Korean dramas have gained significant popularity and influence in the USA over the past decade. Most Americans now spend more time watching dramas instead of American TV shows.
One notable influence of Kdramas in the USA is the growth of a dedicated fanbase. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Viki have made these dramas easily accessible to American viewers.
Best Kdramas On KOCOWA
Kocowa is one of the top Korean drama streaming platforms. It features content from some major Korean TV channels, namely SBS, MBC, and KBS. You can subscribe to Kocowa and watch dramas with English subtitles.
If you have a Kocowa subscription and are confused about which drama to watch, here is a handpicked list of some good Korean dramas worth watching on Kocowa. They are full of romance, suspense, and comedy.
1. 365: Repeat The Year
Hangul: 365: 운명을 거스르는 1년
Year: 2020
The story of a group of people who are given the opportunity to relive a year of their lives in order to prevent a tragic accident from happening. Along the way, they uncover hidden truths about themselves and those around them, and must confront their past mistakes.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Joon Hyuk as Ji Hyung Joo
- Nam Ji Hyun as Shin Ga Hyun
- Kim Jee Soo as Lee Shin
- Lee Sung Wook as Park Sun Ho
No. Of Episodes: 24 (35 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
2. The Fiery Priest
Hangul: 열혈사제
Year: 2019
Hae Il, a senior Catholic priest, known for his fiery temper and unorthodox methods teams up with detective Dae Young and prosecutor Kyung Sun to solve the murder of a senior Catholic priest. They also go against the officials to stop the corruption.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Kim Nam Gil as Kim Hae Il
- Kim Sung Kyun as Koo Dae Young
- Lee Ha Nee as Park Kyung Sun
- Ko Jun as Hwang Cheol Bum
No. Of Episodes: 40 (35 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
3. Angel’s Last Mission: Love
Hangul: 단, 하나의 사랑
Year: 2019
A ballerina suffers an accident that leaves her blind. Dan is an optimistic, carefree angel who is always getting into trouble. To return to heaven he is given the seemingly impossible mission of finding true love for her but ends up falling for her himself.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Kim Myung Soo as Kim Dan
- Shin Hye Sun as Lee Yeon Seo
- Lee Dong Gun as Ji Kang Woo
- Kim Bo Mi as Geum Ni Na
No. Of Episodes: 32 (35 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
4. The Penthouse
Hangul: 펜트하우스
Year: 2020
The story of the children of rich families who live in Hera Palace and go to Cheong-ah Arts School. Su Ryeon came from a wealthy family. She is now a beautiful upper-class woman. Seo Jin came from a rich family. Yoon Hee was born into a poor home.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Ji Ah as Shim Soo Ryun
- Kim So Yeon as Cheon Seo Jin
- Eugene as Oh Yon Hee
- Uhm Ki Joon as Joo Dan Tae
No. Of Episodes: 21 (70 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
5. Descendants Of The Sun
Mo Yeon is a pretty woman who works as a cardiothoracic surgeon. Her life is forever changed when she encounters Shi Jin, the captain of the Alpha Team who cares more about protecting anybody in need of help as well as his country.
6. Bridal Mask
Hangul: 각시탈
Year: 2012
In the 1930s, Lee Kang To lives in Korea, which is oppressed by Japanese Imperial rule. Even though he is Korean, he works with the Japanese police to catch “Bridal Mask,” an unknown rebel fighting for Korean independence.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Joo Won as Lee Kang To
- Jin Se Yeon as Oh Mok Dan
- Park Ki Woong as Kimura Shunji
- Han Chae Ah as Ueno Rie
No. Of Episodes: 28 (65 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
7. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Hangul: 역도요정 김복주
Year: 2016
Bok Joo is a weightlifter aiming for the gold medal, but then for the first time in her life, she falls in love. At age 20, can she find a way to have both love and fame? The drama shows how friends grow up and how their relationships change as their lives get busier.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Sung Kyung as Kim Bok Joo
- Nam Joo Hyuk as Jung Joon Hyung
- Lee Jae Yoon as Jung Jae Yi
- Kyung Soo Jin as Song Shi Ho
No. Of Episodes: 16 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
8. Defendant
Hangul: 피고인
Year: 2017
Park Jung Woo is a lawyer who has lost his memory and finds out that he is already on death row. He has no choice but to race against time to find out what caused his situation and prove that he is not guilty.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Ji Sung as Park Jung Woo
- Uhm Ki Joon as Cha Sun Ho
- Kwon Yu Ri as Seo Eun Hye
- Oh Chang Seok as Kang Joon Hyuk
No. Of Episodes: 18 (70 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
9. Fight For My Way
Hangul: 쌈 마이웨이
Year: 2017
Dong Man wants to be a taekwondo star when he grows up. Ae Ra wants to be a news anchor on TV. Joo Man and Seol Hee face a new threat to their relationship. Even though they don’t have much education, can they still reach their goals?
