5 K-Dramas That Everyone Forgot About

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Jung Hae-in as Yoo Jeong-woo in 'Prison Playbook'

Published Sep 2, 2026, 11:01 PM EDT

Anja Djuricic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1992. Her first interest in film started very early, as she learned to speak English by watching Disney animated movies (and many, many reruns). Anja soon became inspired to learn more foreign languages to understand more movies, so she entered the Japanese language and literature Bachelor Studies at the University of Belgrade.

Anja is also one of the founders of the DJ duo Vazda Garant, specializing in underground electronic music influenced by various electronic genres.

Anja loves to do puzzles in her spare time, pet cats wherever she meets them, and play The Sims. Anja's Letterboxd four includes Memories of Murder, Parasite, Nope, and The Road to El Dorado.

The conveyor belt that is the K-drama world is packed with shows that just keep on coming. With Netflix Korea getting more traction and a higher budget, as well as other streamers investing their money into great original Korean programming, there will soon be a time where everywhere we look, we will have an array of K-dramas to watch (in a good way).

However, that type of constant influx of new titles can become overwhelming, as some good shows can then stay buried unless we pay attention to them. There are many great shows hiding under piles of brand-new titles with big names, waiting to be discovered. Here are K-dramas that everyone forgot about that are worth your time.

'Prison Playbook' (2017–2018)

A group of prisoners in a yard in 'Prisoner Playbook'

Prison Playbook has recently re-entered the mainstream conversation, but it's been largely forgotten over the past few years. Created by the writer behind Reply 1988, the show has a meditative and warm energy nurtured by the ensemble in their best form. Less interested in prison-drama darkness than in the small, absurd, genuinely funny rhythms of people making do in an impossible situation, Prison Playbook is a comedy as often as it's a drama, and it shifts between genres without ever losing its footing. Park Hae-soo, years before Squid Game made him a global name, leads the ensemble as the protagonist while Jung Kyung-ho anchors the supporting cast as Park's childhood friend and long-term prisoner. The two leads have a kind of effortless chemistry that can't really be manufactured, and their rapport makes the show all the more compelling.

Prison Playbook follows Kim Je-hyeok (Park), a professional baseball pitcher who is days away from his Major League signing, when he's arrested for assault after defending his sister from an assailant and sentenced to serve a one-year prison sentence. Prison Playbook follows Je-hyeok's adjustment to life inside, the weird and wonderful array of inmates and guards who become his unlikely community, and the slow, patient understanding of prison life, survival, and that all of it is less about toughness and more about figuring out who to trust. The show aired in 2017, and it predates the global K-drama boom by several years, which is why it lacks more international recognition; this show's been waiting for new audiences to find it ever since it aired, and now's the perfect time to rediscover it.

'Through the Darkness' (2022)

A scene from Through the Darkness where two men sit at a table in darkness and one has a stack of files.

It's safe to say that the raging success of Mindhunter reached all corners of the world, including South Korea. However, a show about special agents, profilers, and chasing serial killers isn't a novelty in the K-drama world; Korean filmmakers and showrunners love their killer hunts, maybe even more than Hollywood does. Through the Darkness was based on the memoirs of a prolific South Korean profiler, Kwon Il-yong, the first to carry the title in the country and who wrote about his chases for serial killers across Korea during the 1990s. The comparison to Mindhunter here can and probably will come immediately, but that's flattering. Both shows are far more interested in the psychological toll of crawling inside a killer's head than in procedural mechanics.

Set in 1990s Seoul, Through the Darkness follows Song Ha-young (Kim Nam-gil), a perceptive detective recruited to join Korea's very first Criminal Behavioral Analysis team, formed specifically to track a serial killer dubbed "Red Cap" who has been terrorizing the city. Criminal profiling doesn't yet exist as a recognized discipline in Korean law enforcement, which means Ha-young has to build the entire playbook from scratch while simultaneously convincing a skeptical police hierarchy that the whole enterprise is worth funding. Kim delivers an outstanding performance, as he portrays a man who sacrifices his own psychological state in order to interrogate criminals. Through the Darkness is absolutely a forgotten gem, and if you like serial killer chases, intriguing real-life drama, and some thrilling pursuits, this show should be your priority viewing.

