10 Best K-Dramas of 2025 You Need to Watch

In 2025, the variety of releases was impressive, which is great news for anyone who loves K-dramas. We got sweet romances, intense thrillers, fantasy, horror, and even stories about morally ambiguous doctors. There was something for every taste and every drama fan.

Among so many new titles, critics and audiences still had their clear favorites. This list highlights the 10 K-dramas that stood out the most in 2025, whether for awards and critical acclaim or popularity among viewers.

Make sure to note down the ones you still need to watch.

1- When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)

Inspired by the youth of Shin Ha-kyun and Kim Go-eun, the drama follows Ae-soon, a girl who dreams of becoming a poet, and Gwan-sik, a loyal and reserved young man.

The story spans decades as it portrays rural island life in the 1980s, structural poverty, Korea’s shifting political landscape, and the struggles of a generation growing up with limited opportunities.

2- Hyper Knife (Disney+)

The series centers on Jung Se-ok, a prodigy neurosurgeon whose career collapses after an impulsive decision. Stripped of both her license and reputation, she begins operating on illegal patients.

The sudden return of her former mentor, Dr. Choi Deok-hee, forces her to confront old trauma.

3- Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (Netflix)

Ha-jin, a gifted contemporary chef, experiences a mysterious incident on an airplane and wakes up centuries in the past during the Joseon Dynasty.

There, she is appointed as a royal cook and forced to work in the palace kitchens, where food becomes both a political tool and a path to healing.

4- Cinderella at 2AM (Viki)

A modern and grounded reimagining of Cinderella. The story follows Ri-an, a woman exhausted from juggling multiple jobs and burdened by family debt. She meets an influential man at 2 a.m. whose presence changes the course of her life, though not in a fairy-tale way.

5- Resident Playbook (Netflix)

A spiritual spin-off of “Hospital Playlist.” The series follows a group of first-year residents as they face grueling shifts, mistakes, personal growth, emotional pressure, and the bonds that grow between new doctors and their patients.

6- Pyramid Game (Viki)

Based on the webtoon of the same name, Pyramid Game takes place in an elite school where students participate in a secret monthly voting system that determines the class’s social ranking. Anyone placed at the bottom becomes an immediate target for bullying, punishment, and exclusion.

The story follows Seong Su-ji, a new student who discovers that the entire school functions like a ruthless social hierarchy and realizes she must fight to break free from it.

7- DNA Lover (Viki)

Geneticist Han So-jin believes that romantic compatibility can be calculated through DNA. When she meets two men who appear to be perfect genetic matches and another who has undeniable chemistry with her, her theory starts to unravel.

8- Branding in Seongsu (Viki)

The story follows director Kang Na-eon and intern So Eun-ho, who cannot stand each other until a mysterious accident causes them to switch bodies.

9- The Judge from Hell (Disney+)

A demonic judge named Lim Kang-ho arrives in the human world to punish criminals who have escaped justice.

She teams up with a mortal prosecutor and together they form a duo that blends dark humor, supernatural justice, and criticism of the legal system.

10- Nightly Photo Studio (Viki)

An introverted photographer possesses the ability to capture spirits in portraits and helps ghosts resolve unfinished business before moving on.

Have you watched all the titles on this list? Do you recommend any? Which K-dramas do you think should have been included here?