Part 2 of the 3-part list of nine (9) must-watch historical fantasy Korean dramas.
(4) Our Blooming Youth (2023)
A Joseon-era mystery where a cursed crown prince and a fugitive noblewoman uncover conspiracies, false crimes, and a hidden truth from the past.
Set during the Joseon dynasty, Our Blooming Youth follows Crown Prince Lee Hwan, a man haunted by rumors and fear. Whispers claim he murdered his brother to secure his position, and when he receives a mysterious “ghost letter” predicting his downfall, he begins to believe he is truly cursed. A series of frightening incidents only deepens his paranoia and isolation.
Min Jae Yi, a noblewoman with a sharp mind, faces her own nightmare after being falsely accused of murdering her family. Hunted as a fugitive, she remembers her father’s dying words: “Protect the crown prince.” To reach him, she disguises herself as a eunuch named Go Soon Dol. Jae Yi convinces Lee Hwan that the curse and ghostly events are elaborate tricks rooted in science, not superstition. They form an alliance—he will help clear her name if she helps uncover the truth. Their investigation reveals a dark incident from a decade earlier that links both their fates.
(5) The Forbidden Marriage (2022)
A Joseon romantic comedy where a grieving king bans all marriages and a bold con artist pretends to channel his dead queen’s spirit.
Set in the Joseon era, The Forbidden Marriage tells the story of King Lee Heon, who remains devastated seven years after the death of his beloved queen. Declared a suicide, her death left him so traumatized that he refused to remarry—effectively banning marriage throughout the kingdom. Each year, on the anniversary of her death, another young woman is found hanging, reopening the king’s wounds and worsening his fragile mental state.
Ye So-rang, a clever con artist imprisoned for fraud, sees an opportunity for survival. Claiming to be possessed by the spirit of the late crown princess, she convinces the desperate king that she can channel his beloved from the afterlife. In truth, it is all an act. Ye So-rang is a noblewoman presumed dead after her stepmother’s failed murder attempt, now living by her wits alone. Her plan is simple: deceive the king long enough to escape the palace. But as emotions deepen and secrets unravel, the line between deception and healing begins to blur.
(6) Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead (2018)
A Joseon-era mystery comedy where a brilliant detective investigates vampire rumors, strange deaths, and a sinister quest for immortality.
In Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead, eccentric genius Detective Kim Min and his loyal assistant Seo-pil are summoned by the king to investigate a string of mysterious deaths in a remote village. The victims have been drained of blood, sparking rumors of a vampire—or “living dead”—terrorizing the countryside. As fear spreads, the unlikely duo encounters suspicious villagers and a mysterious woman with possible ties to the undead.
Though this is Detective K’s first brush with the supernatural, he remains firmly grounded in logic and reason. Refusing to believe in vampires, he searches for a scientific explanation behind the horrors. The investigation leads to a hidden laboratory where rogue scientists are experimenting with an immortality potion. As secrets surface, Detective K must determine whether the living dead truly exist—or whether fear itself is being used to disguise darker human crimes.
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