Like half the planet, you may have watched Squid Game. And then My name, D.P., Hellbound and then… you typed Korean series in the Netflix search bar. Seeing a whole new universe, you wondered what other drama you could see after that. You asked yourself this existential and philosophical question by noticing that most of these series are not dubbed "do I want to read subtitles?". There are some who have moved on to something else but you, you still want to discover. "South Korean internet service provider SK Broadband is suing Netflix to pay for increased network costs because of Squid Game. Users surf the internet to go to the sites of these platforms, so the latter must participate financially in the maintenance of the network. SK Broadband assures that its traffic has increased 24-fold in South Korea since May 2018 and attributes this spectacular increase in part to the success of Squid Game or DP, Netflix productions. The platform has 4 million subscribers in the country." (Source) 
This series would have been too successful! But to whom, to what does it owe its popularity? No need to debate it since Squid Game seems to be one of the main topics circulating this time on the Internet. If you want any information about this drama, just type "S". Your search engine will directly give you the name of the series and all the information you want. Then we could put the question another way. Why this series, this drama, (name of the series given by the Koreans) and not others? Why despite all the great and interesting artists that exist in this peninsula, it is Psy and his Gangnam style that have met with worldwide success? Without wanting to mitigate its merit too much, frankly, was this hit, was it up to all this craze? For Squid Game, Gangnam style or the movie Parasite, of course, to have been so successful, it took a lot of dramas, movies and singers before this phenomenon. Like boxes that you would have stacked on top of each other until you finally noticed the one at the very top. So here are some of the best series. No statistics, no numbers, just the return of fans of the genre. We will not go too far in time but soon, an article talking about the old Korean series will see the light of day. They are kitsch, sometimes badly turned, badly played but they hooked us, we who have been walking through the corridors of Korean series for more than 20 years.
It's okay not to be okay (2020)
Magical drama that speaks with delicacy about disability. Whether in the form of autism or in the form of the injuries we carry with us that cause disabling behaviors. A journey that will take us, through his tales, to deep emotions that will open our eyes to new perspectives. The story of a young man who was designed to one day take care of his autistic brother. For once, a trio (not a couple, as usual) in perfect osmosis whose incredible performance will only give it even more value. The gift of self, the understanding of the other, the unconditional love, the smile in the eyes of the person we love… It's okay not to be okay shows us that love stories can emerge in various forms. May the expression of love not be limited to a single path. To see and review.
Strangers from hell (2019)
As horrible as it is brilliant, Strangers from hell is quickly soaked in a psychological violence that turns our stomachs, and a tension that makes us wonder, in spite of ourselves, why do we inflict this on ourselves. Torture, sadism, gore in all its glory. This series is really unhealthy, its perfection immersing us directly into an unbearable malaise. She is meticulous, with a purpose that draws us. To what? We are very afraid to discover it but we still want it. Because the director took great care to ensure that every detail put us in effervescence. Because the story has a side "I could also switch to the other side of the force" that gives goosebumps. Because Lee Dong Wook is scary just by his presence. Thin as a nail, all pale, in a monotone voice, light years away from our dear reaper. Only good old Jack Nicholson could have equalised it. No need to say "sensitive souls abstain"
It's Ok, This is Love (2014)
"It's Ok, This is Love" talks about the psychological problems inherent in each person: OCD, the phobia of love, the result of abuse… That doesn't mean we're all sick, but we all have that manic side. With great delicacy, he transcribes the trauma of a well-known writer. He dissects it until we feel identified with one of the characters. Without taking the lead, gently, believing us still embarked on a romantic series, we suddenly realize that this series is healing us. Korean cinema once again shows its skill for interacting with the viewer. The viewer in question, painting on his couch, does not know at all what is happening to him and at some point, he will wonder, but what is this thing? Why does it touch me so much? He does not know, he still does not know, that one of the qualities of Asian cinema is to make the audience feel identified with the characters and the story.
Kingdom (2019)
For your first Korean historical series, you who, after Squid Game are looking for strong emotions, Kingdom will live up to all your expectations. You went to the cinema to watch Last Train to Busan (or maybe you watched it by other, less legal means). We advised you and with a little luck you came across the subtitled version. It was the good old days when The walking dead was still interesting but slowly (but firmly) began to lose its initial appeal. So a zombie movie, even if it's a Korean movie, why not. You were pleasantly surprised. You said to yourself, naïve, that there was nothing more to explore about zombies. You didn't know where you were going and who director Yeon Sang-ho was (Hellbound, anyone?). The direction of Kingdom was entrusted to Kim Seong-hoon. But yes, you know him. This is the director behind Hard Day, a film that would have largely deserved the success of Parasite. Alas, it was one of those boxes that we stacked to give importance to the one at the top. The history of Kingdom. A king suffers from a mysterious illness. Crown Prince Chang and his bodyguard are investigating the cause of this disease. A woman (Bae Doo-na, anyway) thinks she knows the cure. But you have to go get it and the zombies don't seem to agree to let it pass. The Kingdom series is inspired by a Japanese horror manga titled "The Kingdom of the Gods" written by Yoon In-Wan and illustrated by Yang Kyung-Il. And even if zombies don't really scare anyone anymore, it's a very well-paced series, with twists and charismatic characters, pillars of the story. If you have typed "Korean series" on the search bar, Netflix, in its immense wisdom and above all, in its desire to eat you raw, will also offer you Japanese series, Taiwanese … Asians, what. So, here is the latest series proposal, this time Japanese, and absolutely great.
Alice in Borderland (2020)
If Alice in Wonderland was written under the influence of LSD and made us soar in an unlikely world on the other side of the mirror, Alice in Borderland takes us rather into a parallel universe as fierce as it is ruthless. He takes us, with this good old Battle Royale, to the heart of this subject that the Japanese seem to love, individuals stuck in a situation in which they are forced to kill to survive. But is this really the case? A film version of a shōnen manga (which mainly targets male teenagers, between 8 and 18 years old), this apology for Alice in Wonderland is extremely violent. Its intensity is relieved only by the discernment, insight and strategies of Arisu (Alice in Japanese) helped by his new friend Usagi (rabbit). If this series responds to all the clichés that make us love the atmosphere of manga (sometimes too overplayed? The expressions? Onomatopoeia? The altruistic sacrifice? Fanatic sects? This terrible wound of the Hiroshima bomb that inexorably leaves this trace of a distraught and devastated universe? And so on…) Alice in Borderland is rather a thriller as ruthless as ingenious that will entice skeptics of the genre. That's it, "you just have to" but, be careful: the world, the galaxy, the universe of Korean dramas will engulf you and you will become absolutely addicted. A very good addiction, to tell the truth…
