It’s time for a trip down the K-Drama memory lane as we look back on some notable and fan-favorite K-Dramas that made an impression in 2013.
This year in K-Dramaland, character-driven plots dominated the season. Fantasy and realistic stories also adorned the roster. Some of the popular artists you love also starred in classic stories superbly paraded in 2013 Korean Dramas.
2013 Best Korean Dramas: The Year Of Superb Fantasy & Realistic Stories
1. Good Doctor
Joo Won in an autistic savant doctor role is as remarkable as how he did in Bridal Mask. His winning performance led to the drama’s high ratings and drama awards hauling.
2. The Queen of Office
Take pieces of advice from Kim Hye Soo in her early hit workplace drama that shows foolproof ways to survive in the office.
3. Gu Family Book
Before Vagabond, Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy starred in this fusion sageuk MBC series. If you like Korean folklore blended with martial arts, comedy, fantasy, brotherhood and romance; Gu Family Book is just right for you. Its superb cast will definitely delight you, too.
4. Empress Ki
Probably one of the best-defined love triangles in Korean historical dramas. Boasting a talented cast where Ha Ji Won played the titular role, while Joo Jin Moo and Ji Chang Wook take on her love interests, the series was a guaranteed success. The ratings and accolades it received also proved its scintillating narrative.
5. Secret Love
From a slow start, it zooms to a runaway hit. Secret Love takes a thrilling route with impressive plot twists. The unearthing of the secrets involving the lead characters is just mesmerizingly addictive. Although running on a revenge tone, it does not emotionally overwhelm.
6. Miss Korea
How do you define a single woman’s worth? Is it in the amount of love she can give? Is it how far she extended herself to chase her dreams? Or is it when she was able to define what makes her happy?
Albeit underrated, Miss Korea runs a woman-empowering story that all ladies can relate to. It features the strength in a woman’s failures and the weakness in a woman’s inability to not love fully.
7. That Winter The Wind Blows
Loving someone when you are literally blind takes faith beyond reason, and finding a reason to live because you love someone takes bravery beyond faith. These are the two love lessons to learn from That Winter The Wind Blows couple.
It is a poignant love drama that makes you remember how you are scared to start a love you were unsure of, and how you took the odds to claim it. This is a cure for people with “trust issues” and its delightful and piercing romance take definitely appeals to people wanting to love and wanting to be loved back.
8. Jang Ok Jung, Living By Love
The moon gazing, the walking side by side together beneath the stars, the never-let-go-of-my-hand-promises, and see-how-much-i-love-you scenes were some of the most superbly captured moments in this series.
All you are willing to give up because of love has been the poignant theme of this drama and it concluded in a heartbreaking moment that made me cry like a baby for these star-crossed lovers who surrendered to destiny.
9. Flower Boys Next Door
Sassy and sweet, this is a soothing spectacle perfect for teens.
If you want to go with upbeat characters, cute couple bickerings, cotton candy scenes, and a fairly done love story go get your binoculars and take a peek at Flower Boys Next Door.
10. IRIS II
Fans of IRIS and Athena: Goddess of War should add IRIS II to complete the package. This series ventures into the aftermath of its predecessors three years after.
Spy action at its finest with a superb cast makes this series a must-watch.
11. When A Man Falls In Love
Successfully incorporating Daddy-long-legs, Helen of Troy and The Godfather in a romantic blend with angsty spice, this is a guaranteed SOLD if you like a story almost covering all types of love stories known.
When A Man Loves is like an evolution of love in a documentary form, but yes with characters and plot.
12. The Fugitive of Joseon
Living up to its title, the series features a fugitive in search of justice. Parading the adorable and sometimes disheartening love line of a doctor father who would do anything for his sickly daughter, be forewarned on the slow-paced liberation of the hero from the crime he didn’t commit.
Nevertheless, the series consistently piques interest, and you have Lee Dong Wook as the lead character to trust.
13. The Scandal
A revenge drama with a twist, The Scandal takes advantage of its male-centered story in alleviating excessive drama.
Joining the hero in uncovering his birth secret will definitely leave you in awe!
