For many, Netflix’s recently released survival horror series, Squid Game, was their first foray into the quickly-developing obsession of discovering all the amazing Korean dramas out there. But many are still hesitating to take this blissful drive down binge lane simply because there are hundreds upon hundreds of Korean dramas to binge-watch and more all the time– Netflix alone serves countless titles! Don’t worry though, because as your future fellow K-drama addicts, we are here to help you pick the best out of the endless sea of awesome series to begin your forever journey in the world of Korean shows.

Whether it’s in terms of breaking the stereotypical bonds of storytelling, impressive character arcs further amped up by award-winning performances, the glorious cinematography, or the innovative use of CGI, Korean shows (and excellent Korean films) have proven their mettle in every possible genre. Fantasy, action, romance, thriller, comedy, and other genres each include a long list of exceptional choices to begin your binging spree. Thus, in order to lessen your burdensome task of picking what to watch, here are the four best Korean dramas you can (and practically need to) stream right now:

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

4 The Silent Sea

     Sourced via Artist Company

If you have not been living under a rock this past month, you must have already read the rave reviews about the recently released Korean science-fiction drama, The Silent Sea, led by the magnificent trio of Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, and Lee Joon. Set in a dystopian future, the series’ unique storyline depicts our planet in the throes of severe water scarcity, which is only getting worse with time. To counter the situation, a team is selected to go to the abandoned Balhae Lunar Research Station on the moon and retrieve a mysterious sample. But the location has a morbidly secretive history– five years ago, all 117 members of the station’s crew reportedly died due to a radiation leak, but there was never a proper investigation.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Captain Han Yun-Jae (Gong Yoo), who is a soldier for the Republic of Korea’s Space and Aeronautics Division (SAA), leads a team including Song Ji-an (Bae Doo-Na) an astrobiologist whose sister died in the Balhae accident, to travel to the moon. Soon, their quickly botched mission faces secrets that turn deadly in the time they have been forcibly suppressed. The serieshas joined the list of the most critically adored shows on Netflix and is counted amongst the best sci-fi series to date. Given the show’s surefire promise of being excellent, there is nothing stopping you from immersing yourself in unraveling The Silent Sea’s riveting puzzles.

3 Strong Woman Bong Soon

     JTBC

If there is ever a universal list of evergreen best Korean dramas, Strong Woman Bong-Soon will undoubtedly lead it by a huge margin. The series is a romantic comedy that tells the story of the enigmatic Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) who is no damsel in distress– she is born in a family where women have always been blessed with superhuman strength. Despite her attempts to lead a normal life, Bong-soon often ends up using her power for the good of others, and this brings her across rich gaming CEO Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik) who is instantly impressed (read: smitten) by her and decides to hire her as his bodyguard. Meanwhile, Bong-soon is stuck with her overwhelming romantic feelings for her clueless crush, childhood friend and police officer In Guk-doo (Ji Soo).

But amidst this love triangle, there is a brewing crime that needs to be solved ASAP. A cruel and scheming serial killer is kidnapping women crosses paths with Bong Soon, resulting in devastating consequences for the latter. Balancing out this serious central plot are the countless laugh-out-loud moments scattered throughout the series (whenever someone underestimates Bong-soon and immediately regrets it, the goofy charm of Park Hyung-sik when he unabashedly hits on Ji Soo, etc.). It’s a strange mixture but a delightful cocktail.

2 W- Two Worlds Apart

     MBC

When it comes to making supernatural fantasy shows, not many can rival the quality or variety provided by Korean dramas. W-Two Worlds Apart, starring Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo, is the perfect example. The drama kickstarts with legendary illustrator Oh Seong-moo (Kim Eui-sung) who is famous for his webtoon entitled W and its fictional protagonist, Kang Chul (Jong-suk), an Olympic gold medalist and CEO of the broadcasting channel W. One day, he plans to wrap up the webtoon’s storyline by making Kang Chul commit suicide. But at this point, the webtoon suddenly takes on a life of its own where Kang Chul refuses to die and vows to find the killer who murdered his family.

But the real story starts when the illustrator’s daughter Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo) accidentally enters the world of the webtoon and ends up saving the very character whose story her father is determined to conclude. Apart from the engrossing and undeniably juicy and meta plot line, it is the series’ amazing cast, their emotive performances, and the stunning ways the real world and the animated webtoon world are visually differentiated that makes watching W a unique experience. This story of two supernaturally linked worlds stays true to its promise of offering double the drama, romance, and nail-biting anticipation.

1 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

     Netflix

Anybody who even remotely harbors the notion that Korean dramas have a clichéd set of formulaic storylines needs to add It’s Okay Not To Be Okay to this watch list. It tells the refreshing story of Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), who diligently takes care of his older brother, Moon Sang-tae (Oh Jung-se), with autism. But they are desperately running away from something– every few months, the duo moves from one town to another, with Gang-tae taking up the job of a caretaker in a psychiatric ward in each place.

Fate leads Gang-tae to meet famous children’s book writer, Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), who has antisocial personality disorder and is plagued by traumatic memories of her childhood. While It’s Okay Not To Be Okay is a romance, the main theme of the series is depicting mental health sans the incorrect stereotypes the sensitive topic is always given, and the show stresses the importance of an individual’s necessary journey to healing. For example, Moon-young’s character is not represented as a burden, even though most films and series prefer to demonize characters with this disorder. While there are many feel-good dramas out there, nothing beats the empathy of relating to characters who gradually come to terms with their unresolved trauma and prove that there is light at the end of the tunnel after all. This is one of the most beautiful Korean shows to date.