#Classic Sageuk

[yeo-rims]

since i can’t tweet here goes my annoyance with queen woo: the first episode was actually ok. when i say ok, i mean for cable tv 2024 standards. it’s not a slow sageuk, it’s no sfd, not even close to the classics, it doesn’t resemble even my dearest, but, at least, it was engaging. It had that weird nudity scene that made absolutely no sense, but I sometimes expect this from streaming shows. I don’t particularly like or dislike sex scenes in general, because it depends on how much i think the show actually cares about sex/love/passion/power and how much they just want to “shock” me into thinking they are soooo mature.

so going into episode two, what was that mess? why is it that between two people that love and care for each other we have a fade to black sex scene, and when it’s the closest thing to r* they could come up with, it’s all graphic but so lacking of anything that resembles passion. be it the sisters passion for power, be it the shamans passion for idk, assassinating the king? but instead, it’s like if the handmaiden was remade by people who’ve never talked to women before. so bizarre, and so upsetting because it could be good, too. but i guess it’s what annoys me the most about some shows, why is it that love is somehow more obscene (to the point they don’t even show us) than characters abusing women? is it that deep? idk, i do think so when you consider the whole context in which sk is existing at the moment. i have as many complaints as anyone else about the last 5 episodes of my dearest, but you can’t say those characters weren’t passionate about each other/their cause. when you get to the point that a man buying a woman shoes is more sexy than two beautiful women making out…! (one of them being the love of my life) it’s very sad. and then I learned about KSH slicing his wife’s throat during sex or something, and why would I subject myself to that, truly? Why is it that violating women is soooo subversive but delivering the show you promised (one about the so called queen woo) isn’t? like, aren’t we tired? is that what we deserve? can’t I have the sex the gay and the love? is it possible that you don’t have to kill, violate and humiliate women/female bodies for the sake of being *for grownups*? it’s not even a good show. it’s not even subversive. SFD is clever and at times, so hard to watch. conspiracy in the court has dialogues that have me googling the meaning of the words. so, yeah, i’m very disappointed because this cast was something out of my dreams, but instead of trying to tell me a story, they’re trying to cover their lack of a proper narrative with shocking scenes.

[sexlovelitpodcast]

Sex Love Lit girlies! I watched Crash Landing On You (my first k-drama) and now I have a conundrum: A) I want to watch more k-dramas, and B) No k-drama can seem to measure up to CLOY 😭 Could you put together a playlist of entry-level k-dramas for new fans that capture the CLOY magic? Bonus points if they’re on Netflix

@sliceoflifegirl thanks for the ask!

(Corinne here) First of all, welcome to KDrama land! Crash Landing on You was my second ever KDrama, and the one that really got me hooked. I’m gonna be honest, it’s a hard one to top when you’re mid emotional hangover! That said, I love this ask and recommending KDramas to people, so I’m more than happy to recommend some. My strategy here, rather than recommend something that exactly mimics CLoY (because imo, there’s nothing exactly like it), is to recommend dramas that I think are some of the best of their genre—with some aspect that might help scratch that CLOY itch ;) So, without further ado, here is your KDrama Starter Pack: 

Goblin aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God—This fantasy romance is a classic for a reason. The set-up: 900+ year old goblin Kim Shin is on a quest to find the goblin bride to pull the sword out of his chest and finally let him die. The catch: when he finds goblin bride Eun-tak and starts to fall in love with her, he wonders if there might be something to this whole “life” thing after all. Also featured: a glum Grim Reaper, with whom Kim Shin has a top tier bromance, who has a doomed romance of his own. Goblin gave me one of the biggest emotional hangovers post-CLOY in my early KDrama days. One caveat: Kim Shin meets Eun Tak when she’s in high school, so if huge age gaps in fantasy romances give you the ick, maybe give this one a pass (in which case the fantasy romances I recommend checking out instead are Alchemy of Souls and Doom at Your Service, both on Netflix atm). (On Viki)

