8 Jang Ki-yong Shows Fans Must Watch: My Roommate is a Gumiho, Now We're Breaking Up, and More

His fans are excited to see his third drama on air this year. Here are some shows to indulge in while waiting

There is no doubt that 2021 has been a good year for South Korean actor Jang Ki-yong. From his blockbuster hit My Roommate is a Gumiho to the much-anticipated series Now We’re Breaking Up with one of Korea’s entertainment royalties, Song Hye Kyo, the camera (the universe, rather) seems to love this 6’1” model-turned-actor to bits. And why not? The versatile actor has played a panoply of roles really well—from a loan shark bully to a music genius and a 999-year-old gumiho—enough for him to be nominated and win prestigious awards including the Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actor for TV in 2019. This November, we are eager to see him portray the character of a charming rich freelance photographer in Now We’re Breaking Up.

As we wait for Jang Ki-yong to get discharged from the military, here are some of his shows to binge on to fill in the gap. You’re welcome!

Read also: Jang Ki-Yong: 7 Things To Know About The ‘My Roommate Is A Gumiho’ Star

1. Search WWW

Three power women in their late 30s work in the competitive, often men-dominated, world of information technology. One of the three is Bae Ta-mi (Im Soo-jung), a workaholic director at Unicon and a person of high morals. She moved to Unicon’s rival, Barro, following a series of controversies. Bae Ta-mi crosses path with the free-spirited music director Park Mo-gun (Jang Ki-yong), who’s years younger than her, and eventually falls in love with him until a web of conflicts arise.

Im Soo-jung is also expected to return onscreen with Melancholia, a series that reveals scandals and corruption in private high schools in Gangnam, with co-star Lee Do-hyun (18 Again; Youth of May). The show airs in November.

Watch on Netflix, Viu and IQIYI.

2. Born Again

This 2020 mystery melodrama narrates the story of three reincarnated souls that have been intertwined together by fate. Jang Ki-yong plays the character of Gong Ji-chul, a wolf who defies his father in the Eighties and now a medical student in the present. His path crosses with Jung Ha-eun (Jin Se-yeon), the owner of a used bookstore called Old Future in the Eighties who was diagnosed with fatal congenital cardiomyopathy. She is an archaeologist at present. Doom at Your Service's second lead Lee Soo-hyuk completes the trio here, playing Cha Hyung-bin who was a detective in the Eighties and a prosecutor in the present time. Prepare to get mindblown with their love triangle that endures beyond death and time.

Watch on IQIYI.

3. Come and Hug Me

This thriller melodrama bagged six major awards at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards and has given Jang Ki-yong his first Baeksang Arts Awards as Best New Actor for TV in 2019. It revolves around the love story of Yoon Na-moo (Jang Ki-yong), a mysterious guy whose father, a psychopath serial killer, murdered the parents of his first love, Gil Nak-won (Jin Ki-joo). After their painful past, the two meet again and reignite the connection they once had, surviving love against all odds in the present. Or did they?

Watch on Netflix and Viu.

4. My Roommate is a Gumiho

Jang Ki-yong's biggest break so far this year is his character as Shin Woo-yeo, a 999-year-old gumiho (nine-tailed fox) in the webtoon-based fantasy rom-com, My Roommate is A Gumiho. Starring alongside Lee Hye-ri who plays the role of Lee Dam, a student who accidentally swallowed his "fox marble", he gave the audience a lighter, adorable character that strikes a stark contrast with his more serious roles in the past years. A valid reason for his fans to fall head over heels.

Watch on IQIYI.

5. Kill It

Another thriller romance not to be missed is OCN's Kill It, a story about an animal lover and veterinarian who is also one of the most lethal men on earth. Kim Soo-hyun (Jang Ki-yong) conceals behind a facade of an animal defender to hide his true identity as someone hired to deal with problems that only he is capable of dealing with. A tenacious detective, Do Hyun-jin (Nana), ends up working on a case that lured her directly to Kim Soo-hyun. A web of mysteries from the past then unfolds, including one that closely links them together from years ago.

Watch on Viu and IQIYI.

6. Confession Couple (Go Back Couple)

Unhappy and exhausted couple Choi Ban-do (Son Ho-jun) and Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra) have been struggling through their daily lives. One day, they wake up to find themselves in the past, as university students once again. Both tried to alter fate by making different choices than they did the first time around. Jang Ki-yong plays a supporting role as a popular student in the same history department as Ma Jin-joo who has a one-sided crush on her.

Watch on Netflix and Viu.

7. My Mister

The Paulo Coelho-praised Korean drama tells the story of a debt-laden woman Lee Ji-eun (IU) who juggles life's misfortunes, nursing her sick grandmother and working several temporary jobs. She gets entangled in a platonic relationship with her superior Park Dong-hoon (Lee Sun-kyun), who's also navigating the hardships of adult life. See how Jang Ki-yong plays the bad guy here as he acts as a loan shark who chases Lee Ji-eun, his childhood love interest.

Watch on Netflix.

8. Sweet & Sour

Based on the novel Initiation Love by Kurumi Inui, this 2021 Netflix rom-com film tells the story of a love-at-first-sight couple who separated ways due to their new job assignments. Jang Ki-yong plays the role of Jang-hyuk, a hard-working engineer and Da-eun's lover.