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K-dramas of 2014: Notable Dramas Worth Watching

The year 2014 has drawn to a close and to celebrate the new year 2015, we at K-popped! would like to share with our readers some of the notable K-dramas that dominated the airwaves for the year 2014. Hang on tight, and here we go!

1) My Love From The Star

No K-drama list for 2014 would be complete without mentioning the biggest K-drama hit of the year, as the popularity of Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun (along with chimaek and that particular IOPE red lipstick shade no less) skyrocketed in South Korea and many other countries around the globe. As the story goes, an alien named Do Min Joon who has spent 400 years on earth, was waiting for his spaceship to go back home. But just as his spaceship comes by to earth again, he met again and fell in love with Cheon Song Yi, a top star who he had saved from an accident in her youth.

With elements of sci-fi as expected from an alien, viewers are in for a great time. But nothing beats Jun Ji Hyun’s portrayal of Cheon Song Yi! That character will stay with us forever, definitely. Enjoy the drama OST by Lyn, ‘You Are My Destiny‘ in the link below!

 

2)Emergency Couple

What are the odds of falling in love with the same person twice, and marrying the same person twice? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Oh Chang Min (portrayed by Choi Jin Hyuk) and Oh Jin Hee (portrayed by Song Ji Hyo)! Having fallen in love and eloped while they were still in medical college, they dropped out of school and found themselves struggling to make ends meet and ended up in a divorce. After continuing their studies and obtained their medical licences, they found themselves as interns in the same hospital, years later. Trouble is, they can’t tell their colleagues that they were previously married to each other, much less their parents that they are working at the same place (keeping secrets with a person you hate is not a pretty thing at all!).

As they slowly rekindled their failed romance, they realised their past mistakes and their immatureness which pushed them apart. With new rivals in love, these two doctors have to choose to start new relationships or to marry the same person again. Set against the busy and hectic emergency room, viewers are in for a roller coaster ride, visually and emotionally. Check out Choi Jin Hyuk‘s version of the drama OST ‘Scent of a Flower‘ below!

 

3) Three Days

Billed as the Korean version of the American series ‘24‘, the plot is split in three parts, Prelude, Showdown, and Judgment, with each segment portraying the events that happened in a 72-hour time frame. With a fairly prominent and veteran cast, ‘Three Days’ was headlined by JYJ member Park Yoochun, who acted as the President’s bodyguard, breaking the chaebol/pretty-boy stereotype he portrayed in his previous castings. Son Hyun Joo who portrayed the President of South Korea, was superbly convincing as the man of power, considering the current President is a woman.

For once viewers could picture the everyday life of the President, the insecurities of just a simple walk at the market, and being surrounded 24 hours by bodyguards. Even the President has to beg for his own privacy! If you are a fan of action thriller dramas, this one’s for you. Jung Eun Ji of APink sings a track for the OST, titled ‘It’s You‘. Check it out below!

 

4) Triangle

Three brothers with three different fates, and who knew that they will meet again one day, under excruciating circumstances? JYJ member, Kim Jaejoong, together with ZE:A member, Im Siwan, and veteran Lee Bum Soo portrayed the three brothers in this drama set against a casino background, surrounded by vices such as gambling, gangs and illegal money laundering (thankfully no drugs, though). The brothers separated after they were left at an orphanage after their mother ran away and their father passed away, each growing up to be a cop, a gangster, and a rich heir to a conglomerate.

As they face-off against each other without knowing their blood relationship, viewers will be anticipating the moment when they finally recognize their true brotherhood. But there is nothing more satisfying than watching how a gangster can truly clean up and be a stylish gentleman (though that scene where Jaejoong’s character Dong Chul ran on the sidewalks while clad only in his boxers will forever be emblazoned in every girl’s memory) and find success amidst a dire situation. Take a listen to Jaejoong‘s self-composed track for the drama OST titled ‘But I‘ below!

