If you're new to dramas, these are the ones that everyone cuts their teeth on. They are most popular and 99.8% of all drama vets have these under their belts. Enjoy!

Newbie Start-up List

Ji Hae Soo (Kong Hyo Jin), a prickly psychiatrist, finds her meticulously ordered life upended when she crosses paths with Jang Jae Yul (Zo In Sung), a charming and successful mystery novelist with a secret. While they get off on an adversarial foot, they gradually begin to fall for each other, especially when a series of strange circumstances leads them to start living together far sooner than they ordinarily would have. As their unconventional romance blossoms, Hae Soo uncovers the depths of Jae Yul’s past trauma, revealing a hidden battle with mental illness. Can their love truly conquer the invisible demons that threaten to tear them apart?

It's Okay, That's Love

Love Obsessed Team

KBS2

During the Joseon Dynasty, Kim Yoon Hee (Park Min Young) disguises herself as a boy to support her struggling family by taking entrance exams for other students at Sungkyunkwan University. When the principled Lee Sun Joon (Park Yoo Chun) discovers her scheme, he unexpectedly helps her take the exam under her brother's identity and enter the university herself. They become roommates and classmates, with Yoon Hee befriending the playboy Goo Yong Ha (Song Joong Ki) and rebellious Moon Jae Shin (Yoo Ah In), while simultaneously developing feelings for Sun Joon. As she struggles to maintain her secret identity, Yoon Hee must navigate the challenges of university life and her growing emotions. This is a 2010 South Korean historical drama series based on a bestselling novel and directed by Kim Won Suk and Hwang In Hyuk.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

Working-class highschooler Jan Di (Ku Hye Sun) secures a scholarship at the prestigious Shin Hwa High School. Shin Hwa is attended by elites, most infamously the F4 — the four richest boys in school. Not one to stir up trouble, Jan Di keeps to herself... until her best friend accidentally drops ice cream on F4 leader Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho). After Jan Di stands up for her friend, her anonymity goes out the window and the F4 won't leave her alone. However, as Jan Di learns more about the F4, she realizes that there's more than meets the eye... and it seems Joon Pyo feels the same way. Will this unlikely duo find romance? Released in 2009 and based on the Japanese manga of the same name, this drama is a worldwide phenomenon and a fan-favorite classic. It was directed by the late Jeon Ki Sang and Lee Min Woo.

Boys Over Flowers

🌸The Fabulous Four Team🌸

SETTV

Ren Guang Xi (Vanness Wu), a charismatic law student and heir to a wealthy family, falls in love with Liang Mu Cheng (Ady An), a cafeteria employee with a vibrant spirit. After a tragic brain surgery that erases his memories, Guang Xi's mother separates the couple. Six years later, Guang Xi, now a high-powered attorney, arrives in a rural village for community service and unknowingly befriends Mu Cheng and her son Xiao Le (Xiao Xiao Bin). As a mysterious piano concerto hints at forgotten memories, Guang Xi struggles to understand his inexplicable connection to Mu Cheng and her son. Will the power of true love help him recover his lost past? This is a 2009-2010 Taiwanese romantic drama directed by Chen Hui Ling that was nominated for the Best Marketing Programme at the 45th Golden Bell Awards.

Autumn's Concerto

As teens, Yoon Soo Wan (Ku Hye Sun) and Park Dong Joo (Lee Sang Yun) fell in love, but they were separated after a tragic accident that left Soo Wan blind and forced Dong Joo to leave the country. Twelve years later, Soo Wan has regained her sight after a surgery and now works as a paramedic, while Dong Joo has become a surgeon. They reunite working in the same hospital, but Soo Wan is engaged to another man and doesn’t recognize Dong Joo, who opts not to tell Soo Wan who he truly is. Is there any second chance at love in their future, or will it all stay firmly in the past?

Angel Eyes

The Angel Eyes Team

In the late 1980s Seoul, five childhood friends from the Ssangmundong neighborhood navigate their challenging teen years together. Seong Deok Seon (Lee Hye Ri) struggles with her low school ranking, Kim Jeong Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) is soccer-obsessed, Seong Seon Woo (Ko Gyung Pyo) is the perfect student, Ryoo Dong Ryong (Lee Dong Hwi) is a knowledgeable geek, and Choi Taek (Park Bo Gum) is a genius baduk player who dropped out of school. As they support each other through various misadventures, they form unbreakable bonds that will shape their future lives. Their shared experiences and friendship become a testament to the power of youth and community during a transformative era in South Korean history. This is a 2015 South Korean nostalgic drama series directed by Shin Won Ho, the third installment in the "Reply" drama series.

Reply 1988

The Lucky Eights Team

Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young), a timid assistant chef with a secret crush, gets entangled in a supernatural scheme when Shin Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi), a ghost with unfinished romantic business, uses Bong Sun’s body as a vessel to complete her final wish. As Soon Ae's bold attempts to experience love affect Bong Sun’s life, the once shy assistant begins to catch the eye of her star chef crush, Kang Sun Woo (Jo Jung Suk), who’s nursing a broken heart of his own. Both women strive to fulfill their desires – one for a love she never had, and the other for a chance at romance. Will their intertwined fates lead to unexpected romance and closure, or will their desires remain unfulfilled? This 2015 Korean drama series was directed by Yoo Je Won.