The Best 10 Best K-Dramas To Binge in One Day
No matter the taste in genres or daily mood, everyone needs a day off. If someone decides they wish to spend their time binge-watching K-dramas, who can stop them? But, with plenty of K-dramas on various streaming services, it can be hard to pick one to watch. Whether someone's in the mood to watch a thriller, mystery, action, or rom-com, there are about a dozen K-dramas to accommodate each taste.
However, few can be binged in one day (though that can be any K-drama if you're dedicated enough). Still, they do exist and are shining examples of how great South Korean series can be, even with shorter or fewer episodes. Long gone are the times when each drama had over twenty episodes that were longer than one hour; that was an adventure of its own, but binge-watching a K-drama in 12 hours or so is a completely new, bold adventure. For some rest and relaxation, you can binge on these ten K-dramas in a day.
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10. 'Mad for Each Other' (2021)
Number of Episodes: 13
Netflix's Mad for Each Other was one of the first to implement a 30-minute duration format across thirteen exciting episodes. This K-drama has it all: an enemies-to-lovers trope, a mysterious event, and chaotic, humorous characters that can make anyone fall in love. The show follows Hwi-oh (Jung Woo), a once great detective who, after a work accident, starts exhibiting severe anger issues. He goes to a therapist, where he soon realizes his neighbor, Min-kyung (Oh Yeon-seo), also goes.
Mad for Each Other doesn't take away from mental health seriousness, and there are no clichés or fillers.
Min-kyung's psyche also changed as a trauma response, and she exhibits paranoia and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Hwi-oh and Min-kyung show their problems with mutual communication but help each other get those issues in check through a rivalry that slowly but surely turns into friendship. The pace of Mad of Each Other perfectly aligns with the episodes' durations; within every 30 minutes, something happens that gets the viewer to press the 'next episode' button seconds into the end credits. And if someone worries that mental health issues can't fit into such short episodes, the show doesn't take away from their seriousness, and there are no clichés or fillers. A perfect one-day binge.
9. 'A Shop for Killers' (2024)
Number of Episodes: 8, Duration: 50 minutes
The latest Lee Dong-wook series, A Shop for Killers, is a Disney+ original and doesn't pull any punches. This John Wick-esque show has eight episodes that last about 45 to 50 minutes, with each deepening the lore of the characters and the plot. The story revolves around the orphan Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun), who gets taken in by her eccentric uncle Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook). Jin-man is the owner of a highly unusual shopping mall called "Murthehelp," and when he disappears one day, Ji-an is left to look after the mall and uncover the secrets of her mysterious uncle's life.
With lots of slick action scenes and well-thought-out characters, A Shop for Killers doesn't disappoint during its entire runtime. The fighting choreographies are on another level, and fans of fight scenes and overall more dynamic shows will surely enjoy binge-watching them. It's the perfect action/mystery series to watch in one day and potentially rewatch as soon as rumors of season two get cleared up and fans get official confirmation that it's happening.
8. 'One Day Off' (2023)
Number of Episodes: 8
The charming slice-of-life K-dramaOne Day Off is a story about a teacher and all of her various days off. It's set in 1990, following Park Ha-kyung (Lee Na-young), a quiet and kind Korean literature high school teacher. To make life a bit more interesting, Ha-kyung decides to take one-day trips on Saturdays, and the show depicts her traveling, meeting new people, and eating various delicious foods. The people in the show are typically kind to each other, so the show is an incredible feat of feel-good TV.
One Day Off is great for anyone who enjoys watching South Korean variety shows. Since they usually depict South Korea's natural landscapes and rural life, One Day Off might feel like a well-acted and directed variety show to some fans. With eight episodes that last around 25 minutes, One Day Off is the perfect one-day binge material. Fans of wholesome K-dramas can take a day off to binge One Day Off.
7. 'Parasyte: The Grey' (2024)
Number of Episodes: 6
The Parasyte universe is long-lasting, as it first came out in the form of a Japanese manga in 1989. After several movies and anime series, it was time for South Korean authors to try their hand at it. What came out was a very entertaining sci-fi thriller, Parasyte: The Grey. The story follows Su-in (Jeon So-nee), a supermarket cashier who gets stalked and stabbed by a drunk customer one night. Su-in survives after an alien parasite enters her bloodstream and saves her from dying.
When these alien parasites take over a person's body, they take over their consciousness, too. However, because Su-in was on the verge of death, the alien parasite used half of its life force to save her from dying, resulting in Su-in and the parasite giving each other a turn over her consciousness. Su-in names the parasite Heidi, and the two become an unstoppable tandem in a race against time and some very powerful enemies. Parasyte: The Grey has six episodes full of action and cliffhangers that last between 45 minutes and one hour, keeping viewers at the edge of their seats the entire time.
6. 'Live On' (2020)
Number of Episodes: 8
The high school K-drama Live On was ideal for viewing in 2020 when people needed something nice and lively to cheer them up during difficult times. Four years later, the drama is still as wonderful and relevant, with charming, relatable characters and a simple storyline that pulls viewers in from the start. It follows Ho-rang (Jung Da-bin), one of the most popular girls in school with a reputation for being cold and distant despite presenting herself as warm on social media. When a broadcast from her school's broadcasting club reveals a secret involving Ho-rang, she decides to join the club and find out who the culprit is.
Live On is still as wonderful and relevant, with charming, relatable characters and a simple storyline that pulls viewers in from the start.