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Park Seo Joon as Ko Dong Man
- Kim Ji Won as Choi Ae Ra
- Ahn Jae Hong as Kim Joo Man
- Song Ha Yoon as Baek Seol Hee
No. Of Episodes: 16 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
10. Dr. Romantic
Hangul: 낭만닥터 김사부
Year: 2016
Sa Bu used to be a well-known surgeon but quits everything to become a doctor in a small town. He helps Dong Joo and Seo Jung become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of their patients.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Han Seok Kyu as Teacher Kim
- Yoo Yeon Seok as Kang Dong Joo
- Seo Hyun Jin as Yoon Seo Jung
- Choi Jin Ho as Do Yoon Wan
No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
11. Weak Hero Class 1
Hangul: 약한영웅 Class 1
Year: 2022
Yeon Shi Eun is a bright but weak high school student who utilizes his mind and knowledge to combat bullies and protect those who are weak. He befriends his fellow students and learns to stand up for himself along the way.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Park Ji Hoon as Yeon Shi Eun
- Choi Hyun Wook as Ahn Soo Ho
- Hong Kyung as Oh Beom Seok
- Kim Su Gyeom as Jeon Young Bi
No. Of Episodes: 8 (40 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
12. Healer
Hangul: 힐러
Year: 2014
A long-forgotten event that hides dark truths brings together a well-known reporter, a less-known reporter, and a man with the code name “Healer.” The Healer starts to figure out how he and the two reporters know each other, which puts them all in danger.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Ji Chang Wook as Seo Jung Hoo
- Park Min Young as Chae Young Shin
- Yoo Ji Tae as Kim Moon Ho
- Kim Mi Kyung as Jo Min Ja
No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
13. While You Were Sleeping
Hangul: 당신이 잠든 사이에
Year: 2017
A prosecutor named Jae Chan chooses to change the course of events, which saves the lives of Hong Joo and Woo Tak. When they start dreaming about each other, they understand that their lives are now tied together in some way.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Bae Suzy as Nam Hong Ju
- Lee Jong Suk as Jung Jae Chan
- Jung Hae In as Han Woo Tak
- Lee Sang Yeob as Lee Yu Beom
No. Of Episodes: 16 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
14. Good Manager
Hangul: 김과장
Year: 2017
A former gangster’s accountant takes a job as the chief of accounting at TQ Group, a conglomerate, in order to embezzle a big sum of money. He uses his skills to expose the company’s wrongdoings and to fight for the rights of its employees.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Namkoong Min as Kim Sung Ryong
- Nam Sang Mi as Yoon Ha Kyung
- Lee Jun Ho as Seo Yool
- Jung Hye Sung as Hong Ga Eun
No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
15. Hwarang
Hangul: 화랑
Year: 2016
The drama tells the story of beautiful-looking young men called Hwarang in Silla, one of the three kingdoms of Korea. The warriors include a man from the lowest class of Silla and the hidden king who secretly joins. The men also fall for the maiden Ah Ro.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Park Seo Joon as Moo Myung
- Park Hyung Sik as Sam Maek Jong
- Go Ah Ra as Ah Ro
- Seo Yea Ji as Sook Myung
No. Of Episodes: 20
Streaming Options (region-specific):
16. Kill Me, Heal Me
Hangul: 킬미힐미
Year: 2015
The story is about an heir to a business who has severe dissociative identity disorder. He asks a psychiatrist for help to get his life back under control, but she ends up falling in love with one of his personalities. Her brother looks into him and his family.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Ji Sung as Cha Do Hyun
- Hwang Jung Eum as Oh Ri Jin
- Park Seo Joon as Oh Ri On
- Kim Yoo Ri as Han Chae Yun
No. Of Episodes: 20 (65 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
17. It’s Okay, That’s Love
Jae Yeol is a popular novelist. While sitting on a talk show panel with psychiatrist Hae Soo, it became clear to all that the two just rubbed each other the wrong way. Due to an incident, they both become roommates & attempt to heal each other’s deep-seated wounds.
