LIST: 6 K-dramas to watch this May 2023

K-dramas are hot like summer for the month of May!

While most people have been planning road trips and travels, there are some who are opting to stay at home and watch Korean drama series. Fortunately for the latter, the K-entertainment scene always has something new in store.  

If you’re looking for K-dramas to watch this month, check out PhilSTAR L!fe’s roundup that features a mix of relatable school and workplace romance comedies, dystopian sci-fi that could keep you on the edge of your seat, and even action-packed period shows with time travel elements.  

My Perfect Stranger

Status: Now streaming on KBS and Viu

Starring: Kim Dong-wook and Jin Ki-joo

Are you into stories about time travel? Here, a famous broadcast reporter (Kim Dong-wook) and an aspiring writer working for a publishing house (Jin Ki-joo) get teleported back to the year 1987. They find themselves in a similar scenario where the former needs to find the truth about a serial murder case while the latter needs to stop her parents from getting married. Intrigued yet?

All That We Loved

Status: Now streaming on TVing and Viu

Starring: Sehun, Jo Joon-young, Jang Yeo-bin and Jeon Yeong-in

Actor Sehun of EXO is back in K-drama land with the teen mini-series All That We Loved. Sehun plays the role of Go Yoo, a fearless basketball player in school who is good friends with Go Joon-hee (played by Jo Joon-Young. The latter is his total opposite—a nerd who is known for being physically weak.

When Go Joon-hee undergoes a kidney transplant from Go Yoo, he starts suffering from a cellular memory syndrome. The problem starts when they end up falling for the new transferee named Han So-yeon (played by Jang Yeo-bin).

Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938

Status: Now streaming on tvN, TVing, and Prime Video

Starring: Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, Kim Bum, and Ryo Kung-soo

Missing Lee Dong-wook? After two years of absence in the small screen, the actor is back as Lee Yeon and this time, he travels back to the year 1938. In this timeline, he meets Ryo Hong-joo (Kim So-yeon) not as a mountain guardian spirit, but an owner of a high-end restaurant. Lee Yeon also meets his brother Lee Rang (played by Kim Bum) and his pal Cheon Mu-young (Ryo Kung-soo). Expect the unexpected in this highly anticipated sequel.

Race

Status: Streaming on May 10 on Disney+

Starring: Lee Yeon-hee, Hong Jong-hyun, Moon So-Ri, and Yunho

Looking for a relatable series set in the workplace? Disney+ is offering Race, an ensemble drama that will cater to corporate workers no matter which generation they’re from.

The story follows Park Yoon-zo (Lee Yeon-hee), a single lady who recently joined the PR team of a large firm. She is willing to give her all (including her personal time) in order to show her devotion to her bosses. She works with her good friend Ryu Jae-min (Hong Jong-hyun), who, unlike her, knows how to separate work and life for balance. Things get interesting when Yoon-zo is assigned to work under the strict PR ace Ku-Yi-Jung (Moon So-Ri) while Jae-min works with the flexible boss Dong-hoon (played by TVXQ’s Yunho).

Black Knight

Status: Streaming on May 12 on Netflix

Starring: Kim Woo-bin, Esom, Kang You-seok, and Song Seung-heon

Set in the year 2070 where only 1% of the world population has survived with a strict social class existing, delivery drivers known as “knights” are important citizens who make sure that packages are delivered securely. The 1% of the population can only go outdoors using a gas mask.

Knight 5-8 (played by Kim Woobin) is a heroic knight who is highly trained in physical combat. He meets a refugee named Sa-Wol (played by Kang You-Seok), who wants to be a knight and admires his senior as well as Seol-A (played by Esom), a Defense Intelligence Command Officer.

Oh! Young-shim

Status: Streaming on May 24 on GenieTV and ENA

Starring: Song Ha-yoon and Lee Donghae

The upcoming drama Oh! Young-shim will surely capture the hearts of romantics out there. It centers around Oh Young-shim (played by Song Ha-yoon), a hopeful producer who wants to create variety TV shows that could give people a good laugh. Unfortunately, her shows often get cancelled.

Eventually, she proposes a dating show. During the casting, she meets a start-up founder named Mark Wang (played by Super Junior’s Lee Donghae). Later on, she realizes that this potential contestant is her childhood friend Wang Kyung-tae, who used to have a big crush on her. As the two reunite after 20 long years, will love blossom—or will there be endless bickering?

Which of the six titles are you looking forward to the most? Happy watching!