The worldwide popularity of K-dramas has continued to grow, and several short series are packed with just as much entertainment as the longer-running K-dramas audiences have become accustomed to. The popularity of K-dramas means there’s an overwhelming number of series for audiences to tune into. Luckily, these shorter series make the exploration of K-dramas a bit easier by being packed full of typical K-drama circumstances and tropes but requiring less of a commitment.
Most of the time, a shorter TV series risks cutting down on quality and character development, as the story is often rushed. However, these short K-dramas avoid such errors and have a well-written plot fleshed out in a matter of a few episodes, with their stories falling under the most popular K-drama genres. From romance stories about falling in love with one’s best friend to thriller series about those who’ve been wronged getting revenge — the best K-dramas to binge in a day have engrossing stories covered in 10 episodes or fewer.
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10 K-Dramas That Are Considered Masterpieces
Masterpiece K-dramas have well-crafted characterizations, impactful storytelling, a well-paced plot, and thought-provoking conflicts that resonate.
10 The Witch’s Diner (2021)
8 Episodes
Based on Goo Sang-hee’s novel of the same name, The Witch’s Diner tells the story of Jeong Jin (Nam Ji-hyun), someone who dealt with one misfortune after another. That is until Jin allows Jo Hee-ra (Song Ji-hyo), a witch, to operate her run-down restaurant. Under Jo Hee-ra’s control, the restaurant attracts a lot of customers who come to sacrifice something precious to have their wishes fulfilled by Jo Hee-ra.
The Witch’s Diner combines fantasy and elements of slice-of-life K-dramas, as audiences get a peek into an assortment of customer’s lives when they come into the restaurant desperate for a change. The series has a unique concept and has strong themes about acting without thought and appreciating one’s life for what it is. Most importantly, the drama in The Witch’s Diner unfolds gradually over 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 get revenge on those who’ve wronged her. Here’s My Plan starts as a lighthearted comedy about So-hyun’s life, but with only four episodes in the series, things get dark in almost an instant. Here’s My Plan has the expected elements of a revenge K-drama, but also includes a romance plot on the side.
Though the K-drama doesn’t explore much of the love story, the romance involving So-hyun does help inform her plans for revenge. So-hyun’s character arc is surprisingly well-written, spanning just a few episodes. Though the character isn’t entirely likable due to her actions, Kim Hwan-hee portrays So-hyun in a way where audiences can’t help but empathize with her, and handles the character’s range of emotions with ease.
8 The Hymn Of Death (2018)
6 Episodes
The Hymn of Death gets its name from Yun Sim-deok’s famous song of the same name. Yun was Korea’s first professional soprano and the series, The Hymn of Death, tells her 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 does leave out valuable moments where audiences can gain a better understanding of the leads, but this doesn’t take away from the overall emotional viewing experience.
Regardless of whether audiences watch The Hymn of Death knowing how the real-life events played out, tears are sure to be shed. Lee Jong-suk and Shin Hye-sun are captivating on screen and play the historical figures with a great amount of heart and attention to detail. Like most historical series, The Hymn of Death doesn’t paint the entire picture, but it’s still a bingeable series perfect for audiences interested in the famous tragic love story.
7 You Drive Me Crazy (2018)
4 Episodes
Many romance K-dramas spend a handful of episodes shaping the love story of their leads, getting audiences to become invested in their stories. However, You Drive Me Crazy gets a similar job done in just a few episodes. Considering its short run, the premise of You Drive Me Crazy is simple: two individuals have been friends for eight years, but their dynamic completely shifts after the two have a romantic encounter with one another.
From there, You Drive Me Crazy flashes back to the past and shows instances where the friends, Han Eun-sung (Lee Yoo-young) and Kim Rae-wan (Kim Seon-ho), have held back their true feelings for the sake of their friendship. Lee Yoo-young and Kim Seon-ho have immense on-screen chemistry and effortlessly convince the audience of every wave of emotion.
6 The School Nurse Files (2020)
6 Episodes
The beginning of The School Nurse Files pulls audiences into a strange world where school nurse Ahn Eun-young (Jung Yu-mi) can see jelly-like shells covering individuals. These jellies represent a range of emotions and desires of each individual and are mostly harmless. However, the ones that take shape as dangerous monsters begin to cause trouble, so Ahn is on the case to get rid of them. The School Nurse Files can be quite odd at times, but is endlessly entertaining.
