Four K-Dramas From 2014 To Marathon During Winter Break

The holiday season has descended upon us which often means a break from work and school. There were many great Korean dramas released in 2014 and if you haven’t caught on up them, now is a great time.

 Two underrated dramas that deserve a second-look

”Surplus Princess”

“Surplus Princess” (The Idle Mermaid) was a drama which unfortunately did not excel in ratings. The premise of the storyline, which focused on a modern-day retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” was wildly engaging. Jo Bo Ah (Shut Up Flower Boy Band) starred as Aileen, a mermaid who is able to transform into a human only to learn how difficult the office workplace can be in Korea. She was joined by On Joo Wan (The Blade and Petal) who portrayed Lee Hyun Myung, an artist who was living in a boarding house while struggling to find full-time employment. Song Jae Rim (Moon Embracing the Sun, Two Weeks) rounded out the main cast as Kwon Shi Kyung, an acclaimed chef whose handsome aura and personality drove Aileen on the pursuit of becoming human.

”Boarding House #24”

“Boarding House #24” was an imaginative idol drama starring Dohee of Tiny-G, VIXX Ken, ZE:A’s Dongjun, High Top of BIGFLO, Rainbow’s Hyunyoung and Kim Sa Eun. Dohee acted in “Boarding House #24” along with “Tomorrow’s Cantabile,” which was highly anticipated but also struggled with ratings. The premise of “Boarding House #24” was off-kilter: a boarding house owner realizes that he fathered an illegitimate child and creates various scenarios where his potential progeny are forced to live with him. As creepy as it sounds, the show was actually hilarious.

Two fan favorites 

“My Love From The Stars” (You Who Came From The Stars) was one of the most-watched and acclaimed dramas of 2014. With its supernatural plot that is heavily laced with romance, “My Love From The Stars” is a drama that is definitely worthy of a marathon session. Many viewers came for Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun but stayed for the breakout acting of Shin Sung Rok and Ahn Jae Hyun.

“It’s Okay, That’s Love” was also a rating hit and was highly regarded by critics, as well as fans. While “My Love From The Stars” was captivating thanks to the complexity of its plot which was essentially an alien time jump story, “It’s Okay, That’s Love” focused on the nuanced dynamics of mental illness. Jo In Sung (The Wind, That Winter Blows) and Gong Hyo Jin (Master’s Sun) held down the drama while K-pop fans enjoyed the drama debut of EXO’s D.