14. Empire of Gold
Spanning 20 years unfurling the life of a conglomerate family, Empire of Gold traverses the journey of a chaebol family who rose from ashes following the 1990s IMF financial crisis.
Ambition-driven lead characters fueled the profoundly penned narrative along with its insights on family ties, relationships and chasing personal dreams.
15. The Heirs
Being stronger with its imperfections, it has managed to tug emotions with heartwarming and love-affirming romantic scenes.
Flaws and all, this drama reminded me that at one point in our lives, when we were younger – we love blindly, truthfully and happily. We went from bliss to pain; to staying together to letting go; and it has improved our love perspective as a person.
16. Two Weeks
Embark on two weeks of exhilarating thrill in this Lee Joon Gi starter. Featuring a talented supporting cast; if action, drama and revenge are what you’re looking for in a story, then highly consider adding Two Weeks to your watch list.
17. I Hear Your Voice
Lee Jong Suk’s first courtroom drama granted him the ability to hear someone’s thoughts. Boasting a thrilling premise that intertwines the lives of a lawyer and a student, I Hear Your Voice gifted acting awards to its lead actors.
Well-deserved feats considering how they move to make the story engrossing, and how the noona romance was made to a level worth cheering for. Highly thrilling courtroom battles, an inspirational fight for justice, a well-rounded supporting cast and a sweet romance are the key highlights of this series.
18. The Master’s Sun
In the sea of dramas where stories are usually woven from the rich-boy-poor-girl love affair or the male-pretending-lead-girl, a you-and-me-against-the-ghosts love story hit all the romantic nerves of drama fans with its comic spooky vibes.
It was a nicely blended romance that showed a love pair growing together while understanding why they both need each other. It was a relationship where the couple did what they can do so that they won’t end up in the position where they will ask “what they could have done”.
Being with someone is not half-loving yourself and half-loving him. It should be loving the person with all you can.
19. Heartless City
Despite being underrated, this noir crime scores high because it was the oddball among the stories, I watched in the roster of 2013 Korean Dramas.
Exploring the world of undercover agents and drug cartels obviously means the audience of this drama is targeted. But Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri have always been actors I applaud for owning to their roles.
20. My Love From The Star
Once in a while jealousy, greed, family intervention, amnesia, and annoying 3rd parties are not required to create a heartfelt love tale, you only need two hearts that love bravely and deeply.
Thriving on the characters’ ups and downs, it etched facets of realities that teach how people struggled to concede with their insecurities and are always won over by finding faults at something or someone they won’t even have to bother.
Fate, chance encounters and brave “I-love-you-right-now claims have never been so perfectly achieved until My Love From The Star graced K-Dramaland.
21. Nine
Notching superbly a string of climactic cliffhangers while seamlessly presenting consistent timeline transitions and convergence, Nine Times Travel mocked all the time-traveling stories in 2012.
Chronicling the story of a man who obtained 9 incense sticks that functioned as a time-trekking tool which helped him leave clues to his past self in escaping his looming death in the future.
True, it is a hard-to-follow drama as the supernatural kicks bordered beyond impossible but that’s also what made it strong. It is not afraid to push its limit without abusing its metaphysical core.
22. Let’s Eat
Meeting foodie Goo Dae-young is such a gift. The series’ indie vibe and quirky characters are primarily why tvN invested in two more sequels.
Specifically tailored for single people, you’d be surprised to feel distressed hanging out with the four main leads with relatable cravings for food and love.
23. Reply 1994
A follow-up to the well-loved Reply 1997, this tvN series takes the vibe of its predecessor. It highlights friendship stories plus its signature guess-the-husband game. The entire Reply franchise is synonymous with a well-contrived story that paid remarkable attention to small details.
Something we greatly appreciate because aside from its nostalgic gift, those details made the beautiful moments shine in the story.
Set in a boarding house, all seven friends live in the house run by the female lead’s parents. As always, the series is fun to watch because you’re reminded of your own memories.
Looking for some K-Dramas to binge-watch? Rediscover amazing stories through these 2013 Korean Drama favorites!
Photos: Respective networks of aforementioned dramas
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