Korean dramas have had a big effect on popular culture all over the world. They are not only fun to watch, but also show what their values are. They have helped promote Korean tourism, fashion, and music, and have made Korean pop culture more well-known.
Kdramas have also helped people learn languages in a good way. After watching these dramas, a lot of people have been motivated to learn Korean. Also, dramas often have English subtitles, which lets a wider audience watch them.
They have also changed the way we think about and understand some social issues. Dramas like these often talk about mental health, gender roles, and how families work. By doing so, they challenge stereotypes and get people to think critically about these issues.
Death & Grief Kdramas
Many Kdramas are about romance and comedy, but some deal with more serious topics like death and grief. These dramas show a touching and thought-provoking way in which people and communities deal with death and loss.
Korean dramas that deal with grief are not only powerful on an emotional level, but they often teach us important lessons as well. By showing how the characters deal with their grief, these dramas can give comfort and inspiration to people who may be going through similar things in their own lives.
1. Move To Heaven
Hangul: 무브 투 헤븐
Year: 2021
A young man with Asperger’s syndrome and his estranged uncle, a former convict, work together as trauma cleaners, clearing out the possessions of dead people, uncovering the stories they left behind, and telling them to loved ones.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Je Hoon as Cho Sang Gu
- Tang Jun Sang as Han Geu Ru
- Hong Seung Hee as Yoon Na Mu
- Jung Suk Yong as Yoon Young Soo
No. Of Episodes: 10 (52 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
2. Goblin
Kim Shin (Goblin) is framed as a traitor and killed by the young king. Years after his death, he is cursed by the almighty to stay immortal forever. He meets Ji Eun Tak who claims to be his bride. The story revolves around four main characters.
3. Just Between Lovers
Three young people who each lost a loved one in the same building collapse attempt to navigate their relationships through the pain of the tragedy while helping to construct a replacement building. They move forward and find a new will to live and embrace the future.
Cast –
- Lee Jun Ho as Lee Kang Doo
- Won Jin Ah as Ha Moon Soo
- Lee Ki Woo as Seo Joo Won
- Kang Han Na as Jung Yoo Jin
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Viki
4. Thirty But Seventeen
Hangul: 서른이지만 열일곱입니다
Year: 2018
After falling into a coma, Seo Ri, a 17-year-old violin prodigy, wakes up 13 years later. Physically she is now 30, but mentally she is still only 17. Due to trauma, Woo Jin does not want to have a relationship. They get involved & fall in love.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Shin Hye Sun as Woo Seo Ri
- Yang Se Jong as Gong Woo Jin
- Ahn Hyo Seop as Yoo Chan
- Ye Ji Won as Jennifer
No. Of Episodes: 32 (35 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
5. Hotel Del Luna
Hotel del Luna is the eponymous hotel located in the middle of Seoul, which caters only to ghosts; the beautiful but ill-tempered CEO, Jang Man Wol is cursed to manage the hotel due to a terrible crime she committed, but cannot remember.
Cast –
- IU as Jang Man Wol
- Yeo Jin Goo as Goo Chan Sung
- Shin Jung Keun as Kim Sun Bi
- Bae Hae Seon as Choi Seo Hee
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix, Viki, Prime Video
6. Hi Bye, Mama!
Cha Yu Ri has been a ghost since she died in a tragic accident. Through a reincarnation project, she is given the possibility to become human again if she succeeds in going back to her place within 49 days. However, her husband is now remarried.
Cast –
- Kim Tae Hee as Cha Yu Ri
- Lee Kyu Hyung as Jo Gang Hwa
- Go Bo Gyeol as Oh Min Jung
- Seo Woo Jin as Jo Seo Woo
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
7. If You Wish Upon Me
The story revolves around a young man who is endangered at the end of his life, enters a hospice hospital on the order of community service, and together with the hospital staff, listens to the last wishes of people at the end of their lives.
Cast –
- Ji Chang Wook as Yoon Gyeo Re
- Choi Soo Young as Seo Yeon Joo
- Sung Dong Il as Kang Tae Shik
- Won Ji An as Ha Joon Kyung
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Viki
8. Tomorrow
The drama tells the story of Joon Woong, who crosses paths with grim reapers, who are on a special mission of suicide prevention, and works with them as the youngest contract worker in the crisis management team of death angels.
Cast –
- Kim Hee Sun as Goo Ryun
- Rowoon as Choi Joon Woong
- Lee Soo Hyuk as Park Joong Gil
- Yoon Ji On as Im Ryung Goo
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
9. Missing: The Other Side
The drama is set in a village inhabited by the souls of people who went missing while they were alive. There, a group of people search for missing bodies and try to discover what happened to each of them.
10. Mother
A temporary teacher at an elementary school realizes that one of her students is being abused at home by her family. She makes an impulsive decision to kidnap the child and attempts to become her mother.
Cast –
- Lee Bo Young as Kang Soo Jin
- Heo Yeol as Kim Hye Na
- Lee Hye Young as Kang Yeong Shin
- Go Sung Hee as Shin Ja Young
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Viki
11. Chicago Typewriter
The drama depicts three resistance fighters who lived during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and are reincarnated into the present as a best-selling writer, a fan, and a ghostwriter. It is an epic story of friendship, comradeship, love, and betrayal.
12. Secret Love
Min Hyuk has been enraged by the need for revenge, ever since his lover was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Yoo Jung takes the blame for her boyfriend, the actual driver at the time of the accident. She feels betrayed for having done so.
Cast –
- Ji Sung as Jo Min Hyuk
- Hwang Jung Eum as Kang Yoo Jung
- Bae Soo Bin as Ahn Do Hoon
- Lee Da Hee as Shin Se Yeon
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Viki
Conclusion
So, these were some recommended dramas about death and grief. These themes are explored with great depth and sensitivity. These dramas offer a poignant and thought-provoking look into how individuals and communities cope with loss and the aftermath of a death.
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