 

5) Dr Stranger

2014 was a great year for Lee Jong Suk as he rides on his success from K-drama ‘I Can Hear Your Voice‘ which aired the previous year. Aside from acting in the movie ‘Hot Young Bloods‘, he also portrayed an intelligent doctor from North Korea who finds himself in South Korea while looking for his lost girlfriend in ‘Dr Stranger’. In this medical drama, his goofy antics and weirdness, coupled with his out-of-town style of fashion made him a character to look out for, especially when he performs difficult and intricate surgeries never before heard of in South Korea.

Nevertheless, ‘Dr Stranger’ was a drama that could confuse some as they pass the ball back and forth about the relationship of the main characters, Park Hoon and Song Jae Hee. They could be an item in the first time you see them, but a blink later, they’re no longer an item. Throw in some bullet shots and you’ll assume one of them is dead, but somehow they’ll emerge alive. An emotional roller coaster, this one. Look out for Lee Jong Suk in K-drama ‘Pinocchio‘ too, currently still airing on ONE HD.

Check out MBLAQ G.O.‘s ‘Like Tomorrow Won’t Come‘ for ‘Dr Stranger’ drama OST below!

 

6) Fated To Love You

Seriously, you’ll need some tissues for this one. A Korean remake of the popular Taiwanese drama of the same name, this K-drama reunites the main cast of Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara who previously met on the set of ‘Successful Story of a Bright Girl‘ 12 years back. Not convinced yet? Well, you can be assured that while Jang Hyuk’s character Lee Gun is a weird and funny man (giving you an evil laugh that will induce a laugh from yourself, no less), he is also capable of breaking sweet and frail Kim Mi Young‘s (portrayed by Jang Nara) heart without batting an eye. But that’s because he had lost his memory…

Find out whether they end up fated to love each other and don’t forget to check out our previous post on 5 reasons why you should watch this drama and Ailee‘s heartwrenching OST titled ‘Goodbye My Love‘ below!

 

7) Joseon Gunman

Joseon Gunman‘ has got to be one of the most beautifully shot sageuks in 2014! The cinematography and action scenes in this K-drama is superb and rivals that of those we usually see on the bigger screen. With another reunification of main actors Lee Joon Ki and Nam Sang Mi, their chemistry is undeniable and is the main focus of the drama. Aside from the romance factor, Lee Joon Ki’s skills with the sword and gun is very convincing and and viewers will feel the desperation and desolation of those difficult war times.

Watch as Lee Joon Ki’s character Park Yoon Kang transforms from a Joseon man into a modern Japanese man in order to seek revenge on those who had killed his father, as well as check out Ivy‘s track for the drama OST ‘Do You Know My Heart‘ below!

 

8. It’s Okay It’s Love

As absurd as it seems, every single one of us is not normal. In some ways, we are weird or suffering from some form of psychological disorder, it may be minor so we might not know. This particular thought is what will strike you after watching the cast of ‘It’s Okay It’s Love’ battle their inner demons although they might seem as normal as you and I as they go about their everyday lives but suffer quietly inside. Although this K-drama didn’t make it to our Malaysian screens (blame the many sexy scenes or either main actress Gong Hyo Jin’s accident which suspended filming for a few weeks) the drama is quite worth the watch for those in a relationship as you will learn how to understand your partner’s feelings and how to tolerate one another’s shortcomings.

Running Man member Lee Kwang Soo and EXO member D.O. make memorable moments in this drama, though not with each other :p Meanwhile leading man, Jo In Sung and woman, Gong Hyo Jin makes an extremely convincing couple in this drama (although some paparazzi shots might hint that something more is brewing off the set)! Crush‘s ‘Sleepless Night‘ for the drama OST is an extremely apt song for the drama, do check it out below!

 

That wraps up our list for some of the few notable K-dramas worth watching in 2014. We hope and look forward to see more good dramas coming to our small screens this 2015!

Do share and leave your suggestions on some great dramas you have watched in 2014 in the comments section below!

2 thoughts on “K-dramas of 2014: Notable Dramas Worth Watching

  • Both my wife and I like to watch Korean Dramas, specially the historically types, like ” the King’s Face, the slave hunters, and many more.

    Even the modern types too, are good to watch. Only some times the endings are an anticlimax, because the endings do not seem to do justice to the story line, and all the hard work put into the story/ drama.

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