Korean drama Series According to Your Zodiac Sign

Editorial Team - May 26, 2020

From eye-candy rom-coms to social justice suspense dramas, here are K-drama recommendations that may resonate with your sun sign.

Wondering if you should dip your toe into the K-drama black hole? Curious about the titles that have robbed your friends of sleep or sanity? K-dramas have mastered the art of visually-appealing, heartstring-pulling (or heart-stopping) storytelling, offering the perfect antidote with matching catchy soundtrack to these stressful times.

From eye-candy rom-coms to social justice suspense dramas, there’s a K-drama match for you. If you’re ready to get your feet wet but don’t know where to start, here are K-drama recommendations that may resonate with your sun sign.

(P.S. We used Chinggay Labrador’s book, Practical Magic: Your Guide To Everyday Astrology, as reference.)

ARIES:
Boys Over Flowers (2009)

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As the leader of the Zodiac, you may want to kick off your K-drama immersion with one of the key titles that opened the Hallyu (Korean wave) portal for hordes of devotees and set the trend for the slick, stylized productions (and much-parodied tropes). Based on the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango and a remake of the Taiwanese live-action adaptation Meteor Garden, BOF chronicles the epic romance of spunky scholar Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-Sun) who stands up to Gu Jun Pyo, the arrogant leader of the powerful campus hottie gang F4 (played by Lee Min Ho in a perm he must be regretting now). Packed with all the classic elements of a melodramatic Cinderella tale — evil chaebol* mom, kidnapping, amnesia, knight-in-shining-armour piggy-back-riding moments - it’s guilty pleasure binge-worthy for your fiery Aries soul.

*large family-owned business conglomerate

TAURUS:
Romance is a Bonus Book (2019)

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If your steadfast Taurus heart longs for a warm and fuzzy drama after a stressful day, this charming older woman romance fits the bill. Down-on her-luck former star copywriter Kang Dan-Yi (the lovely Lee Na-Young) has to downplay her brilliance to land an entry-level job in a publishing house, where she ends up working alongside the young chief editor (her old friend and budding love interest Cha Eun-Ho, played by Lee Jong Suk) by day, and secretly squatting in his house by night. Brownie points for the #poetryisnotdead discussions.

GEMINI:
Coffee Prince (2007)

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This classic gender-bending rom-com will speak to your prankster twin personality. Ko Eun-Chan (Yoon Eun-Hye) disguises herself as a guy to score a job at a coffee shop with an all-male pretty boy hiring policy, and romance brews/comedy ensues when cafe owner Choi Han-Gyul (Gong Yoo!) agonizes over his feelings for her, doubting his own sexuality. Set in an actual coffee shop in the Hongdae area, Coffee Prince was instrumental in popularizing Seoul’s cute café culture, plus it has a soundtrack that will stay with you. P.S. Spot Parasite‘s rich daddy who plays the amiable second lead!

CANCER:
Reply 1988 (2015)

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This warmhearted, coming-of-age drama of five neighbourhood pals (Park Bo Gum alert!) and their families is that rare gem that packs kilig, comic relief, and deeply poignant learning moments (that father-daughter storyline!) without devolving into sappy sentimentality. Stellar ensemble cast and the nostalgic vibe will especially resonate with Gen X Cancers.

LEO:
Dream High (2011)

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For the drama queen that craves the spotlight, this show will feel like home. Set in Kirin High, a fictional performing arts academy where aspiring artists reach for stardom, Dream High is filled with juicy intrigue, high energy, and palpable attraction. What made the show especially trendy was that the students were played by actual pop stars — Bae Suzy, IU, T-Ara’s Eun Jung, 2 PM’s Taecyon and Wooyoung, while rising star Kim Soo-Hyun is now a huge name. So. Much. Fun.

VIRGO:
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? (2018)
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A preening, perfectionist boss (Park Seo-Joon) is at a loss when his trusty secretary (Park Min-Young) quits, and he exhausts all means to get her back because he needs her in his life, and in the process, they discover how their fates are inextricably linked. Also, hot chemistry.

