Best 7 Netflix Korean Dramas in 2022

Following the big hit of Squid Game in 2021, Netflix Korean dramas have continued to draw viewers in the first half of 2022. Here is an introduction to seven wonderful shows ranging from romantic comedies to zombies.

Top 7 Netflix Korean Drama 2022

Our Beloved Summer (그 해 우리는) 

• Release date: 2021.12.06 – 2022.01.26
• Episodes: 16
• Watch Show: SBS / NETFLIX / WAVE
• Cast: Choi Woo-shik 최우식(Choi Woong 최웅) Kim Da-mi 김다미(Kook Yeon-soo 국연수) Kim Sung-cheol 김성철(Kim Ji-woong 김지웅) Roh Jeong-eui 노정의(NJ 엔제이) Park Jin-joo 박진주(Lee Sol-yi 이솔이) 

A lovely Korean drama about the youthful romantic chemistry between Choi Woo-shik of ‘Parasite‘ and Kim Da-mi of ‘Itaewon Class‘. The story begins when Kim Da-mi (Kook Yeon-soo), the smartest girl in the school, and Choi Woo-shik (Choi Woong), the last place in school, make an unexpected documentary. The two are teenagers who come from completely opposite groups. Yeon-soo and Woong’s high school days are just like Tom and Jerry. Though they look like they’re at odds with each other, they have amusingly adorable chemistry.

Although time passed, the two remained true to their first love. Ten years later, when their high school videos became popular, they started filming again. They seem to hate each other, but they confirm that they loved and missed each other.

As it has always been high-ranked on Netflix, this drama is funny, touching, and gives inspiration for our everyday life. In particular, I was impressed with the subtitles of each episode because they are from famous movie titles!

The movie-like videos are so pretty, and the OST of Our Beloved Summer is so perfect. Among the OSTs, BTS V’s ‘Christmas Tree’ feels like a warm hug that clearly expresses the hearts of Yeon-soo and Woong. Each episode presents an epilogue, which also makes watching the drama more enjoyable. Definitely perfect for binge-watch!

All of Us Are Dead (지금 우리 학교는)

• Release date: 2022.01.28
• Episodes: 12
• Watch Show: NETFLIX
• Cast: Park Ji-hoo 박지후(Nam On-jo 남온조) Yoon Chan-young 윤찬영(Lee Cheong-san 이청산) Cho Yi-hyun 조이현(Choi Nam-ra 최남라) Lomon 로몬(Lee Su-hyeok 이수혁) Yoo In-soo 유인수(Yoon Gwi-nam 윤귀남) Lee Yoo-mi 이유미(Lee Na-yeon 이나연) Lee Eun-saem 이은샘(Park Mi-jin 박미진)

With the Korean movie ‘Train to Busan’ and the Netflix drama ‘Kingdom,’ Korea has already been recognized worldwide for having powerful zombie series. Following these series, I would like to write a brief review of ‘All of us are dead,’ which is based on a webtoon and has ranked No. 1 on Netflix in 2022. The main story shows the desire of those who want to survive and fight for their friends amongst the horrible invasion of the zombie virus.

I enjoyed watching episodes 1 to 3, making me think that there will be a message in the next story. However, as the episodes progressed, it was difficult to shake off the feeling of boredom. Even the military in the show seemed to intervene and fix things, but their incompetent response was very disappointing.

The most impressive actor Yoo In-soo, who played the villain, perfectly performed like a real psychopath. All the actors, including On-jo, Cheong-san, and Su-hyeok, also showed natural acting for their respective roles. It didn’t live up to my expectations due to the lack of a story, but it’s definitely worth watching if you like zombies.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (스물다섯 스물하나)

• Release date:  2022.02.12 – 2022.04.03
• Episodes: 16
• Watch Show: TVN / NETFLIX / TVING
• Cast: Kim Tae-ri 김태리(Na Hui-do 나희도) Nam Joo-hyuk 남주혁(Baek Ijin 백이진) Bona 보나(Ko Yurim고유림) Choi Hyun-wook 최현욱(Moon Ji-woong 문지웅) Lee Joo-myung 이주명(Ji Slung-wan 지승완) Seo Jae-hee 서재희(Shin Jae-gyeong 신재경) Kim Hye-eun 김혜은(Yang Chan-mi 양찬미)

Twenty-Five Twenty-One is set in the 1998 IMF in Korea. Due to this economic crisis, the male title role’s house collapsed when he was 22, and the female lead, who was a fencer, lost her team when she was 18. This drama depicts their pure yet fierce growth turning twenty-five and twenty-one. During this period, the Republic of Korea stole their dreams, money, and their families, and the ordeal of the times gave them to despair and defiance. However, as they look at each other they learn happiness. A youthful romance that shows the growth of friendship between young people and the feelings of fresh and sincere first love.

