The worldwide popularity of K-dramas has continued to grow, and several short series are packed with as much entertainment as long-running K-drama audiences are accustomed to. The popularity of K-dramas means there are an overwhelming number of series for audiences to watch. Fortunately, these shorter series make exploring K-dramas a little easier by being filled with typical K-dramas circumstances and tropes, but requiring less commitment.
More often than not, a shorter TV series runs the risk of reducing quality and character development, as the story is often rushed. However, these short K-dramas avoid such mistakes and have a well-written plot developed in a matter of a few episodes, with their stories falling into the most popular K-drama genres. From romance stories about falling in love with your best friend to thriller series about those who have been wronged getting revenge — The best K-dramas to binge in a day have engaging stories covered in 10 episodes or less.
10
The Witch’s Dinner (2021)
8 episodes
Based on the novel of the same name by Goo Sang-hee The Witch’s Dinner tells the story of Jeong Jin (Nam Ji-hyun), someone who has dealt with one misfortune after another. That is until Jin allows Jo Hee-ra (Song Ji-hyo), a witch, to run his run-down restaurant. Under Jo Hee-ra’s control, the restaurant attracts many customers who sacrifice something precious so that their wishes can be fulfilled by Jo Hee-ra.
The Witch’s Dinner combines fantasy and slice-of-life K-drama elements such as the audience gets a glimpse into a variety of diners’ lives as they enter the restaurant desperate for a change. The series has a unique concept and has strong themes about acting without thinking and valuing life for what it is. Most importantly, the drama in The Witch’s Dinner unfolds gradually over the course of the short season and rarely feels empty or rushed.
9
Here’s My Plan (2021)
4 episodes
Having lived a life full of misfortunes, Lee So-hyun (Kim Hwan-hee) enacts a plan to take revenge on those who wronged her. Here’s my plan starts off as a light-hearted comedy about So-hyun’s life, but With only four episodes in the series, things go dark almost instantly. Here’s my plan has the expected elements of a revenge K-drama, but also includes a side romance plot.
Although the K-drama doesn’t explore the love story much, the romance involving So-hyun helps inform his plans for revenge. So-hyun’s character arc is surprisingly well written, spanning just a few episodes. Although the character is not entirely sympathetic due to her actions, Kim Hwan-hee portrays So-hyun in a way that the audience can’t help but empathize with her and handles the character’s range of emotions with ease.
8
The Death Hymn (2018)
6 episodes
The Hymn of Death is named after the famous song of the same name by Yun Sim-deok. Yun was Korea’s first professional soprano and the series, The Hymn of Deathtells their tragic love story. The K-drama revolves around Yun’s (Shin Hye-sun) affair with married playwright Kim Woo-jin (Lee Jong-suk). The series leaves out valuable moments where the audience can better understand the leadsbut it doesn’t detract from the overall emotional viewing experience.
Regardless of whether the public watches The Hymn of Death knowing how real-life events happened, there are bound to be tears. Lee Jong-suk and Shin Hye-sun are captivating on screen and play historical figures with a lot of heart and attention to detail. Like most historical series, The Hymn of Death It doesn’t paint the entire picture, but it’s still a delightful series, perfect for audiences interested in the famously tragic love story.
7
You Drive Me Crazy (2018)
4 episodes
Many romance K-dramas spend a few episodes shaping the love story of their protagonists, making the audience invested in their stories. However, You drive me crazy does similar work in just a few episodes. Considering its short term, the premise of You drive me crazy it’s simple: Two individuals have been friends for eight years, but their dynamics completely change after the two have a romantic encounter.
From there, You drive me crazy goes back to the past and shows cases where friends, Han Eun-sung (Lee Yoo-young) and Kim Rae-wan (Kim Seon-ho), suppressed their true feelings for the sake of their friendship. Lee Yoo-young and Kim Seon-ho have immense chemistry on screen and effortlessly convince the audience of every wave of emotion.
6
The School Nurse Archives (2020)
6 episodes
The beginning of The School Nurse Files pulls the audience into a strange world where school nurse Ahn Eun-young (Jung Yu-mi) can see gelatinous shells covering individuals. These jellies represent a range of emotions and desires of each individual and, for the most part, are harmless. However, those who take the form of dangerous monsters begin to cause trouble, so Ahn is bent on getting rid of them. The School Nurse Files It can be quite awkward at times, but it’s endlessly fun.
