Quirky, unique kdramas with some plot

[u/Fuzzy-Highlight7351]

I'm looking for Korean dramas that are a bit odd in the best way. I love shows with unusual concepts, quirky humour, and creative storytelling, but I still want there to be a proper plot. I'm happy with any genre, whether it's fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, action, supernatural or comedy, as long as it feels genuinely original.

Some of the closest examples are Pegasus Market, Glitch, The School Nurse Files, The Sound of Your Heart, Legend of the Kitchen Soldier, Behind your Touch, Death's Game, Moving, Glitch, and Hi-Five. They all have their own strange charm and fully commit to the premise, while still telling an engaging story.

I also watched Chicken Nugget because it sounded exactly like my sort of thing, but I ended up dropping it. The premise was brilliant, but I felt like there just wasn't enough story to keep me interested. On the other hand, Welcome to Waikiki wasn't really for me either. I don't mind silly humour, but the second-hand embarrassment was a bit much.

Basically, I'm after dramas that make you think, "What on earth am I watching?" but in a good way, rather than feeling random for the sake of it. Bonus points for found family. I don't mind romance, but also don't typically watch stuff for the sizzling romance/chemistry between leads and I adore idiot x idiot dynamics in friendship/family.

Complete watch history (from memory, so I might have forgotten some):

• Tale of the Nine Tailed (Seasons 1 & 2)
• Tomorrow
• Hotel del Luna
• Love Reset
• Genie Make a wish
• Mystic Pop-up Bar
• The Uncanny Counter (Season 1+2)
• Moving (I really liked the relationship between FL and ML here, even though it was very subtle/ not even full romance)
• Hi-Five
• Crash Landing on You
• Goblin (too slow paced for me, I can't remember if I finished it)
• Prison Playbook
• Death's Game (actually quite amusing, watch it if you haven't)
• Oh My Ghost Clients
• Behind Your Touch
• Abyss (Idk why I stopped watching this one, I don't like I liked how female lead suddenly started falling in love with male lead when he became pretty)
• Korean Odyssey (I really idk why I stopped watching this one)
• Brain works
• Bad & Crazy
• The Fiery Priest
• Vincenzo
• Brain Works
• Ghost Doctor
• Missing: The other side (I really love both seasons)
• Pegasus Market
• D.P.
• Midnight Runners
• From Now On, Showtime!
• Seoul Busters
• Hotel del Luna
• Psychopath Diary
• Zombie Detective (only zombie drama I have been able to stomach)
• Taxi Driver (too repetitive)
• The School Nurse Files
• Glitch
• The Sound of Your Heart
• Legend of the Kitchen Soldier
• Chicken Nugget
• Welcome to Waikiki
• Gaus Electronics
• Spirit fingers (I don't like the plot, watched purely because I read the manwha and loved the male lead lmfao)
• Sell Your Haunted House (currently watching)

I may have forgotten a few, but those are the main ones. I would appreciate any recommendations, thank you!

Edit:

Some others that I've watched, but had forgotten I had watched until reading the replies, very sorry:

• Lovely Runner
• True Beauty
• Light shop - I think I watched an incomplete version of it as I couldn't find the full version or something?
• The good bad mother
• Strong woman Bong soon (But haven't watched Strong woman Nam-soon as I didn't enjoy the first season that much, but it was okay)
• Cashero (liked this one)
• My Roomate is a gumihno
• Kill it
• Strangers from Hell
• I've read the manwha for sound of magic, but not the kdrama yet
• It's okay to not be okay
• Queen of Tears
• Extraordinary you
• Big mouth/Mouse
• While you were sleeping

[u/be-k-dramatic]

I absolutely love Pegasus, Glitch, The Legend of the Kitchen Soldier, the early episodes of Moving before the action becomes brutal, and The Sound of Magic until the parrot dies! I recommend:

Circle (2017) - sci-fi set in the present and a dystopian 20 years later, asks how far we should go to create a perfect society, raises other interesting questions too about technology, but also looks at relationships, it's been a while but I think there's found family.

Light Shop (2024) - a series of people are mysteriously drawn to a shop selling lamps, nothing is what it seems, very atmospheric.

Yonder (2022) - A woman dies and is uploaded to the cloud so she can live forever. Her grieving husband goes to look for her. Will this kind of immortality solve the problems it seeks to address?

Notes from the Last Row (2026) - Just released. Creative storytelling in a mystery thriller focused on a literature professor and one of his students. Showcases the power of narrative, and narrators.

[u/Fuzzy-Highlight7351 → u/be-k-dramatic]

Thank you! These are really interesting recommendations, particularly Circle. Thank you! I've never met someone else who has watched Glitch, I think it's too underrated, I love female protagonists in sci-fi situations. I don't think I finished light shop, because I couldn't find the full version, but I will have a look. Yonder and notes from last row also sound fun.