Cover Tired of seeing the same, old shows on watchlists? Try these criminally underrated K-dramas. (Photo: IMDB)
Tired of seeing the same, old shows on watchlists? Try these criminally underrated K-dramas. (Photo: IMDB)
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For viewers tired of the same titles dominating the conversation, these underrated K-dramas remind us that brilliance isn’t always tied to ratings or virality
K-drama fandom is an ever-churning machine where a select pantheon of titles receives all the attention. Crash Landing on You. Itaewon Class. Goblin. The Glory. When Life Gives You Tangerines. Reply 1988. Signal. They are on every list, every watchlist, every forum, every streaming recommendation. But just beneath the surface lies another class of dramas: the underdogs, the misfits, the quietly brilliant series that, for reasons of timing, marketing misfires or simply bad luck, never caught the wave they deserved.
Some aired opposite cultural juggernauts and were drowned out. Others were too quirky, too genre-bending or too emotionally eccentric for the mainstream. And yet, ask the right corner of the Internet and you’ll find fierce defenders ready to write 1,000 words on why these underrated K-dramas are, in fact, perfect.
Here are 10 underrated K-dramas that not only hold up from first episode to last, but that quietly push the boundaries of what Korean television can be.
In case you missed it: 10 K-dramas that will never (and should never) be remade
1. ‘Crazy Love’ (2022)
A math genius-turned-mega-CEO (Kim Jae-wook) receives a death threat just as his overworked secretary (Krystal Jung) learns she has terminal cancer. In a moment of chaos and survival instinct, she pretends to be his fiancée. What follows is an absurdist rom-com laced with mystery, office politics and a surprising amount of genuine emotion.
Why it’s underrated: Premiering in the shadow of heavyweight releases (Twenty-Five Twenty-One, A Business Proposal), Crazy Love was drowned out by buzzier titles. Its early tonal whiplash—slapstick one moment, melodrama the next—confused casual viewers. But those who stayed found a rom-com with an unusual bite, where emotional stakes match the absurd humour beat for beat. What did you expect from a K-drama titled Crazy Love?
2. ‘If You Wish Upon Me’ (2022)
Loosely inspired by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, this heartwarming drama stars Ji Chang-wook as a young man with nothing left to live for until he’s roped into volunteering at a hospice, fulfilling the last wishes of terminally ill patients. Alongside a tough-love nurse and a team of eccentric volunteers, he slowly learns the meaning of life, love and belonging.
Why it’s underrated: Despite Ji Chang-wook’s star power, the show’s melancholic premise made it a harder sell in a post-pandemic climate where audiences craved escapism. Many dismissed it as “too heavy”, missing the fact that it’s ultimately hopeful, even joyful. It is one of those rare, underrated K-dramas that earn every tear.
3. ‘Hogu’s Love’ (2015)
Kang Ho-gu (Choi Woo-shik) is a hapless, tenderhearted man who reconnects with his high school crush, a national swim star (Uee). When she turns up pregnant and alone, he becomes her unlikely support system. What begins as a goofy rom-com blooms into a thoughtful examination of consent, gender roles and single parenthood.
Why it’s underrated: Sandwiched between high-profile cable releases, Hogu’s Love quietly aired without major marketing. Its light, comic exterior disguised a storyline that tackled socially sensitive topics with rare grace. Unfortunately, it was something that viewers only discovered well after it ended.
See more: 13 groundbreaking K-dramas that dare to challenge South Korean norms
4. ‘Be Melodramatic’ (2019)
This offbeat slice-of-life comedy follows three 30-year-old best friends navigating careers, heartbreaks and existential crises in Seoul. Aspiring drama writer Im Jin-joo (Chun Woo-hee) wrestles with quirky scripts and messier relationships; marketing producer Lee Eun-jung (Jeon Yeo-been) makes documentaries while coping with grief; and stay-at-home mom Hwang Han-joo (Han Ji-eun) juggles single parenthood with PR chaos at work. Their intertwined stories are funny, silly and achingly human, exploring the little victories and collapses that define adulting.
Why it’s underrated: Be Melodramatic aired on JTBC in a late summer slot, pulling in modest ratings despite glowing critical reviews. Many viewers missed it entirely—only for it to gain cult status later for its millennial honesty, sharp writing and sly dismantling of K-drama clichés. Today, it’s a darling of “best you’ve never seen” lists, often compared to Fleabag for its dry wit and emotional candour.
