Best Korean Drama on Netflix [December 2022]: Alchemy of Souls, Twenty-Five Twenty-One and More

Korean dramas have taken over the world by storm, and India is no different. During the pandemic, people got hooked on these shows and discovered all the legacy content that they could get their hands on. The popularity of the romantic-comedy Crash Landing on You fueled this trend further. Many people found the drama to be endearing and provided them with a sneak peek into the culture in North and South Korea. Its dreamy ending and the chemistry between the lead pair added to its charm.

Just as the world was getting used to the love triangles and second lead syndromes in the Korean drama world came Squid Games and All of us are dead. Both shows are in completely different genres and have garnered an immense fan following from around the world. People are waiting with bated breath for another season of both these shows. Both shows are expected to come with another season in 2023, and while we wait for that to happen, we thought we would share some of the finest K-Dramas that viewers can stream right now before the year comes to a close. In 2022, we have seen some beautiful Korean dramas (K-Dramas). From romance to thriller, it has been a happening year serving us a variety of well-made series that kept people hooked to the screens. Some of the best K dramas of 2022 are as under.

Best Korean Dramas of 2022 

Name	Platform	Genre	IMDb
Extraordinary Attorney Woo	Netflix	Legal Drama	8.7/10
	Netflix	Supernatural	8.7/10
	Netflix	Romance	8.6/10
	Netflix	Legal Drama	8/10
Little Women	Netflix	Coming of Age story	8/10
Ghost Doctor	Netflix	Fantasy/ Medical drama	7.9/10
Thirty-Nine	Netflix	Romance	7.7/10
	Netflix	Romantic Comedy	7.7/10
	Netflix	Zombie Apocalypse Horror	7.5/10
Forecasting Love and Weather	Netflix	Romantic Comedy	7.1/10

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

The series narrates the story of an attorney with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but with a photographic memory and incomparable intelligence. Raised by a single father, attorney Woo Young-woo’s journey to becoming a successful lawyer is spellbinding. The series finely explores the fantasies involving whales that struck Woo during her work and leisure. Her inability to express emotions often makes situations awkward for her and those around her, but as the story progresses, her peers learn to adjust with her. The show is a must-watch, especially for actor Park Eun-bin. She is phenomenal in her portrayal of Young-woo. The series is emotional, roller coaster and inspiring.

IMDb Rating – 8.7/10

Alchemy of Souls

If you are into magic and fantasy, Alchemy of Souls will be a great watch for you. The story is based on an imaginary country called Deaho, which is forgotten from any map or history of the world. It starts with a bang when an ailing king asks his most talented mage to exchange their souls. As the king’s death is near and he doesn’t have any heir, he asks for seven days exchange program from the mage, and the latter agrees to it. The twist in the tale starts when things don’t go as planned, and the mage (Jang Gang) finds himself tricked by the king. Twenty years post the incident, and the story deals with the consequences of this exchange. Alchemy of Souls is basically about the forbidden magic of soul shifting. After the successful season 1, the Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow series is back with another season from December 10.

The series has a lot of romance, comedy, politics, swordsmanship, action and everything else that makes it worth a watch.

IMDb Rating – 8.7/10

Twenty Five Twenty One

One of the highest-rated K-dramas, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, is a story of determination. Kim Min-chae, a young ballet dancer, runs away from her mother (Naa Hee-do) to her grandmother’s place as she wants to quit ballet. There she comes across her mother’s diary during her teens, which narrates her story of becoming a world champion in fencing and meeting her first love. The series explores relationships between friends as well as mother and daughter through three generations.

It is a story of motivation and friendship. This series is streaming on Netflix and delivers an inspiring message of never giving up. Apart from the realistic portrayal, and powerful acting by the leads, we also love the songs from this show. While the show was appreciated by all, many people were upset with the ending. They were not happy about the fact that Naa Hee-do and Back Yi Jin were not united in the end.

IMDb Rating – 8.6/10

Juvenile Justice

The series explores the reservations, perceptions and pronouncements of a judge who dislikes juveniles but gets to become a judge in the juvenile court. As she listens to the cases, she administers punishments that are unconventional, breaking the norms. The series brilliantly shows how society itself creates criminals out of innocent minds. The legal drama shows how adults should behave with teens to keep them on the right track.

