Compared to 2022, which showered us with terrific original dramas every month, this year’s beginning can seem a bit lukewarm. Unusually, original dramas took a backseat as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video released Korean films instead (JUNG_E and Project Wolf Hunting respectively). However, the few dramas that have made it to streaming platforms recently – and those that are on their way – have largely been explorations of love. From complicated office romances to the politics of love in the Joseon era, these dramas are filled with longing, passion and a pinch of jealousy. What better month to catch up on these than February? Here are our picks from the latest releases.
Crash Course in Romance
When: January 14
Where: Netflix
If you’ve been craving some Noona romance (a romance drama where the woman is older than the man) then Crash Course in Romance is the one for you. Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon returns to the romantic-comedy genre after a good 18 years, playing Nam Haeng-son, a devoted caregiver and a former athlete. Reluctantly entering the war of Korea’s college entrance exams, Haeng-son vows to get her niece into the country’s top hagwon (a private academy/“cram school” prevalent in Korea). But things go awry when she gets off on the wrong foot with the hagwon’s star instructor, Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyun-ho). Childish banter eventually gives way to an unlikely friendship, culminating in a series that is all kinds of wholesome.
Bloody Heart
When: January 18
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
Can love bloom in the midst of dirty politics? Bloody Heart takes us back to the Joseon era, a time whose hierarchy is still glimpsed in every Korean space today. As expected from a sageuk, our protagonist is a king whose powers are being challenged by his court. Lee-tae (Lee Joon) might have ascended the throne but the real authority figure is Park Gye-won (Jang Hyuk), the vice-premier. As the battle for power gets bloodier, Lee-tae realises that he must choose between his ambition and the woman he has loved since he was child: Yoo-jung (Kang Han-na). Yoo-jung herself must fight for her life – a task that requires her to become the Queen and join the political intrigue that pits her against Lee-tae. The two lovers are forced to switch between passion and cruelty and by the end of the series, Bloody Heart can seem like a painfully apt title.