Live On focuses mostly on the members of the broadcasting club, with romance, friendship, and secrets defining a lot of their dynamics. This teen coming-of-age K-drama has eight one-hour episodes, each ending on a cliffhanger, motivating the viewers to keep watching. If they get attached to Ho-rang or any of the side characters, watching Live On will inevitably turn into a one-day binge-watching party. This one's best watched with a cozy blanket and a warm cup of tea
5. 'D.P.' (2021)
Number of Episodes: 12
The popular action drama D.P. may not be an easy show to binge on due to its themes, but once the viewers become attached to its two protagonists, the episodes fly one by one. D.P. shows the dark sides of South Korean military service, which is mandatory in the country. It was based on a webtoon and written for Netflix by the webtoon author, Kim Bo-tong. He and the director and script co-writer Han Jun-hee wanted to show the realities of enlisting, including severe hazing rituals, demeaning, and bullying among soldiers of various ranks.
D.P. stands for Deserter Pursuit and follows Private Ahn Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Corporal Han Ho-yeol (Koo Kyo-hwan), who team up to find army deserters and bring them to justice. Their journey takes them to many places with people of various backgrounds and lives; they're often forced to rethink their army roles and purpose within the system that rarely takes responsibility for the treatment of soldiers. D.P. has two six-episode seasons, with episode duration ranging from 45 to 60 minutes, and is one of Netflix's most-watched K-dramas.
4. 'Anna' (2022)
Number of Episodes: 6
Bae Suzy is South Korea's sweetheart, and her early roles were usually of innocent and childlike characters. But Suzy is more than just a pretty modeling face; her acting skills supersede her singing career, but she's now more than just a K-pop star on TV. The culmination of her potential and talent is Anna, a K-drama where she portrays a mysterious, ambitious woman ready to do whatever it takes to live the life of her dreams.
The series follows Lee Yumi (Suzy), an ordinary woman who tells a small lie that creates a ripple effect in her life, helping her start over as Anna. She covers the tracks that lead to her former life while facing people from her past and present. The question is, how long can Anna maintain her ruse? Suzy's performance carries this thrilling miniseries with numerous plot twists that fans can enjoy the eight one-hour episodes in just one day. Prepare your popcorn and a friend to share the shock of the plot twists with.
3. 'Soundtrack #1' (2022)
Number of Episodes: 4
The short and sweet K-drama Soundtrack #1 relies on music to establish the vibes and depict the characters' emotional states. Its main characters are Eun-soo (Han Soo-hee), a songwriter and composer, and her best friend of 20 years, Sun-woo (Park Hyung-sik). Eun-soo asks Sun-woo to move into her house to be her assistant for two weeks since she needs to roll up her sleeves and work hard on new music. Sun-woo agrees, and the two friends spend all of their time together, quickly realizing they have feelings for each other.
The short and sweet K-drama Soundtrack #1 relies on music to establish the vibes and depict the characters' emotional states.
Though the story poses a classic K-drama plot, other shows would typically span across a dozen episodes; Soundtrack #1 relies on four sweet episodes to show the chemistry and love between Eun-soo and Sun-woo. This is an original Disney+ drama, and it was one of the most watched on the streaming platform in 2022. And if some fans don't find four episodes enough, the show has a spiritual season 2, called Soundtrack #2; however, it has completely different characters.
2. 'Kingdom' (2019)
Number of Episodes: 12
Following the success of Train to Busan, South Korean zombie tales have become a staple for fans of the genre. After proving they can do more than a great job of delivering thrilling horror stories, Netflix gave the green light for Kingdom, a K-drama mixing horror, zombies, and a mystery set in the medieval Joseon dynasty. Fans of historical K-dramas know just how beautiful sets and costumes look in the Joseon dynasty-era settings; combine this with a virus that infects and turns people into zombies, and the beauty soon becomes a neverending nightmare for its characters.
In this riveting show, the king falls severely ill, but his condition is kept secret by his governing body. The king's heir, Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), decides to investigate his father's illness further but gets declared a traitor. As he's forced to look outside the Royal Court, the King's illness spreads through the kingdom, and Lee Chang teams up with the local physician Seo-bi (Bae Doona) to get to the bottom of the mysterious plague infecting everyone. Kingdom has two six-episode seasons, ideal for binge-watching both in one day and is often considered one of the best K-dramas of all time.
1. 'Death’s Game' (2023)
Number of Episodes: 8
Death's Game is surely the most exciting K-drama on Prime Video right now and could boldly be stated as one of the better series on the streaming platform overall. Its plot leaves little to the imagination, and despite small, clichéd details, it balances deeply thoughtful topics, gore, and action. Warning, though, as people sensitive to ideas of self-harm may not be the ideal viewers for this, though no scenes depict it; it's mainly implied.
Death's Game could boldly be stated as one of the better series on Prime Video overall.
Yi-jae (Seo In-guk) is a young man with years of hard work behind him; after looking for a job that would better use his talents, Yi-jae becomes desperate and dies by suicide. However, when he wakes up in the afterlife, he's welcomed by Death in a woman's body (Park Seo-dam), who forces Yi-jae to live through nine lives of other people. Death's Game is for fans of more fast-paced shows, which makes it ideal for a one-day binge, although it has meaningful moments of downtime. It doesn't rely on teaching viewers any sort of lesson but helps its protagonist see the other sides of life and its possibilities.
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