LIBRA:
Crash Landing On You (2019)

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The hopeless romantic, fashion-loving Libran will fall hard for this ultimate gateway drama of the season. South Korean heiress and workaholic CEO Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin) goes paragliding, and a freak storm causes her to crash land in North Korea, literally into the arms of oppa peg Captain Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun-Bin). The attempts of the noble officer and his (adorable) Company Five men to get her back across the border will have you holding your breath, and the fantastical plot flies thanks to epic storytelling, intriguing locations, multidimensional characters, and beautiful attention to detail. It’s a rollercoaster ride of twisty subplots, heartwarming community dynamics, and tender kilig scenes (watch for that second love team!), and you’ll be crying buckets wondering what to do with your life when it’s done.

SCORPIO:
Sky Castle (2018)

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Dedicated to digging up dirty secrets? This nail-biting drama/dark comedy is for you. The story revolves around housewives who live in the fictional privileged neighborhood SKY* Castle, and how they are obsessed with wealth and social standing, stopping at nothing to make sure their husbands and children succeed, sometimes with fatal consequences. Their fairy tale facade starts to crumble when a down-to-earth new family moves in. Despite the high drama, SKY Castle struck a nerve with viewers for challenging Korea’s competitive educational system and addressing the very real problem of suicide, making it the highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history to date.

*SKY is an acronym for Korea’s most prestigious universities

SAGITTARIUS:
Itaewon Class (2020)
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This non-goopy, guy-approved melodrama is just the thing to fire up ambitious archers of the zodiac. Park Seo-Joon (in arguably his best role yet) stars as a principle-abiding, aspiring cop whose dreams and family are wrecked by the powers behind Jangga Co, where his father works. After a stint in prison, he works slowly but surely toward building his own food empire at the heart of the eclectic Itaewon district — honest success as the best revenge. Diverse, complex characters, real-life business tactics, a bizarre love triangle, and villains you’ll love to hate on will have you totally invested in this glorious underdog drama (you’ll be shouting at the screen with all its unexpected twists and mic-drop dialogue). Intense, inclusive, and incredibly motivating, Itaewon Class captures the zeitgeist of this generation, complete with fight song that will play in your head when you face your own challenges.

CAPRICORN:
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior (2016)

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For the eternal student of life, here’s a drama that’s (loosely) based on history. Park Seo-Joon, Park Hyung-Sik, Minho (of Shinee), and Kim Tae-Hyung (V of BTS) and other eye candy star as The Hwarang (“Flowering Knights”), an elite group of male youths formed during the ancient Kingdom of Silla—secretly among them is their future king. Go Ara is here for the romance factor, but it’s the brotherhood and political scheming that make for compelling viewing. Despite some plot holes, it’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and ends on a brilliantly satisfying note.

AQUARIUS:
When The Camellia Blooms (2019)
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Rebels who march to the beat of their own drum will relate to this deceptively low-key but powerful drama that celebrates strong females and fierce mamas. Single mom Dong Baek (ever-brilliant Gong Hyo-Jin) moves to a small town and instantly attracts gossip when she puts up her bar-restaurant Camellia. Local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik (adorkable Kang Ha-Neul) acts as her personal knight despite her protests, and complicating her already thorny life are appearances of people from her past. Did we mention there’s a serial killer on the loose?

PISCES:
Goblin (2016) - Netflix
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Want to indulge your Pisces penchant for over-the-top dramas with a dash of supernatural? Get ready to suspend disbelief with this blockbuster hit and pop culture phenomenon. Gong Yoo stars as a kind but lonely Goblin, searching for the human bride who can end his cursed immortality, and fate leads him to cheery high school student Ji Eun-Tak (Kim Go-Eun) in present-day Seoul. Goblin somehow ends up living with the cynical but apparently socially awkward Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-Wook), who in turn is perplexed by his own attraction to chicken shop owner Sunny (Yoo In-Na). With stunning cinematography, sigh-worthy romance, and a scene-stealing bromance between TV’s most dashing deities, this is definitely a must-watch.