Above all, the fact that the main character appears as a fencer is quite refreshing. Moreover, all the episodes remind me of pleasant memories that bring up various emotions within me. I have enough to say that this is my all-time favorite drama. The five main characters have different characteristics making everyone smile. 🙂

The role of ‘Na Hee-do’ was so perfect that no one other than actress Kim Tae-ri could do it to her extent. The role of a high school student did not feel awkward at all and was perfectly recapped. Furthermore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was a national fencing player! Perhaps because of the well-thought-out script and the organically intertwined power of the story were enough to captivate viewers. Twenty-five Twenty-one was both fun and touching, this is the most enjoyable drama I’ve seen in the first half of 2022.

Juvenile Justice (소년심판)

• Release date: 2022.02.25
• Episodes: 10
• Watch Show: NETFLIX
• Cast: Kim Hye-soo 김혜수(Shim Eun-seok 심은석) Kim Mu-yeol 김무열(Cha Tae-joo 차태주) Lee Sung-min 이성민(Kang Won-joong 강원중) Lee Jung-eun 이정은(Na Geun-hee 나근희)

The current reality is that serious juvenile crimes are taking place as much as adult crimes. While the argument that the punishment for this should be strengthened and the other that the focus should be on the edification of teenagers are mixed. It was enough to become an issue even before the drama ‘Juvenile Justice’ was released. This is the story of juvenile crimes and the people surrounding them. It starts when Shim Eun-seok, a judge who hates juvenile criminals, is appointed to the juvenile department of the district court. The phrase ‘I hate juvenile offenders’ in the trailer was very impressive.

Unbelievably, the cases introduced in this drama show that they are not based on fiction, but on a true story that shook the world. The motif of events had a big social impact, such as the death of ‘brick throw’ in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do in 2015, the murder of an elementary school student in Incheon in 2017, and the group sexual assault of a middle school girl in Miryang. Still, they are controversial because of weak punishment and remarks from the offender’s parents.

The performances of the actors who took on the roles of juvenile offenders stood out very well. While watching it, anger rises at their confidence, showing no sign of remorse, and the arrogance of the offender’s parents. Even after committing a crime behind the law of protective disposition, the juvenile offenders smile, and their abuse of the law is expressed in a disgustingly realistic way.

It made me think about Juvenile criminals and how it will be difficult to improve if the family education, the environment, the attitude of the person concerned, and the social system are separated from each other. This drama shows that everyone needs continuous interest and concern. The daring crimes of young juvenile offenders may seem a little uncomfortable, but watching it is worth trying to improve the dark side of society.

Business Proposal (사내맞선)

• Release date: 2022.02.28 – 2022.04.05
• Episodes: 12
• Watch Show: SBS / NETFLIX / WAVE
• Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop 안효섭(Kang Tae-moo 강태무) Kim Se-jeong 김세정(Shin Ha-ri 신하리), Kim Min-kyu 김민규(Cha Sung-hoon 차성훈) Seol In-ah 설인아(Jin Young-seo 진영서) Lee Deok-hwa 이덕화(Chairman Kang 강다구) Kim Kwang-kyu 김광규(Shin Joong-hae 신중해) Jeong Young-jou 정영주(Han Mi-mo 한미모)

If you are looking for a light, fun drama, I recommend Business Proposal. It’s a rather childish and obvious subject, probably because it’s based on a webtoon. But it’s a fun office romance between a handsome male actor and a pretty actress. This romantic comedy is about Hyo-seop Ahn (Tae-moo), the president of a large corporation. He is super good-looking and has great abilities (of course none that would not exist in real life). He and Kim Se-jeong (Ha-ri), meet at the request of a friend. Ha-ri lies about her identity but that didn’t hide Tae-moo from falling in love.

