Netflix Korean Drama Recommendations

So many Korean dramas were watched during the COVID years, not all of them good. They have an interesting format: one season of 12-20 episodes (16 is typical). The single season format gives a different type of storytelling than multiple season media (even short British/cable seasons). 

My strong recommendation is for the science fiction series, Sisyphus. This a a tightly written, well acted show good to the last second. It involves time travel and they do not make any of the usual mistakes that lead to glaring inconsistencies: this plot fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. If I had three thumbs they would all be up for this show. 

Many of the dramas are romances, but often have an underlying social message or at least a socially relevant theme. I do not know whether they get government funding to do this, or whether the Korean public just expect this. Apparently, Korean TV does not include advertising, but there is some product placement written into the episodes. This is done anywhere from seamless to jarringly overt. One thing my daughter told me was that typically they are still filming when the first episodes come out and the plot may be altered based on viewer feedback (I would say this is not always a good thing). One other thing typical of the romance category is that near the end, a breakup is engineered between the main couple which is resolved in the last episode. This plot device can be done so clumsily that it ruins the whole plot for me. Some romance dramas I can recommend are:

• It's OK not to be OK, with social commentary on mental disability and illness. Some innovative filming in the first episodes (presumably before time and financial pressures forced them to be more conventional). Beautiful main couple. My only request would have been more Jae-soo. 
• Something in the Rain, with some pretty gritty social commentary on misogyny in the workplace. Lovely scenes at the end of episode three and beginning of episode four when the couple first gets together. The moral of the story is to not lie to protect your friends. 
• Search WWW, with social commentary on the role and responsibilities of social media. Strong friendship (and professional conflict) between a group of three women, as well as romance. 

If you are desperate for more romance, When the Camellia Blooms, Hometown Cha Cha, and Chocolate are "OK".  

In the light comedy class, I recommend Business Proposal, based on a webtoon. It is fluff, but I found it to be enjoyable fluff. 

The biggest disappointment was "The King: Eternal Monarch". It had parallel universes, a fantastic New Years speech, overall good first half, and fell completely flat in the second.