramas revolving around mysteries and the detectives who solve them, none hit quite as hard as Beyond evil. When a serial killer runs rampant through the countryside, it’s up to Lee Dong Sik and Han Joo Won to stop them. However, it seems that they are stopped at every possible turn, discovering that there are more threats lurking behind closed doors than the serial killers they came to stop.

Like any good piece of detective fiction, the mystery is difficult to crack, both for the viewers and for the detectives themselves. The mystery of who the serial killer might be is brilliantly hidden throughout the series, leaving viewers guessing, But also feeding them just enough information to make them feel as if they are piecing together the clues along the series’ detectives. To say that the series is compelling is an understatement, as it really takes its time to flesh out the characters, their motivations, and whether they are capable of the evils committed.

2

Squid game

The Netflix series that swept the world

when Squid game Initially released in 2021, it took the world by storm. Depicting the massive disparity between the rich and the poor in South Korea, The show about a series of death games is a little closer to real life than one might realize. When only one person can win life-changing cash, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what the 456 players can do to get ahead in the game.

Exciting and tragic from start to finish, Squid game Really takes his time to show the lives of his characters and how they end up where they are when the games start. There is an incredibly no-nonsense approach to showing their struggles and why they should be the one to win in the end. The show is an emotional rollercoaster, depicting exploitation and despair in equal measure.

1

Strangers from hell

You never know who might be living next door

Also known as Hell is other people, strangers from hell is one of the most suspenseful K-drama stories to date. When Yoon Jong Woo, happy with his luck, begins to struggle financially, he moves into a sketchy dormitory building called Eden Studio. At first, keep to yourself, Jong Woo slowly starts to realize that the people he moved in with are more dangerous than they initially seemed.

Starring the legendary Lee Dong Wook in one of his most chilling roles to date alongside one-time singer Im Si Wan, the slow build of Strangers from hell Opening finally pays off in bombastic fashion. Manipulation is the name of the game, and viewers are left to wonder if the real monsters are the people Jong Woo finds himself living with or the one Jong Woo is pretending to be. Strangers from hell is a masterclass in terror and subverting audience expectations, making it one of the greatest K-drama series of all time.