Kdramas with non-human lead characters and elements of fantasy are the best. I am not alone in this view; these supernatural Korean dramas are wildly popular and there are good reasons for this. When the lead character is nonhuman, whether an angel, robot, alien, mermaid, webtoon, or goblin, the storyline tends to be more unpredictable, exciting, and captivating because the possibilities are unlimited.
While each story is different, nonhuman characters are all extraordinarily attractive — blessed with a combination of superhuman powers, goodness, wealth, beauty, and even human relatability. (How can a mere human compete?) Notably, more recent Kdramas feature very strong female lead characters, a welcome shift, unlike the typically weaker female lead characters in the older Kdramas.
Perhaps pairing the modern willful and independent female characters with a non-human male lead has given the drama writers more freedom to explore and develop these strong female characters without the limitations of cultural realities. In any event, I love them!
Here are the five supernatural Korean dramas I highly recommend watching that are well worth the time investment.
Angel’s Last Mission: Love
A beautiful, immature Angel (Kim Myung Soo or L) is given a mission to help a broken, cold-hearted, angry, heiress, prima ballerina fall in love. But oops, he ends up falling in love with her himself. This drama was awesome, heart-wrenching, and hilarious at the same time. Both leads are extremely talented actors and I love the chemistry between the two. The entire drama had me on the edge of my seat! Also, Kim Myung Soo might be the most beautiful person alive.
Available on Viki
The Legend of the Blue Sea
Legend of the Blue Sea is the story of a mermaid, Shim Cheong (Jun Ji Hyun – QUEEN!) who goes after her one true love, Heo Joon Jae (Lee Min Ho), with whom she has a deep past life.
The drama includes two fascinating narratives, one in the Joseon Era and one modern-day, which eventually connect. The drama plays up the mermaid’s experiences in discovering the human world for the first time, and it is absolutely hilarious!
I loved how Jun Ji Hyun portrayed her innocence and strength in such a comical way. Lee Min Ho plays a conman (and of course a chaebol heir) Heo Joon Jae with a charismatic personality and fun friends to match. This was Lee Min Ho’s best role in my opinion as he tends to keep playing the same character in his dramas. You see a different side of LMH in this supernatural Korean drama and it was so much fun to watch.
Available on Viki
Goblin/Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
A 939-year-old dokebi (or goblin), Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), was once a military general from the Goryeo Dynasty who was framed and killed. He is cursed with immortality and becomes a dokebi. His life can only finally end when his bride removes the invisible sword from his chest. After nine hundred years he meets Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) a cheerful high school student who sees ghosts and claims to be his bride.
I was not sure about this one at first because of the age gap – Kim Go Eun’s character is in high school and though younger than 939, Gong Yoo is 40! But the story spans several years and she eventually becomes an adult! You can’t help but obsess over this drama and it is hard not to binge all night. Despite the initially problematic age gap, the chemistry among the actors is excellent. However, the side story between the Grim Reaper and the chicken store owner in this supernatural Korean drama might be even better and more interesting. I also love the friendship between Goblin and Grim Reaper. The whole story is amazing and is full of hilarious comical moments.
Available on Viki
Are You Human Too
A genius AI scientist has her young son taken away from her by her dead husband’s father (this must be a thing in Korea), and to fill the gaping hole, she creates an AI identical robot, modeled after her growing son. Seo Kang Joon plays two roles, Nam Shin III, the innocent and lovable and realistic AI robot who just wants to please, and the real Nam Shin, a selfish and rude chaebol heir. Nam Shin is attacked and ends up in a coma, and Nam Shin III replaces him to protect Nam Shin’s position until he recovers. The robot develops a close relationship with his tough and feisty bodyguard, So Bong (Gong Seung Yeon), and together they discover love.
At first, I was dubious about the relationship between a robot and a human. But this story was so well done and really worth watching! Nam Shin is able to develop emotional capabilities or “feelings” over time. I also liked how Kang So Bong’s character was different from many female leads. She’s a bodyguard, former boxer, super tough, and very cynical at least in the beginning. Nam Shin III breaks down her walls and she becomes his special person to protect. I also enjoyed the dramatic contrast between Nam Shin and Nam Shin III, and the interesting conflicts that arise when he wakes from his coma, but everyone prefers the robot. Highly recommended!
Available on Viki
W (Two Worlds)
A young surgeon (Han Hyo Joo) is strangely pulled into a webtoon created by her famous author father. A romance develops between Kang Cheol (Lee Jong Suk) who is the main character in the webtoon, W, and the surgeon who exists in the real world but has no identity in the webtoon world. As the comic world and real-world clash, everyone faces grave danger.
I loved this one! It never had a slow moment and is full of surprises with compelling characters and great chemistry. It’s a fantastic combination of romance, humor, and suspense. The plot was incredibly creative and captivating, I have never seen anything like it. Definitely worth the watch!
Available on Viki
Honorable Mention for Top Supernatural Korean Drama:
Hotel Del Luna
Jang Man Wol (IU) has been cursed to be the CEO of a mystical hotel for ghosts and prepares them for the afterlife. When Jang Man Wol recruits Goo Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Goo) to be her manager, things get interesting. It is worth mentioning because of the badass, powerful non-human female main lead. But it had some scary moments so you have to be ok with that!
The cinematography and ever-changing outfits are amazing and the plot is original and entertaining. IU wore over 100 outfits throughout the series!
Available on Viki
Ella Shin is a student in New York City, who loves composing music and everything Hallyu.
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