18. My Love From The Star
Hangul: 별에서 온 그대
Year: 2013
Do Min Joon is an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago. He has different abilities & a cute appearance. When he discovers that he has three months left on earth, he meets Cheon Song Yi, the biggest Hallyu star in South Korea.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Kim Soo Hyun as Do Min Joon
- Jun Ji Hyun as Cheon Song Yi
- Park Hae Jin as Lee Hee Kyung
- Yoo In Na as Yoo Se Mi
No. Of Episodes: 21
Streaming Options (region-specific):
19. She Was Pretty
Hangul: 그녀는 예뻤다
Year: 2015
When young, the beautiful Hye Jin often rescued shy and unappealing Sung Joon from awkward situations. Years later, the tables have turned and the now handsome and dashing Sung Jun looks to return the favour to his first love.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Hwang Jung Eum as Kim Hye Jin
- Park Seo Joon as Ji Sung Jun
- Go Joon Hee as Min Ha Ri
- Choi Si Won as Kim Shin Hyuk
No. Of Episodes: 16 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
20. My Perfect Stranger
Hangul: 어쩌다 마주친, 그대
Year: 2023
Hae Joon and Yoon Young go back in time to 1987. There, Hae Joon attempts to uncover the truth about the murder case, while Yoon Young attempts to keep her parents from marrying. They soon learn that their goals are intertwined.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Kim Dong Wook as Yoon Hae Joon
- Jin Ki Joo as Baek Yoon Young
- Seo Ji Hye as Soon Ae (1987)
- Lee Won Jung as Hee Seop (1987)
No. Of Episodes: 16 (70 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
21. Taxi Driver
Hangul: 모범택시
Year: 2021
Do Gi is a taxi driver for a company that offers a service called “revenge call” to its customers. It is a secret group that takes care of people whom the law failed to protect. Do Gi and his coworkers will take revenge for customers who ask them to.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Je Hoon as Kim Do Gi
- Esom as Kang Ha Na
- Kim Eui Sung as Jang Sung Chul
- Pyo Ye Jin as Ahn Go Eun
No. Of Episodes: 16 (65 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
22. Hot Stove League
Hangul: 스토브리그
Year: 2019
The drama centres on a baseball team that is in last place and gearing up for an extraordinary season after the hiring of their new general manager. Each episode will highlight an issue the team is facing as they work to improve.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Namgoong Min as Baek Seung Soo
- Park Eun Bin as Lee Se Young
- Cho Byeong Kyu as Han Jae Hee
- Oh Jung Se as Kwon Gyung Min
No. Of Episodes: 16 (62 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
23. Suspicious Partner
Hangul: 수상한 파트너
Year: 2017
Ji Wook is a perfect prosecutor. Bong Hee is a trainee and assigned to work under him. They work together on a mysterious case involving a psychopath murderer. As they’re working as a team, they develop affection between them.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Ji Chang Wook as Noh Ji Wook
- Nam Ji Hyun as Eun Bong Hee
- Choi Tae Joon as Ji Eun Hyuk
- Kwon Na Ra as Cha Yoo Jung
No. Of Episodes: 40 (30 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
Wrapping Up
So these were some recommended Korean dramas worth watching on Kocowa. The basic plan costs $6.99/month with a free trial, and the premium plan costs $7.99/month. You can also buy the yearly plan to save some money.
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