What I felt most unique while watching this drama was the PPL(Product Placement). The advertisements in many dramas wither upon excessive PPL, catching viewers’ eyes. But in Business Proposal the main character works for a food company, naturally presenting Korean food. Through the actual product of Bibigo (a well-known food brand for Mandu, Korean dumplings), traditional Korean pot-shaped pottery, and Kimchi are shown explaining their efficacy. As Netflix is airing all over the world, I think it can clearly inform the traditional culture and food of Korea.

Another attraction of Business Proposal is the sweet romance of another sub couple, Min-gyu Kim and In-a Seol. Their chemistry makes it fun to watch. In addition, CG containing various cartoon imaginations are a bonus. The story progresses quickly with 12 episodes so you will not get bored watching it.

Green Mothers’ Club (그린 마더스 클럽)

• Release date: 2022.04.06 – 2022.05.26
• Episodes: 16
• Watch Show: JTBC / NETFLIX / TVING
• Cast: Lee Yo-won 이요원(Lee Eun-pyo 이은표) Kim Gyu-ri 김규리(Seo Jin-ha 서진하) Choo Ja-hyun 추자현(Byeon Chun-hee 변춘희) Jang Hye-jin 장혜진(Kim Yeong-mi 김영미) Ju Min-gyeong 주민경(Park Yun-ju 박윤주)

This drama is based on the elementary school community that no mother can avoid. It is a popular series that formed a deep sympathy for Korean mothers. The fierce battles of mothers surviving in the community and their psychological warfare to keep their secrets make viewers constrained to the show. The undercover story of mothers and the events that arise in their relationship get entangled and out of control.

Green Mothers Club is an elementary school’s Mothers’ Club. As they want to send their kids to the gifted class, they undergo tests at various academies. It is very sad to see elementary school students who do not have time to eat (due to classes in academies) so they just eat Gimbap in the car. Moreover, the scene where children suffer from mental illness and receive psychological treatment because of their parents’ greed is so heartbreaking. I will omit the content because there is a risk of spoiling it.

After many twists and turns, the drama closed with a delightful ending. Mothers who have gone through many events finally find their happiness in their own way. Moreover, not only did the subject of children’s education caught my eye but also the passionate performances of the actors. They expressed the strange psychological relationship of mothers in a commendable way. However, towards the end of the drama, the story became a little disappointing.

My Liberation Notes (나의 해방 일지)

• Release date: 2022.04.09 -2022.05.29
• Episodes: 16
• Watch Show: JTBC / NETFLIX / TVING
• Cast: Lee Min-ki 이민기(Yeom Chang-hee 염창희) Kim Ji-won 김지원(Yeom Mi-jeong 염미정) Son Sukku 손석구(Mr. Gu 구씨) Lee El 이엘(Yeo Gi-jeong 염기정) 천호진(염제호) Lee Ki-woo 이기우(Jo Tae-hoon 조태훈) Jeon Hye-jin 전혜진(Ji Hyun-ah 지현아)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a really unusual drama. It’s calm, but it’s not. It seems boring, but it has an impact. This strange drama begins with the story of three siblings living at the edge of Gyeonggi-do, the countryside. One day, the three brothers and sisters reach the limit of frustration, boredom, and mediocrity. In this drama, ordinary daily life becomes the main thing. The story is so realistic that it makes me think again about the meaning of family and home. The word ‘추앙,’ which became popular because of this drama, is not used a lot in our daily life. However, 추앙 or revere is referred to many times in this drama.

There is Lee Min-ki, who finally starts to go his own way. Kim Ji-won learns to love herself. Son Seok-goo, changes little by little to find happiness in life. Lee El and Lee Ki-woo, continue to be pleased, taking one step at a time from a painful life. Their change is filled with overwhelming emotions and you will surely be touched.

Cheon Ho-jin and Lee Kyung-seong, who play the roles of father and mother of the three siblings stand out in particular. They look like their real parents. Parents, who live with three grown-up siblings, work diligently throughout the day without taking a single break. The realistic daily life of factory work and field work is shown through their great acting. This drama conveys to people the emotions they feel in everyday life. They show them the ‘5-minute way to be happy’ whenever they lose the reason to live. I think it is a story that gives deeply touching, sympathetic, and positive energy.

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