Juvenile Justice explores hard truth. It is realistic and emotional.

IMDb Rating – 8/10

Little Women

“What would you do if you had a lot of money?”

“I would live with my sisters in an apartment with good windows”

Little Women, an adaptation of the age-old classic novel by the same name, is a brilliant screenplay written in view of the modern world. It’s the story of three sisters who have witnessed the toughest and poorest of times in their lives. The oldest sister works in a decent firm but is an outcast who stumbles upon 70 billion in slush funds after her colleague dies a mysterious death. Another sister is a struggling reporter trying to make it big by investigating the corrupt doings of the would-be mayor of the city. The youngest one goes to an art school and is gifted with great talent but starts ghost painting for money and opportunities. She is also the most doted and loved one by her two elder sisters. The story showcases their struggle against injustice, crime and corruption while holding on to their respective ideologies.

Little Women is a tale of sisters’ bond with its own share of gripping mystery and thrill.

IMDb Rating – 8/10

Ghost Doctor

It’s not a regular ghost story. Ghost Doctor is about how a coma ghost of a doctor tries to revive life in his body while trying to find evidence against the corrupt administration of the hospital. The story revolves around two doctors, a senior cardiothoracic surgeon who is extremely efficient and his protegee, who is more like an armchair expert. Under dire circumstances, in order to save emergency patients, the ‘coma ghost’ of the senior surgeon possesses the body of his protege, making him the youngest first-year star resident surgeon in the hospital.

Ghost Doctor is an entertaining show with loads of funny and emotional moments.

IMDb Rating- 7.9/10

Thirty-Nine

 

Three friends, all women and each successful in their own career, want to spend their life on their own terms at the age of 39. They don’t care about others’ judgements or perspectives. Their being with each other through heaven and hell forms the crux of the story. But with a happy period in life comes the tear-jerker moments too, when one of the three friends, Chan-yeoung, is diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. With only a short period if her life left, the journey and mission of the other two friends is to make Chan-yeong the ‘happiest terminally ill patient ever’.

Thirty-Nine is an inspiring, romantic series that showcases the beauty and strength of friendship.

IMDb Rating – 7.7/10

Shooting Stars

The life of an entertainment PR is rough and tough. The unexpected rumours, accidental mistakes, uncontrollable misadventures, and add up a pinch of romance to that – It will cook the perfect recipe for the Shooting Stars. The rom-com show gives you a sneak peek into the lives of people handling the public relations affairs of Korean celebrities, and the job isn’t easy, especially if you fall in love with your celebrity client!

It’s a fun, romantic and light-hearted drama.

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

All of Us Are Dead

If you are a zombie lover, this one is a must-watch for you. All of Us Are Dead is a thrilling zombie series. It shows how a virus affects a student, infects her to become a zombie and gradually spreads through the school and the whole city. Apart from the zombie spread, the show subtly touches on the subjects of bullying and societal differences in schools. It also focuses on friendships, relationships and humanity. The struggles of parents to reach and save their children are well focused on. The series shows how humans behave, both humanely and cruelly, in times of distress.

It’s an edge-of-the-seat horror series with a pinch of emotional struggle.

IMDb Rating – 7.5/10

Forecasting Love and Weather

Each episode of Forecasting Love and Weather is dedicated to a weather phenomenon. Whether it’s a hail storm or the formation of an ozone layer, the story showcases human lives going through different seasons and weather conditions, just like unpredictable weather patterns. Some days are sunny, some are rainy, some are snowy, and some may be cloudy. Love and life both go through the same stages, where each day has different temperatures, humidity, precipitation and wind conditions. Everything doesn’t go as per our predictions, and often you face ‘natural disasters’. Forecasting Love and Weather is a story about weather forecasters working at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) who try to predict and handle daily weather conditions and ‘natural disasters both in their personal and professional lives.

The series is an eye-opener about how many lives every day get affected by the meteorological services. It is a feel-good series with a peek into the complications of relationships.

IMDb Rating: 7.1/10