Channel tvN has been pushing out some binge-worthy K-Dramas since the last decade. And with Crash Landing On You having aired its final episode on February 16, 2020, the channel now boasts a new “Top 5” that kept the most viewers hooked!
12. Hospital Playlist (2020-2021)
With two seasons and both receiving 14% viewer ratings, it’s safe to say that Hospital Playlist is one of tvN’s most succesful series. From the chemistry of the five main leads to the inclusion of the group band, viewers simply loved the K-Drama and are hoping for season 3.
11. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)
The 2018 hit drama may have only had viewer ratings of 8.6%, but it created such a buzz both in Korea and internationally that many netizens thought Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young were dating! It is still considered one of the most popular K-Dramas internationally to this day.
10. Memories of the Alhambra (2018)
A first of its kind, Memories of the Alhambra reached 10% viewer ratings and was praised for its unexpected plot and impressive CG effects. Of course, having two incredibly talented and visually appealing leads also helped!
9. Hotel Del Luna (2019)
A classic from 2019, the K-Drama peaked at 12% viewer ratings. IU took on the lead role of the owner of a ghost hotel, and brought in Yeo Jin Goo as the new general manager of the hotel. Their clashing personalities brought viewers to their knees in laughter with their bickering and to tears during some of the K-Drama’s most emotional scenes.
8. Vincenzo (2021)
This 2021 mashup of a crime/thriller and dark comedy peaked at 14.636% viewer ratings, and there’s a reason why! From the chemistry between the leads of Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Been, and Taecyeon to the constant laughs, viewers were hooked!
7. Its Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)
The 2018 rom-com peaked at “only” 7.348% viewer ratings, but it created a huge buzz both domestically and internationally as fans flocked to see what would happen combining Kim Soo Hyun’s empathy and Seo Ye Ji slowly breaking out of her antisocial personality.
6. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
The romantic comedy from 2021 pulled in a peak of 12.665% viewer ratings, becoming one of tvN’s highest rated K-Dramas ever. The chemistry between Shin Min Ah’s more serious character and Kim Seon Ho’s comedic, do-it-all personality made viewers fall in love with the two of them.
5. Prison Playbook (2017)
This comedy series from 2017, featuring the story of a baseball player who ends up in prison and befriends characters like he has never seen before, received 11.2% in viewer ratings. A sequel with a similar title based in a hospital is in the works for premiere in March 2020, starring big name actors like Jo Jung Suk and Jung Kyung Ho. Prison Playbook fans are definitely looking forward to the second of the Playbook series!
4. Signal (2016)
This thriller series from 2016 features the story between a criminal profiler in the present and a detective from the past, solving murder mystery cases together using a special time-defying walkie-talkie. The show received 12.5% in viewer ratings. The talented cast had viewers watching on the edge of their seats — and since its finale, viewers have been desperately wishing for a second season.
3. Reply 1988 (2015)
This throwback series from 2015, third of its Reply franchise, features the story of five friends living in the outskirts of Seoul in 1980s. As the most successful out of the three, Reply 1988 received 18.8% in viewer ratings. Idol-turned-actress Girl’s Day‘s Hyeri got high praise for her natural and believable acting skills in this series — and, perhaps more importantly, met her current boyfriend actor Ryu Jun Yeol while on set!
2. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
This fantasy series from 2016 features the story between a girl who sees ghosts and a guardian god who needs her help to rest in peace. Their heartbreaking love story fueled this series to be tvN channel’s first K-Drama to ever break 20.5% in viewer ratings. It remained the most popular series to have aired on tvN until February 2020.
1. Crash Landing On You (2020)
This romance series from 2020, featuring the story of a South Korean chaebol woman falling in love with a North Korean soldier, received a record-breaking 21.7% in viewer ratings after the season’s finale episode aired. The cast, actor Hyun Bin and actress Son Ye Jin, boasted incredible chemistry that led the series to be even more attention-grabbing and binge-worthy!
