New Dramas To Add To Your Watchlist mikhail, March 20, 2022May 10, 2024 Here to share some of my favorite top-rated Korean and Thai dramas for you all to add to your watchlists and enjoy! I recently created this list for my sister, and I thought, why not share it with all of you! These are some of my favorite top-rated dramas that I have watched within the last couple years (since 2019). These are my top 5 Korean dramas out of the total 27 I have seen, and my top 5 Thai dramas out of the 10 I have seen. I will include a (mostly) spoiler-free description of each drama, along with the platform you can watch it on, episode length, link to the shows and even my personal rating of the show. This list only includes Korean dramas and Thai dramas, as these genres are what I mainly watch aside from long-running American primetime crime/medical dramas (such as The Good Doctor, New Amsterdam, and Law & Order: SVU etc). All these dramas have English subtitles available. If subtitles are not a distraction for you in your tv-watching experience, I do recommend branching out and watching these dramas if the short summaries interest you! I personally love crime dramas and I have definitely found ones I enjoy in other languages. Korean Dramas 1. The Uncanny Counter Summary: Noodle shop employees, who are also demon hunters, work together in an effort to catch evil spirits and release their victims to the afterlife. Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller Platform: Netflix Episodes: 16 Link: Uncanny Counter Rating: 1000+/10 A+ PERFECT The Uncanny Counter is one of my all time favorite dramas & whenever I talk about k-dramas, this is one I immediately recommend to everyone. I watched this when it first aired on Netflix weekly November 2020 – January 2021 and I LOVED it. It was so tough waiting for two episodes each week, but it was worth the wait when each episode kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the main character, Moon, and his sweet friend group. There is a great family dynamic between all the Counters (the spirit hunters) that is really sweet to watch & I loved how they all watched over each other. I absolutely love my lil Counter Crew & I’m so beyond excited for season 2! 2. Signal Summary: A cold case profiler from 2015 and a detective in 1989 work together to solve a series of murders spanning three decades using a special walkie-talkie to communicate with one another. Genre: Procedural, Thriller, Fantasy Platform: Netflix Episodes: 16 Link: Signal Rating: 1000+/10 A+ PERFECT Signal is a k-drama that many k-drama watchers always rank in the Top 5 BEST and if you watch it, you will know why! It jumps between past and present day as the characters work together to solve murder cases. It’s easy to tell which moments are past & present so viewers can keep track of what’s happening in the story. The cases are like a woven spider web & it’s so entertaining to watch it untangle as the episodes go by. 3. Juvenile Justice Summary: Elite judge balances her aversion to minor offenders and her firm beliefs on punishment and justice as she tackles the complex cases within a juvenile court. Genre: Legal Platform: Netflix Episodes: 10 Link: Juvenile Justice Rating: 9/10 I have seen quite a few American legal shows, and it was awesome to see the differences in legal proceedings in Juvenile Justice, and how cases are handled internally. The cases were also very interesting because for certain crimes, the sentencing is lighter than our justice system & for others, it’s much stronger. 4. Mystic Pop Up Bar Summary: A mysterious outdoor bar that is only open at night can travel to different worlds and heal customers through their dreams. With the help of a customer who can make others spill all their worries, the cursed owner of the pop-up bar must reach her quota of saved souls. Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Comedy, Supernatural Platform: Netflix Episodes: 12 Link: Mystic Pop Up Bar Rating: 10/10 I watched Mystic Pop Up Bar in three days when Uncanny Counter had a two-week break in airing late 2020. I needed another drama to fill the time when I wasn’t on Zoom and it was great! If the Mystic Pop Up Bar was a real place, I would definitely be visiting! It was lighthearted at moments & I loved how much the Mystic Pop Up Bar squad was like a little family. 5. Hello, Me! Summary: A unsuccessful woman thinks all her spark is gone until her spunky, younger self appears in front of her demanding a change. Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romantic Comedy Platform: Netflix Episodes: 16 Link: Hello, Me! Rating: 10/10 Hello, Me! was PERFECTLY lighthearted, but pulls the heartstrings too and definitely what I imagine meeting your younger self would feel like. I loved it all. The casting was incredible, and worth a watch! Young Bahn Hani was so sweet & popular while older Hani was depressed & unhappy. They both needed eachother & I loved seeing how they worked together to get young Hani back to where she came from. Thai Dramas 1. Girl From Nowhere S1 + S2 Summary: A mysterious girl, Nanno, transfers to different schools while exposing the lies, secrets and hypocrisy of all the students and faculty. Genre: Teen drama, Mystery, Horror, Anthology Platform: Netflix Episodes: 21 episodes total (2 seasons) Link: Girl From Nowhere Rating: 10/10 Girl From Nowhere was the very first Thai drama I watched, which made me interested in other Thai dramas. It was captivating that each episode was loosely based on actual cases and crimes involving students in Thailand. Also, Nanno’s eerie laugh creeped me out and the show overall made me stressed (in a good way, I promise). There are many episodes that have content & trigger warnings, but overall the show is very mysterious & interesting. The episodes in season 1 can also be watched out of order, so whichever episode description catches your eye, give it a watch! My favorite episodes are titled “The Rank,” “The Ugly Truth” and “Wonderwall.” 2. The Gifted (S1) + The Gifted Graduation (S2) Summary: The “Gifted Program” is a special class of students chosen by the administrator to participate in special classes and activities. Pang gets accepted to the program, and begins to realize the secrets about the other students and the school. Genre: Teen drama, Suspense Platform: GMMTV Official YouTube Channel* Episodes: 26 episodes (2 seasons) Link: The Gifted + The Gifted Graduation Rating: 1000/10 If I was at this boarding school, I’d honestly be so stressed every single day. There were so many unexpected twists & constant betrayal. The main character, Pang, could NOT catch a break at anytime. I loved this show & always tell people about this when I talk about Thai dramas. Over the course of the series, I loved how the characters grew into their powers, and especially when Pang finds out what his individual power is. I won’t say what it is, but I was shocked at the reveal. **GMMTV is an official television production company in Thailand. The network simultaneously uploads new episodes weekly while the dramas are on air, with subtitles in multiple languages. Shows that have finished airing remain on the YouTube channel. Since the Thai drama selection on Netflix is slim, I’m grateful that the YouTube channel is free to view with no upload delays, and I do not have to scour the Internet for English subtitles. 3. Gift To The People You Hate Summary: Creepy gift shop sells gifts for people to purchase for the ones they hate, so a student and detective figure out how people use the gift shop and come to terms with their hatred for others. Genre: Supernatural, Mystery Platform: GMMTV Official Youtube Channel Episodes: 10 Link: Gift To The People You Hate Rating: 11/10 The extra point is for the gift shop owner’s eerie formalness with all his customers and each episode making me think “Now what would I do in this situation??” I surely wouldn’t purchase anything from this gift shop. 4. The Underclass Summary: After being expelled from an elite academic program, a student finds herself caught up in the affairs of a school gang while searching for her own identity. Genre: Teen drama, Action, School drama Platform: Netflix Episodes: 13 Link: The Underclass Rating: 10/10 The Underclass was a great show to watch as a break from all my time spent on Zoom, and I loved all their friendship dynamics. I also loved the acting, since most of the girls in the show were idols from a Thai pop group BNK48, and this show were their first acting roles. 5. Sleepless Society: Insomnia Summary: Haunted by recurring visions, a young woman with insomnia visits her old home to solve the mystery and put her nightmare to an end. Genre: Suspense, Psychological, Drama Platform: Netflix Episodes: 13 Link: Sleepless Society: Insomnia Rating: 9/10 I was stressed for the main character throughout the ENTIRE series. Everyone in her life was a straight up liar & gaslighted her for everything she ever did. I’m surprised she was able trust anyone. I hope you enjoyed these recommendations. I enjoyed all these shows when I watched them. If any of the summaries sparked your interest, definitely check them out, even if just one episode. You may love it! Which dramas are you adding to your list? Let me know! dramas kdramaskorean dramasnetflixtelevisionthai dramas