'Navillera' (2021)

Song Kang and Park In-hawn in 'Navillera'

Navillera is the kind of "it's never too late" story that will make you laugh, cry, and question your own opinions and prejudices. This twelve-episode story has no filler and no wasted scenes, with Park In-hwan, who was around 76 years old when he made the show, delivering one of the most compelling and compassion-inducing roles of his career. Active since the 1960s, Park is one of Korea's most prolific actors, and a role like the one in Navillera is nothing new for him—but it might have been novel for his physical prowess. Park stars alongside Song Kang, who apparently trained seriously for his role and is one of the biggest K-drama names of the 2020s. Navillera was released under the radar and is only being rediscovered now.

Navillera follows Shim Deok-chul (Park), a 70-year-old retired postman with one dream he's spent a lifetime putting off: learning ballet. His family is horrified by this resolution, while his body absolutely has its own opinions on the matter. However, he signs up anyway and meets Lee Chae-rok (Song), a 23-year-old dancer with real talent, struggling financially and on the verge of quitting the thing he loves most. The two form an unlikely mentorship that ends up going both ways; the old man finds his dream, and the young one rediscovers his reason to fight for his. The show also has a dementia subplot, which arrives mid-series and is handled with a care and honesty that most dramas couldn't pull off without tipping into melodrama. With bigger names and titles, Navillera wasn't the most popular show of its time, but it aged really well and is one of the most emotional and beautiful shows you'll ever get to see.

Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek

Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

🖖Star Trek

FIND YOUR UNIVERSE →

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.

AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count.

NEXT QUESTION →

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.

AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space.

NEXT QUESTION →

What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.

AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat.

NEXT QUESTION →

How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.

AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before.

NEXT QUESTION →

What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

REVEAL MY UNIVERSE →

Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'Black Dog: Being a Teacher' (2019–2020)

Seo Hyeon-jin standing besides Ra Mi-ran sitting at her desk in K-drama Black Dog

Another highly beloved K-drama trope is high school drama, though that's not purely reserved for Korean shows and audiences. The entire world is obsessed with the drama between a bunch of 16-year-olds and their teachers, classmates, and parents, and there's no sign that shows with this theme are about to die out. Black Dog: Being a Teacher is from 2019, and it's a fairly forgotten series with a high school theme. If you have most recently watched Teach You a Lesson, Netflix's most popular K-drama of the summer, Black Dog is its distant, forgotten cousin that tackles similar themes and packs just as a powerful punch as its successor. Seo Hyun-jin and Ra Mi-ran star as a newcomer teacher and a veteran who takes him in and mentors him, and their relationship is filled with (platonic) chemistry that works well on-screen.

Black Dog follows Go Ha-neul (Seo), who arrives at Eungyo High School as a new temporary teacher. Ha-neul is naive about how deeply the politics of the Korean education system run and immediately starts learning that surviving in a private high school staffroom requires as much strategy as anything happening in the classrooms. The show, written by a former teacher, is a sharp, unsentimental look at Korea's hyper-competitive academic culture told entirely from the staff's perspective rather than the students'. What separates Black Dog from the dozen other school-set K-dramas is how little interest it has in glamorizing teaching or the institutions around it. The staffroom is political, exhausting, and often unjust, and Ha-neul's idealism gets ground down and rebuilt across the entire show, showing the true strength of perseverance. Black Dog aired in 2019 and garnered moderate ratings without much buzz despite being one of that year's best dramas.

'Song of the Bandits' (2023)

The Good, the Bad, the Weird isn't the only South Korean Western—Netflix's own Song of the Bandits is another Western told from the Korean perspective, and just like the Song Kang-ho-led film, the show is set during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea. Song of the Bandits is another series on this list that stars Kim Nam-gil, who transforms into a gun-slinging revolutionary effortlessly and with great style. This show came out in 2023, but it's been largely ignored at launch despite being one of Netflix Korea's more ambitious originals that year; a Korean period Western was probably much harder to sell than the platform's algorithms were prepared for, but it's still not too late to rediscover this gem and make it a part of your K-drama watchlist.

Set in 1920s Manchuria during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, Song of the Bandits follows a group of former soldiers and displaced Korean exiles. Some of them are idealists, some are criminals, but most of them land somewhere in between; this group of Korean freedom fighters band together to fight back against the forces occupying their homeland. One of them, Lee Yoon (Kim), is a stoic, morally gray ex-soldier and gunslinger trying to survive while the world he knows collapses around him, reluctantly becoming a leader for people with nowhere else to turn to. The action sequences are genuinely impressive, the ensemble is stacked with character actors doing strong work, and the show possesses a compelling political depth about the colonial period Korea lived in that gives even its most genre-conventional moments real-life weight.