The 20 Best Asian Dramas on Netflix to Add to Your Must-Watch List
No matter what you're in the mood for, these picks are true winners.
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Romance, fantasy, thriller and comedy — Asian dramas have it all. Whether your interest in Asian dramas was sparked after watching Squid Game or you’re a longtime fan looking for new shows to breeze through, there are plenty of Asian dramas on Netflix to start watching right now. From South Korea to the Philippines, the titles vary in compelling storylines, beautiful settings and thought-provoking relationship dynamics.
In case you’re specifically on the hunt for Korean dramas (better known as K-dramas), we’ve got you covered. While the popular subgenre of Asian dramas is often associated with romantic shows and movies, there are also a variety of heart-pumping action releases and sci-fi shows that will instantly capture your attention. That said, we’ve also made sure to put together a list of romantic Asian dramas on Netflix from all corners of the continent that you might just watch in a day. Without further ado, here’s our complete list of the best Asian dramas on Netflix.
Alice in Borderland
Fans of Netflix's hit show Squid Game will want to check out this Japanese sci-fi thriller. After three teenage boys cause a ruckus and hide in a bathroom during a police chase, they reemerge to an empty city. Nearby phones indicate that they've entered a parallel universe, and they must play deadly games to try to make it out alive.
Ashes of Love
The fantasy Chinese drama revolves around Jinmi (Yang Zi) who doesn't know who she really is until she meets Xufeng (Deng Lun). Though he and his half-brother, Runyu (Luo Yunxi), both fall for her, Jinmi is unable to feel anything because of her late mother. Despite not having the ability to feel or express love, Jinmi eventually discovers her true identity.
Business Proposal
This South Korean drama tells the story of Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) who goes on a blind date pretending to her friend Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah). But the unexpected happens. Ha-ri finds herself sitting across from her CEO Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop) and he proposes. Because Ha-ri and Tae-mu haven't crossed paths at work before, he doesn't know that he's been deceived. How long can she keep up the lie?
Crash Landing on You
The romantic dramedy's title is quickly explained at the start of the show when South Korean businesswoman Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) gets caught in a tornado while paragliding. After the storm passes, she realizes that she ended up in North Korea in the hands of Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin). Will he help her get back home or will she have to figure out a different kind of life?
Forecasting Love and Weather
This South Korean drama proves that predicting the weather is as difficult as figuring out love. The first episode features a weather mishap at the Korea Meteorological Administration. But if failing to let people know a hailstorm was on the way wasn't bad enough, Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young) discovers an affair is happening right in her office. It only get tricker from there.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
If you've been looking for a new romantic Asian drama to watch on Netflix, this one will take you to the seaside where two opposites attract. After losing her job in the city, Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) moves to the coastal village of Gongjin. There, she repeatedly bumps into Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), who's beloved by everyone in the community. Unsurprisingly, the pair start to fall in love.
Put Your Head on My Shoulder
Accounting student Si Tu Mo (Xing Fei) feels like she's navigating life on her own as her college graduation dates looms close. But thanks to her mom she meets physics student Gu Wei Yi (Lin Yi) who shakes up her world. As it turns out, his mom also thinks they're a good match and the two figure out their chemistry while living together.
Start-Up
The world of tech becomes a little bit more interesting when you're involved in a love triangle. Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) has ambitions of becoming South Korea's Steve Jobs. But she doesn't have the traditional experience needed to thrive in the start-up world. To complicate matters, she's in love with the wrong person thanks to a scheme her grandmother organized years ago.
Squid Game
When the South Korean drama premiered on Netflix in September 2021, it took the world by storm. What started as a way for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) to pay back his gambling debts unraveled into a life-altering survival game. While witnessing his fellow 455 competitors be killed off one by one, Gi-hun tries his best not to let his desire of money get the best of him. But what about everyone else around him?
RELATED: Netflix's Squid Game Director Teased Season 2 May Bring Its Main Character
The Untamed
Upon its release in 2019, the Chinese drama became one of the most talked-about shows online. The story kicks off when Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) comes back to life 16 years after his death. He reconnects with his soulmate, Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo), and the two work together to figure out who plotted his death. At the same time, Wei Wuxian must deal with other losses in his personal life.
Taj Mahal 1989
Set in Lucknow, India, this dramedy breaks the fourth wall to have frank conversations with viewers about love. The multigenerational characters — played by Neeraj Kabi, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha and Danish Husain — explore the politics of romance through friendships, new love and marriage. With only seven episodes, you could easily watch it over a weekend.
Boys Over Flowers
Whether you’re new to K-dramas or are looking for an oldie but goodie to stream, this might just be your next favorite show. Based on the Japanese manga series, the 2009 South Korean show centers around a working-class student named Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) who attends the prestigious Shinhwa School. While there, she encounters a powerful clique of wealthy male students. Throughout the 25 episodes, she tries to find her place in the school and ends up falling in love with one of them.
Itaewon Class
After his father is killed, Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo-joon) attempts to avenge him and lands in jail. Years later, he’s done serving his time and decides to open up a restaurant in the Seoul neighborhood Itaewon called Danbam. But he still wants revenge against the Jangga Group, who he believes was behind his dad’s death and his prison sentence.
RELATED: The 14 Best Korean Dramas to Watch
Little Things
Kavya Kulkarni (Mithila Palkar) and Dhruv Vats (Dhruv Sehgal) are 20-somethings trying to figure out life together in Mumbai. Throughout the show’s three seasons, viewers watch as the couple's relationship grows and is put to the test when they have to do long distance. The Indian rom-com drama first premiered in 2016 and there are four seasons available to watch right now.
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
Based on the manga of the same name, this Japanese Netflix series is centered around a diner in Shinjuku, Tokyo called Meshiya. It’s known by locals as the Midnight Diner because it’s open from midnight to 7 a.m. The establishment is run by a chef who goes by Master (Kaoru Kobayashi). As long as he has the ingredients on hand, he’ll make customers whatever they want. While they enjoy his food, he learns about their lives.
Million Yen Women
Struggling novelist Shin Michima (Yôjirô Noda) meets five women when they knock on his door one by one claiming to have received an invitation to move in with him. Each woman comes ready to pay a million yen each month for rent. In exchange, Shin can’t ask them any questions about who they are, what they do for a living and why they're there. But over time, the truth starts coming out.
Sacred Games
The New York Times named Sacred Games one of the best international TV shows of the 2010s for a good reason. Inspired by a thriller novel by author Vikram Chandra, the show follows police officer Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) as he tries to stop a terrorist attack in Mumbai orchestrated by Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). The only problem is, he doesn’t know where to start and he only has 25 days.
A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities
When San Francisco engineer Josephine Huang (Peggy Tseng) and Taipei doctor Lee Nien-Nien (Tammy Chen) cross paths, the two are facing different personal challenges. But instead of trying to navigate them on their own, the two women decide to trade lives. As they come to learn, moving to different cities doesn’t necessarily mean that they can leave their problems behind.
A Thousand Goodnights
To learn more about her deceased father and honor his life, Dai Tian-qing (Cindy Yu-Han Lien) embarks on a trip around Taiwan. While meeting people close to her father, she finds love and redemption.
The House Arrest of Us
Enrico "Korics" de Guzman (Daniel Padilla) and Queencess "Q" Capili (Kathryn Bernardo) are ready to get married. Following their engagement, Korics and his family go ask for a formal blessing from Q's family. But while visiting, a pandemic hits and the couple along with their two families are forced into lockdown together.
Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. She is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing.
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