Mr. Sunshine—My pick for one of the best historical (aka sageuk) KDramas out there. Set in early 1900’s Joseon, just before/in the early days of Japanese occupation, this drama follows the lives of five equally compelling characters as they navigate the political turmoil of the time. At the center are Lady Ae-sin, an aristocratic lady with a tendency for dressing up as a man and sneaking around at night on missions for the rebels, and Eugene Choi, an American Marine now stationed in Joseon who escaped enslavement there as a child and has mixed feelings about the land of his birth. This one resonates with the forbidden/doomed love of people from different classes and cultures from CLOY. (On Netflix)

Reply 1988—This slice of live drama set in Seoul in 1988 follows five families who live in the same neighborhood, and especially five of their high school aged children as they grow up during a particularly vibrant time in South Korea’s recent history. Like the other installments in the Reply series, the series uses two of the main characters in the present day (or present to when it was released, anyway) looking back—which means that viewers know the Deok-sun ends up married to one of her four besties, but which one?? Still, while the love triangle mystery is fun, at its heart, this story is about community. It’ll scratch the CLoY itch for the North Korean market lady shenanigans, and a few others as well (especially if you like intense yearning in your dramas). (On Netflix)

Business Proposal—If you’d like romance of a completely different genre than CLOY, look no further than Business Proposal! In this KDrama, Shin Ha-ri goes on a blind date in place of her friend as a favor only find out that the date is with her boss. This tightly plotted romantic comedy plays with more rom com tropes than you can shake a stick at, but never sits with one so long that it gets old. The B couple is also fire, and helps move things along whenever the A couple gets into a rut. This drama also features some chaebol (rich business family) shenanigans a la CLOY.  (On Netflix)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo–If you’re in the mood for a workplace comedy/drama, look no further than Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Featuring the incandescent Park Eun Bin as rookie attorney Woo Young Woo, this legal drama features about a case per episode as Attorney Woo finds her way in the world alongside a delightful main cast of characters. (On Netflix)

Little Women—My choice for the makjang to include on this list (a genre in which extreme storylines are treated very seriously), this drama focuses on the three Oh sisters as the oldest finds that her friend who died under mysterious circumstances has left her 70 billion that a powerful political family will stop at nothing to get their hands on. Will the story always make complete sense? No. But will the stellar performances, fast-paced, genre-mixing drama, and wild cliffhangers keep you on the edge of your seat as you binge the whole thing? Absolutely. (On Netflix)

Extraordinary You—Youth dramas may or may not be your thing, but if you have the patience for the shenanigans of high schools, Extraordinary You is my top pick. In this fantasy romance, Eun Dan-Oh discovers that she is actually a character in a comic–and she’s not even the main one! While still high school appropriate, Eun Dan-oh’s literally doomed-by-the-narrative and impossible circumstances romance with Haru, another side character, is another one from my early KDrama days to stick with me just as much as Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeokk’s. (On Viki)

Search: WWW—Ayanni’s particular contribution to this list, this modern romantic drama focuses on intersecting lives of three women working in the fast-paced tech industry at the top two competing web portal companies. Just as interesting as each woman’s various romantic entanglement are their entanglements with each other as they put their careers ahead of just about everything else. Ayanni says she especially appreciates this one because it focuses specifically on three women (also in this genre are Be Melodramatic and Because this is My First Life). 

Happy watching--and do let us know if you pick any of these up!

[lurkingshan]

This might be an assumption I'm making, but would you say that romance is one of your favourite genres? Are there any other genres that you enjoy? (Yes, I am angling for recommendations even though my to watch list has over 200 shows and movies)

I would in fact say that romance is my favorite genre, I'm something of a romance fiend and have been since I was a wee child. There's a reason I love kdrama and bl so much, and that's because they cater to my tastes so perfectly. I've already shared some of my favorite romance recs here, though I always have more if you need them.

In terms of non-romance dramas, I have plenty of recs for those, as well! Even though romance is my fav I watch a lot of other stuff, too. I recently did a list of friendship focused dramas here. And of course, a lot of dramas include romance storylines even if the main story is not a romance; that is very common in Asian media (and why we love it).

