Today’s best Korean dramas

“Voice” via K-Pop Herald

A slew of entertaining Korean dramas has hit the small screen recently, featuring familiar themes and characters—the hierarchy of the Korean office, the wealthy, psychopathic villains—but with new twists.

Also noteworthy is that the most popular shows at the moment do not center on romance, unlike recent hits such as “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” that focused on whirlwind love stories.

The following is a list by K-Pop Herald of today’s best Korean dramas.

“Voice”: tracing crime through sound

Halfway through the series last February 15, “Voice” was submitted for a censorship board review for its graphic depiction of violence. Its rating has since been changed to being suitable for those over 19.

But the intense show is ridden with more than just provocative scenes. It features the struggles of the emergency hotline police force, at the forefront of catching criminals and to whom every second is crucial.

Jang Hyuk plays Jin-hyuk, a guilt-ridden detective whose wife has been murdered and who channels all his frustration into work. Lee Ha-na plays Kwon-joo, a tough policewoman gifted with hearing supernatural powers. Together, the two trace crimes through the voices that travel through phones in urgent calls.

Binge-watch “Voice” on Viu for free by tapping this link.

“Good Manager” via K-Pop Herald

“Good Manager”: an exhilarating office comedy

The series offers a liberating fulfillment of office fantasies and a relatively moving, if familiar, portrayal of everyday life in the Korean workplace.

The show’s driving force is Nam Goong-min, who plays the cheeky accounting department head Kim Sung-ryong. Intelligent with a natural knack for numbers, Kim’s priority in life is to look out for himself. His initial goal is to make money from the company and move to Denmark to pursue a peaceful life.

Ironically, Kim’s self-serving nature and tendency to speak his mind allow him to lash out against conventions and customs of a typical, top-down Korean office environment, and eventually become a defender of employees’ rights.

Kim is eccentric to the point of incredulous, a trait that turns a familiar office drama into a refreshing escapist comedy. He chastises the spoiled son of the company’s owner for unspecified personal expenditures, throwing questions like: “Is buying luxury goods part of work?” and “Is the accounting department your personal ATM?”

The show’s creators said they wanted to “pick at the fundamental moral rules of our society,” one that is so corrupt that we have become “desensitized to injustices.”

“Defendant” via K-Pop Herald

“Defendant”: a tense chase into memory

The thriller is led by Ji Sung. He plays prosecutor Park Jung-woo, who enjoys a reputation for never failing to convict. He wakes up one day horror-struck to find himself inside a prison cell after four months have slipped by and been erased from his memory. He is now on death row, convicted for his wife’s murder and abandonment of his daughter.

“Defendant” traces Park’s struggle to regain his memory and clear his name. His chief suspect is the psychopathic chaebol head Cha Min-ho, played by Um Ki-joon, who is shown killing a woman simply for rejecting his advances. Cha goes on to murder his twin brother, stages it as his own suicide, and begins to impersonate his well-reputed sibling.

The story of revenge might be far from novel, but “Defendant” offers a narrative charged with suspense and excellent acting. JB