5 Underrated K-Dramas That Deserve More Love (And Why You Should Watch Them)

Explore 5 underrated K-dramas worth watching.
These hidden gems offer heartfelt stories and depth.
Add them to your watchlist now.

Have you ever felt that quiet tug inside, that longing for a story that doesn’t scream for your attention but slowly seeps into your heart? In the bustling world of Korean dramas, where flashy titles dominate headlines and trending charts, many equally brilliant works quietly go unnoticed. They might not have broken viewership records or gone viral on social media, but they offer something deeper: stories that feel real, characters that linger in your memory, and emotions that stay with you long after the screen fades to black.

These underrated K-dramas are like hidden companions. They don’t chase the spotlight, yet they hold worlds within them. And if you give them a chance, they might just give you more than entertainment: they’ll make you reflect, heal, and see life a little differently. Here are five underrated gems that deserve far more recognition than they received.

1. My Liberation Notes (2022)

What does “freedom” mean when life feels like an endless loop of work, commute, and unspoken emptiness? My Liberation Notes explores this deeply human question through the lives of three siblings, Yeom Chang Hee, Yeom Mi Jung, and Yeom Ki Jung, stuck in the monotony of rural life outside Seoul. Every day is predictable, draining, and numb, until a mysterious stranger, Mr. Gu, enters their lives, sparking a quiet but profound journey toward emotional liberation.

The brilliance of this series lies in its subtlety. It does not rely on dramatic twists or loud conflicts; instead, it uses silence, hesitant conversations, and small acts of change to depict the ache of loneliness and the yearning for more. Its philosophical dialogue and delicate pacing make it one of the most introspective dramas in recent memory, a story for anyone who’s ever felt stuck yet hopeful.

• National Rating (Korea): Premiered with 2.9% and peaked at 6.7% nationwide (Nielsen Korea)
  
• IMDb: 8.2/10 from 6.5k+ viewers
  

2. Prison Playbook (2017)

What happens when your entire life turns upside down overnight? Prison Playbook follows Kim Je Hyuk, a professional baseball star whose world collapses when he ends up behind bars after an act of self-defense. But this is not a bleak prison drama. It is a surprisingly heartwarming, often funny, deeply human story about friendship, growth, and finding redemption in unexpected places.

The show excels in portraying inmates as complex human beings rather than stereotypes. As Je Hyuk navigates life behind bars, we meet a wide range of characters with rich backstories that challenge our ideas of guilt and forgiveness. Prison Playbook reminds us that freedom is not always about leaving a cell. Sometimes, it is about confronting your past and making peace with yourself.

• National Rating (Korea): Started at 4.6% and soared to a peak of 10.9% in its finale (Nielsen Korea)
  
• IMDb: 8.4/10 from 5.9k+ viewers
  

3. Just Between Lovers (Rain or Shine) (2017–2018)

Some wounds never truly heal, but maybe they do not have to. Just Between Lovers tells the story of Lee Gang Doo and Ha Moon Soo, two survivors of a devastating building collapse who continue to live under the weight of trauma, guilt, and grief. As they cross paths, their shared pain slowly transforms into understanding, comfort, and eventually, love.

What sets this drama apart is how it handles trauma with tenderness and authenticity. There is no exaggerated melodrama here, only quiet, painful truths told through gestures, pauses, and conversations that feel achingly real. Junho and Won Jin Ah’s chemistry captures the raw vulnerability of two people learning to live again, making their love story deeply moving and unforgettable.

• National Rating (Korea): Averages ranged between 1.7% – 2.2%, peaking near 2.3% (Nielsen Korea)
  
• IMDb: 8.1/10 from 3.9k+ viewers
  

4. Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)

For many, work is just a necessity. But for Jang Geu Rae, it is a new battlefield. A failed professional baduk (Go) player, he enters a trading company as an intern without the qualifications of his colleagues. What follows is a raw, heartfelt exploration of corporate life, from suffocating hierarchies and office politics to moments of quiet triumph and resilience.

Misaeng stands out for its unflinching realism. There are no sweeping romances or sensational twists, just the everyday struggles, small victories, and unspoken frustrations of office life. It resonates deeply with anyone who’s ever felt inadequate, lost, or stuck in their career, and it shows that success is not always about reaching the top. Sometimes, it is about surviving and growing.

• National Rating (Korea): Peaked at 8.4% nationwide, making it one of tvN’s most acclaimed workplace dramas (Nielsen Korea)
  
• IMDb: 8.5/10 from 3.1k+ viewers
  

5. Because This Is My First Life (2017)

Marriage is not always about love, at least not at first. Because This Is My First Life follows Yoon Ji Ho, a struggling scriptwriter, and Nam Se Hee, an introverted engineer who has sworn off traditional marriage. The two enter into a contract marriage for practical reasons, sharing a home, but their arrangement slowly transforms into something far more complex and heartfelt.

This drama dares to question deeply ingrained social norms: gender roles, societal pressure to marry, and what it really means to build a life with someone. Its conversations are sharp and thought-provoking yet delivered with warmth and humor. Lee Min Ki and Jung So Min’s natural chemistry keeps the story grounded, and its portrayal of love as something that grows out of daily life, rather than grand gestures, makes it stand out from typical romantic comedies.

• National Rating (Korea): Began at 1.4% and climbed to 4.9% nationwide (and 5.8% in Seoul) by the finale (Nielsen Korea)
  
• IMDb: 8.0/10 from 10k+ viewers
  

These five dramas might not have dominated trending charts or broken rating records, but each one tells a story that lingers, stories of healing, growth, loneliness, and love in all its quiet forms. They are the kind of shows that stay with you long after you finish them. If you are ready for stories that dig deeper than surface-level entertainment, give these underrated gems a chance. They might just change how you see life, love, and yourself.

Sources: Nielsen Korea, IMDb, JTBC, tvN, Wikipedia, Soompi, The Korea Herald