Mark Your Calendars this March for These K-Dramas

We are now almost one-quarter into 2021! Has any drama topped your favorites list yet? Read on to check out the K-Dramas you definitely should set a reminder for when they drop because they are full of potential to be your next obsessions.

Love Alarm 2

Yes! After a year and more of waiting, the second season of the highly anticipated series is finally here. For those unfamiliar with the series, here’s a quick refresher.

Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, Love Alarm is a romance drama set in an alternate reality where people find love through a cell phone application that alerts users when someone within a 10-meter radius has feelings for them. Kim Jo Jo (Kim Sohyun), Hwang Sunoh (Song Kang), and Lee Hyeyeong (Jung Garam) are entangled in a three-way love triangle, in a world in which people can only express their love through the app.

Love Alarm is really meant to be a multi-season show with just how short the first season was. There were certain plot points that seemed like setups for the upcoming season, and if you are dropping the series altogether because the first eight hours might be a little inconceivable, we really recommend giving the new season a chance to truly understand the characters. 

With the second season finally upon us, viewers can now get some answers to the bizarre motivations of certain characters (hopefully), as well as the rushed time skip. Speaking about time skip, we’re hoping season two spice things up and portrays some mature forms of love since they covered the youthful romance and infatuation back in the first. The beauty of Love Alarm is how all the main leads are inherently flawed in the ways they approach love. 

Plus this is Song Kang’s comeback since the success of Sweet Home last year—what’s not to love? 

Premieres: March 12

Streaming source(s): Netflix

Joseon Exorcist

This historical thriller drama takes place after the establishment of the Joseon dynasty. It is about the undead who come back to life after being killed by the royal family. Prince Chungnyeong (Jang Dongyoon) is a bookish young man who is forced into battle to protect Joseon from the evil spirits. King Taejong (Kam Woosung) is a ruthless monarch who sets out to control the evil spirits who have taken over the kingdom but inwardly feels guilty for the bloodshed he participated in to help his father found the Joseon dynasty. Meanwhile, Prince Yangnyeong (Park Sunghoon), the other son of King Taejong, enters into a dangerous contract with the evil spirits in order to protect his loved ones.

The first series that comes to mind when watching the trailer has definitely got to be Kingdom, a Netflix original series that heavily features zombies and the undead. Some details that might be worth looking into is how the undead in Joseon Exorcist are referred to as evil spirits instead of zombies, indicating that these evil spirits may behave differently and have unique folklore tied to them. 

We are excited to see what twists Joseon Exorcist has in store to differentiate itself from Kingdom. Nonetheless, if it is half as good as Kingdom, then it can be assured that it will rake in the ratings. With the screenwriter of Mr. Queen, Park Kyeok, and a rising actor Jang Dongyoon involved in this project, Joseon Exorcist has the potential to be a hit series. 

Premieres: March 21, every Sundays and Mondays

Streaming source(s): To Be Confirmed

Navillera

Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, Navillera tells the story of Shim Dukchool (Park Inhwan), a man who begins ballet at the age of 70, and Lee Chaerok (Song Kang), a 23-year-old ballerino who gets lost while chasing his dreams.

Although Chaerok possesses extraordinary talent as a ballet dancer, he struggles with the harsh realities and odds pitted against him from succeeding. After he becomes disillusioned, he meets a one-of-a-kind student: Dukchool, who changes Chaerok’s perspectives.

From the get-go, Navillera’s plot and setup are truly one of a kind. It sounds highly similar to the slice-of-life genre, yet seems like it is going to be very uplifting and inspiring. It is also an interesting twist on the typical tropes and cliches, with Navillera being a story of a younger ballerino as a teacher to a much older man. The K-Drama also describes the relationship between the two to be an “unusual bromance,” and we think it’d be nothing short of heartwarming. In the midst of our fast-paced lives, the simplicity of this series can be a great healing time for many of us during its run. Another win for Song Kang’s fans this March! Just prepare some tissues as it might become quite emotionally charged in its later half.

Premieres: March 22, every Monday and Tuesday

Streaming source(s): To Be Confirmed

You Make Me Dance

Song Shion (Chu Youngwoo) is a 22-year-old university student and contemporary dance major. His family disapproves of his lifestyle choices and career ambitions – and after a major dispute, he has been thrown out of the family home. He decides to continue pursuing his dreams, leading him to share a rooftop apartment with Jin Hongseok (Won Hyunghoon), a 28-year-old debt collector for the lending firm Chachacha Capital. Hyunghoon works for CEO Cha (Lee Sooryeon) who also appears to have a crush on him.

Hongseok has long given up on his dreams to pursue a lucrative career, but spending time with Shion has made him reconsider his current life. Over time, the two form a close bond that eventually turns romantic. Unfortunately, social pressures – as well as the affections of CEO Cha and senior student Jung Hoon (Bigflo’s LEX) – are obstacles they have to overcome. 

You Make Me Dance is produced by W-STORY, the very same creators who produced Mr. Heart and Where Your Eyes Linger. It’s crazy how several months back we were still concerned about the longevity of this genre in the region but it does seem like the Boys’ Love genre is here to stay for now. With just eight episodes long as per usual, we are hoping that the drama will cover more substantial topics this time. 

Premieres: February 26 

Streaming source(s): Viki

Hello, Me!

Ban Hani (Choi Ganghee) is a 37-year-old single woman. As a temporary employee at work, she is constantly worried that she might get fired over something. She is generally subservient and timid to the people around her. Every day she feels lost and defeated until one day, her spunky younger self (Lee Re) appears in front of her demanding change.

Younger Hani is the queen bee at her high school, full of confidence and energy. She’s greatly disappointed when she meets her older self, who cowers when treated unjustly. With their fateful meeting, the pair begin a project to boost older Hani’s self-esteem.

Han Yoohyun (Kim Youngkwang) is the only chaebol son of the president of Joa Confectionery. Born with a golden spoon, he is a free spirit who still hasn’t matured. One day, he was kicked out of his house with nothing by his father in an attempt to make Yoohyun independent.

We are honestly more interested in the self-discovery aspect of the drama than the romance, but the premiere episodes did a great job setting up for the leads’ romance-line by showing their contrasting personalities well. From what is aired so far, Hello, Me! is full of light-hearted fun and jokes littered across the duration of the episode that most viewers would enjoy. So as long the series is able to keep up this tone and energy, it might really just get us to finish the entirety of the series without us planning to do so in the first place. 

Streaming sources: Netflix

Oh! My Master

Han Bisoo (Lee Minki) is South Korea’s top thriller drama screenwriter in South Korea. Oh Jooin (Nana) is a popular actress best known for starring in romantic comedies. Both of them share a similarity: they both are bad at romantic relationships. They form a unique bond as they live together.

Not much is currently revealed about this MBC series, but we definitely have high expectations for it considering that the leads have shown great progress in their acting. Just look at their visuals. Both of them can literally wear unflattering loungewear for the whole series and still make us watch the entirety of the episodes. 

Premieres: March 24, every Wednesday and Thursday

Streaming source(s): To Be Confirmed

Conclusion

That’s it for this March’s releases! tvN’s Mouse will also premiere this March 3, so don’t miss it! Some dramas are not in this listicle but we will cover them next month when more details are released. Till then—happy watching!