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Hidden Gems/Underrated Romantic Dramas

#48

I wonder this every time this topic comes up. I swear every ‘underrated gem’ article I read lists a bunch of shows that are actually pretty highly rated. And even if the word ‘underrated’ is used but what is really meant is ‘underappreciated’ or ‘not often discussed/recommended’, that still doesn’t always apply because I swear all the ones I ever see on those lists seem quite popular and are recommended everywhere I go. I still haven’t figured it out.

The original poster never specified that they were only looking for Kdramas, so I think it’s okay for it not to be in the Kdrama category. But it’s also reasonable to expect that a lot of the recommendations will be Kdramas, given that they make up so much of Viki’s content.

#49

I think this is for things people would not normally think to watch! Now My Underrated Gems might not be your Underrated Gems - Like Wok of Love - is a gem to me - but someone else might overlook it -
I know there are some HIDDEN ones that are so good that no one even knows about them!!!

Like “Thank You” I recommended above!

#50
#51

I simply enjoyed this. It’s definitely not for everyone. If you’re someone who easily falls for 2ml you’ll hate this. Not because the ml is bad or anything but because the 2ml is worth loving too.

Good ending.

#52

I’d say that “underrated gems” are shows that have a low number of watchers and a mediocre rating. They are usually “hit-or-miss” dramas. You either LOVE it or hate it.
Like Tomorrow With You. I LOVED this drama, but not many people know about it, and lots of people hat it. Another example is WATCHER. You loved the drama but I got bored. And not many people know about it.


I also think @choitrio’s collection here has a lot of dramas that are truly underrated gems, according to me.
Underrated Gems | choitrio

#53

That’s always how I think of the term, too, but when I see lists in online articles or such, I feel like a lot of the shows they recommend as underrated do not fall into either of those categories.

I think this thread got some good suggestions of truly underrated gems, though.

#54

I think I mentioned this one in another thread - I loved it - and the food is yummy - but hidden away drama!
some tropes but I loved his restaurant and the way they filmed the cityscapes too.


I have not watched this yet - but it doesn’t get mentioned much and I love the ML - different kind of love triangle however

#55

One more I never hear talked about and I absolutely LOVED it

Another Oh Hae Young!!! And his job is so DIFFERENT!


And this is like a soap - and not great sets etc and the family made me crazy
but Park Hyung Sik is brilliant in his part and I loved the couple so MUCH!!!
Just for them a hidden GEM

#56

Or maybe it’s because the average age of most active Vikians here is higher than the average age of drama viewers who engage in social media in general? True Beauty was wildly popular everywhere but we hardly even talked about it, while we had huuuuuge discussions on dramas like Bossam. We also tend to avoid school/young idol dramas, while those become really popular with the younger crowd. The classics seem to be slowly fading from the drama scene because of the influx of new, young drama fans.

#57

Good point. I went through my MDL last night to try to find some dramas that I have rated highly but that have relatively low (or very low) viewership numbers. I came up with roughly 10 of them. Here are just a few:

Octogenarians and the 90s | Rakuten Viki - This is slice of life, so some might find it boring. Not a lot of action or tension but mostly lovely, heartwarming stories.

Should We Kiss First | Rakuten Viki - This might appeal to the ‘older’ folk here in Discussions. I know I was pleased to watch something with characters closer to my own age.

Into The Ring | Rakuten Viki - The fact that this involves ‘politics’ might turn people away, but coming from someone who would usually agree, this incorporated the political parts in a way that was not at all off putting. The FL is quirky but determined and strong, doing the best she knows how to make her neighborhood a better place for all.

The Imperial Coroner | Rakuten Viki - We’ve talked a lot about this one here in Discussions, but it is still relatively unknown (based on number of viewers) here at Viki in general. It’s so excellent.

Find Me in Your Memory | Rakuten Viki - This is the most watched of this group on MDL (though still low in comparison to the most popular), but it has a relatively low number of reviews on Viki. I just finished it, and it was really good.

#58

I have been wanting to watch the Imperial Coroner -

I have thought about Should We Kiss but looked really SAD to me!

Definitely watching Find Me In Your Memory

#59

This one is an older one, but I still love it, and now it is under the title Love & Law, but when I watched it the title was The Lawyers of the Great Republic of Korea, which is a pun on of the ML’s name, which can fly under the radar now that you no longer have to deal with this long title.
Why did I like it, because of the characters, the play of the actors.

Another one that wasn’t talked about that much, but I found good in story telling and acting, was this one. Anyone else seen it?

Not available in my region, can’t tell how it is in other regions.

#60

You know me and how I feel about sad things. This was surprisingly UN-sad considering its subject matter. Not that there weren’t sad moments. I almost ran away in the middle, thinking that I was headed for true heartbreak, but overall it was handled in a very heartwarming, uplifting way right until the very end. There was even some good comedy in it. I was really glad I stuck with it.

#61

I’m watching Naked Fireman right now!!! Older but it is pretty good! Nice Filler!

#62

LOL Yes, it did not only for the story, but as well the actors pulled me in. I like such a drama now and then, like Alone In Love, Crazy In Love, … Those who go through a lot, rather than fluffy, I will watch these.
Actors who can carry such a character. A Wife’s Credentials and so on, …

Imperial Coroner was a good watch, and that it was created with a small budget makes it even better.

#63

The really did. I immediately wanted to find everything else they were in and watch it.

#64

I really enjoyed ‘Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned’ It’s not your typical romance, and it’s somewhat sad, but it’s also beautiful in many ways. Not fast paced, or happy go lucky, but it’s good.

#65

This is short and I just found it - not sure if it is a GEM or not - but it might be!???

#66

I don’t know how others feel about these dramas but with less than 2000 votes, not low rating though …
I did find them - one by accident, because I like the actor, and the other was recommended to me. I like them both. Ode to Joy is a Gem because it portrays the development of a friendship between 5 women, different in lifestyle, character and view of life.

#67

If you like apocalyptic/medical plots here’s one I stumbled upon and really liked:

I am a fan of this type of genre. I think I binged it in 2 days. The romance is more like camaraderie but the leads did amazingingly well. The writers didn’t oversaturate it with fluff, considering the theme of the drama it makes sense.

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