"Squid Game," "All Of Us Are Dead," And 8 More Of The Most Popular K-Dramas Coming Out This Year
In recent years, the popularity of K-dramas has increased, well, dramatically. In fact, Netflix recently disclosed that more than 60% of its users regularly watch South Korean content — that's roughly 134 million people considering the streaming giant has 223 million global subscribers.
Netflix
As K-dramas amass a global audience, fans worldwide are clamoring for more content, from new series to new seasons. Unsurprisingly, a majority of the most anticipated K-dramas this year is released by Netflix, according to a study done by CasinoAlpha.
Netflix
The company analyzed new releases for 2023 against Google searches to find out which K-dramas fans are most excited to see next, so here are the top 10:
10.Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
Average Monthly Searches: 9,000
Network: tvN
Release Date: May 2023
Synopsis of Tale of the Nine Tailed from Amazon: Once the guardian of the Baekdu-daegan mountain range, Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook) is a legendary nine-tailed fox who travels back and forth between the mortal world and the afterlife killing demons. He takes human form and settles in the city, completely assimilating into human society.
Meanwhile, Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah) is a TV producer who specializes in supernatural investigative TV programs. When she hears of a genuine nine-tailed fox living in the city, she is determined to get him as a guest on her TV show. Lee Rang, the step-brother of Lee Yeon, is thought to be the most dangerous nine-tailed fox. Being half-human, he hates humans and uses his powers to take advantage of them.
What We Know About Tail of the Nine Tailed 1938: Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 follows Lee Yeon as he gets involved in an unexpected case that causes him to travel back in time to the year 1938.
Since we're still anticipating the sequel, here's the trailer for the first season, Tale of the Nine Tailed:
9.Taxi Driver Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 9,730
Network: SBS
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Synopsis of Taxi Driver Season 1 from My Drama List / Viki: Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon) has lived more honestly than anyone else as an officer in the Special Forces. Yet when a serial killer murders his mother, he spends his days in agony. While feeling wronged and broken, Do Gi meets Jang Sung-chul (Kim Eui-sung), who recruits Do-gi to work for his company, Rainbow Taxi. Far from an ordinary taxi service, Rainbow Taxi is a secret organization that avenges victims whom the law didn’t protect. Here, Do-gi becomes a star driver who delivers satisfying revenge.
Meanwhile, Ha-na (Esom) is a prosecutor who investigates Rainbow Taxi. She is furious with their lawless behavior, but at the same time, she feels confused about seeing them solve cases that the law cannot. Between those who believe that revenge embodies true justice and those who pursue the outlaws, Do-gi seeks what justice truly means.
What We Know About Taxi Driver Season 2: The second season continues to follow the team at Rainbow Taxi. Except, based on some released stills and glimpses in the trailer, Kim Do-gi has been imprisoned in solitary confinement.
Check out the official trailer for Taxi Driver Season 2:
8.The Uncanny Counter Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 10,600
Network: tvN and Netflix
Release Date: Spring–Summer 2023
Synopsis of The Uncanny Counter Season 1 from the South China Morning Post: The Uncanny Counter focuses on four people called Counters who run a noodle shop by day and hunt demons when they're off the clock. Counters are people who were in comas until a partner spirit from the Yung (the realm between the living and after world) possesses them, giving them perfect health, consciousness, and superhuman abilities.
So-mun (Jo Byeong-gyu), a high schooler, has had a limp ever since surviving the car crash that killed his parents eight years ago. One day, a spirit from the Yung enters his body, and, in hopes of meeting his deceased parents, he joins the Counters – Mo-tak (Yu Jun-sang), Ha-na (Sejeong) and Mae-ok (Yum Hye-ran).
What We Know About The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Unfortunately, there's not much info out there for the plot of Season 2. However, The Uncanny Counter is based on the webtoon, Amazing Rumor. As some fans noticed, the first season ended differently than the webtoon, which revealed a new villain in the end.