A few other genres that I love, and the dramas I count among my favs in each category:

Action/thriller dramas: Happiness (pandemic zombies and two badass besties who know how to use a bat), Healer (classic kdrama that I need to rewatch again), Reset (cdrama time loop thriller and it is so good), The Crowned Clown (the what if we replaced the king with a fake trope treated with utter seriousness), The Glory (the ultimate revenge drama, cw for extreme depictions of school bullying).

Family dramas: I especially love dramas about families that span years and allow you to see how a family changes over time. Some of my favs include 10 Years Ticket (cw for depictions of family abuse), 18 Again (actually a very sweet one about a dad who ends up back in his teenage body and bonds with his teen children while repairing his marriage), Go Ahead (MY BELOVED I will find a way to include it in every rec post), Go Back Couple (a couple on the verge of divorce goes back in time and gets a do-over), Reply 1988 (best installment of the Reply series with a strong focus on five different families who live on the same block). And of course a recent entry here is Moving (but you know that one already).

Mystery/crime dramas: Beyond Evil (everyone in bl fandom has already heard of this but it is not actually bl fam, it is an excellent crime drama with two magnetic leads though), Extracurricular (poor high school students getting up to some bad shit in order to survive), Manner of Death (a classic mystery with a romance subplot), Signal (A+ long form mystery with a time travel twist), The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (crime drama hingeing on a tragic romance).

Supernatural/fantasy dramas: Alchemy of Souls (supernatural sageuk with magic and body soul swapping and lots of fun), Goblin (do I even need to tell you about this one?), Kingdom (sageuk zombies), Mystic Pop-Up Bar (found family mystical dream healing), Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (also a crime drama but the supernatural part is crucial), The Uncanny Counter (found family grim reapers).

Workplace dramas: Misaeng (THE GOAT), My Mister (set in a workplace but not primarily about work because it's way more about trauma), Pinnochio (kind of crosses genres but I'm putting it here because the leads are reporters and their work is important to the plot), Search: WWW (three women in tech trying not to let the bastards keep them down).

[healinghyunjin]

I love your writing so much and as a fellow south Indian I couldn't get this out of my head but I can't stop imagining hyunjin as a Bharatnatyam dancer. I need your thoughts oh my god.

Hihi 🙏🏽 Thank you so much friend!!

Oooh I’ve never thought about him in an Indian classical dance setting - I’ve definitely thought about him in the King and the Clown-esque court dancer/performer setting, probably because he maps on so well to that sageuk androgynous court dancer vibe!

Now that you gave me the idea though…he would be perfect for any type of dance drama - the expression, the grace, the agility! I’m biased here as a Kuchipudi dancer, but I can see him fitting so well into our tradition of dance as storytelling and athletic feats of show and spectacle (pots on your head, candles on your palms, a brass plate under your feet). I know he’ll never come across it lol, but I know he’d love the concept of kavuthuvam in Kuchipudi, where the dancer paints with her feet as she dances.

Thank you for dropping by!! Let me know if you have any other thoughts on this idea hehe 💕

[accidentallyadramablog]

I have been desperate for a good classic sageuk. Goryeo-Khitan War was not on my radar but it sure is now. I have one week of class left and then this will be what I obsess about for 6 weeks straight. I was going to rewatch Seon Deok over my break but now I don't have to.

[pineforphantompain]

Time to start using polls to outsource decision making

Free time just appeared and I can't find subs for the last hana kimi I haven't seen yet so idk what to watch now

[fauxkaren]

My Sassy Girl - 8/10

So. I had literally never heard of this drama before. I was bored and scrolling Netflix and the pretty costumes caught my eye so I decided to give it a watch and um??? It was pretty good actually?? A really well crafted enemies to friends to lovers story with some classic Court Intrigue.

But let’s address the title. The name is kinda weird and off-putting (insert gif of Shirley from Community here) and as a sageuk set in the Joseon period, it feels out of place. But apparently, My Sassy Girl was originally a modern day rom-com movie from 2001 that they decided to adapt into a historical drama series???? lol idk. And honestly I suspect this is VERY loosely inspired by the original movie, given that so much of the plot is about a princess’s search for her dethroned (and now presumed dead) mother and uncovering the political machinations that led to her dethronement.

