HOTEL DEL LUNA 호텔 델루나

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Hotel Del Luna is a South Korean television series that aired in 2019. The show revolves around a mysterious hotel called Hotel Del Luna, which is only visible to ghosts and is managed by the arrogant and temperamental Jang Man-wol (played by IU), who is bound to the hotel due to her past sins.

The series begins with the arrival of the new hotel manager, Goo Chan-sung (played by Yeo Jin-goo), who has been appointed by Jang Man-wol's deceased mentor. Despite initially being frightened by the supernatural occurrences at the hotel, Chan-sung gradually becomes involved in the affairs of the ghosts who stay at the hotel and helps them resolve their unfinished business so they can move on to the afterlife.

The show is known for its unique concept and stunning visuals, as well as the chemistry between the two lead actors. It combines elements of fantasy, romance, and horror to create a captivating story that has captured the hearts of viewers around the world.

CAST:

IU

Yeo Jin Goo

Shin Jung Ksun

Bae Hae Seon

PO

Jo Hyun Chul

Park Yoo Na

Lee Tae Sun

Kang Mi Na

Seo Yi Sook

Kang Hong Suk

Lee Do Hyun

David Lee

Jo Ah Ra

SIGNAL 시그널 KOREA

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"Signal" in korean 시그널 is a South Korean crime-thriller television series that aired on tvN in 2016. The show revolves around a profiler, a detective, and a police officer who team up to solve cold cases and serial murder cases through a mysterious walkie-talkie that allows them to communicate with a detective from the past.

The story follows Park Hae-young, a detective in the present time who discovers an old walkie-talkie that allows him to communicate with Detective Lee Jae-han, who was investigating a serial killer case in the past. Together with Cha Soo-hyun, a young policewoman, they solve cases by exchanging information through the walkie-talkie, bridging the gap between past and present.

The show received critical acclaim for its unique storyline, well-developed characters, and exceptional performances by the cast. It was praised for its ability to create tension and suspense through its use of non-linear storytelling, with the past and present intertwining to create a thrilling narrative.

"Signal" has been hailed as one of the best South Korean dramas of all time, winning several awards and gaining a large international following. It has also been remade in other countries, including Japan and China, attesting to its widespread popularity.

CAST:

Kim Hye-soo

Lee Je-hoon

Cho Jin-woong

Jang Hyun-sung

Cheong Hae-kyun

Kim Won-hae

Jung Han-bi

Lee Yu-jun

Son Hyun-joo

And many more

Reply 1988 응답하라 1988

 

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Reply 1988 in Korean title 응답하라 1988 (Eungdabhara 1988) is the ultimate. My number one favorite of all the Korean TV dramas/series I've watched for over two decades. It's a romance comedy and a family drama rolled into one. It aired on TVN for 20 episodes in 2015.

Cast:

Lee Hyeri as Sung Deok-sun/Sung Soo-yeon

Park Bo-gum as Choi Taek

Go Kyung-pyo as Sung Sun-woo

Ryu Jun-yeol as Kim Jung-hwan

Lee Dong-hwi as Ryu Dong-ryong

Sung Dong-il as Sung Dong-il (Deok-sun's father)

Lee Il-hwa as Lee Il-hwa (Deok-sun's mother)

Ryu Hye-young as Sung Bo-ra (Deok-sun's older sister)

Choi Sung-won as Sung No-eul (Deok-sun's younger brother)

Kim Sung-kyun as Kim Sung-kyun (Jung-hwan's father)

Ra Mi-ran as Ra Mi-ran (Jung-hwan's mother)

Ahn Jae-hong as Kim Jung-bong (Jung-hwan's older brother)

Kim Sun-young as Kim Sun-young (Sun-woo's mother)

Kim Seol as Sung Jin-joo (Sun-woo's little sister)

Choi Moo-sung as Choi Moo-sung (Taek's father)

Yoo Jae-myung as Ryu Jae-myung (Dong-ryong's father)

And many others

DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN 태양의 후예

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Descendants of the Sun in Korean title 태양의 후예 (Taeyangui Hooye) is one of my favorite Korean TV drama/series. It has 16 episodes which was aired in 2016. 

CAST

Main Cast

Song Joong-ki as Captain Yoo Shi Jin (aka Big Boss)

Song Hye-kyo as Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (aka Beauty)

Kim Ji-won as First Lieutenant Yoon Myung Ju

Jin Goo as Sergeant Major Seo Dae Young (aka Wolf)

And many others

FROM FIVE TO NINE 5→9～私に恋したイケメンすぎるお坊さん

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From Five To Nine 

One of my favorite Japanese TV dramas is "From Five to Nine," which is also known by its Japanese title, "5→9～私に恋したイケメンすぎるお坊さん (5→9: Watashi ni Koi Shita Ikemen Sugiru Obousan)" As a fan of the manga series by Miko Aihara, I found the live-action adaptation to be captivating in a whole new way. The drama was originally released in 2015 and consists of 10 episodes.

CAST

Ishihara Satomi as Sakuraba Junko

Yamashita Tomohisa as Hoshikawa Takane

Tanaka Kei as Kiyomiya Makoto

Furukawa Yuki as Mishima Satoshi

Takanashi Rin as Yamabuchi Momoe

And many more

Today’s Kira kun きょうのキラ君

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"Today's Kira-kun" (2017) - A Romance That Will Make You Smile 

Yasuhiro Kawamura directed "Today's Kira-kun," きょうのキラ君, a Japanese teen romance filmbased on the manga series "Kyo no Kira-kun" by Rin Mikimoto. The film portrays the narrative of Kira-kun and Ninon, two high school students who fell in love despite their opposing personalities and hardships. 

Cast:

Taishi Nakamura

Marie Iitoyo

Yuna Tairo

Shono Hayama