Are you sitting at your computer thinking that you have nothing to watch? If you are a drama addict, probably not, since there is always new shows to check out. But maybe, just maybe, you want to see something that isn’t on the normal top drama lists. If so, you have come to the right blogpost! Join Clkytta and Kmuse as they give you their secret list of underrated must watch drama gems.
CLKYTTA:
Kang Goo’s Story
I found this one on a rainy day and fell in love. I love a good underdog story, I’ve probably mentioned that a time or two, or twenty. This is a story built on layers, lots of subtle layers. Kyung Tae is a man with a past who suddenly arrives in Kang Goo’s town and begins to form an attachment to Kang Goo and his mother. This is not necessarily a romance, there is romance, but it’s more about family and the promises we make.
Absolute Boyfriend
This one may not be a hidden gem, it just wasn’t originally on my radar because it was a Tiawanese drama. Jiro Wang is a mail order boyfriend, but there’s a twist, he’s also a robot! This drama made me laugh, roll my eyes and even cry. It’s based on a manga, and I typically enjoy dramas based on mangas.
Late Night Restaurant
This was probably the best hidden gem of them all. It’s kind of like a Korean Cheers, with your loyal bartender and regular bar patrons. The premise is that this restaurant is open only at night, so you get people from all walks of life coming in throughout the night. There is no menu, so people order what they are in the mood for and if he has the supplies, he will make it. The stories are all entwined and they are based on certain dishes of food that bring forth a memory for the person ordering it. I’m really hoping for a Season 2 for this one.
Bad Family
I’m Going to admit that this is a guilty pleasure drama for me. A fake family is created when a little girl develops amnesia after a tragic accident. This ragtag family is pieced together from people literally pulled off the street and there is a lot of friction. As time passes they grow closer and become a real family. Think Annie, only backwards, the orphan is the rich one who changes the lives of the people who take care of her.
KMUSE:
Boss & Me (Shan Shan Comes to Eat)- It goes by both names if you are searching for subs on various sites.
I know, you might be screaming, “This isn’t a kdrama!”. But good TV is good TV and if you are at all interested (or even if you are not……….trust me, you will love this) in trying out a mainland China rom-com than this is it. It has a sweet plucky heroine and a kind understanding non-jerk chaebol. And get this, there is almost little to no angst and it still rocks. I have forced encouraged all my kbesties to watch and they all loved it. Hopefully, you will too.
Snow White
As you can probably guess from the picture, this drama is a bit older than most dramas that are suggested. There also might be some effort involved when hunting subs (if you have problems, just IM me and I will share some links). This drama has some of my favorite tropes! Forced cohabitation, noona romance, and dramatic makeovers all combine to make this a great rom-com. Perfect for the person who thinks they have seen it all.
Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy
This is actually a series of 3 Japanese movies, but you won’t even notice that it is not in drama format once you start. This is the story of a warrior who is trying to give up fighting and wanders the countryside, but he must rejoin the world to protect the innocent he meets on his journey. Rurouni Kenshin is 6 hours of amazing action scenes and a great plot. I highly suggest you give these movies a chance. They are also perfect for getting guys to watch along with you. They will love the action, and you can enjoy the action and the Jhotties. It’s a win-win.
Last
I am not even going to bother giving the synopsis since it really sucks and doesn’t at all explain the depth of what this drama is about. If I only had a dollar for every person who said they passed on this drama because of the boring synopsis, I would have enough money to buy a foam bat and hit them with it. This drama is AWESOME! It has characters (from the leads to the lowliest thug) who are well developed, an engaging Ocean 11 style story, and great action scenes. I would even say that quality wise, this drama might beat our Heartless City as my favorite Noir drama and is a must watch. So ignore the description and just go hit play. I guarantee that by episode three you will be hooked.
Thanks for joining us as we shared some of our favorite dramas with you. If we didn’t give anything that fits your taste, feel free to ask us in the comments for suggestions that fit your preference. I love going through my list and finding the perfect show for the viewer.