5. ‘Black Out’ (2022)
A small-town detective wakes up after a drunken blackout to find he’s the prime suspect in a missing person case. As he retraces his steps, a tightly wound mystery unfolds, pulling in corrupt officials, buried secrets and the unreliable terrain of his memory. Starring Son Hyun-joo, Jang Seung-jo and Lee Ha-na, the drama layers suspense with moral ambiguity, leaving viewers unsure who (if anyone) can be trusted.
Why it’s underrated: Its short format (four episodes) and noir pacing made it feel more like an arthouse project than a mainstream K-drama. Airing on a lesser-known cable network didn’t help. Still, for fans of Stranger or Beyond Evil, it’s a taut, addictive gem.
6. ‘Sell Your Haunted House’ (2021)
Hong Ji-ah (Jang Na-ra) runs Daebak Real Estate, a brokerage-slash-exorcism business that clears out ghosts before selling properties. When she partners with Oh In-beom (Jung Yong-hwa), a conman who accidentally becomes a genuine medium, they uncover haunting stories of unresolved grief and tragedy. Each exorcism doubles as its own mini drama, yet they all appear connected, revealing a deeper mystery about Ji-ah’s past.
Why it’s underrated: Despite a juicy premise and strong lead performances, Sell Your Haunted House struggled to keep ratings against more conventional crime dramas. Fans still praise it for its unique marriage of supernatural thrills and emotional depth. This underrated K-drama exorcises formulaic ghost stories.
7. ‘Gaus Electronics’ (2022)
This sharp workplace comedy follows the endlessly sunny rookie Lee Sang-sik (Kwak Dong-yeon) and his eccentric marketing team, where every project seems to spiral into corporate madness. Between a secretly wealthy chaebol heir hiding in plain sight and an assistant manager (Go Sung-hee) on the brink of a stress-induced meltdown, office life becomes a battlefield of wild rivalries and reluctant alliances. Beneath the slapstick, it’s a surprisingly warm look at how unlikely friendships can survive even the worst team meetings.
Why it’s underrated: Minimal marketing and its quirky, hyperbolic humour style meant Gaus Electronics appealed mostly to niche comedy fans. Those who stuck with it got one of the most meme-able, joyously weird workplace sitcoms in Hallyu history—guaranteeing a spot on a list of underrated K-dramas.
8. ‘Seoul Busters’ (2024)
A ragtag team of police officers, each with a past failure hanging over their head, are thrown together to solve minor cases in a community policing unit. What starts as petty disputes slowly reveals deeper corruption, and a team that might just be more capable than anyone thought. Starring Kim Dong-wook, Park Ji-hwan and Seo Hyun-woo, the series toes the line between sharp comedy and tense procedural beats. The highlight? How redemption can come from the most unlikely alliances.
Why it’s underrated: Released without much international fanfare, Seoul Busters was buried under Netflix’s algorithmic shuffle. Viewers who found it discovered a workplace drama that’s both genuinely funny and surprisingly moving, with an ensemble cast worth following anywhere.
9. ‘Chicago Typewriter’ (2017)
When a reclusive bestselling author (Yoo Ah-in) is struck by writer’s block, his life takes a turn after crossing paths with a mysterious ghostwriter (Go Kyung-pyo) and a devoted fan (Im Soo-jung). Together, they unravel a shared history from 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, where their past selves fought for independence. As memories bleed into the present, love and betrayal are rewritten, one chapter at a time. Literally.
Why it’s underrated: Overshadowed by trendier romantic comedies and historical blockbusters, Chicago Typewriter quietly aired on tvN before becoming a sleeper hit with international audiences. Its mix of literary drama, romance and historical intrigue rewards patient viewers with one of the most satisfying endings as far as underrated K-dramas are concerned.
10. ‘Mystic Pop-Up Bar’ (2020)
By day, it’s just a quirky pojangmacha serving late-night snacks; by night, it’s a supernatural gateway run by a prickly owner (Hwang Jung-eum) with a centuries-old curse. Alongside her timid part-time employee (Yook Sung-jae) and a gruff afterlife detective (Choi Won-young), she enters customers’s dreams to heal their deepest grudges. But each case edges her closer to confronting a tragic past and the one soul she’s been searching for across lifetimes.
Why it’s underrated: Airing midweek on JTBC with little initial buzz, it later found life on Netflix. Its genre mash-up of comedy, fantasy and melodrama made it a hard sell to viewers wanting a single “vibe”. But for those who embraced the chaos, it delivered catharsis in spades.
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Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila, she also covers entertainment and dining, as well as a broad range of topics. She was the former digital editor at Esquire Philippines and was the digital managing editor at Spot.ph, and now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