This drama’s biggest weakness is probably that it’s not great at juggling tone. The first third of the drama is very heavy on the wackiness. And then in the back half of the drama, as we get into the meat of uncovering the plot against the queen from 10 years ago, that lightheartedness evaporates and we are in DRAMA town. So it leaves the drama, as a whole, feeling a little unbalanced. I also think the end wasn’t fully thought out. But it was all still cute so I can forgive it.

In spite of that, I think the leads’ charm really sells this show. It’s very easy to get invested in their relationship. The plot isn’t overly complicated, so it’s easy to follow without having to pay too much attention which is what made it the ideal weekend watch for me. Sure the drama hits a lot of common tropes, but you kinda don’t care how tropey it is because it’s just so easy to get lost in the fun of it all.

[yeo-rims]

I thought of some shows, too, hope you don't mind me high jacking the post but

Mask (2015) Ji Sook is a poor woman having the worst life, then she discovers she has a doppleganger, Eun Ha, who's a chaebol and is engaged to (sexyyy Ju Ji Hoon) Min Woo. There are some bizarre rich people scheming and Eun Ha dies, Ji Sook takes her place and has to navigate a word that wants her dead. It's a makjang, and sometimes over the top, but it's very fun.

Scent of a Woman (2011) old school, the main lead finds out she's dying of cancer and decides to live for herself. Falls in love with hot CEO Lee Dong Wook, they fall in love, but his ex? is there to try and intervene. It's very tropey, but also a fun time. And a classic.

Call it Love (2023) a melo, the pink filter kinda throws you off at the beginning but you get used to it. It's about a family of 3 siblings, they were abandoned by their father when the male lead found out he was having an affair. One day he dies and leaves the house to his wife, making the siblings basically homeless. The main lead decides to take revenge and destroy her stepmom's son's life. She goes working in his company, but they fall in love. He doesn't know who she is! Very angsty.

The Red Sleeve (2022) a sageuk and should come with a warning, because it is not a healthy romance, if one could say it's even a romance. He is the king, she is the woman who'll one day become his concubine, it's based on a real story, and it's sad as hell. Very tragic, they do love each other, but is it even possible to love someone when one has no autonomy over their own life? It's kinda what this show talks about, because Deok Im wants to be her own person, and the King wants her to be his. So, you know, pretty fucked up. I loved it.

You Are My Spring (2021) A psychiatrist and a hotel concierge meet and get involved (indirectly) in a murder. This show has no idea if it's a suspense, a romance or a comedy. Sometimes it's a drama all along. But it's actually very good and has a mystery and a lot of childhood trauma in the bag, too.

hi need some korean romance tv show recs <3

[justsageukthings]

Jo Mi-ryeong (1929) as Queen Inhyeon in the 1961 Sageuk Film: Jang Hee-Bin

[mikrrokosmos]

Ok but the teaser for alchemy of souls actually looks good???

[dreamingsnowflake2013]

Jang Gang is Wook’s real father, isn’t he? He might be a great wizard but he must have had an F from biology because if he slept with his wife in the the weeks prior the soul shifting, the probability that Jang Wook is his son is much higher. Having the power to literally cheat death but not being able to determine parentage through some magical DNA test must suck, I guess. 

It might seem right now that Jang Wook is the Crown Prince’s illegitimate cousin; however, this has the potential to turn into a mistaken birth secret of epic proportions a la Karei Naru Ichizoku. Considering that the members of the royal family appear to lack the ability to wield magic, that Jang Wook has been born with the ability to wield it and Jang Gang had managed to reverse the soul shifting while being stuck in the King’s dying body, it’s likely that the ability is inherited through a spiritual connection to the parent rather than biology alone.

Also, Jang Gang doesn’t merely hate Wook because he thinks he is not his son, but because in his eyes he killed his wife during childbirth, and thus a living proof of his mistakes, for which he blames himself since he allowed the King to possess his body. It’s such a classic kdrama and sageuk trope of dysfunctional daddy issues and I love it.

Dude knew the king was going to fuck other women after the soul shifting, thus cheating with his body on his wife, so now he’s being a hypocritical git.

