Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only thing to look forward to this fall!
From Gumihos, Steve Jobs wannabes, soldiers battling monsters, spouses plotting murder to sweet first loves, October’s got it all. I love suspense/thrillers, so I’m ecstatic to see a lot of them premiering this month. We’ve also got huge stars like Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Lee Dong-wook, Go Ah-ra, and Yoo In-na returning to the small screen.
Please note that we’ve include dramas that started airing in late September, and some of the dates provided below are subject to change due to COVID.
With that said, let’s get to all the treats October is dishing out.
More Than Friends
Genre: Romance
Starring: Ong Seong-wu & Shin Ye-eun
Plot: Friends Lee Soo (Ong Seong-wu) and Kyung Woo-yeon (Shin Ye-eun) discover that the road from friendship to love is lined with many hurdles. After ten years of friendship, will they finally be able to take things to the next level or will they stumble once again?
I feel like Shin Ye-eun has already lived this life in a drama called “Welcome”, but this still looks adorable. Especially if you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope like me.
School Nurse Files
Genre: Supernatural
Starring: Jung Yoo-mi & Nam Joo-hyuk
Plot: Ahn Eun-young (Jung Yoo-mi) is a school nurse with the special ability to see jelly-like monsters that are essentially the result of human desires. She teams up with another teacher by the name of Hong In-pyo (Nam Joo-hyuk) to slay them before they wreak havoc throughout the school.
After being pushed back multiple times due to COVID, this drama’s finally out! All six episodes are available for streaming on Netflix, and they sound delightfully whacky. (V – I for one cannot wait!)
My Dangerous Wife
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Kim Jung-eun & Choi Won-young
Plot: It’s true that you don’t always know what your partner is thinking. Shim Jae-kyung (Kim Jung-eun) is quick-witted and kind, and has been married to chef Kim Yoon-chul (Choi Won-young) for six years. She thinks their marriage is great, but Yoon-chul finds it frustrating and boring. What will he do when she goes missing, and why is he so scared of her?
Hmm…I wonder if the success of “World of the Married” has given us this influx of dramas about messy marriages. Whether that’s the case or not, this drama sounds twisty and delicious. And a bit like “Gone Girl”.
Private Lives
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Seo-hyun (from SNSD! Our 2nd gen maknae’s all grown up!) & Go Kyung-pyo
Plot: Five con artists join forces to bring down a major corporation. Lee Jung-hwan (Go Kyung-pyo) happens to work at said corporation, but that’s not going to stop him and the alluring Cha Joo-eun (Seo-hyun) from leading the charge against it.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good heist drama?
Tale of the Nine Tailed
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Starring: Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah, and Kim Bum
Plot: Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook) is a gumiho (a nine-tailed fox spirit in Korean folklore) living in modern day Seoul. He spends his days catching rogue supernatural creatures and cleaning up messes left behind by the dead. One day he meets Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah), the clever and tenacious producer of a TV show that explores all things supernatural. Because of her interest in the subject and a mystery she’s trying to solve, Ji-ah is drawn to Lee Yeon. But is it merely curiosity? A convenient working relationship? Or an inescapable fate?
Sounds like fans of Goblin/Guardian will eat this up! The first three episodes are up on Viki! (V – I need to catch up on this one! it might be a live recap!)
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
Genre: Romance
Starring: Go Ah-ra & Lee Jae-wook
Plot: Goo Ra-ra (Go Ah-ra) is a talented pianist from a wealthy family. When her family hits rock bottom, she gets job at a piano academy in a small village where she meets Sun Wo-joon (Lee Jae-wook), a mysterious and tortured soul.
Lee Jae-wook of “Search: WWW” fame in his first leading role? It’s about time!
Start-Up
Genre: Romance, Coming-of-age
Starring: Suzy & Nam Joo-hyuk
Plot: Seo Dal-mi (Suzy) doesn’t have much to her name, but dreams of becoming Korea’s Steve Jobs. With the help of math genius, Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) the two navigate the tech world as well as matters of the heart.
An ambitious female lead and a chance to stare at Nam Joo-hyuk’s face for an unhealthy amount of hours??? Sign me up. (V – The posters are so cute with this show!)
Search
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Military
Starring: Jang Dong-yoon, Krystal Jung
Plot: Yong Dong-jin (Jang Dong-yoon) and Son Ye-rim (Krystal Jung) are two soldiers that wind up in a search party. While trying to make it out of the demilitarized zone, they encounter terrifying creatures they must fight in order to stay alive.
Sounds like if I watch this drama, all my fingernails will be bitten off by the end.
