There’s something about mythical fantasy Korean dramas that really appeal to me — maybe it’s the way the characters are woven seamlessly into the storyline.
We all love K-dramas because they take us into a fantasy world. But, unlike your usual crime and romance dramas, these six mythical fantasy K-dramas will take you on a fairytale journey through their impressive plot, quirky characters, and awesome production.
1. Goblin
This show needs no introduction, and any real k-drama fan would have seen Goblin before. The series stars heartthrob Gong Yoo as a military general, Kim Shin, during the Goryeo dynasty who was reincarnated as Dokkaebi (Goblin) with an immortal life — sounds like a blessing? Well, not when you’re a 900-year-old guardian of souls.
While the Dokkaebi tries to find the human bride to end his immortality, he crosses paths with the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and Ji Eun-Tak — a high school senior whose mother was saved by Kim Shin many years ago.
One day, Ji Eun-Tak tells Kim Shin that she knows he is the Goblin and that she is his bride. Is this high school senior really the true “goblin bride”? And does she have the power to end Kim Shin’s misery?
Available on Netflix.
2. Mystic Pop-up bar
Most people would visit pochamacha (or korean street dining) for its snacks and drink some soju. But in Mystic pop up bar, you get more than just a unique dining experience. The mysterious pop-up bar run by Wol-Ju (Hwang Jang-Eun) only operates at night — as do most pochas — and is frequented by two groups of people; regular folks like you and me, and the dead.
Fun fact: Wol-Ju herself has a pretty sad backstory and she is actually a 500-year-old ghost who has been reincarnated to help the people on earth. Together with her team, Wol-Ju will visit her customers in their dreams and help them resolve their grudges.
If you’re looking for something heartwarming yet packed with comical scenes, this drama is certainly one to add to your watch list.
Available on Netflix.
3. Heartbeat
You might have seen this new Twilight-esque mythical fantasy k-drama flooding your TikTok feed. This said drama is Heartbeat and it stars the charismatic Vincenzo actor and 2PM member, Ok Taec-yeon. Taec-yeon plays the half-human half-vampire Sun Woo-hyeol who wants to ditch his vampire self and be a real human man. If he wants to become a man, he has to lie in a special coffin for 100 days. But, as life would have it, his 100 days rest quickly gets interrupted.
The person who interrupted Woo-hyeol is none other than Joo In-hae (Won Ji-an), who is known by those around her to be a very cold-hearted person. Funnily enough, she ends up being the reason why Woo-hyeol wants to become a human.
The show follows Joo In-hae as she goes from becoming the sole-inheritor of Sun Woo-hyeol’s mansion to being Woo-hyeol’s love interest. Will this love story be a tragedy or romance? Only one way to find out! All I will say is I’m only one episode in but I’m already hooked.
Available on Prime.
4. Hotel del Luna
This is hands down my favourite drama that stars IU and is probably the first drama that comes to mind when you ask about mythical fantasy k-dramas is complete without this mention. In Hotel del Luna, IU plays Jang Man-Wol, a greedy and suspicious soul who has spent thousands of years (unwillingly) acting as the CEO of a hotel. But this isn’t your ordinary hotel. Dressed behind an old and run-down building located in the heart of Seoul, the hotel transforms into a luxurious hotel for both the alive and the unalive.
Man-Wol is bound to this hotel so that she won’t go berserk and act on her hatred and thirst for revenge. Until she can manage her emotions, she is bound to this odd establishment forever. But things slowly take an interesting turn when Goo Chan Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) shows up. His frugal nature might just be what Man-Wol and the hotel needs.
Available on Netflix.
5. Doom at Your Service
Echoing similar vibes to Goblin is Doom at Your Service. But from the get-go, the show sets out to tell a much different story. The series follows Dong-kyung who is about to die from a terminal illness. One day in a drunken stupor, she makes a wish for the world to end. Her wish catches the attention of the deity of doom, Myulk Mang (Seo In Guk). He strikes a deal with her: that they have to live together for 100 days before he grants her her wish.
But of course, it’s not as simple as it seems and it’s not a true Korean drama if there isn’t some element of love involved. Upon meeting Dong Kyung, he finds her delightful and is fascinated by how her wish wasn’t to get her life back — because that’s what most of us would wish for.
This mythical fantasy k-drama will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside, while also embracing the little joys of life.
6. The Uncanny Encounter
The Uncanny Encounter is actually based off a pretty popular webtoon — Amazing Rumour by Jang Yi — and a bit like ghostbusters or X-Men. The series follows a team of “counters” — or people with extraordinary powers — who have the abilities to sense and fight evil spirits. These evil spirits take on the form of regular folk and they gain power each time they kill someone.
It’s nice to see a superhero series set in a country outside of America and it seems only fitting that the series is set in the land of K-drama. This whacky mythical fantasy k-drama definitely breaks away from the regular mould of K-dramas although there is your typical romance plot but if there’s one thing for sure, you can certainly expect a ton of action in this series. As far as mythical fantasy k-dramas go, this one certainly checks all the right boxes.
Available on Netflix.
Do you believe that vampires, ghosts, and evil spirits could be walking among us?
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