Squid Game quickly became a global sensation for Netflix
Netflix confirmed that the series remains popular on the non-English TV list with 42.79 million hours viewed within the last week. The streamer knows viewers are obsessed with the K-Wave and there are three additional South Korean TV shows that have spent time recently in the Top 10 TV (non-English) list: The King’s Affection, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and My Name.
New entrant Hellbound has become an immediate sensation. The Korean horror series rose above Squid Game with 43.48 million hours viewed since its U.S. release on November 19. But the love for South Korean television started a while back with the rom com hit Crash Into You in 2019.
If you’re a fan of Squid Game and are eagerly awaiting the second season, here is a quick guide with a brief synopsis of five incredible Korean TV series.
Hellbound (One Season, 6 Episodes) – Unbelievable demonstrations of hell start to take place in the middle of Seoul right in front of crowds. Mayhem ensues as Jung Jinsu, the leader of the up-and-coming religious organization The New Truth, claims that only sinners are marked for condemnation and that these occurrences will serve to make humans righteous. A lawyer, Min Hyejin, challenges Jung and joins forces with the few who try to protect those in danger.
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The King’s Affection (One Season, 14 Episodes) – This romantic drama follows what happens after the crown prince is killed and his twin sister assumes the throne while aiming to keep her identity as well as her true feelings for her first love a secret.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (One Season, 16 Episodes) – This romantic comedy tells the tale of a big-city dentist who decides to open up a practice in a close-knit seaside village which just so happens to be the home of a jack-of-all-trades who is her polar opposite in every way. As we know all too well, opposites often attract.
My Name (One Season, 8 Episodes) – This action thriller follows a revenge-driven woman named Jiwoo who, after her father is murdered, joins a drug cartel and becomes a mole in the police force to seek the truth behind her father’s death. As the saying about revenge goes, dig two graves. She encounters many harsh realities in her search for truth and vengeance.
Crash Landing On You (One Season, 16 Episodes) – This heartfelt romantic comedy centers around the whirlwind love story that begins with a paragliding mishap that drops a South Korean heiress in North Korea. When a handsome army officer finds her and decides to help her, both of their lives are forever changed. This one was such a hit that there have been rumblings of a second season.
It is indisputable at this point that South Korean storytelling, whether it be dramatic and violent, or of the romantic comedy variety, is both brilliant and gripping and viewers just cannot get enough.