Ahead ofSquid Gameseason 2, there are plenty of entertaining K-dramas to watch starring the cast of the thrilling Netflix series.Squid Gamefeatures a variety of seasoned and up-and-coming K-drama actors, with many exciting additions being made to the cast in season 2. Actors Lee Jin-wook, Kang Ha-neul, and Park Gyu-young are just a few people audiences can expect to see introduced in season 2, while Lee Byung-hun and Gong Yoo are among the actors reprising their roles from season 1.
Squid Game, which revolves around a deadly contest with a life-changing amount of money as its prize, was a major success for its streaming service.Squid Game’s spin on children’s gamesand its bold portrayal of competition captivated audiences and led to an organic following. As Netflix’s most-watched series,Squid Gamehelped launch its stars, both those established and new to acting, to a new level of fame.The premiere forSquid Gameseason 2is set for the end of the year, so the following months can be spent watching a variety of great K-dramas starring its cast.
7 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Squid Game More Than 2 Years Later
Squid Game took the world by storm when it debuted on Netflix in 2021, but there are some harsh realities of rewatching the show today.
1218 Again (2020)
Featuring Wi Ha-joon
Based on the American film17 Again, the TV series18 Againhas a similar premise. In18 Again, Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun) loses his job, which adds further stress to his life on top of his crumbling marriage. Dae-young makes a wish to undo his life struggles and finds himself living in his 18-year-old body, with his late-30s mindset.
18 Again
Cast
18 Again (2020) is a South Korean television series that explores themes of family and life choices. The plot follows Hong Dae-young, a middle-aged man whose life changes dramatically when he miraculously reverts to his 18-year-old self. He adopts the identity of Go Woo-young and navigates the complexities of high school while striving to mend his fractured family relationships. The show stars Kim Ha-neul, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Lee Do-hyun.
18 Againtouches upon themes of regret and important life choices, and does so with an equal amount of humor and heart. In the series, Wi Ha-joon plays Ye Ji-hoon, a famous baseball player who encourages Dae-young’s wife to rekindle her relationship.
11Beyond Evil (2021)
Featuring Heo Sung-tae
Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo star inBeyond Evilas two disagreeing police officers who break the law to catch a serial killer. One of the police officers is slightly more invested as his sister had been a victim of the killer, but the story is not as simple as it might appear.
Beyond Evil
In a small town, two policemen with hidden pasts are drawn into a complex web of secrets as they investigate a new killing that mirrors an unresolved cold case. The series delves into themes of trust, deception, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
ThroughoutBeyond Evil’s 16 episodes, everyone’s innocence begins to get questioned and there are several surprising twists to keep the audience hooked.Heo Sung-tae has a supporting role as an important CEOand chairperson in the town.Beyond Evil’s tight script and fast pace make for a highly bingeworthy series.
10Prison Playbook (2017-2018)
Starring Park Hae-soo
Categorized as both a drama and black comedy,Prison Playbooktakes a look at the lives of those in prison. From convicted individuals to duty officers, there is a wide assortment of unique characters inPrison Playbook.A leading characterin the series is played bySquid Game’s Park Hae-soo, who portrays a famous baseball player, Kim Je-hyuk.
Prison Playbook
Baseball star Kim Je-hyeok is about to make his Major League Baseball debut. However, due to some misfortune, he ends up in prison and must learn to survive in this new world full of life and death challenges.
The character is in jail after accidentally killing the person who assaulted his sister, andit’s the role that’s often referred to as Park Hae-soo’s breakthrough. Kim Je-hyuk, characterized by his clumsy behavior, has several fans in prison, including the lead prison guard played by Jung Kyung-ho.
9The Heirs (2013)
Featuring Kang Ha-neul
The Heirsis a teen drama about privileged high school students. Written by acclaimed writer Kim Eun-sook,The Heirsfollows the paths of various rich high schoolers who are close to taking over their families' respective businesses. While it’s easy forThe Heirs' characters to be stereotyped as snooty, rich kids, there is a respectable amount of depth to them.
The Heirs
The Heirs: This South Korean drama follows the lives of privileged high school students as they navigate love, friendship, and familial expectations. The series intertwines personal and social conflicts, highlighting the distinction between wealth and true happiness in a world where power and inheritance dictate their futures.
One of these students is played by Kang Ha-neul. TheSquid Gameactor plays Lee Hyo-shin,the son of an attorney general who feels an unbearable amount of pressure from his familyto continue their legacy in law.
