King The Land and My Demon are among popular K-dramas of 2023
The popularity of K-dramas in India seems to increase with each passing year. 2023 saw a new bunch of Korean shows that released on OTT platforms finding favour with the audience. Some new romantic comedies won hearts of the audiences. Fans of fantasy dramas were not disappointed either. Here's a list of the top 10 K-dramas, in no particular order, that gained the most popularity among viewers in 2023.
1. King The Land
If you are a fan of office romances, this one is for you. This one is set against the backdrop of a hotel. Starring Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah, King the Land tells the story of Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) who is the heir of The King Group, a luxury hotel conglomerate, who was thrown into an inheritance war, and Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah), an employee at the hotel who always has a smile on her face.
2. The Glory
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The show stars Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Sung-hoon, and Jung Sung-il. The series was divided into two parts - Part 1 was released on December 30, 2022, and Part 2 was released on March 10, 2023, both to critical acclaim and viewership success. It received eight nominations at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, winning three - Best Drama, Best Actress for Song Hye-kyo, and Best Supporting Actress for Lim Ji-yeon. The Glory Part 1 made waves as soon as it was released and kept viewers on their toes in the second half of the series about a bullying victim's revenge.
3. Call It Love
Starring Lee Sung-kyung and Kim Young-kwang, it is a romantic melodrama about a woman whose life goes downhill after finding out about her father's affair and falling in love with his mistress's son.
4. Daily Dose of Sunshine
Starring Park Bo-young, Yeon Woo-jin, Jang Dong-yoon and Lee Jung-eun, it is based on the Kakao webtoon of the same Korean title by Lee Ra-ha, a former nurse, which highlights the author's real-life experiences. The series centres on Jung Da-eun, a skilled nurse in the Department of Psychiatry at Myungshin University Hospital, and her interactions with the patients under her care.
5. Behind Your Touch
Starring Han Ji-min, Lee Min-ki, and Suho, the series is about a veterinarian with psychometric powers, and a hot-blooded detective who find themselves in the midst of a dangerous criminal investigation while solving minor crime cases in a small town in Mujin, Chungcheong-do.
6. The Good Bad Mother
Starring Ra Mi-ran, Lee Do-hyun, Ahn Eun-jin and Yoo In-soo, the series was a commercial hit and became one of the highest-rated series in Korean cable television history. It is about how a tragic accident leaves an ambitious prosecutor with the mind of a child, forcing him and his mother to embark on a journey to heal their relationship.
7. Destined With You
Starring Jo Bo-ah, Rowoon, Ha Jun, and Yura, Destined With You tells the story about an irresistible romance between Lee Hong-jo (Jo Bo-ah) and Jang Shin-yu (Rowoon) with the storyline revolving around a forbidden book that was thoroughly sealed 300 years ago, landing in the hands of Hong-jo after obtaining it with Shin-yu becoming the victim of the forbidden book due to the curse caused by the book.
8. My Demon
Starring Kim Yoo-jung, Song Kang, Lee Sang-yi, and Kim Hae-sook, the series depicts the story of a contract marriage between Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung), the devilish heiress of a conglomerate, and Jeong Gu-won (Song Kang), a demon who temporarily loses his powers. This momentary loss brings them fleeting happiness but ultimately leads to hell.
9. Twinkling Watermelon
Starring Ryeoun, Choi Hyun-wook, Seol In-ah and Shin Eun-soo, Twinkling Watermelon tells the story of a CODA boy with a natural talent for music, who travels back in time to 1995. He joins a band with his childhood father and forms a band called Watermelon Sugar with the suspicious youths he meets there, and communicates with them through music.
10. Celebrity
Park Gyu-young, Kang Min-hyuk, Lee Chung-ah, Lee Dong-gun and Jun Hyo-seong round out the ensemble cast of this series. It depicts the desires and mysteries surrounding people who become social media influencers, living as so-called celebrities, and the people who envy them.