[accidentallyadramablog]

It has double-digit ratings in Korea and is very popular. It's just quiet on Tumblr.

Perhaps it is the demographic? The FL is 40 instead of 24 and it's not an idol drama, so this is perfect for me but perhaps not for some of the other active Tumblr users. Also, this is Honey Lee's first drama after getting married, so I wasn't expecting a lot of skinship out of this.

Perhaps it's because it's a Kocowa license, so viewers need the upgraded versions of other streaming apps? I'm seeing more dramas on my dash from Netflix and Prime Video these days and much less from the Viki PlusPass & Kocowa IPs.

It reminds me of the classic short-form sageuks I used to watch 10 years ago and not the generic cookie cutter versions that are proliferating on so many streaming sites since 2020.

Knight Flower is such an underrated k-drama, I wish more people talked about it! Can't believe we only have 2 eps left 💔 Lee Honey showed yet again that she is an incredible actress

[samoililja]

Any Jewel in the Palace fans I could share my anguish over episode 27 with? ;_;

[kdramawhump]

Do you know any whumpy kdramas with a high school setting? Something like the uncanny counter, maybe? Im really looking for something like that one...

So, I can't think of anything that's specifically like Uncanny Counter, that one is pretty unique but below is a list of dramas with a high school setting and whump that I've watched:

White Christmas (2011) - A bunch of kids (and a couple adults) stay at their boarding school over winter break and there's a murderer among them. I think this is the first time I was introduced to several actors that have since become favorites like Kim Woo Bin, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Sung Joon.

Extracurricular (2020) - A Netflix drama about high school students committing crimes to make money. Trigger warnings are probably necessary for underage sex work. It's a really excellent drama with some quality whump.

How to Buy a Friend (2020) - A teenage boy is investigating his girlfriend's death and makes a deal with another boy to be his bodyguard in exchange for his help investigating. They eventually come up against a gang and it's a very whumpy couple of episodes.

I Hear Your Voice (2013) - A teenage boy who can hear people's thoughts teams up with a public defender to get justice. This one is more heavily in the courtroom drama side of things than high school, but the main male character is in high school.

Save Me (2017) - This one really does not focus on the high school setting at all, it's way more about trying rescue people from a cult and stop the cult leader, but the main characters are all still high school age, so I'm going to count it. Woo Do Hwan is in this one and his character is the MVP imo.

School 2013 (2013) - Kim Woo Bin and Lee Jong Suk play high school students that used to be best friends and had a falling out. They reconnect over the course of the show. This drama is a 10/10 for me but not because of the whump. YMMV regarding the whump as it doesn't include tropes that I love the most.

Heirs (2013) - I don't know that I would consider this drama very whumpy but it does have some emotional whump if I remember correctly. This is a classic comedy romance kdrama with a rich male lead and a poor female lead...I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of either leads but Kim Woo Bin is in this as the second male lead and he's absolutely my favorite.

I think those are all I've got! Honorable mention to a sageuk that's really good and more along the lines of university:

Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) - A girl disguises herself as a boy to take the national exam to support her family. She passes and is accepted to the Sungkyunkwan University where she makes friends with some of her classmates. It's been awhile since I watched this but I seem to recall some excellent whump for Yoo Ah In's character.

[iamkimnamgilwife]

Could our ending have been different if I didn't let you go?

Yeah. Don't mind me bc I love the parallel of these 2 classic kdrama love stories.

☑ Patriotic & strong female lead

☑ Tragic & supportive male lead

☑ Tragic, pure and classic love story

☑ Hopeful yet tragic ending

Tbh. These are the only two dramas (for me ofc) who deserve to be called 'classic' sageuk love stories (Shakespeare couldn't even beat the angst of these 2 love stories) . A perfect combination of a great script, chemistry, outstanding portrayal of the actors & great story. Tbh I've watched MS while it is on going while QSD after MS and for me it is the only drama that could level the impact of Mr. Sunshine (at least). Probably there is really that long lasting impression after a sad ending, but I have watched more than a hundred of kdramas (a dozen or more with sad endings) but NOTHING YET HAVE BEATEN THE IMPRESSION THESE 2 DRAMAS DID.