Ahn is a convincing leader and makes an excellent team with Hong In-pyo (Nam Joo-hyuk), a professor who can create force fields to protect himself and others from dangerous jellies. Additionally, the special effects of these jellies are colorful and impressive, dissolving into small pieces when destroyed by Ahn. The School Nurse Files It’s fast-paced, humorous, highly addictive, and easy to read in one sitting.
5
Vigilante (2023-present)
8 episodes
After being personally affected by heinous criminals who got away with light sentences, Kim Ji-yong (Nam Joo-hyuk) takes it upon himself to ensure that such criminals pay for their actions when he enters the police academy. At night, Ji-yong becomes a vigilante and quickly draws the attention of local authorities. VigilantThe story is based on a webtoon of the same name and has a great balance between action and commentary..
The flaws in the justice system are not always present in revenge thrillers, but when they are, as explored in Vigilantthey add depth to the narrative and act as a motivator for the series’ antihero. VigilantJi-yong is reminiscent of popular comic book characters who have the same motive to take matters into their own hands. Just like the movies and TV shows about these characters, Vigilant has expertly choreographed fight sequences that are plentiful but remain refreshing in execution.
4
Female Generation 1979 (2017)
8 episodes
Similar to the beloved To respond series, Female Generation 1979 transports audiences back in time to a South Korean city in the titular decade. The series tells a coming-of-age story about high school students forming friendships and developing romantic feelings for their classmates. Female Generation 1979 mainly focuses on two students, Lee Jung-hee (Bona) and Park Hye-joo (Chae Seo-jin), who face each other at the beginning of the series due to the latter’s popularity.
However, Female Generation 1979 It’s not without darker aspects, as part of the series also addresses a local mystery that involves female workers disappearing one after another. This part of the story balances well with the light-hearted coming-of-age narrative and shows the duality of being young in the city at the time. However Female Generation 1979 is a shorter K-drama, it’s easy to invest in its story and the journey of its relatable teenage characters.
3
I Love to Hate You (2023)
10 episodes
As the name itself might suggest, I love to hate you is one of the best enemies-to-lovers K-dramas. The series revolves around Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), a lawyer with a celebrity clientele, and Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo), one of Korea’s biggest actors. The two had unsuccessful love lives, which led them to despise the opposite sex – that is, until they met. Mi-ran and Kang-ho have a controversial first meeting, but begin to see each other differently within just a few episodes.
I love to hate you is full of romantic tropes, especially those associated with the previously mentioned enemies-to-lovers stories, but it doesn’t feel cheesy or very predictable. Kim Ok-vin and Teo Yoo are well-matched and gel both in the playful moments of disliking each other and in the sweeter scenes where they begin to see each other in a different light.
2
My Name (2021)
8 episodes
my name is a gripping K-drama thriller about a woman who wants revenge on her late father’s killer. Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee) is the woman at the center of the story and finds herself in several risky situations, interacting with drug gangs and operating under a false identity when working with the police. Ji-woo’s strength and determination make my name an edible series on its ownas the audience is very fascinated by the character’s strength and ability to move efficiently through obstacles.
The story in my name in itself is also addictive and is presented in a way that engages the audience. Small plot twists are included frequently, creating a fair amount of tension that leads to my nameIt’s a shocking ending. The series ends with an open ending, as Ji-woo’s fate is not shown, and leaves room for interpretation that allows the invested audience to come to their own conclusions about where the character ends up.
1
Soundtrack #1 (2022)
4 episodes
One of the best executions of the friends-to-lovers narrative in K-dramas is Soundtrack #1. The K-drama is about best friends of two decades, Han Seon-woo (Park Hyung-sik) and Lee Eun-soo (Han So-hee). Once the two begin living under the same roof, romantic feelings begin to develop. As You drive me crazy, Soundtrack #1 does not require multiple episodes for the audience to care about its main characters.
Han So-hee and Park Hyung-sik are charming in their performances and convincingly portray the formation of a realistic relationship, which is not often seen in friends-to-lovers K-dramas. Furthermore, the romantic atmosphere of the Soundtrack #1 is further established by the series’ soundtrack, which features music from artists such as NCT’s Doyoung and famous singer-songwriter Kim Jae-hwan. Soundtrack #1 It’s not a groundbreaking romance series, but its main relationship is among the most compelling, and it’s a sweet series that makes the most of its limited time with the audience.