The recent Korean series exclusively streamed on Netflix and created or produced by the said platform known as “Netflix Originals” continue to make Hallyu waves worldwide.
Squid Game (2021) alone attained a whopping 2.28 billion viewing hours since it was released in September 2021 and remained on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for 19 weeks.
Besides the said popular deadly game series, 6 other Netflix Originals of Korean titles also made it to the global charts in 2021 to 2022.
Remarkably, the newest teenage zombie series, All Of Us Are Dead, has surpassed Squid Game’s viewing record on its 1st week of streaming.
Here’s what each Korean show achieved on week 1 in terms of viewing hours:
7. DP: Deserter Pursuit | 8.4 million hours
Synopsis: A young private’s assignment to capture army deserters reveals the painful reality endured by enlistees during their compulsory calls of duty.
Based on: D.P Dog’s Day by Kim Bo-tong
Genre: Drama, Military fiction
No of episodes: 6
Starring: Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, and Son Seok-koo
Written by: Kim Bo-tong and Han Jun-hee
Directed by: Han Jun-hee
Date: August 27, 2021
6. Single’s Inferno | 17.1 million hours
Synopsis: The show follows a group of Korean singles stranded on the deserted island “inferno” of Saseungbong, Ongjin. To leave this inferno, they must pair up with another single to escape for a date night in their paradise, a luxurious hotel away from the island.
Genre: Dating game show
No. of episodes: 8
Starring: An Yea-won, Kang So-yeon, Song Jia, Shin Ji-yeon, Kim Su-min, Seong Min-ji, Kim Jun-sik, Kim Hyeon-joong, Oh Jin-taek, Moon Se-hoon, Choi Sihun, Cha Hyun-seung
Written by: Ji Hyeon-suk, Lee Jeong-hwa
Presented by: Lee Da-hee, Cho Kyu-hyun, Hong Jin-kyung, and Jung Han-hae
Date: December 18, 2021 – January 8, 2022
5. The Silent Sea | 22.2 million hours
Synopsis: During a perilous 24-hour mission on the moon, space explorers try to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility steeped in classified secrets.
Based on: “The Sea of Tranquility” film in 2014 created by Choi Hang-yong
Genre: Sci-fi, thriller, mystery
No. of episodes: 8
Starring: Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, and Lee Sung-wook
Written by: Park Eun-kyo
Directed by: Choi Hang-yong
Date: December 24, 2021
4. My Name | 41.7 million hours
Synopsis: Following her father’s murder, a revenge-driven woman puts her trust in a powerful crime boss — and enters the force under his direction.
Genre: Action, Noir, Crime film
No. of episodes: 8
Starring: Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon, and Ahn Bo-hyun
Written by: Kim Ba-da
Directed by: Kim Jin-min
Date: October 15, 2021
3. Hellbound | 43.4 million hours
Synopsis: Unearthly beings deliver condemnations, sending individuals to hell and giving rise to a religious group founded on the idea of divine justice.
Based on: Hellbound webtoon by Yeon Sang-ho
Genre: Drama, Dark fantasy
No. of episodes: 6
Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-ah and Yang Ik-june
Written by: Choi Kyu-sok
Directed by: Yeon Sang-ho
Date: November 19, 2021
2. Squid Game | 63.1 million hours
Synopsis: Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.
Genre: Survival Drama, Thriller, Fiction
No of episodes: 9
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung
Written and directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Date: September 17, 2021
1. All Of Us Are Dead | 124.7 million hours
Genre: Coming-of-age; Zombie apocalypse
Synopsis: A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out — or turn into one of the rabid infected.
Based on: Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun
No of episodes: 12
Starring: Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hoo, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Solomon and Yoo In-soo
Written by: Chun Sung-il
Directed by: Lee Jae-kyoo and Kim Nam-su
Date: January 28, 2022
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