Travel Korea: Historical TV Series
Welcome once again to the board of this spaceship, which is going to take all of us back to the infamous year of 2020. I advise you this time to not exit the spaceship and enjoy the viewing experience from the inside! As always, don’t forget to pack snacks, comfort animals, and an invalid ID, and most importantly, keep in mind that this spaceship does not have an emergency exit! |
1. TALE OF THE NINE-TAILED |
As usual, we will start the article with a Korean banger, which is famous to this day. Yes, 2020 was not long ago, and I do feel as if this TV series aired just a few months ago - maybe because of the spin-off? If you still crave the good old romantic fantasy series in 2024, then dive back into the craze! Remember, this series doesn’t only have romance and fantasy but also a good amount of brotherly love and murder. What is the Tale of the Nine-Tailed about? The mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon had to settle in the city many centuries ago. Able to transform into human form, he eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. His real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love. The talented television producer Nam Ji Ah works on a show that features urban myths. In the past, her parents were involved in a mysterious car accident and disappeared. She suspects that Lee Yeon might be connected with this accident. The half-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang. Despite being half-human himself, he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport, he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires. |  |
2. WHERE YOUR EYES LINGER |
If I didn’t include this on our time travel stop, I would definitely face consequences. So, here it is one of the most beloved TV series of 2020! I have to admit that I do feel that this drama was the stepping stone for LGBT+ romances in South Korea. As always, this is my personal opinion. Years may have passed, but I still secretly wish for a second season because our lovely characters do deserve it! In case you forgot, below is a quick synopsis. Meet Han Tae Joo, the 18-year-old student and successor to the TB Group. Blessed with a wealthy family, good looks, and popularity, he has few worries. Kang Gook, his thoughtful childhood friend, is physically strong and is trained in different martial arts disciplines. Tae Joo is Kang Gook’s only friend. Tae Joo trusts Kang Gook and feels at ease around him. Tension erupts between them when a new female student, Hye Mi, shows interest in Kang Gook. As the two go on a date, Han Tae Joo becomes irritated, and soon after, long-suppressed emotions start surfacing. Could there be more to their platonic friendship? |  |
3. ALICE IN BORDERLAND S1 |
Listen, listen, listen. Am I weird for loving death games? Call me whatever at this point because I really cannot help myself. This series can still be streamed on Netflix, and I was pleasantly shocked that a Japanese drama topped its charts in so many countries. When I personally checked what the craze was about, I finally understood. This drama is not a simple death game. It is a game of wits. Each game being different adds a new kind of mystery and tension to the story, so I really cannot blame myself for loving it so much. A synopsis could be read below! Arisu Ryohei - a listless, jobless, and video-game-obsessed young man - suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. After a dangerous game that tests Arisu’s limits, the two set out together to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live. |  |
4. AN INCURABLE CASE OF LOVE |
Not only was 2020 the year of great TV series, but it was the exact year I infiltrated my bestie into the world of dramas. How do I know? Well, I managed to do it thanks to this exact drama! With both of us being in the medical field, it was very easy to persuade her to watch this, and indeed, we both fell for the handsome and skilled Tendo-sensei. The reason why this drama did so well, not just in my household but overseas as well, is probably because it has an amazing balance of medical cases and romance. Usually, with medical dramas, you get 80 percent of the show talking about medical cases, but here it was 50/50. So, what is this series about? Sakura Nanase is a 22-year-old rookie nurse. She met Doctor Tendo Kairi several years ago and fell in love with him. To meet him again, she studied hard and became a nurse. After 5 years, she finally meets Tendo again, but he has a totally different personality than what she imagined. Tendo, who is 33 years old, is commonly referred to as "Devil" at work. He is a level-headed perfectionist and often makes biting remarks to doctors and nurses. Sakura works hard to receive recognition from Tendo, and she also expresses her feelings honestly to him. Due to her persistence, Sakura becomes well-known at the hospital and picks up the nickname "Warrior-Chick". Meanwhile, Tendo becomes attracted to Sakura. |  |
