I, like many K-pop fans, was pleasantly surprised by the news ofWonder Girls’leaderSunannouncing hermarriage this coming January. I thought that the entire story of the celebrity singer meeting the giving humanitarian and then falling in love was kind of like a fairy tale story tailor made for a Korean drama and if there’s anything that I like as much as K-pop, it’s a good, old fashioned Korean drama.

Korean dramas, a.k.a. K-dramas, are basically the Korean version of the miniseries; a story told over a set run ending in a single season. While some dramas are longer than others, it’s not like American television where a single show can span multiple seasons (although there have been a few of those sprinkled here and there as well). Storylines typically revolve around what I call theClassic Korean Drama Love Triangle (CKDLT)which is the story of a poor nice girl meets rich nice guy but rich-bad boy guy also falls in love with poor nice girl and shows her he has a heart of gold as well. Tears and drama ensue, throw in some dissent from the overbearing CEO father and a life-threatening disease, and you have yourself a K-drama.

Although I do enjoy my share of more recent shows, the ones that I remember and still consider the best are from back in the day. I started writing this with the thought of listing my top 10 favorites but I realized there was no efficient way to do this in one post so I decided to break it out into two separate posts. This week’s list will focus on my top 5 dramas from the years: 1995-2000. I know I’m missing some big ones so add your own and let’s start talking dramas!

Sandglass (The Hour Glass) – 1995

If America has ‘The Godfather’, then Korea has ‘Sandglass’. This is without question the best and most bad ass Korean drama ever made. The drama stars now legendary actorsChoi Min Soo,Go Hyun Jung, andPark Sang Wonas three friends growing up in politically turbulent 1970’s and 1980’s Korea. ‘Sandglass’ follows their journey as they each take different paths in life but remaining connected through love, friendship, and hardships. The drama also features one of the best known songs from a drama and it isn’t even Korean. “Cranes” sung by Russian singerJoseph Kobzonis a haunting melody which is pretty much defines the tone and mood of the drama. I don’t think I can properly explain the phenomenon that was Sandglass. It is a cultural touchstone that discussed topics and moments in history that were still considered off limits at the time, like theGwangju Uprising of 1980. There are urban legends that describe the nearly complete silence of Korean streets when the drama aired because everyone was inside watching. The peak episode reached a rating of 64.5% so it’s not completely unbelievable to think that the legend might actually be true. The finest K-drama I’ve ever seen.

Star in My Heart – 1997

‘Star in My Heart‘ is another groundbreaking drama and one of the very first that was geared toward a younger generation. This was the first drama that I saw with the “Classic Korean Drama Love Triangle (CKDLT)” and the roles were famously filled out by actorsChoi Jin Shil,Ahn Jae Wook, andCha In Pyo. ‘Star in My Heart’ went on to become one of the most watched dramas of all time becoming a massive hit and sent the three actors into super stardom making them household names. I actually watched this drama a few years after it aired but by then I had heard of the actors and the song “Forever” which was spun off by Ahn Jae Wook from the drama. This drama is also a sad reminder of the tragic loss of Choi Jin Shil. I’m not 100% familiar with all the facts of hersuicideso I won’t go into any detail but, watching this drama makes you realize the magnetic appeal she had and the tremendous talent that was lost. This drama is a happy reminder of sunnier days and one of my absolute favorites.

Propose – 1997

When I was in high school, I had heard rumblings about this amazingly hot actress namedKim Hee Sunand this drama she was in called ‘Propose’. I stopped by my local Korean video store/pharmacy/seller of various housewares, rented the videos, and that’s when I fell in love. To satiate my cravings, I made my weekly visit to the video store/pharmacy/seller of various housewares, watched each episode and dreamed of meeting a girl just like Ji Woo (Kim Hee Sun’s character in the drama). Alas, I realized that because I didn’t look like co-starRyu Shi Wonand his rolled up blazer sleeves that the dream would probably never be fulfilled. The story of my life… Kim Hee Sun really was one of the biggest and most popular actresses of that time in Korea and across Asia. Even though she was hot in the drama, like fine wine,I think she might be even hotter now than she was back then. Other must see Kim Hee Sun K-dramas include ‘Mister Q‘, ‘Wedding Dress‘, and ‘Tomato‘. Side note: This drama also features a a very young and oddWon Binas well.

All About Eve – 2000

‘All About Eve‘ was actually a lot more complex than the normal “Classic Korean Drama Love Triangle (CKDLT)” and was actually a love square starringJang Dong Gun,Chae Rim,Kim So Yeon, andHan Jae Suk. I believe this was the breakout role for both Chae Rim and Kim So Yeon and of course, both would go onto become big stars. I’m assuming I don’t even have to mention how huge Jang Dong Gun is but to reiterate, the guy is a pretty big deal. The basic plot is that Chae Rim has a happy childhood which is kind of turned upside down when Kim So Yeon enters the family because of her father’s death working for Chae Rim’s father’s company. Kim So Yeon is ambitious and greedy but more than that, resentful and jealous of Chae Rim’s idyllic life. So Kim So Yeon’s character basically makes it her life’s work to destroy Chae Rim; like Voldemort’s smoldering hate of Harry Potter. There’s a few twists and turns but ultimately, a happy ending. Side note: The girls ofFin.K.Lsang the theme song for the show which is how I was first introduced to eventually watch the drama. The power ofLee Hyori.

Autumn in My Heart – 2000

I started watching this drama because I had a fairly decent sized TV (at the time) with aVCRin my college apartment and girls would come over in droves, invading my space, to… watch the latest installment of ‘Autumn in My Heart‘. At first I was dismissive of this cheesy love story, considering myself too cool to watch such sappy television and the next thing you know, I was sucked in. Maybe it wasWon Bin‘s disproportionately large head compared to his body, maybe it wasSong Seung Hun‘s perfectly manicured eyebrows, or maybe it wasSong Hye Kyo‘s chubby hotness. Whatever it was, something made me watch and watch I did. ‘Autumn in My Heart’ was the springboard for the careers of the three actors just mentioned and also introduced us to a youngMoon Geun Youngand you know how the rest of this story plays out. Yes the story line was a bit weird with the incestual undertones of sisters switched at birth and former brothers falling in love but the drama was loved by many and is now considered a classic.

Those were my 5 favorite dramas from 1995-2000 although there were about 3-4 more that I really wanted to add. Stay tuned for next week when we get into the years of 2001-2005. Until then, happy drama-ing!