Best Korean Web Dramas of 2021: What to Binge-Watch

South Korea’s web drama scene continues to flourish, offering more shows in diverse genres, starring fresh-faced actors and even popular K-pop idols for viewers to enjoy.

To the uninitiated, K-web dramas have established themselves as their own independent genre in the Korean showbiz scene and are especially popular among teenagers and young adults. Short but nonetheless addictive, these shows are worth checking out if you fancy a good watch minus the lengthy commitment.

Here, we take a look back at eight of 2021’s best web dramas that kept us glued to our screens:

100% Era

Cast: Yoo Jung-woo, Lee Soo-min

What it’s about: 100% Era is a coming-of-age web drama that imagines and explores what the kind of lives kids born during the COVID-19 pandemic could be like when they grow older. Set in the year 2044, teenagers like Baek Hee-jae (Lee Soo-min) and Lee Shi-dae (Yoo Jung-woo) are living in a more competitive world. They attend a special academy, where students are trained to score 100% on tests, and those who fail to reach the 90% mark are expelled.

Where to watch: YouTube

Blue Birthday

Cast: Red Velvet’s Yeri, PENTAGON’s Hongseok

What it’s about: Blue Birthday is a chilling romance thriller with a time-travel element. Oh Ha-rin (Yeri) has been in love with her childhood friend Ji Seo-jun (Hongseok) and resolved to confess to him on her 18th birthday. But just before she could tell him how she truly feels, she finds him lying lifeless in a room where he had supposedly staged a surprise party for her. His passing was ruled as a suicide and her life has never been the same since. Ten years later, Ha-rin gets the chance to travel back in time through mysterious photos left behind by Seo-jun, uncovering the truth behind her first love’s death.

Where to watch: WeTV

One Fine Week 2

Cast: Seo Ji-soo, Shin Jun-seop, Park Geon-il

What it’s about: One Fine Week’s much-anticipated sequel pulls viewers back to the dual world of part-time cafe employee, Jung Da-eun, and girl group member Kim Byul—both played by Seo Ji-Soo. With their identical looks, they swap places once more for seven days to escape their realities and reconnect with former flames.

Where to watch: WeTV

Work Later, Drink Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdGeDDr0s_g

Cast: Apink’s Jung Eun-ji, Han Sun-hwa, Lee Sun-bin, Super Junior’s Siwon

What it’s about: Based on a well-loved webtoon, Work Later, Drink Now brings together three close friends in their 30s (Jung Eun-ji, Han Sun-hwa, Lee Sun-bin), who cap off their day with a good drink too many as they talk about the fortunes and misfortunes of their lives. Kang Buk-gu (Choi Siwon), an eccentric entertainment producer, later joins the circle of friends, bringing extra chaos and hilarity.

Where to watch: Currently unavailable on local streaming platforms

Scripting Your Destiny

Cast: Ki Do-hoon, Jeon So-ni, Kim Woo-seok

What it’s about: This fantasy web drama revolves around Shin Ho-yoon (Ki Do-hoon), a god of some sort who plays a role in determining the fate of humans. When he is tasked to create a romantic fate for someone, he lifts ideas from Go Chae-kyung (Jeon So-ni), a TV scriptwriter who is known for writing off-beat and overly dramatic shows. Putting his powers to work, Ho-yoon sets up Chae-kyung with all-around good guy Jung Ba-Reum (Kim Woo-seok), who works as a television producer. Things get complicated, though, as Ho-yoon starts to catch feelings for Chae-kyung.

Where to watch: iQiyi

Replay: The Moment

Cast: (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon, SF9’s Hwiyoung, Kim Min-cheol

What it’s about: When aspiring singer Yoo Ha-young’s (Miyeon) cover of a popular song became a sudden viral hit on YouTube, she decides to form a band with fellow high school students, Lee Ji-hoon (Hwiyoung) and Gong Chan-young (Kim Min-cheol). However, what initially started as a pursuit towards their dreams suddenly turned into a rivalry, as a love triangle forms and threatens to break up the band.

Where to watch: YouTube

To My Star

Cast: Son Woo-hyun, Kim Kang-min

What it’s about: This BL web drama follows Kang Seo-joon (Son Woo-hyun), a top celebrity losing his shine, who meets and falls in love with Han Ji-woo (Kim Kang-min), a young chef with a stoic personality. Drawn to each other, they enter a relationship despite their stark differences, only to discover that love can be bittersweet, too.

Where to watch: WeTV

Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee

Cast: Ong Seong-wu, Park Ho-san

What it’s about: Stumbling upon an artisanal cafe by chance, Kang Go-bi (Ong Seong-wu) finds a new calling and decides to become a barista. Through his persistence and earnestness, he is accepted as an apprentice by cafe owner Park Seok (Park Ho-san). The mentor-mentee tandem soon develops a close bond, with Go-bi finding a renewed sense of belongingness in the coffee-loving community he has become a part of.

Where to watch: WeTV

Love South Korean web dramas? Drop your recos in the comments!