Another set of new kdramas is set to capture audiences this fall. Catch up on some good TV and binge on these 7 new installments.
1. Private Lives
- Episodes: 16
- Network: JTBC
- Airs: September 16-November 5
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
Private Lives is about a con artist who accidentally associates herself in private matters on a national scale. Cha Joo Eun (Seo Ju Hyun or Soehyun) is a beautiful swindler who chooses to commit fraud to survive in Korea. Jung Bok Ki (Kim Hyo Jin) is also a professional swindler whose charisma made her good at targeting even other swindlers.
After having committed fraud against Cha Joo Eun’s family in the past, she has gone incognito since she left for China. But, she slowly reemerges once again and takes on Kim Jae Wook (Kim Young Min) as her partner in crime. Together with Cha Joo Eun, they go up against the large corporations using all their skills. Lee Jung Hwan (Ko Gyung Pyo) is the team leader for the major corporation who approached Cha Joo Eun. While he looks like your typical company employee, he is actually a mysterious figure himself.
This drama is actually Go Kyun Pyo’s much awaited comeback since his discharge from the military. Fresh off the heels of the short-form drama, Hello Dracula, Seohyun’s transformation as a con artist is highly anticipated. It’s also interesting to witness Kim Young Min in yet another role this year after starring in two major hits this year, Crash Landing On You and The World Of The Married.
Find yourself entrenched in mystery and a whole lot of outsmarting in this comedy, drama as it premiers this September 16th.
2. 18 Again
- Episodes: 16
- Network: JTBC
- Airs: September 7 – October 27
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Youth, Drama, Fantasy
What happens if you were to go back to the time when you were 18? This plot may sound familiar because it’s actually based on the American movie, 17 Again. It follows the story of Hong Dae Young (Yoon Sang Hyun), a 37-year-old married man who is a father to two teenagers. He got fired from his job and was looked down upon by his family. His wife, Jung Da Jung (Kim Ha Neul) is unable to deal with him anymore and hands him divorce papers.
Despondent and regretful with how his life turned out, he tried to talk things through with his wife over dinner. Out of the blue, he mysteriously transforms into his 18-year-old body causing people at the restaurant to stop and stare as well.
In this sudden transformation, Dae Young’s mind was still that of his 37-year-old self. However, he took the name Go Woo Young (Lee Do Hyun), to hide his true identity and live a new life. Will Dae Young remain stuck in this throwback body? What will he do with this new lease on life?
Yoon Sang Hyun is much known for his roles in My Fair Lady, Queen of Housewives, and Secret Garden. Kim Ha Neul, on the other hand, rose to fame in rom-com films like My Tutor Friend and Too Beautiful To Lie. This series is also a treat for Lee Do Hyun fans as he gets more screen time, since we didn’t see much of him in Hotel Del Luna.
3. Oh! Samgwang Villa
- Episodes: 100
- Network: KBS2
- Airs: September 19 – March 7
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Family
This drama centers on a residence called Samgwang Villa and the stories of the people who live in it. These individuals, who started off as strangers, begin to open up their hearts and begin to build a bond with each other.
Right at the heart of the story is Woo Jae Hee (Lee Jang Woo), a smart and handsome man who is quite temperamental. He comes from an affluent family, but his strained relationship with his father made him support his way through college until he became an architect. Meanwhile, Lee Bit Chae Woon (Jin Ki Joo) also had it rough as the family’s breadwinner. She makes her means as an installer in an interior design shop.
Even though Jae Hee and Chae Woon live in the same house, both have conflicting sentiments about the villa. Jae Hee enjoys the affection he finds in his new home, while Chae Woon is about ready to escape from all the responsibilities weighing her down for years. These clashing opinions led to some squabbles between them both at home and at work. But little did they know that their constant bickering is actually the beginning of an unexpected romance.
Lee is best known for his role in Rosy Lovers and My Only One. His recent work was MBN’s suspense melodrama, Graceful Family. Jin Ji Joo is also a familiar face with supporting roles in dramas like Second 20s, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and Misty.
4. Lies of Lies
- Episodes: 16
- Network: Channel A
- Airs: September 4 – October 24
- Genre: Suspense, Romance, Drama, Melodrama
Ji Eun Soo (Lee Yoo Ri) married into a chaebol family. Due to some twist of events, she suddenly becomes the suspect of her husband’s murder. She was imprisoned for the crime, and gave birth while in the slammer and her baby was taken away from her. After she is released from prison, she tries to get her daughter back. She approaches Kang Ji Min (Yeon Jung Hoon), a reporter who adopted her daughter. Jie Eun Soo pretends to fall in love with him in an attempt to marry him and become her biological daughter’s stepmom.
