1988

  

After months of staying at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, many people have binged their way through the expected fare: ; ; the ; to watch while social distancing. But there’s another world of entertainment for those who are willing to overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, as Oscar-winning director and prepared to stay up until the wee hours clutching a box of Kleenex: Korean dramas. With cliffhangers in every episode and endless variations of star-crossed lovers, separations and deaths, K-dramas almost always guarantee an emotional roller coaster. While certain storylines remain core to Korean seriesa love triangle (or square), an unsolved murder mystery, a tragic backstoryplenty of recent K-dramas have avoided well-worn tropes and brought fresh narratives across various genres, from rom-coms to crime thrillers to historical series. Created with original soundtracksoftentimes with songs from each Korean series also boasts a unique audio identity.