[HanCinema's News] Top 10 K-Dramas With the Biggest Plot Twists
By Ishani Sarkar | Published on
One of the key aspects to the enjoyability of Korean dramas is the fact that they are short, bite-sized stories told in a beautifully engaging fashion. They're usually 16 to 20 episodes long, which is just perfect to be able to invest in a narrative without getting too attached. However, sometimes, within these 16 episodes, Korean dramas feature some of the biggest and most unthinkable plot twists, effectively changing the entire perspective of the viewer. Here are our top 10 K-Dramas with the biggest plot twists.
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The latest on the list is Song Joong-ki's return to the small screen as the dark hero, Vincenzo. Vincenzo Cassano is a Korean-Italian Mafia Consigliere who returns to his homeland for some unfinished business after evading an attempt at his life from Paolo, son of the Mafia Boss, who Vincenzo doesn't deem fit to be the next leader. However, he soon finds himself involved in a long drawn-out legal battle of wits with the illusive Babel. The plot twist comes quite soon into the series when we find out the real identity of Babel's Head. Safe to say, things turn biblical pretty soon.
Another ongoing drama that is rife with all the plot twists a drama could possibly have, Lee Seung-gi's screen comeback with "Mouse" alongside Lee Hee-jun. Both the actors are known for the intense and complex characters they take on and execute effortlessly. This time too, "Mouse" doesn't hesitate to throw the viewers curveballs after curveballs, misleading their judgement even if it means completely changing the genre of the drama.
Known as the top makjang drama before "The Penthouse" came around, "Graceful Family" is popular especially for its gripping storyline, satisfying character arc as well as all the twists and turns that you never see coming until it hits you right in the face. If you're a fan of exaggerated, unpredictable narratives, this one's for you!
The premise of this drama is based on a plot twist is a married couple's relationship in the first place so it is only natural for the drama to be filled to the brim with unexpected turns in not only the series of events but also feelings and very human emotions. Every episode holds the audience's attention like a movie and you can't help binge watching the entire thing.
Makjang dramas in South Korea are usually daily serials with more than 50 episodes. However, "The Penthouse" gives us a taste of all that fun, within the K-Drama format as we know it today. Naturally therefore, the plot twists here are unbelievable and at times, quite unrealistic. However, that exactly is the best part!
Another K-Drama that broke records for its ratings, coming to be known as South Korea's favourite drama, "SKY Castle" deals with the top 1% of the population and the students coming from that small percentage, delving deeper into the extreme pressures they have to endure academically in order to barely survive the rat-race. However, the emotions that this drama evokes go far deeper than that and even though the plot twists are abundant, they don't feel far from the truth.
One of the only romantic-comedy K-Dramas on this list, "It's Okay, That's Love" features a plot twist that is as heartbreaking as it gets, especially after we grow attached to the characters so much. We laugh with them, cry with them and grow with them and as such, just as we see their reaction, our hearts are meant to break. However, the drama is definitely worth the watch, even more so because of the plot twist.
One of the most hopeless plot twists in this list is definitely that of "Prison Playbook". Once again, like most of the other dramas mentioned here, the characters begin feeling like they're intimately close to viewers and as such, when at the very end, their high hopes for the future are shattered, viewers are left devastated. However, the fact that this ending is inherently realistic given the circumstances of the drama, makes this a must-watch.
"Chicago Typewriter" has twists peppered in throughout the drama and every single turn takes us somewhere new, quite literally at times. The incredibly convincing acting of the talented cast only adds to the immersion and as such, the effect the plot twists create s amplified.
"Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth"
One of the best plot twists on this list comes towards the very end of "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" making it all the more sweet. Even though there are considerable shocks throughout the entire drama as we find out about the characters and their actual past, their real identities along with them. However, nothing compares to the pure satisfaction of the final plot twist in the last episode.
By Ishani Sarkar
Ishani Sarkar
Ishani Sarkar is a Writer, Editor and Hallyu journalist with years of experience in writing about Korean art, entertainment and culture, editing and managing content as well as interviewing Korean artists and celebrities. Ishani Sarkar can be reached at ishani.specter@gmail.com.