Kairos
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Shin Sung-rok, Lee Se-young, Ahn Bo-hyun, and Nam Gyu-ri
Plot: An ambitious executive by the name of Kim Seo-jin (Shin Sung-rok) experiences every parent’s worst nightmare when his daughter is kidnapped. In the depths of despair, he’s somehow able to contact Han Ae-ri (Lee Se-young) a woman living one month in the past. Coincidentally, her sick mother has gone missing, so together they push the boundaries of time in order to find their loved ones.
I love a good time travel drama! This is a really interesting premise and gives me “Signal” vibes.
Phoenix 2020
Genre: Romance
Starring: Hong Soo-ah & Lee Jae-woo
Plot: Lee Ji-eun (Hong Soo-ah), a rich girl from a chaebol family falls in love and marries Jang Sae-hoon (Lee Jae-woo). He runs a small furniture store and works hard to take care of his sick mother. None of that matters to Ji-eun’s father who thinks Sae-hoon is beneath his daughter, and constantly meddles in their relationship. Ji-eun ends up getting a divorce due to that pressure and a heart-breaking miscarriage.
Ten years later, the roles have switched. Ji-eun’s father is dead and she now has to work as a maid to support her family, and Sae-hoon runs a successful cosmetics company.
This drama is a remake of one by the same name that aired in 2004. It was wildly popular and starred Eric Mun (who you’ll see pop up on this list).
If You Cheat, You Die
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Comedy
Starring: Cho Yeo-jung & Go Joon
Plot: When you write mysteries like Kang Yeo-joo (Cho Yeo-jung) thinking up ways to murder people is simply an occupational hazard. But it may be something she’s thinking about more recently since she’s married to divorce lawyer Han Woo-sung (Go Joon). When they tied the knot, he penned a very concerning memorandum consisting of the warning: “If you cheat, you die.”
This is like “World of the Married” with MORE murder! I’m not sure my heart is ready… (V – This show sounds so hilarious, though I have been tricked by Kdramas in the past 😂)
The Spies Who Loved Me
Genre: Romance, Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Yoo In-na, Eric Mun, and Im Joo-hwan
Plot: Kang Ah-reum (Yoo In-na) is a wedding dress designer on her second marriage. Her first was to Jun Ji-hoon (Eric Mun), a spy whose alias is a travel writer and her second is to Derek Hyun (Im Joo-hwan), a mild mannered diplomat who is actually also a spy. One woman. Two marriages. Two spies.
Where does Ah-reum’s heart lie?
I’ve been a huge Yoo In-na fan since her supporting role in Secret Garden. I’ll watch her in anything, including a romantic comedy spy romp.
Penthouse: War In Life
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Eugene, Kim So-yeon, and Lee Ji-ah
Plot: Oh Yoon-hee (Eugene) will do whatever it takes to reside in the penthouse of a coveted building in Gangnam. To her, it’s the pinnacle of success. But we all know you don’t get to the top without ruffling a few feathers…
This sounds like an interesting mix of “Madame Bovary” and High-Rise.
Get Revenge
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Kim Sa-rang & Yoon Hyun-min
Plot: Kang Hae-ra (Kim Sa-rang) is a beloved reporter who shot to superstardom, therefore permitting her to marry rich. After a scandal, she falls from grace. Armed with her anger and determination, she teams up with a cold lawyer who’s also been burned named Cha Min-joon to destroy those who brought them to ruin.
That’s everything, folks! Which ones are you already watching/interested in watching?
I’d love to go for another suspense/thriller, but I’m still recovering from Flower of Evil. Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by that drama.
Kairos! I’m excited to watch Kairos. I hope it will be live capped or reviewed here 😆
Author
Me too! I’m a sucker for time travel/time manipulating dramas.
What’s the best one you’ve ever seen?
I haven’t watched many time travel dramas but the best I watched might be Go Back Spouses and Signal. Kairos on paper sounds like Signal but with a way shorter time frame. The characters are only 1 month apart, I’m intrigued to see how they will interact and change stuff around 🤣.
Author
I feel like Signal is the Godfather of time travel dramas. It was so good and inspired so many other time travel dramas to be made. I bet the writer of Kairos is definitely a fan, because you’re right, they sound very similar.
I’ve never seen Go Back Spouses, but I heard it was good and it kind of reminds me of Familiar Wife.
Author
There are so many dramas coming out this month, so V will have to check her schedule. She’s super busy, but she tries to recap as much as she can for you guys.
I was not familiar with Kairos, but I want to check it out too!
V, I wonder the drama would you live recap. There are many interesting dramas, this October.
I know you are very busy. But I hope tale the nine tailed, search, Kairos, Start Up, do do sol la la sol will you recap or live recap.
I think the one you recap here is recommended. And I must watch.
I will wait your recap, V.
Stay healthy!.
Author
Thanks for the suggestions! Stay safe and healthy as well.