8It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Featuring Park Gyu-young
With elements of romance and drama,It’s Okay to Not Be Okayfollows an antisocial author, Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), who moves back home after discovering a connection between her and a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital, Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun). Both characters and Moon Gang-tae’s older brother struggle to connect with others and move on from past traumas.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a South Korean drama series following Moon Gang-tae, a caretaker in a psychiatric hospital, and Ko Moon-young, a children’s book author with antisocial personality disorder. As their lives intertwine, they embark on a journey of emotional healing while grappling with their traumatic pasts. The show explores themes of mental health, relationships, and personal growth.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okayis centered around their relationship with one another and how they work with each other to heal.Park Gyu-young plays the supporting role of Nam Ju-ri, a nursewho longs to be with her co-worker, Moon Gang-tae.
7Mr. Sunshine (2018)
Starring Lee Byung-hun
Eugene Choi is widely regarded as one ofLee Byung-hun’s best roles. Eugene is a former Joseon slave inMr. Sunshinewho runs away to the United States and joins the Marine Corps. All is going well for Eugene until he returns to Korea and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri) a member of the Righteous Army.
Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine is a historical drama television series that takes place in the late 19th century during the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The story follows Eugene Choi, a young boy who travels to the United States and returns to Korea as an American soldier, and Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-sin, an aristocrat’s daughter who dreams of modernizing Korea.
The forbidden love between the two characters is one of the many points of praisethe series received.Mr. Sunshinewas also given acclaim for its cinematography and the depiction of its female characters. However,Mr. Sunshineis not without criticism as it contains historical inaccuracies and many are split about whether the series portrays its Japanese characters positively.
6Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)
Featuring Im Si-wan
Moon Embracing the Sunis a TV series adaptation of Jung Eun-gwol’s book of the same name.Moon Embracing the Sunis ahistorical K-dramathat tells the love story of a king and a female shaman amidst political tension.
Moon Embracing The Sun
Moon Embracing The Sun is a historical fantasy romance television series set in the Joseon Dynasty. The story follows Lee Hwon, the Crown Prince, who falls in love with a young shaman named Wol. As they navigate the complexities of royal politics, they must also contend with the consequences of their forbidden love.
Though there are plenty of historical elements inMoon Embracing the Sun, including the intricate costuming and set designs seen throughout, the series is much more concerned with its romantic storyline. In the series,Im Si-wan has a minor role as the younger version of Heo Yeom, the older brother of the shaman character, Heo Yeon-woo (Han Ga-in).
5Love Alarm (2019-2021)
Featuring Kim Young-ok
Love Alarmis a successful Netflix K-drama that details the consequences of a trendy mobile app. The titular app alerts its users when someone near them has romantic feelings for them. Such a feature takes the pressure off introverted individuals interested in finding love, but when some users don’t receive pings from their app, more harm than good is done.
Love Alarm
Love Alarm is a South Korean television series based on the popular webtoon by Chon Kye-young. Set in a world where a mobile app alerts users when someone within a 10-meter radius has romantic feelings for them, the show follows Kim Jo-jo, a high school girl who becomes embroiled in a complicated web of relationships and social hierarchies as she navigates the consequences of the Love Alarm app.
However, a lighthearted element ofLove Alarmis the complicated love triangle between three characters. Kim Young-ok, known best for portraying various grandmothers in TV shows and movies, stars inLove Alarmasthe grandmother of Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun).
4Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (2016-2017)
Starring Gong Yoo
Sometimes referred to asGoblin,Guardian: The Lonely and Great Godfollows the interwoven story of four individuals all connected to an immortal goblin. The goblin character is exceptionally portrayed bySquid Game’s Gong Yoo.Goblinhas been praised for its creativity and its ability to combine multiple genres.
There’s some levity added to the series' fantasy story with romantic and comedic storylines. For its gripping drama and entertaining character relationships,Goblinwas an international hit. As the lead character,Gong Yoo left quite an impression. DuringGoblin’s run, the series earned numerous award nominations and wins, with Gong Yoo picking up a few for Best Actor.
3Queen Of Tears (2024)
Featuring Kim Joo-ryoung
Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won as its leads,Queen of Tearschronicles the falling apart and coming back together again of a married couple.Queen of Tearshas a moving love story at the center of the seriesand utilizes the best tropes of romance K-dramas, allowing it to surpass the popular seriesCrash Landing on Youin viewership.
Queen Of Tears
Hong Hae-in, the heiress of the prestigious Queens Group, and her husband Baek Hyun-woo, known as the “supermarket prince,” navigate the complexities of their high-profile marriage. While Hae-in exudes a cold and calculating demeanor, Hyun-woo brings warmth and emotional depth to their relationship. Their union, celebrated as the “wedding of the century,” faces a monumental crisis that forces them to reassess their differences and rediscover the strength in their bond.
Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won give strong performances throughout the series as their on-screen marriage goes through immense highs and lows. Though she has a smaller role inQueen Of Tears,Squid Game’s Kim Joo-ryoung is featured in the series as an employee of the Queens Group.