Ahn is a compelling lead and makes a great team with Hong In-pyo (Nam Joo-hyuk), a teacher who can create force fields to protect himself and others from dangerous jellies. Additionally, the special effects of said jellies are colorful and impressive, dissolving into little pieces when destroyed by Ahn. The School Nurse Files is fast-paced, humorous, highly addictive, and easy to speed through in one sitting.
5 Vigilante (2023-Present)
8 Episodes
After having been personally affected by heinous criminals getting away with light sentencing, Kim Ji-yong (Nam Joo-hyuk) takes it upon himself to make sure such criminals pay for their actions when he joins the police academy. At night, Ji-yong becomes a vigilante and quickly catches the attention of local officials. Vigilante‘s story is based on a webtoon of the same name and has a great balance of action and commentary.
Flaws within the justice system aren’t always present in revenge thrillers, but when they are, as explored in Vigilante, they add depth to the narrative and act as a motivator for the series’ anti-hero. Vigilante‘s Ji-yong is reminiscent of popular comic book characters that have the same reason for taking matters into their own hands. Like the films and TV shows about these characters, Vigilante has expertly choreographed fight sequences that are high in quantity but remain refreshing in execution.
4 Girls’ Generation 1979 (2017)
8 Episodes
Similar to the beloved Reply series, Girls’ 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. Girls’ Generation 1979 mainly focuses on two students, Lee Jung-hee (Bona) and Park Hye-joo (Chae Seo-jin), who clash at the beginning of the series due to the latter’s popularity.
However, Girls’ Generation 1979 is not without darker aspects, as part of the series also addresses a local mystery that involves female factory workers disappearing one after the other. This part of the story balances well with the lighthearted coming-of-age narrative and shows the duality of being a young woman in the city at the time. Though Girls’ Generation 1979 is a shorter K-drama, it’s easy to become invested in its story and the journey of its relatable adolescent characters.
3 Love To Hate You (2023)
10 Episodes
As its name might suggest, 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 the biggest actors in Korea. The two have had unsuccessful dating lives, causing them to despise the opposite gender — that is, until they meet one another. Mi-ran and Kang-ho have a contentious first meeting but begin to see one another differently in just a matter of a few episodes.
Love to Hate You is full of romance tropes, especially those associated with the previously mentioned enemies-to-lovers stories, but it doesn’t feel cheesy or too predictable. Kim Ok-vin and Teo Yoo are well-matched and bounce off one another in both the playful moments of their dislike for one another and the sweeter scenes where they begin to see one another in a different light.
2 My Name (2021)
8 Episodes
My Name is an absorbing thriller K-drama about a woman out to get revenge on her deceased father’s killer. Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee) is the woman at the center of the story, and she finds herself in various risky situations, interacting with drug rings and operating under a false identity when working with the police. Ji-woo’s strength and determination make My Name a bingeable series on its own, as audiences are greatly fascinated by the character’s strength and ability to proficiently move through obstacles.
The story in My Name itself is also addictive and is laid out in a way that engages audiences. Minor plot twists are included frequently, building a decent amount of tension leading up to My Name‘s shocking ending. The series does conclude with an open ending as Ji-woo’s fate isn’t shown, and it leaves room for interpretation that allows invested audiences to come to their own conclusions as to where the character ends up.
1 Soundtrack #1 (2022)
4 Episodes
One of the better 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 start to develop. Like You Drive Me Crazy, Soundtrack #1 doesn’t require multiple episodes to get audiences to care about its lead characters.
Han So-hee and Park Hyung-sik are charming in their performances and convincingly portray a realistic relationship forming, which isn’t always seen in friends-to-lovers K-dramas. Additionally, the romantic ambiance of Soundtrack #1 is further established by the series’ soundtrack, which features songs by artists like NCT’s Doyoung and famous singer-songwriter Kim Jae-hwan. Soundtrack #1 isn’t a groundbreaking romance series, but its main relationship is among the most convincing, and it’s a sweet series that makes the most out of its limited time with audiences.