K-Dramas To Watch In October 2016 — What Korean Dramas Should You Be Checking Out This Month?

When it comes to Korean dramas, better known simply as K-dramas among the fan base, the transition from September to October is technically limited. What that means is that currently-airing K-dramas continue to move forward through the month. Actually, a lot of K-dramas are concluding this month with very little or no information on what K-dramas will replace their time slot. It is possible Korean television networks are taking a break for the Christmas season, though it is quite early.

Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) K-drama Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, starring Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung, is currently the most-popular K-drama in terms of Korean viewership. On the other hand, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) K-drama Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, starring Lee Joon Gi and IU, is currently the most-popular K-drama in terms of international viewership. Finally, The K2 made a major impact in which it might surpass the most-successful Total Variety Network (tvN) K-drama so far, Another Oh Hae Young.

Nevertheless, Hallyu continues with its K-dramas for K-drama fans to enjoy. So without delay, here are the K-dramas fans should look out for the month of October 2016.

Popular K-Dramas Ending In October 2016

https://youtu.be/mTE54Gk6Xyk

Cinderella and Four Knights (October 1)

A lot of hype went into Cinderella and Four Knights simply because it was a reincarnation or a present-day version of Boys Over Flowers, starring Park So Dam, Jung Il Woo, Ahn Jae Hyun, Lee Jung Shin, and Choi Min, it surely had the hallmark makings to follow in the footsteps of the K-drama that launched Lee Min Ho, Ku Hye Sun, and Kim Hyun Joong’s acting careers.

Unfortunately, Cinderella and Four Knights did very little to differentiate itself from other K-dramas or stories similar to Boys Over Flowers. Not to mention, the love lines and stories were way too obvious, which in turn killed some of the viewership. Still, it ended well with viewership averages about at three percent for the nation and 2.85 percent for the Seoul National Capital Area.

By the time of this article’s publication, Cinderella and Four Knights has already concluded. However can be viewed for free, with ads, exclusively on DramaFever pending region. Also, now that the original airtime is done, it might be possible that Viki may get the K-drama series for marathon watching too.

https://youtu.be/0DVV654Gdsw

Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (October 18)

Out of all the K-dramas on this list, Moonlight Drawn by Clouds is probably the most-popular. Starring Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung, the period K-drama about a prince and his unlikely relationship with a palace eunuch, who turns out to be a woman in disguise, took the nation of Korea by storm.

This is one of the K-dramas that was used to compare and contrast the preferences of viewership between Koreans and the international fans. For those who haven’t watched this series, it is very light-hearted with a lot of comedy. Simply watch the whole ordeal of when Kim Yoo Jung becomes a “eunuch” for the palace. It is clearly one of the parts of the series that lets viewers know what they will get themselves into if they invest their time in it.

Moonlight Drawn by Clouds will air its final episode on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 p.m. KST on the KBS. For those who do not have access to Korean channels, the entire series will stream for free, with ads, exclusively on Viki, pending region.

https://youtu.be/J0XLEkWOgTw

Fantastic (October 22)

The K-drama airing on JTBC, Fantastic, stars Kim Hyun Joo and Joo Sang Wook. It is a romance between a television drama writer named Lee So Hye (Hyun Joo) and Ryoo Hae Sung (Sang Wook), a popular actor who technically isn’t a good actor. When they are forced to work together, they initially butt heads, always getting on each others’s nerves. Eventually, they grow to care for each other. Fate is bittersweet, as So Hye learns she has only six months to live, forcing them to readjust their plans for each other.

If the synopsis sounds familiar to another K-drama which aired this year, it should because it is very familiar to Uncontrollably Fond. However, Fantastic seems to be getting right what Uncontrollably Fond got wrong, and it shows in the viewership and K-drama fan comments and mid-series reviews.

Fantastic will air its final episode on Saturday, October 22, at 8:30 p.m. KST on JTBC. For those who do not have access to JTBC, it will be free to watch, with ads, on both DramaFever and Viki, but only for select regions.

https://youtu.be/AAoUMN-dEr0

Second to Last Love (October 23)

This year seems to be one when Korean television companies are exploring the concept of love happening later in life. Usually, love stories in K-dramas happen between younger people, but the fact that dramas are depicting people in their mid-30s up to the mid-40s is showing the shift. Second to Last Love is one of those dramas.

Starring Kim Hee Ae and Ji Jin Hee, Second to Last Love is the K-drama remake of the Japanese drama. Nevertheless, it showcases a single woman, Kang Min Joo, feeling unstable late in her life, kind of like a mid-life crisis. While working as executive producer for a K-drama for SBC Broadcasting, she is forced to work alongside Go Sang Sik, an official and head of Woori City Hall’s regional tourism section to get permissions for certain drama shots. Needless to say, that is the setup for their “second chance” at love.

Second to Last Love will air its final episode on Sunday, October 23, at 10 p.m. KST on SBS. For those who do not have access to Korean channels, the entire series is streaming for free, with ads, on both DramaFever and Viki, pending region. On October 29, SBS will air a special episode too.

https://youtu.be/_ZY7rT67oks

Let’s Drink (October 25)

The Total Variety Network (tvN) K-drama starring Ha Suk Jin and Park Ha Sun had a slow start, but is starting to pick up. Also known as Drinking Solo,Let’s Drink is set in a private institute in which people prepare for their civil service examinations in Noryangjin, Seoul, South Korea. The K-drama shows the many different reasons why people would drink alcohol alone all through the depiction of a love story. Jin Jung Suk (Suk Jin) is an arrogant but popular instructor while Park Ha Na (Ha Sun) is a rookie instructor struggling to survive in the private institute world. Through their drinking, they eventually find love.

