It’s been another excellent year for k-dramas on Netflix. From zombies, to neurodivergent attorneys and to drug cartels, there’s been a little something for everyone thoughout the year. Here are our top 10 Netflix Original k-dramas released in 2022.
Despite there being no worldwide phenomenon like Squid Game for Netflix in 2022, k-dramas have never been more popular. From this list alone, the total number of hours viewed in the top 10 exceeded 2,600,000,000 million hours (2.6 billion), proving that k-dramas continue to be some of the most popular and consumed content on the platform.
Let’s check out what we think are the best k-dramas on Netflix of 2022:
10. Our Blues
Genre: Drama, Romance | Runtime: 56 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 105,150,000 Million Hours
Some soup for the soul is a binge-watch of Our Blues. Heartwarming and charming, the drama is one of the best that Netflix has had to offer in 2022.
9. My Liberation Notes
Genre: Drama, Romance | Runtime: 64 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 47,270,000 Million Hours
Slice-of-life stories are often some of the most relatable, which is why My Liberation Notes resonated so heavily with many subscribers. If you’re looking for a k-drama that leans more heavily on the philosophical side over romance, then My Liberation Notes is the perfect k-drama to add to your watch list.
8. Little Women
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller | Runtime: 78 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 163,520,000 Million Hours
There have been many adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel, however, we’re not sure if Little Women had ever been turned into a thriller until screenwriter Jung Seo Kyung came along. The series performed exceptionally well on Netflix, and in South Korea where it currently sits in 25th place as the highest-rated cable drama.
7. Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Genre: Drama, Romance | Runtime: 75 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 171,610,000 Million Hours
From the good to the bad there is currently a huge amount of nostalgia for all things 90s. Over the years there have been some stand-out k-dramas set in the decade, in particular, Reply 1994 and Reply 1997. Twenty-Five Twenty-One is definitely up there with one of the best dramas set in the backdrop of the South Korean financial crisis, and throughout a period of turmoil, there is always hope your aspirations, and dreams can be achieved.
6. Tomorrow
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Thriller | Runtime: 60 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 32,800,000 Million Hours
Arguably the biggest underperformer in the global top tens of this year, but quite easily one of the most enjoyable k-dramas, it is almost criminal that Tomorrow hasn’t received the credit it deserves for being an exceptional series.
Perhaps it was the heavy subject matter surrounding suicide, which may have led to the series not resonating with subscribers around the world. Regardless, Tomorrow is deserving of a binge.
5. Narco-Saints
Genre: Crime, Drama | Runtime: 63 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 130,350,000 Million Hours
Not to be mistaken the excellent Narcos franchise Netflix has already established, but still a fantastic series in its own right. There were some phenomenal performances from the likes of Hwang Jung Min and Ha Jung Woo that made Narcos Saints a personal favorite of ours this year.
4. Business Proposal
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance | Runtime: 61 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 279,110,000 Million Hours
At the start of 2022, A Business Proposal was an early front-runner for being one of the best k-dramas of the year. A wonderful romantic comedy, the series is the perfect show to shut your brain off for a few hours and enjoy some light-hearted and sweet content. The global hours reflected this, as the drama is the second most-watched weekly k-drama series on Netflix in 2022.
3. Under the Queen’s Umbrella
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Historical | Runtime: 70 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 110,460,000
Thanks to yet another exceptional performance from Kim Hye Soo, Under the Queen’s Umbrella has been one of the most enjoyable new k-dramas on Netflix this year. Not to mention, the chemistry between Kim Hye Soo and the rest of the cast also helped propel the heartwarming, witty and charming series to become the 10th highest-rated cable drama of all time in South Korea’s history.
While the viewing hours are down considerably compared to how well it performed in South Korea, we must implore any avid k-drama fan to add this immediately to their watch list, and binge.
2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Genre: Drama, Law, Romance | Runtime: 77 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 662,090,000 Million Hours
Every year on Netflix there is a weekly k-drama that just resonates with subscribers more than any other. In previous years we’ve seen excellent shows like Crash Landing on You and Vincenzo become stand-out performers on Netflix, and in 2022 that title belongs to Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Not only did the series perform exceptionally well on Netflix, but in South Korea, it is currently the 8th highest-rated cable drama of all time in the nation’s history.
Fans can even look forward to a second season, which is scheduled for release in 2024.
1. All of Us Are Dead
Genre: Horror | Runtime: 66 mins
Total Hours in the Global Top 10s: 659,510,000 Million Hours
Who would have thought that pairing the talented film makers of Korea and zombies would yet again be another smash hit for Netflix? The streaming service had already seen huge success with Kingdom and #Alive but quite easily All of Us Are Dead is the biggest release of the three.
Despite not being the most watched k-drama of 2022, when you take into consideration there are significantly fewer episodes, with much shorter run times, All of Us Are Dead is most definitely the biggest k-drama on Netflix in 2022.
What was your favourite k-drama series on Netflix in 2022? Let us know in the comments below.
