Korean dramas, once popular for soothing and emotional romantic stories, are now seen as all-rounders that offer not only action and thriller dramas but also spine-chilling horrors, which often go unnoticed by many viewers. Nonetheless, fans of K-dramas are gradually growing accustomed to the genre integrations that have been happening lately with titles such as Reborn Rich, which perfectly blends fantasy and revenge with modern world politics.
On top of so many genres to choose from, the monthly releases of the dramas have become a fantastic source of entertainment for the fans, especially with a handful of them gaining immense popularity in the span of just a few days after their release. For instance, Bloodhounds, which was released in June, became an instant action phenomenon, garnering a score of 8.7/10 on MyDramaList. August, like every other month, is jam-packed with exciting releases, so here's a rundown of the best Korean dramas you can add to your watch list during the month.
The First Responders Season 2 (August 4)
The First Responders, released in November 2022, is fairly similar to the American TV Series 9-1-1, boasting a comparable premise but vastly varies in storytelling. With the first season instantly becoming a smashing hit among the audiences, although quite underrated in some ways due to not receiving the amount of recognition it deserved, there is a lot of demand for the second season, which is set to premiere this August.
Just as in the first season, we follow the fierce Detective Jin Ho Gae (Kim Rae Won), who solved numerous crime cases with his exceptional ability to grasp any scenario, eventually becoming a part of a joint operation between the police and fire departments. Joining Jin Ho is a fearless firefighter Bong Do Jin (Son Ho Jun), and an empathetic paramedic Song Seol (Gong Seung Yeon).
Moving (August 9)
Lately, Disney+ has been following in the footsteps of Netflix, adapting back-to-back webtoons into Korean dramas and surprisingly turning them into decent productions. Moving is one such Korean drama, following on from many other Disney+ shows such as Connect and Shadow Detective.
The drama, taking place in a fictional world of Korea, follows three high school students, Kim Bong Seok (Lee Jung Ha), Jang Hee Soo (Go Youn Jung), and Lee Kang Hoon (Kim Do Hoon), who are born different — with superpowers — but their parents have raised them to hide their abilities from others for fear of them being used by other people.
Despite staying hidden from the rest of the world, will they be able to avert their destiny, especially when things are not in their favor? From the looks of the drama's cast, there will be a lot of emphasis on other cast members aside from the main ensemble we've mentioned, and considering the webtoon's popularity, it is going to be an amazing action thriller.
The Killing Vote (August 10)
The Killing Vote is another drama based on a popular webtoon, and it will be released on Prime Video on August 10. The drama, which stars some of Korea's popular actors such as Park Hae Jin (Man to Man), Park Sung Woong (Bloodhounds), and Im Ji Yeon (The Glory), offers an absolutely intriguing storyline that appeals to both thriller and action enthusiasts.
When a heinous criminal escapes the punishment from the law in the drama, all citizens above the age of 18 receive a text message that lets them vote on whether the culprit deserves the death penalty. When they all vote 50% in favor, a mysterious man wearing a dog mask kills the criminal, and a team of skilled investigators comes together to track him down before he commits any more crimes in the name of justice.
Mask Girl (August 18)
Not everyone is confident about their looks and often feels insecure owing to their circumstances, and Mask Girl, a Netflix drama adapted from the webtoon of the same name, addresses the subject with an absolute raw representation.
The story revolves around an office woman named Kim Mo Mi (Go Hyun Jung), who has a sense of inferiority with her appearance, and the only means of solace she can find in day-to-day life is as a broadcast jockey, where she hides her face behind a mask.
On the other hand, her coworker Joo Oh Nam (Ahn Jae Hong), seems to harbor a one-sided crush on her but is not confident in divulging his feelings. However, when they are swept up in an unforeseen incident together, they both find comfort in each other, providing us with a beautifully unique love story that we don't usually see in Korean dramas.
My Lovely Boxer (August 21)
My Lovely Boxer hints at a tragic tale of sports in Korea with a premise that depicts the hardships of an athlete. Unlike most Korean dramas, which are adapted from webtoons, this one is an adaptation of a popular novel called "Sunjeongbokseo Ikwonsuk" by Cho Jong Nam.
The story centers around a cold-blooded sports agent named Kim Tae Young (Lee Sang Yeob), who draws talented boxers into the field and makes as much money as he can before they fade away from fame. However, when he meets a girl named Lee Kwon Seok (Kim So Hye), a former boxing prodigy living a new life away devoid of the sport, his passion for boxing is reignited, and he is determined to make her a champion, unlike his previous recruits.