K-dramas and Variety Shows on Disney+
Updated: Jan 5
Disney+ expands its reach throughout Asia-Pacific with the launch of the streaming platform in the Philippines on November 17, 2022. With over 15 new titles spanning a variety of genres and a special edition of BTS' popular variety series In the Soop, k-drama fans will surely find themselves busy catching up with some of this year's most buzzed-about series. The selection also includes such well-loved k-drama classics as Sky Castle, Strong Girl Do Bong-soon, and Another Miss Oh. So whether you like rom-coms, historical dramas, thrillers, or sci-fi, there's something here for you to dig your heels into.
Snowdrop
Disney+ is betting big on the k-drama market, with the highly anticipated Snowdrop as its maiden offering. Led by Jung Hae-in (D.P., Something In The Rain) and Blackpink's Jisoo in her first lead role, this romance drama set in 1987 draws inspiration from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped a North Korean political prison. The story starts when a bloodied Im Su-ho (Jung Hae-In), a graduate from Germany, rushes into a women's university. Eun Young-ro (Jisoo), a freshman at the university, finds him and takes care of him, despite the dangerous situation.
16 episodes.
Rookie Cops
Ko Eun-kang (Chae Soo-bin) and Wi Seung-hyeon (Kang Daniel) are college freshmen in the prestigious Korean National Police University (KNPU). Ko Eun-kang’s last-minute entry into KNPU shakes the decades-old hierarchical and patriarchal system. Seung-hyeon, Eun-kang, and their cohorts come of age in what can only be described as a police-themed university experience—complete with hazing, difficult professors, on-the-job training, crime-busting, loss, disillusionment, and, of course, romance.
16 episodes. Read our full review here.
Grid
Seo Kang-joon makes his military comeback in this sci-fi thriller that centers around the hunt for a mysterious figure only known as “Ghost.” Set in a future world tormented by solar winds and protected by the Grid system, Seo leads the search to track its inventor, “Ghost,” who is now accused of murder. The cast of Grid includes Kim Ah-joong, Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Sung-kyun, and Lee Si-young.
10 episodes.
Crazy Love
A sweet, vengeful, and crazy romantic drama? That’s what’s in store for us from this 16-episode rom-com offering from KBS. Kim Jae-wook (Her Private Life) stars as an extremely intelligent yet narcissistic CEO who pretends to have amnesia in the face of a death threat, while f(X)'s Krystal Jung takes on the role of his secretary who pretends to be his fiancée when she is told she doesn’t have much time to live. It does sound crazy, right?
16 episodes.
Soundtrack #1
Will Han Seon-woo (Park Hyung-sik, Happiness) and Lee Eun-soo (Han So-hee, My Name) go from friends to lovers within the span of a four-episode miniseries? That's certainly the hope as we watch these close friends—he's a kind and quiet photographer, she's a rookie lyricist with a bright personality—find themselves in a two-week co-habitation situation. And we all know what happens when two people live under the same roof in k-dramaland, right?
4 episodes. Read our full review here.
Love All Play / Going to You at a Speed of 493KM
Set in the world of badminton, this sports rom-com follows the stories of its young pro players, especially between Park Tae-joon (Chae Jong-hyeop, Nevertheless) and the failed Olympian Park Tae-yang (Park Ju-hyun, Extracurricular, Seoul Vibe).
16 episodes.
Bloody Heart
The versatile Lee Joon (Bulgasal: Immortal Souls) transforms in this fictional historical drama into Lee Tae, a king who has to choose between the woman he loves and the absolute monarchy he needs to survive. Kang Han-na (Start-up) stars opposite him as the bold and free-spirited Yoo Jung, a woman who has to become the queen to survive. The 16-episode bloody political romance also stars Jang Hyuk (Wok of Love) as Park Gye Won, the real head of power in Joseon.
16 episodes. For our short review and what-to-watch-after list, click here.
Kiss Sixth Sense
Hong Ye-sul (Seo Ji-hye, Crash Landing on You) has a unique special ability: When she kisses someone, she is able to see that person’s future. The story gets more interesting when she accidentally kisses the neck of her annoying boss, Cha Min-hoo (Yoon Kye-sang, Chocolate)—and sees a vision of his future in bed with her!
The 10-episode rom-com is based on the popular web novel Kiss Six Sense.