5. I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU |
We are traveling again, and this time our spaceship is hovering right above 2020s Thailand. Bring your tissues for this one because you will need them. Once again, I felt the need to include this series because it truly made a big impact, not only on my emotions but also on Thai dramaland. I Told Sunset About You does not come from GMMTV, which usually specializes in this kind of TV series. So, the expectations were low - at least from me - but I was pleasantly surprised once I actually started watching it. If I had to describe it with one word, I would say it is a masterpiece. From camera to sound, from music to acting... Each point was perfectly executed. The story is unique. In simple words, it’s a coming-of-age story, but it is so much more. Even if it lacks heavy, intimate scenes, I consider the story to be very sensual and steamy. What is I Told Sunset About You about? Teh and Oh-aew were best friends until a boyhood line of reasoning turned them into rivals. Years later, as they're preparing for university admissions, both pursuing interests in the field of Communication Arts, the two meet in a Chinese language class. Their reunion awakens complicated and unstable feelings. |  |
6. BAD GENIUS |
We are still staying in hot Thailand. Now, we are going to watch Bad Genius. This time as a TV series! First, it came out as a movie, but that was back in 2017 and is not relevant to our time travel. Many have a love-hate relationship with this remake, and I do not blame them. The original movie was great, but I admit that I loved the series just as much! A quick synopsis can be read below. What started from exam cheating in the classroom escalated to stealing a national test paper. These are not your everyday students. They're a reflection of the cheating that happens at every level in Thai society. Guaranteed with different versions and various forms of drama, unlike the movie. |  |
7. LOVE AND REDEMPTION |
If you know me, you know that I keep struggling with Chinese TV series but oftentimes do give them a shot and end up loving them, which was the case with this drama as well, which wasn’t only popular in my household but maybe in yours as well! China has produced many historical and Wuxia dramas through the years, but what truly made this drama stand out was the absolutely amazing plot, acting, and good romance. If you are a fellow romance lover who would love to see a forbidden romance where the main hero falls for the girl first, then this drama is for you! If you forgot, below is a quick synopsis. A thousand years after the battle between the demons and heavens took place, the souls of the Star of Mosha and the God of War were sent to the mortal realm to serve penance. In the mortal realm, Chu Xuan Ji, daughter of the Shaoyang Sect Leader, is deprived of her six senses. At a tournament, she meets Yu Si Feng, a skilled disciple of Lize Palace who was born on the same day as her, and the two develop a friendship. Promising to meet again, Si Feng returns to his sect, where he is punished for breaking the rules and forced to wear a mask that could potentially harm his life, while Xuan Ji leaves her home to train in martial arts. |  |
8. LOST ROMANCE |
Who would I be if I didn’t include a broody male lead on this list? This time, we are looking back at Lost Romance, which is a truly romantic and angst-filled story with a good hint of magic. For some unknown reason, I am obsessed with these types of romances, and this drama just did the trick for me. I am happy that in 2020, everyone else craved it just as much as I did. If you happen to have amnesia, check out the synopsis below. Zheng Xiao En works as an editor of romance novels at a publishing company and secretly dreams about falling in love with a CEO. When she isn’t working, she spends her days daydreaming about He Tian Xing, the handsome chief executive of the company that occupies the building opposite her company’s offices. One day, Zheng Xiao En magically finds herself transported into the pages of a romance novel – and comes face-to-face with her crush He Tian Xing. However, she soon discovers that, in this fictional universe, his name is Si Tu Ao Ran, and his personality is very different. She hopes to use all the tips and tricks she has learned from the romance novels she has edited to help snare his heart. But she soon discovers that, in this fictional world, she isn’t the heroic female lead – and instead is an evil side character! Can she flip the story on its head – and end up with the man of her dreams? |  |
Dear traveler, how was the journey? Did my picks make you giggle or cry? If you think I have forgotten to add other iconic dramas for the year 2020, drop them below. Honestly, making this list was very hard because the year 2020 truly blessed us with many good series! Now, where is our spaceship going next? Edited by: Cookie (1st editor) |