Unfortunately, Let’s Drink is getting some criticism, not just because it features a habit of drinking that is considered uncommon in Korean culture, but the characters are stereotypical of earlier K-dramas. Ergo, viewers are calling it a regressed series.

Let’s Drink will air its final episode on Tuesday, October 25, at 11 p.m. KST on tvN. For those who do not have access to tvN, it can be viewed for free, with ads, exclusively on DramaFever pending region.

https://youtu.be/VufSoMoPQhg

BONUS! Ice Fantasy (October 30)

K-dramas Scarlet Heart: Ryeo and Uncontrollably Fond may have done well with viewership numbers in China, but they are nowhere near toppling the number one drama in the country right now, Ice Fantasy.

Starring Feng Shaofang, Victoria Song, Ma Tianyu, and Zhang Meng, the fantasy series mixes elements of Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and Avatar: The Last Airbender into one epic C-drama lasting 62 episodes. To be fair, the first five episodes seem to make the series somewhat campy, but as it progresses, it gets really good, with intense wars between the Empire of Snow, Fire Tribe, Mermaid Tribe, Spiritual Tribe, Eagle Tribe, Bear Tribe, Guardians of the Realms, Dream Tribe, and Healer Tribe as they go against the Immortal Beings of the Holy Shrine. We have 20 episodes left to see the outcome of the series.

Ice Fantasy will air its final episode on Sunday, October 30, on Hunan Broadcasting System (Hunan TV). For those who do not have access to Hunan TV, the C-drama can be viewed for free, with ads, on both DramaFever and Viki pending region.

Popular K-Dramas Starting In October 2016

https://youtu.be/2LwPGV3-nck

One Percent of Something (October 5)

Starring Ha Suk Jin and Jun So Min, One Percent of Something is the 2016 K-drama remake of the 2003 K-drama that aired on MBC, which in turn was based off the novel Something About One Percent by Hyun Go Woon. It is a romance drama depicting what happens to a pair during a fake marriage or marriage contract. Lee Jae In (Suk Jin) possesses good looks, intelligence, and is from a wealthy family. He is also arrogant. His grandfather orders Jae In to enter into a ten-month contract engagement with a school teacher, Kim Da Hyun (So Min), a woman he has never met in his life, if he wants to inherit his assets written in his grandfather’s will. Eventually, the two began to fall in love.

One Percent of Something will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. KST on DramaX (online). For those who do not have access to the DramaX, it will stream for free, with ads, exclusively on DramaFever.

The Man Living in Our House (October 24)

Starring Soo Ae, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Jo Bo Ah, The Man Living in Our House is an upcoming K-drama based off the webtoon Woorijibe Saneun Namja by Yoo Hyun Sook.

Hong Na Ri (Soo Ae) works as a flight attendant. Her mother passed away three years ago, and she doesn’t have any other immediate family members. Na Ri returns to her hometown to visit her mother’s grave during her death anniversary. There, she sees a young man at her mother’s grave. The man, Go Nan Gil (Young Kwang), introduces himself as her father. Before Na Ri’s mother died, she married Nan Gil. He now lives at her mother’s house and runs the small dumpling restaurant that her mother ran.

The Man Living in Our House will air on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m. KST. Since it is debuting later in the month, there are no official series pages up on either DramaFever or Viki up at the moment.

The aforementioned K-dramas are listed because they are either concluding or debuting. Still, there are plenty of other K-dramas currently airing worth a gander. These include Jealousy Incarnate, Our Gab Soon, On The Way to The Airport, and Shopping King Louie.

However, there are two K-dramas currently airing getting a lot of attention from K-drama fans, and they have a lot of hype surrounding them at the moment.

https://youtu.be/hBb1XbiWy7U

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

Starring Lee Joon Ki and IU, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is getting a lot of attention for being the K-drama adaptation of a popular C-drama titled Scarlet Heart, which originally aired back in 2011.

Also known as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, the K-drama is about Hae Soo, a 21st century woman who ends up back in the Goryeo Dynasty. There she tries to simply survive while also getting to know her new surroundings, as well as the new people around her, including the princes. One prince, Wang So (Joon Ki), is feared among the people for his aggressiveness and killing intent, but he is mostly misunderstood. As time goes by, Hae Soo shows no fear to Wang So, which surprises him to the point they fall in love with each other.

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m. KST on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS). For those who do not have access to SBS, it can be viewed for free, with ads, exclusively on DramaFever. Take note that the latest two episodes starting with the third episode are exclusive to premium members up to one week.

https://youtu.be/Z86-kivGESE

The K2

Starring Ji Chang Wook, Song Yoon Ah, Cho Seong Ha, and Yoona, The K2 (also known simply as K2) is a K-drama about Kim Je Ha (Chang Wook), a former soldier for hire known as “K2.” He is hired to be the bodyguard of Choi Yoo Jin (Yoon Ah), the wife of presidential candidate Jang Se Joon (Seong Ha) and the daughter from a rich family. Also, Se Joon has a secret daughter, Ko An Na (Yoona), who is a recluse.

So far, 2016 has been a phenomenal year for tvN, and The K2 might actually top it off quite well. The reason is that it is on its way to a good start to becoming the most popular K-drama tvN has ever made. However, it has a way to go if it wants to topple Another Oh Hae Young, which also aired earlier this year.

The K2 airs on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. KST on tvN. For those who do not have access to tvN, it is available to view for free, with ads, exclusively on DramaFever pending region. Take note that, starting with the third episode, premium members will have exclusive viewing up to one week.

[Featured Image by DramaX]