Til next time,
The Fangirls
Oooh. Have had Last on my to-watch list since last year but like you said, the synopsis turned me off. Shall head to watch it in a bit. After I finish watching six flying dragons (on episode 41) and Tree with Deep roots (haven’t started watching it yet). Loved Bad family when I watched it. All the antics of the faux family was so hilarious. But when they united, I was in love.
How can I reach out to you about the snow white links? Don’t have your IM.
YAY! let me know how you like it. Is in my top 5 dramas of last year.
Will sure do :).
Oh, and I found a link for the subbed snow white so yippee for me :D.
So many good drama/movies! The Kenshin movies are some of my favorites. I read the manga, watched all of the anime and was so happy when the movies were as good if not better than the original material. I watched Shan Shan comes to Eat because you recommended it and I loved it. I wasn’t too sure about it at first but in the end the couple was so adorable I loved every minute they spent together.
I watched the Japanese version of Late Night Restaurant first and I enjoyed it, the Korean version is just as good.
I’ve never heard of Snow White, I’ll have to find it and watch. I started Last but never finished it because RL got in the way. I’ll have to go back and finish it.
That’s right. Shinya Shokudo is the Japanese version.
I love Snow White. It’s one of my favorite shows. I love that the triangle doesn’t break the brothers apart and the 2nd lead doesn’t become evil. I think I liked the bromance as much as the romance.
YAY! You are one of the few people who know this drama before I suggest they watch it! I thought the main couple were so cute and really enjoyed their journey.
I randomly came across Snow White years ago while I was channel surfing in a hotel room in Beijing. Once I was home, I hunted it down and watched the whole thing, and had a great time! The details are hazy now, but I definitely remember recommending it to friends! 😀
I’ve been looking for something new as I’ve just ended 2 kdramas. I think you’ve convinced me to finally try a drama from China.
YAY! Let me know if you like it.
RUROUNI KENSHIN!!!!!!!! OMG is so good – that’s my fav manga for one – yes I do own all 28 volumes thank you very much LOL And this is hands down the best live action anime/manga adaptation I’ve ever seen. Takeru Satoh OMG perfection 😀 I’ve been RANTING ever since the first film was announced about the STUPID Japanese marketing system that made it impossible for me to see this trilogy in the theatres. Our local anime club (over 200 members) ranted as well. I own it.
Absolute Boyfriend – well! This introduced me to the astonishing glory that is Jiro Wang – I have some problems with the story progression (the manga ticked me off) but when I’ve got Jiro wandering around looking this good who CARES! He’s singing the OST as well (Fahrenheit, which also had Aaron Yan BTW) so all’s fabulous 😀
Thanks for the awesome list!! I shall head off to watch some of these. Do you have anymore recommendations for underdog dramas that weren’t super popular but were still so good?
I actually have a Jdrama reccommendation. It was quite popular so it technically isn’t a hidden gem, but I rarely see it being mentioned in drama recommendation lists. It’s called “Engine” and it stars the ever awesome Kimura Takuya, and one of the cast members is my fav Ueno Juri (who played Nodame in the Japanese live action version). It’s about a failed F1 driver who returns to his hometown and finds that his parents have turned their family home into an orphanage. He’s a super gruff, tough dude kinda character and is forced to help look after the kids since his career as an F1 driver amounted to zilch. Tough guy + cute kids = magic.
hello! one under the radar comedy which i enjoyed tremendously is called “Once Upon a Time in Saengchori” …it’s listed as a melo, but Sassy Go Go was listed as a bright uplifting comedy, so there you go! haha. anyhow if you want something fun and witty and you have a tendency to root for the underdog you’ll enjoy this one 🙂 on DF.
I will have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Sounds good! I will check it out!
I really enjoyed LAST. i love all the characters and i enjoyed the fighting scenes.. the actors are all good especially Lee Boem So. it is one of my favorite drama. I enjoyed the fighting scenes and the music is good. I still enjoyed listening to the ost up to now. Bring back the scenes in my head….. I like action movies/dramas So id like to try rorouni kenshin. I heard its good. My sister liked it.