Netflix’s 10 Best K-Dramas of 2020, Ranked According To IMDb

If Netflix wasn’t incredible enough for having hundreds of readily available movies and shows, it also became a hotspot for binge-watching K-dramas. Fans rejoice as the streaming platform got the rights to multiple fan-favorite shows. As well as developing and producing their own.

The year 2020 wasn’t so bad seeing as riveting K-dramas from thrillers, action, and romances made it more bearable. With so many to choose from, some K-dramas did better in terms of scoring. While Netflix, also had Korean movies, K-dramas took the cake. No one can resist the love story in Lovestruck in the City or a thriller like Extracurricular.

10 Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (7.8)

The title may be a mouthful but it’s 100% worth the watch. The drama originally aired in South Korea in 2020 as well as on Netflix. This series will warm many audience members’ hearts for not only the main story but the main characters. A down-on-her-luck pianist is bubbly, friendly, and optimistic. Her attitude tends to rub off on the people around her.

At a countryside piano institute called, La La Land, she meets a mysterious and aloof young man. He keeps to himself and showcases a sense of authority but he can’t help but fall for the female lead. Fans loved the show’s animation, quirky characters, and melodic piano.

9 Mystic Pop-Up Bar (8.0)

Mystic Pop-Up Bar aired in both Korea and on Netflix in 2020 and had fans hooked. Fans of the K-dramas, She Was Pretty and Lucky Romance, would remember the lead actress Hwang Jung-eum. She stars as Weol-ju in the 2020 drama. Fans were enamored by the show’s mystical storyline. An ill-tempered woman must serve penance for her crime by helping souls let go of their grudges.

Sent to the Living Realm, she uses the cover of a pojangmacha (outdoor bar) to reign in customers. Alongside her are a part-time employee and her former love. The storyline is riveting, impactful and many fans call it heartwarming and meaningful.

8 Hi Bye, Mama! (8.0)

This K-drama will have any viewers grabbing for the tissue box. The fantasy/drama involves a female ghost who gets a shot at another life. She has 49 days to get there life back after her tragic accident five years prior. But her journey isn’t easy.

She comes face to face with her family who has moved on. Her husband is now remarried. Faced with a difficult decision, she must decide between her happiness and what’s best for her family. The show is full of sentiment and a valuable life lesson about realizing when to let go.

7 The King: Eternal Monarch (8.2)

Fans can’t get enough from The King: Eternal Monarch. Fans praised the main leads acting as well as actor Woo Do-hwan for stealing the show on multiple occasions. The show has an invigorating display of romance intertwined with dazzling fantasy. The show is intense from the start as a young prince is forced to take the throne after his father is murdered by his uncle.

There’s more. That fateful night a mysterious individual saved his life before his uncle fled to a parallel world. Years later, the now King uncovers the gate to the parallel world. He must now travel to an alternate reality to stop his uncle from forming an army to take over both worlds. Along the way, he meets the missing link, a female detective.

6 Start-Up (8.2)

Netflix debuted a new K-drama titled Start-Up that has fans buzzing. The drama has done relatively well with its own spin on trying to make it big in a technological industry while still dealing with blossoming love. Staring Bae Suzy in the lead role, a woman dreams of being an entrepreneur like the esteemed Steve Jobs.

The drama even has a Korean version of Silicon Valley called Sandbox. Her life becomes entwined with the founder of a tech company. But she believes he’s her first love who sent her a letter when younger. The drama takes viewers on the emotional journey of the main character trying to make a name for themselves and hopefully fall in love.

5 Itaewon Class (8.2)

Itaewon Class hit it big as one of Netflix’s more popular dramas to air in 2020. The show received the title of the 7th highest-rated dramas on Korena cable television. It was also named by Time Magazine as one of the best K-drams on Netflix. With only 16 episodes, the drama had fans hooked until the end.

It starred Korean actor Park Seo-joon in the lead role as Sae-ro-yi. Park is a favorite amongst K-dramas and even made an appearance in Parasite. The drama follows the life of Sae-ro-yi after his release from prison. Still dealing with his father’s death, he vows to follow in his footsteps and open a bar-restaurant. He’s constantly pushed back by big conglomerate companies and people from his past.

4 Run On (8.4)

Run On is a fairly new K-drama that debuted near the end of 2020 but has gotten rave reviews thus far. It tells the love story of two characters who might have been fated to meet all along. A movie translator loves her job and by chance meets a popular sprinter named Seon-Gyeom (Im Si-Wan).

The public and his father had high hopes for Seon-Gyeom as an athlete for the national team. When he decides to do what’s right and stand up for another friend and athlete, he quits his career. He starts a new journey as a sports agent and continues a blooming romance with the Mi-joo (Shin Se-Kyung).

3 The Uncanny Counter (8.6)

The Uncanny Counter has a bit of everything a fan is looking for. It even follows some common K-drama tropes. The 2020 drama is titled as a fantasy show and for good reason. A young teenager comes to meet a group of peculiar individuals. He learns that he has become a demon hunter called Counters.

They are tasked with banishing rogue evil spirits. As they fulfill their duties, they start to realize that there’s a bigger story at play. One that will reveal the truth behind the teenager’s tragic past and one Counters missing memories.

2 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (8.8)

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay will come up again and again as being one of the most successful dramas to air in 2020. The show deals with everything from mental illness, love, a dark past and a hopeful future. A children’s book writer is known for being cold, rigid, and uncaring. But many don’t know her dark and tragic past.

She meets a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital and becomes smitten. This male lead character also has his own trauma as he was forced to grow up too quickly. Together they learn to open up, let down their guard, and fall in love. All while there’s an evil lurking in shadows. If this doesn’t peak interest, the impeccable fashion surely will.

1 Hospital Playlist (9.1)

Taking the number one spot for the highest-rated K-drama is Hospital Playlist. It even has first time K-drama watchers hooked. The medical drama takes audiences deep into the personal lives of a group of friends who all work at the same hospital. Fans will become immersed in the stories of romance and heart-warming experiences.

Many describe the drama as being a feel-good show that will have them falling in love with every main character. Unlike other dramas, this one doesn’t rely on the heavy use of plot twists, gasping moments, and thrill. The medical drama will have anyone smiling from ear to ear.

About The Author

Gabriela Silva
(478 Articles Published)

Gabriela Silva is a List writer for Screen Rant with experience in all things television, film and pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University with previous years experience interning for Cliché Magazine.

With her passion for movies, television and entertainment, she’s interviewed some great actors from Cress Williams of ‘Black Lightning’ to Tati Gabrielle from ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’

Her love for entertainment reaches a broad range of interests from 90s thriller movies, guilty pleasure teen dramas, action-packed MCU movies to popular K-dramas. You’ll most likely find her binge-watching a new television show or movies on Netflix into the early morning.

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