We're still waiting for a trailer to drop for The Uncanny Counter Season 2, but in the meantime, here's the trailer for the first season:
7.See You in My 19th Life
Average Monthly Searches: 19,000
Network: tvN
Release Date: Spring 2023
Synopsis of See You in My 19th Life from My Drama List / Soompi / Webtoon.com: Ban Ji Eum (Shin Hye-sun) has an extraordinary ability: she can remember the memories of all her past lives. Repeating her reincarnation for nearly a thousand years, Ban Ji Eum has been living her lives diligently. After her previous life is cut short by a tragic accident, she sets out to reconnect with the people of her past life in her current one, and decides to find a man named Moon Seo-ha (Ahn Bo-hyun) whom she met in her 18th life. Will memories of her 18th life sabotage romance in her 19th? Or will love endure across different lives?
On the other side, there is Yoon Cho-won (Yoon-kyeong Ha), a landscape architect and the younger sister of Yoon Joo-won (Kim Shi-ah) whose life collapsed after her older sister's death. She is courageous and kind even after facing the death of her beloved sister but struggles to maintain her brightness. When Yoon Cho-won meets Ban Ji-eum by chance and sees her older sister in her, she wonders about Ban Ji-eum’s identity.
Then, there's Ha Do-yoon (Ahn Dong-Goo), Moon Seo-ha’s secretary and best friend since childhood. Although they come from completely different backgrounds, Ha Do-yoon feels some kind of affinity for him.
What We Know About See You in My 19th Life: The upcoming drama is actually based on a webcomic of the same name published on Webtoon by Lee Hey. While we know the cast, an official trailer has not yet been dropped.
6.Dr. Romantic Season 3
Average Monthly Searches: 20,320
Network: SBS
Release Date: April 14, 2023
Synopsis of Dr. Romantic Season 1 from Annyeong Kimchi Land: a story about Boo Yong-joo (Han Suk-kyu), a genius and triple-board certified surgeon, who was once at the top of his field and used to work at Seoul’s top hospital, Geosan University.
After a traumatic incident, he disappears, changes his name to Kim Sa-bu, and begins working at a small hospital called Doldam. He then meets and guides Kang Dong-joo (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Yoon Seo-jong (Seo Hyun-jin) to become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of patients.
What We Know About Dr. Romantic Season 3: Season 2 of Dr. Romantic, set three years after the first, saw a bit of a cast change: two fellows, Seo Woo-jin (Ahn Hyo-seop) and Cha Eun-jae (Lee Sung-kyung), replaced Kang Dong-joo and Yoon Seo-jong. So far, we know both fellows from Season 2 are confirmed to return in Season 3.
Here's the trailer for Dr. Romantic Season 2 while we wait for Season 3:
5.Arthdal Chronicles Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 30,800
Network: tvN and Netflix
Release Date: April 14, 2023
Synopsis of Arthdal Chronicles from IMDb and Asian Wiki: Arthdal Chronicles depicts the birth of civilization and nations in ancient times. It is a story of mythical heroes: their struggle, unity, and love of people living in a virtual land:
Eun-som was born with a fate to bring disaster to Arthdal. Due to his mother's struggles to save him, he grows up facing hardships.
Ta-gon, a war hero, has paved the way for Arthdal to become a prosperous city nation. Not only is he the most powerful person in Arthdal, but he also dreams of becoming its first king.
Born with the same fate as Eun-som, Tan-ya is the successor of the Wahan Tribe. She lives under the highest honor, and her ambition is to become a politician.
What We Know About Arthdal Chronicles Season 2: (Light spoiler ahead) The second season will revolve around the power struggle between the now-unified Arthdal Kingdom and Ago Union, which are headed toward another great war. We also saw Tan-ya secretly cast a spell during Ta-gon's coronation in Season 1, entwining her fate with the fate of her subjects. That being said, we expect to see her enter her role as the Great Spiritual Mother this season.
While we wait for a trailer to drop for Season 2, here's the trailer for the first season of Arthdal Chronicles:
4.Hellbound Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 33,400
Network: Netflix
Release Date: TBA
Synopsis of Hellbound Season 1 from CBR: People are delivered decrees by angels, foretelling when they will be sent to Hell at a specific time. When their time arrives, monstrous beasts appear and attack, killing them violently.
