Top 5 Supernatural Themed K-dramas

I'm a huge fan of K-dramas. They're cute and fun and I like the fact that, for the most part, they're one season long and typically run between 16 and 20 episodes. They're not a huge commitment, they're easy to binge watch and they end before the writers are out of story ideas and run the show into the ground. Throw in some supernatural elements and I'm hooked. Here's a list of some of my favorite supernatural K-dramas.

5. Let's Fight Ghost

This drama stars Kim So Hyun as Hyun Ji (a ghost) and 2PM's TaecYeon as Bong Pal (an exorcist). Hyun Ji enlists Bong Pal's help to find out how she died, and together, they team up to put spirits to rest.

This isn't my favorite K-drama, but it has romance and comedy and in general, it's enjoyable. It just isn't as strong as some others on this list.

4. Master's Sun

Master's Sun was destined to be a hit with Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub as its stars. Gong Shil can see ghosts. She's terrified of them. The only reprieve she gets from seeing them is when she has physical contact with Joong Won, a not-so-pleasant CEO, who reluctantly allows her to hang around him, if she helps him solve one of his own problems.

With two incredible lead actors and great writing, it's no surprise that Master's Sun is as popular as it is. The story is interesting, the ghosts are creepy, the romance is perfect (I don't want to say it's hate-to-love, more like...disgust-to-love). The only problem I had with this drama is that, like most K-dramas, (SPOILER ALERT) one half of the couple goes away for years, breaking them apart, and only reunites with their other half in the last five minutes of the final episode. This is what happens in 95% of K-dramas and it can be incredibly frustrating, but it hasn't stopped me from watching them.

3. My Love From Another Star

First things first, I can't talk about this drama without talking about the lipstick. YSL Rouge Pur Couture #52 sold out for ages because it was rumored to be what Jun Ji Hyun wore in this drama. When it finally restocked, I bought the lipstick myself. It's pricey, but worth it, it's a beautiful coral color, perfect for spring and summer.

So what is this drama actually about? Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun) is an alien, stranded on earth since the Joseon Dynasty era. He lives next door to an actress, Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun). The two begin to fall for each other, but love is never easy in K-drama land and aside from the physical toll even kissing Song Yi takes on Min Joon, Song Yi's life is also in danger.

My Love From Another Star has a little bit of everything. If your favorite K-drama genre is supernatural, historical, romance, comedy or drama and you haven't seen this incredibly popular drama yet, give it a chance.

2. Oh My Ghostess

Bong Sun (Park Bo Young) works at a restaurant, where she's repeatedly reprimanded and taken advantage of because of her timid personality. She can also see ghosts, a great cause of stress in her life. Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi) is a ghost who can't move on because of a grudge she has from her death (which she can't remember the cause of). Believing that her unresolved issue is that she died a virgin, she possesses Bong Sun and tries to seduce her boss, Sun Woo (Jo Jung Suk). Because of her shy personality, Bong Sun comes to an agreement with the ghost, allowing Soon Ae to continue possessing her and investigating her death, if she helps Bong Sun get closer to Sun Woo.

Oh My Ghostess is one of my favorite K-dramas. I really enjoyed the friendship that grows between Bong Sun and Soon Ae and I loved seeing Bong Sun become a more confident woman because of it. As a warning, I'll tell you that for as cute as this drama can be at times, it also gets very dark and left me sobbing more than once.

It's also worth noting that there's a Thai remake available on Netflix that is extremely faithful to the original Korean version.

1. Goblin

Finally, we've come to my favorite K-drama of all time, one of the most beautiful stories ever told.

Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) was a general, sent to war repeatedly by a jealous king, hoping he would die in battle. Kim Shin returns, victorious, and the king has him killed. Because Kim Shin has killed so many people while at war, he is cursed to become an immortal goblin, with his own sword sticking through his chest, causing a great deal of pain to him, until he meets the "goblin's bride." Goblin's bride is the only person who will be able to see the sword he's impaled with and she'll have the ability to remove it, finally allowing him to die.

One night, after a pregnant woman is hit by a car as Goblin observes, he decides to intervene and save her and her unborn child, much to the annoyance of the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) who was scheduled to take them away. Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun), the unborn child, grows up with the ability to see ghosts (can you tell this is a recurring theme in supernatural K-dramas?). After her mother passes away, in a scene that made me ugly cry, the Grim Reaper appears, still searching for her after all this time.

By chance, Goblin and Grim Reaper end up living together, a situation neither is happy about. When Eun Tak and Goblin meet, she tries to convince him that she is the goblin's bride and eventually moves into his home, which, as you may have guessed, causes even more strain on Goblin and Grim Reaper's already tense relationship.

There is so much more to this story and I can't talk about it without giving away major spoilers, but trust me, if you're looking for a drama with a lot of depth, this is it. The actors are incredibly talented, the writing is flawless and the OST (one of the most important parts of any K-drama) is perfect.