This story is dark and dramatic as we see the aftermath of a murder and the beginning of a string of lies. Will Eun Soo succeed in winning Ji Min’s heart? How do you think this plan will pan out? And was she truly the one behind her husband’s murder? Find out how the story unfolds as it premieres this September 4th.
While we will be seeing Lee Yoo Ri as a despondent and desperate protagonist in this drama, she actually rose to fame as the “Nation’s Villain” after her portrayal of Yeon Min Jung in the 2014 drama Jang Bo Ri Is Here. That role allowed her to earn the Grand Prize at the 2014 MBC Drama Awards. Yeon Jung Hoon is no stranger to well-received dramas as well such as East of Eden, Jejungwon, and Vampire Prosecutor.
5. More Than Friends
- Episodes: 16
- Network: JTBC
- Airs: September 18 – November 7
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Youth, Drama
This drama tells the story of two friends who have taken turns having one-sided crushes on each other for ten years. Lee Soo (Ong Seong Wu) is an attractive photographer who is sometimes mistaken as a model and Kyung Woo Yeon (Shin Ye Eun) is a happy-go-lucky calligrapher. The two have long been friends for a decade and had a crush on each other but never went more than that due to misunderstandings. Over time, Lee Soo understands his own feelings and resolves to confess to a girl who has hidden what she thought was unrequited love for a long time.
Will the two get over what’s holding them back to express what they truly feel for each other? You can start following their story this coming September 18.
Kpop fans may be familiar with Ong Seon Wu having debuted as a member of Wanna One after Produce 101 Season 2. He impressed many with his acting skills when he took on the main role in the drama At Eighteen. Seon Wu is also slated to take over the big screen with his movie, Life is Beautiful, which is set to premiere this year.
Shin Ye Eun’s claim to fame is the web-drama, A-Teen. However, she had her break in the 2019 series, He is Psychometric.
6. The School Nurse Files
- Episodes: 6
- Network: Netflix
- Airs: September 25
- Genre: Mystery, Horror, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy
The School Nurse Files is a Netflix original fantasy drama based on the 2015 novel Bogungyosa Aneunyoung, which was written by Jung SeRang. It’s been a long time coming for this drama to air. The cast was selected way back in December 2018, produced in 2019, and finally airing this 25th of September.
The story is about Ahn Eun Young (Jung Yu Mi), who is a school nurse and an exorcist. She has a special gift which allows her to see ghosts and fight them. But what’s so interesting is that she sees them as jelly figures.
She is able to get rid of the invisible “jellies” using unlikely weapons – a toy knife and a BB gun. When something mysterious started happening in school, Eun Young tries to get to the bottom of it and eradicate the bad ghosts with the help of her Chinese Literature Teacher, Hong In Pyo (Nam Joo Hyuk). He becomes his source of energy in whom Eun Young gets her source of ammunition and power whenever she finds herself low on bullets and energy.
If you’re unfamiliar with Jung Yu Mi, her filmography includes What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Reply 1994, Train To Busan, and Discovery of Love. Nam Joo Hyuk, on the other hand, needs no introduction since we enjoyed his performance in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, The Light In Your Eyes, and Cheese In The Trap.
7. Record of Youth
- Episodes: 16
- Network: TVN, Netflix
- Airs: September 7 – October 27
- Genre: Romance, Youth, Drama, Family, Melodrama
To cap off the list is the highly anticipated series that centres around three ambitious adults from different social classes trying to make it big in the cutthroat world of showbiz and fashion.
Sa Hye-Joon (Park Bo-Gum) and Won Hae-Hyo (Byeon Woo-Seok) are models who aspired to become actors. Through their work, they met An Jung-Ha (Park So-Dam), a budding makeup artist. Together, these three young hopefuls fervently strive to achieve their dreams while finding love along the way.
Avid fans of Park Bo Gum have been counting down the days because this series gives them a parting drama to watch their favorite oppa on the small screen because he now starts his mandatory military service. This series is also Park So Dam’s television comeback after gracing the big screen with her 2019 hit Parasite.
With all the new and exciting kdramas to capture our hearts, let us know which is your favourite this season!