Suspicious of everything, one detective investigates the New Truth, a religious cult that believes that those who are bound for hell have committed a sin. Meanwhile, a couple of struggles after their newborn baby has been decreed to be Hellbound in a few short days.
What We Know About Hellbound Season 2: Though Netflix released a short announcement video for Season 2, it really only shows the end of Season 1, which ended on a cliffhanger. So it's safe to say Season 2 will probably pick up where the first season left off.
If you're new to Hellbound, here's a trailer for the first season:
3.Sweet Home Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 61,620
Network: Netflix
Release Date: Winter 2023
Synopsis of Sweet Home Season 1 from Cinema Escapist: Sweet Home follows socially withdrawn Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang) who moves to a rundown apartment complex after the death of his family. Strange incidents start to happen in the building when his neighbors start to turn into monsters. A ragtag group including Hyun-soo, medical student Eun-hyuk (Lee Do-hyun) and his sister Eun-yu (Go Min-si), and musician Ji-su (Park Gyu-young) subsequently come together to fight for survival.
The group constantly highlights the differences between humans and monsters by reinforcing their humanity. Some lament lost dreams, while others suffer from medical conditions; another constantly craves alcohol. They also grapple with some difficult moral questions. As the group holds a vote on whether to kill off a resident on the verge of turning into a monster, another reminds them that killing someone who's still human is murder — potentially turning them into monsters in their own right.
What We Know About Sweet Home Season 2: Season 2 will pick up where Season 1 left off. Given that a few characters were implied to have died at the end of the first season, Season 2 will reveal who's actually survived and whether or not the military can actually save the remaining survivors.
Here's the trailer for the first season of Sweet Home:
2.All of Us Are Dead Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 188,200
Network: Netflix
Release Date: Winter 2023–24
Synopsis of All of Us Are Dead Season 1 from IndieWire: In a single afternoon, the massive Hyosan High School complex is plunged into chaos after one errant bite from a science lab test animal starts an irreversible chain reaction. The makeup of the small group fighting the undead changes over the course of the series, but it’s built around childhood friends Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young) and On-jo (Park Ji-hoo).
They’re in high school, so naturally, a throng of mutants trying to rip at their flesh is only slightly more at the forefront of their minds than the crushes they’ve been nursing on their fellow survivors. Barely keeping their feelings and their previous social standings at bay, they go through the standard trial-and-error process of figuring out how to create distractions, alert outside rescue forces, and weigh the merits of hunkering down vs. escaping.
What We Know About All of Us Are Dead Season 2: Before Netflix even confirmed a second season, series director Lee Jae-kyu told Hypebae, "It would be great if we could do a second season ... The story was written with a second season in mind, so if it were to happen, there would be more interesting stories." He also hinted that the second season could be more of a zombie survival story vs. the survival of uninfected humans.
Check out the trailer for All of Us Are Dead Season 1 here:
1.And now, the most Googled K-drama: Squid Game Season 2
Average Monthly Searches: 1,002,400
Network: Netflix
Release Date: TBA
Synopsis of Squid Game Season 1 from The Movie Culture: The series revolves around Seong Gi-hun, a divorced and indebted chauffeur, who is invited to play a series of children’s games for a chance to earn a large cash prize. When he accepts the offer, he is taken to an unknown location where he finds himself among 455 other players who are also deeply in debt.
The players are made to wear green tracksuits and are kept under watch at all times by masked guards in pink jumpsuits. The games are overseen by the Front Man, who wears a black mask and black uniform. The players soon discover that losing the games results in their death, with each death adding 100 million to the potential 45.6 billion grand prizes. Gi-hun allies with other players, including his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo, to try to survive the physical and psychological twists of the games.
What We Know About Squid Game Season 2: Squid Game creator Hwang Dong Hyuk said, "I will promise you this, Gi-hun will be back and he’ll do something for the world." He also mentioned that 'the man in the suit' might make a return and that we'd meet a new character: the giant robot doll's boyfriend.
