We have seen how K-Dramas and K-movies have dominated the world these past few years, especially in the USA. Recently, the Netflix series “Squid Game” received many international nominations and awards.
We can’t deny how Asian and Pacific Islander arts and culture have contributed to the world, so we should never forget to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It’s when we recognize the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States.
There are numerous K-Dramas like “Squid Game” that also deserve a lot of recognition, but most of them are not getting the appreciation they deserve because of many factors, and one of those is the number of their episodes.
Most of us love watching K-Dramas but can’t find the time to watch a whole 16-episode series because of life responsibilities such as school, work, and other commitments. I have watched a lot of quality short-form K-Dramas that I think a lot would enjoy too! Let’s celebrate this AAPIHM month by showing appreciation for these K-Dramas that have less than the normal 16 episodes!
“Through The Darkness”
Let’s start with the psychological thriller “Through The Darkness” starring the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor nominee Kim Nam Gil as a criminal behavioral analyst.
It is a 12-episode series about the story of criminal behavioral analysts who attempt to understand serial killers by reading their darkest minds. Set in a time when crime profilers aren’t mainstream yet, it follows the story of individuals who established the Criminal Behavioral Analysis Team.
This is a well-written crime drama based on the 2018 non-fiction book of the same title and co-written by Korea’s first criminal profiler, Kwon Il Yong, and journalist-turned-author Ko Na Mu. “Through The Darkness” isn’t just a drama about catching criminals, but it also introduces criminal behavior analysis, which makes it more enjoyable to watch.
“Youth of May“
Since it’s May, I could not not mention Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si’s 12-episode romance melodrama. “Youth of May” is a heartwarming and heartbreaking drama set in 1980. The drama depicted how Hee Tae and Myung Hee’s love prospered against the backdrop of the Gwangju Uprising.
This is a story about different individuals as they fight for their lives. The drama will make you feel heartbroken after knowing what happened to the characters. But no matter what, I can never forget Myung Hee and Hee Tae’s love story that will last for a lifetime.
“SF8“
A science fiction anthology television series with 8 stand-alone episodes that tackle the themes of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, robots, games, fantasy, horror, superpowers & disasters. It was introduced as the Korean equivalent of the famous British television series “Black Mirror.”
Since the drama has stand-alone episodes, each episode stars popular names such as Lee Yoo Young, Lee Si Young, Kim Bo Ra, Lee Yeon Hee, Ahn Hee Yeon (EXID Hani), Choi Si Won (Super Junior Siwon), UEE, and Moon So Ri.I have watched all eight episodes, but my favorites are “White Crow” and “Joan’s Galaxy.” The two offered different kinds of exciting Sci-Fi concepts that you wouldn’t notice while watching. Despite watching it almost two years ago, I can still remember how I’m in awe of how beautiful “Joan’s Galaxy” is and interesting “White Crow” is.
“FAILing in Love”
A four-episode school romance drama about young and immature teenagers who find and fail in love. The title is actually “failing,” not “falling” to those who haven’t noticed.
It’s written by the writer of the popular romantic comedy “Our Beloved Summer” starring Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi, so you’ll see some resemblance. I really liked the central theme of the drama – that even though they failed in love, they saved the most important thing, which is friendship.
If you’re into a feel-good high school romance drama, you should check out Son Sang Yeon, Yang Hye Ji, and Shin Yun Seob’s “FAILing in Love.”
“365: Repeat the Year”
An excellent Sci-Fi time traveling-mystery drama starring Lee Jun Hyuk and Nam Ji Hyun about a crime detective, a famous webtoon author, and eight more individuals who received a chance to go back a year ago, but the twist is…unexpected killings started happening after they time traveled.
This is a fast-paced 12-episode drama that will make you feel all the emotions from the first episode. I really enjoyed every scene because there were no dragging moments, and we got the best duo: Hyeong Ju and Ga Hyeon!
Oh, and Lee Jun Hyuk and Nam Ji Hyun won excellence awards for this drama at the “2020 MBC Drama Awards,” so I assure you, you’ll only see the best acting!
“A-TEEN”
A coming of age romantic web drama about teenagers who live with their hearts at every moment of choices and troubles. It stars rookie stars Shin Ye Eun and Shin Seung Ho, who have now transitioned into lead stars.
Since it’s a web drama, “A-TEEN” has 24 episodes, but the duration per episode ist less than 15 minutes, so you can binge-watch it in one sitting! What I love the most about this drama is that it’s so relatable to every student. It taught me so much about friendships, school life, love, knowing yourself, and more, making this drama special to everyone who has watched it.
“to. Jenny“
Are you into a 4 episode music-romance drama? “to. Jenny” starring Kim Sung Cheol and Jung Chae Yeon, might be for you!
A cute and light drama about an aspiring musician and an idol trainee for 7 years. Since it’s a music drama, we heard a lot of song covers from Kim Sung Cheol, and his voice is so beautiful! I also liked how Jeong Min confessed his love for Na Ra through music.
“The Veil“
A 12-episode spy action thriller drama starring the Grand Prize (Daesang) winner of the “2021 SBS Drama Awards“, Namkoong Min. “The Veil” follows the story of a top NIS agent who came back after one year away to find out who betrayed him and his team.
We all know Namkoong Min knows how to choose a drama, so it’s one of the reasons why I watched this show, and I loved it! There’s no dull moment while watching this drama because there are a lot of twists in every episode!
So, have you decided what short-form drama you will watch next? I hope you liked the dramas I recommended, and let’s all celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by watching these K-Dramas on KOCOWA!
