It would be fair conclusion to say that 2021 was a successful year for K-Dramas. The year, through many cable and national broadcasting networks, the country’s tv industry released many successful series. Streaming giant Netflix too came in strong, buying world-wide distribution rights to many popular titles, while also doubling down on their own original productions, investing heavily into content from the country and increasing output too, to the point of releasing a new K-Drama almost every month in the second half of last year. Of course, the success of a number of these shows is now well-known, but other streaming services like iQiyi, Viki etc. also played an important part in getting several Korean series out to the wider worldwide audience, resulting in a strong year for shows of various genres.
Without further ado, here is the list of the 20 best K-Dramas of 2021, in descending order.
20. Hospital Playlist: Season 2 (dir. Shin Won-ho)

The five Doctor/Musician best friends were back for yet another round of medical emergencies, romantic endeavours and band practise. While this set of episodes were slightly underwhelming compared to the previous ones, several of the pending storylines from the previous season were given conclusions and room was still left for future season. Sadly, the show has since been cancelled but audiences were glad that their favourite characters got closure of sorts.
19. Yumi’s Cells (dir. Lee Sang-yeob)

Think of a live-action adaptation of the Pixar film “Inside Out” and you’d be close enough to “Yumi’s Cells”, a romance that unravels the daily life of an office works through her brain cells. Starring Kim Go-eun and man-of-the-moment Ahn Bo-hyun, the show received strong ratings throughout its run thanks to its charming lead pair and an interesting and whimsical concept, which was taken from an eponymous webtoon source.
18. Moebius: The Veil (dir. Wi Deuk-gyu)

A two part prequel with streamlined directing and a more compelling script than the helter-shelter plot of its parent series “The Veil”. Set 4 years prior, the narrative focuses on the motivations and eventual disillusionment of National Intelligence Service (NIS) black agent Jang Cheon-woo (Jung Moon-sung) and his handler, Seo Su-yeon (Park Ha-sun). A good balance of suspense and action is maintained with never a dull moment as drug busts of crime syndicates feature alongside conspiratorial goings-on within the NIS, especially when Agent Seo discovers there is more than meets the eye to a drug smuggling operation with potentially explosive consequences. The trust she has built with Agent Jang is put to the test. Jung Moon-sung, ever the effective supporting actor, takes centre stage this time with his portrayal of a conflicted character struggling with feelings of abandonment by the NIS and loss of self-identity after years in the field.
17. Taxi Driver (dir. Park Joon-woo)

Having Lee Je-hoon and Esom leading a show should be reason enough for many to check out “Taxi Driver”, but the action crime drama also delivered on the storyline, which follows the Rainbow Deluxe Taxi, a taxi service which is a front for a service that helps people exact revenge where the law failed to provide justice and punish the wrongdoers. The show, much like the popular 2016 K-Drama “Signal”, incorporated into its narrative real-life crimes committed in Korea, adding further to the show’s realism and grittiness. The show went on to be one on the highest rated in its time-slot for broadcasting network SBS.
16. My Name (dir. Kim Jin-min)

As is well known by this point, Netflix came on strong and hard in 2021, with a new K-Drama release almost every month in the 2nd half of the year. One drama that was appreciated by viewers was “My Name”, an action drama that may have had a generic and predictable storyline about a girl joining the police to take revenge for her father’s death but was appreciated for the fantastic action sequences, fresh visuals and an appealing soundtrack. Lead actress Han So-hee’s performance was also a highlight, thanks to the hard work she put in for the stunts. This was the 2nd show this year to also feature Ahn Bo-hyun after “Yumi’s Cells”.
15. Mine (dir. Lee Na-jung)

The shocking secrets of the Han conglomerate family came rolling out in “Mine”, one of the highest-watched shows this year in Korea. There is something voyeuristic about looking into the how the lives of the uber-rich unravel and “Mine” managed to portray that rather excellently, but it really excels with its extremely well-written and equally well-acted female characters that strive fighting for justice and to free themselves from the prejudices of society. Lee Bo-young and Kim Seo-hyung’s performances remain memorable.
14. The Uncanny Counter (dir. Yoo Seon-dong, Park Bong-seop)

Cable network OCN knows how to do gritty dramas. “The Uncanny Counter” was no different, with OCN bringing the same grit to the superhero genre, but it also had lot of heart in its character-driven storyline. The breezy, fun sci-fi story revolves around the Counters, a group of paranormal-hunters who search for and fight against evils spirits that escape from the afterlife to prey on humans. The show had a bit of everything for everyone, including comedy, action and sci-fi, in addition to an inspired and efficient cast.
13. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (dir. Yu Je-won)

“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” proved beyond doubt one thing: romance is the genre of preference for the public of South Korea when it comes to tv dramas. The romantic drama, based on the Korean film “Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong” and starring Shin Min-ah alongside Kim Seon-ho as two people meeting in a remote village and striking a connection, was an instant success, ranking at first place during its entire run. On Netflix, who had the worldwide distribution rights to the show, it ended up being of their most watched non-English language show of the year.
12. Vincenzo (dir. Kim Hee-won)

Mafia films and Korean gangster films have always found favour with audience. Vincenzo did a unique combination of the two, starring Song Joong-ki as Vincenzo Cassano, a Korean adopted by a Mafia boss in Italy. After the death of his adoptive father and with his biological son out to get him, Vincenzo flees to Seoul where his interests align with Jeon Yeo-been’s Hong Cha-young. In addition to the interesting premise, the show was also praised for its production values and the performances from both Song Joong-ki and Jeon Yeo-bee.
11. Dr. Brain (dir. Kim Jee-woon)

Big-name Korean film directors continued to experiment with the tv format and the biggest name to make his small screen debut this year was undoubtedly that of Kim Jee-woon. The internationally renowned director, coming off the back of the lacklustre “Illang: The Wolf Brigade”, was on fine form in the new format in “Dr. Brain”, the first Korean exclusive production for Apple TV+. Starring Lee Sun-kyun, Seo Ji-hye and Park Hee-soon and based on a webtoon of the same name, the 6-episodes show tells of a brain scientist trying to solve the mysterious death of his family by hacking into the brains of the deceased.