Doctor Lawyer
So Ji-sub (Oh My Venus) is back in this 16-episode medical legal drama about a genius surgeon, Han Yi-han, who decides to become a medical malpractice lawyer after losing everything from a fabricated surgery. Lim Soo-hyang (ID: Gangnam Beauty) stars opposite him as a medical crime prosecutor who lost a family member due to a surgery Han Yi-han performed.
16 episodes. Read our full review here.
Link: Eat, Love, Kill
In this 16-episode romance fantasy from tvN, Chef Eun Gye-hoon (Yeo Jin-goo, Beyond Evil) opens a restaurant in the town where his twin sister disappeared two decades ago. There, he meets a stranger and is bemused to learn that he can feel what she feels, such as joy, sorrow, and pain. The stranger turns out to be Noh Da-hyun (Moon Ga-young, True Beauty), a woman who believes smiling will bring good fortune, but seems to have bad luck in both life and love.
16 episodes.
Adamas
Ji Sung (The Devil Judge, Doctor John) takes on a challenging job playing twin brothers in this 16-episode tvN series. The brothers—mystery novelist Ha Woo-shin and prosecutor Song Soo-hyun—will work together to clear the name of their biological father, whom they believe was unjustly framed and sentenced to death for the murder of their stepfather.
16 episodes.
Big Mouth
Lee Jong-suk and Girls' Generation's Im Yoon-ah play a couple whose lives have been turned upside down by a big-time criminal called “Big Mouse.” But when Lee’s character goes to jail on a dubious charge, the entire prison seems to believe that he IS “Big Mouse.” But is he, really? Could this sweet and affable lawyer truly be the lord of the Korean underworld as well?
16 episodes.
May It Please the Court
After having played a prosecutor in Witch at Court and Diary of a Prosecutor, Jung Ryeo-won now takes on the role of a public defender in this 12-episode offering. In May It Please the Court, her character No Chak-hee goes from being an ace attorney at a big law firm to a public defender, and must now work together with her mysterious colleague Jwa Shi-baek (Lee Kyu-hung, Happiness) on a serial murder case targeting the wealthy.
12 episodes.
One Dollar Lawyer
If you loved Namgoong Min as the hilarious anti-hero Chief Kim in 2017’s Good Manager, then you’ll definitely want to check out his comedy comeback! In this episode SBS legal comedy, he plays Cheon Ji-hun, an unconventional lawyer who fights for the poor and penniless for a fee of 1,000 won (roughly 1 USD). One Dollar Lawyer co-stars Kim Ji-eun (Again My Life) and Choi Dae-hoon (Extraordinary Attorney Woo).
12 episodes.
The Golden Spoon
BtoB’s Yook Sung-jae (Goblin) makes his post-military comeback through this adaptation of a popular eponymous webtoon by HD3. He plays high school student Le Seung-cheon, a poor boy who hates being penniless. One day, an old woman sells him a three-dollar gold spoon and a way out of poverty—by having three meals with a well-off boy his age his house, and then switching parents him. Following the instructions, Sung-cheon dines with his rich friend Hwang Tae-young (Lee Jong-won, Hospital Playlist 2).
Follow his life-changing adventures in this fantasy k-drama directed by Song Hyun-wook (The King’s Affection, The Beauty Inside) and written by the duo Kim Eun-hee and Yoon Eun-kyung (Winter Sonata).
In the Soop: Friendcation
All the k-drama fans in the world owe BTS' V a debt of gratitude for bringing some of the most loved leading men and idols in this epic barkada (squad) outing! We join Park Seo-joon (Itaewon Class), Peakboy, Choi Woo-shik (Our Beloved Summer), and Park Hyung-sik (Soundtrack #1) as they give in to their maknae's wish to go on a trip together.
In the Soop: Friendcation is the Wooga Squad edition of BTS' healing variety show, BTS In the Soop. Through BTS V's wish to enjoy his hiatus, his label graciously invited his friend group to go on a healing trip. Viewers get the rare chance to see how famous idols and Hallyu stars unwind and enjoy their time with their friends. That's it. There's no big plot for this one, just great visuals.
4 episodes.
Outrun by Running Man
Running Man mainstays Kim Jong Kook, HaHa, and Ji Suk-jin star in this official spin-off of Korea’s longest running variety show. A Disney+ original, Outrun by Running Man features fresh concepts like upgraded missions with a mystery component. Song Ji-hyo, Yang Se-chan, Defconn, Kim Jong-min, Yoo Se-yoon, and Choi Joon appear as guests.
14 episodes.