I highly recommend everyone to watch Mr. Sunshine if they loved The Great Queen Seondeok or watch The Great Queen Seondeok after they watch Mr. Sunshine (bec I also know that feeling of emptiness after a great drama had ended).

[thereaderstea]

umbrella anon here again! I loved all of those angsty JJK fics and got my heart thoroughly stomped on :) Do you have any good Taehyung angst recs? - ☂️ anon

Merry meet, ☂️ anon! It’s good to see you again, carissima ☺️ I see you survived those angsty JK fics; I guess that umbrella is stronger than I originally thought 🤔 but seriously, are you okay? That’s a lot of turmoil in just five? days...my inbox is open if you ever need to talk or cry about fics ☺️

I am disappointed to report that after an extensive search in my library I only have six heavy angst Tae fics that thoroughly crushed my soul. I do have more light and soft angst Tae fics, so just let me know if you would like to see those  ☺️ For now, here is the heavy angst; some have an ending full of acceptance and others have darker endings, but they all crushed my lil black heart...

Heavy Angst KTH x Reader Recs

je te laisserai des mots by @tatastaetae | The Reader’s Tea Review | Rec to Nani ➵Angst, Fluff | post-death au | oneshot | 4.8k (quote from je te laisserai des mots: ) ➵“10 years. You were supposed to meet him in 10 years and plan your lives together from there.” But now, you return to that summer from 10 years ago, alone... ➵First and foremost is my all-time favorite fic from my all-time favorite writer ☺️ I highly recommend listening to the song that inspired this fic while reading; they really vibe together. This is both heavy and soft angst because I am devastated (heavy angst) and soft (soft angst) 🥺 it’s also the kind of writing/fic that makes you smile through your tears. 

limbo by @inktae  ➵Angst | guardian angel au | oneshot | 10.4k (quote from limbo: ) ➵”You have a mission, one that concerns a boy that feels familiar and strange at the same time, a boy with a radiant grin and saddened eyes.” ➵🥺 this fic makes me devastated and soft; poor Tae 😔

Departure by @donewithjeon ➵Angst | guardian angel au | oneshot | 10.5k ➵There is a guardian angel in your classroom, and like you, he will come to learn that you must not mess with fate (but between us, he knows that).  ➵Everyone in this fic makes me want to cry 😢 their lives are just so heartbreaking, but the ending satisfies my dark cravings >:) 

Kiss of Life | Song of Sirens by donewithjeon ​ ➵Fluff, Angst | little mermaid au | Storybook series | the Storybook | duology | 17.4k ➵It is known that when mermaids capsize a ship, they leave no survivors, so when they attacked your ship, you didn’t expect you’d wake up in your childhood friend’s home. You’re determined to find not only who saved you, but why a mermaid (or rather merman) would save you? ➵Don’t be fooled by the fluffy first installment! The ending of the second installment left me in such a stupor and drove me crazy (in a good way). My heart hurts thinking about how they left off...

seoksanhwa by @gukyi ➵Fluff, (light) Smut, Angst | prince au | joseon au | sageuk au | oneshot | 23k ➵Everyone knows there’s nothing fair about love and war, and you and Taehyung know that better than anyone...or at least, you will. ➵Here’s the Tea, I ain’t even gonna attempt to lie: I was an ugly sobbing mess before I could finish this fic, and I mean ugly ugly 😅

four weeks by gukyi ➵Fluff, Angst | college au | enemies to lovers au | roommates au | oneshot | 20k ➵It’s winter break, and you’re stuck on campus for winter break, that is until your enemy from freshman year shows up and extends an invitation to stay at his place for the break. (You would also like to make it pretty clear that you are in no way friends.)  ➵ahhh ☺️ classic e2l, master e2l writer, and a heavy dash of angst and unrealized truths, love ‘em ☺️

~*~

That’s all I’ve got for now! I hope they crush your heart ☺️ Let me know how you enjoy and if you would like the soft or light angst fics. Don’t forget to give the authors lots of love ☺️💜

Blessed be, carissima! 

your fellow reading monster, tor-mon 🖤