Soompi & Viki Staff Talk: What Is Your Favorite Time Travel K-Drama?
When it comes to fantasy dramas, time travel has been a much-loved theme among the years. For the next edition of the Soompi & Viki Staff Talk series, our team members discuss our favorite K-dramas that feature time traveling.
Here are our picks!
Warning: minor spoilers ahead
Sala: “Alice”
Although I haven’t watched many K-dramas about time travel, I remember “Alice” because of its talented cast. “Alice” is about Park Jin Gyeom (Joo Won), an emotionless detective searching for his mother’s killer who ends up investigating time traveling assassins who use a mysterious device called “Alice.” In the process, he meets Yoon Tae Yi (Kim Hee Sun), a genius physicist who looks exactly like his mother. I can’t give away much without delving into spoilers, but the element of time travel and mystery in this drama will have you on the edge of your seat the entire ride, and if you’re a fan of sci-fi, this is the drama for you! Although the story does take some unexpected twists and turns in an effort to weave an intricate story, the convincing acting delivered by the talented leads Joo Won and Kim Hee Sun will keep you immersed until the end. There are also jaw-dropping plot twists incorporating time travel, tying together a mindblowing story of the past, present, and not-so-distant future.
Watch “Alice” below:
Ginny: “Go Back Couple”
In “Go Back Couple,” Choi Ban Do (Son Ho Jun) and Ma Jin Joo (Jang Nara) are unhappily married and struggle through their daily lives of making a living and raising a child. Just when they feel like their marriage is coming to an end, they wake up and find themselves as 20-year-old college students, getting the chance to enjoy campus life again. Back in college, ROTC student Jung Nam Gil (Jang Ki Yong) actively pursues Jin Joo, while Ban Do works to develop his relationship with his first love Min Seo Young (Go Bo Gyeol). Given a second chance on life, will they make different decisions this time, or will they overcome their difficulties together? It’s a must-watch time travel drama that will bring you plenty of smiles and tears!
Watch “Go Back Couple” below:
Sehee: “Reborn Rich”
Imagine getting the chance to rise to the top to take revenge on those who did you and your family wrong. “Reborn Rich” takes you on a rollercoaster ride as Yoon Hyun Woo (Song Joong Ki) dies after being framed by the chaebol family he faithfully served as secretary and is reborn as the family’s youngest son Jin Do Joon. In his new life, he patiently pursues a strategy of massive retaliation against the family. The drama is filled with tension, action, and thrill with a sprinkle of romance. If you enjoy dramas that keep you at the edge of your seat like I do, this is the one for you!
Watch “Reborn Rich” below:
Natalie: “Mr. Queen”
One of the most dramatic K-dramas about time traveling has to be “Mr. Queen,” adventuring back and forth not mere years but centuries! Due to mysterious fate, modern-day male chef Jang Bong Hwan (Choi Jin Hyuk) wakes up in the body of Joseon queen Kim So Yong (Shin Hye Sun), forcing him to cope with not only change of sex, but more significantly, his duties as the people’s queen and the king’s wife. Clueless of who and where she (or he?) is, Kim So Yong’s strange demeanor is more than enough to raise countless eyebrows in the royal court of Joseon. Nevertheless, she finds her way through Joseon’s old-timey ways, bravely adjusting to the sudden changes that surround her (or him… still confused). “Mr. Queen” is a pleasant fusion of mystery, fantasy, comedy, and even romance, so it’s safe to say it has a bit of everything you want in a K-Drama. One of my personal favorites was when Queen So Yong finds out that she is pregnant with the baby of King Cheol Jong (Kim Jung Hyun). What’s supposed to be a merry and blissful moment turns hilarious as the originally male queen copes with the fact that he has a literal human growing inside of his womb! There’s really no reason to waste time not watching this drama—10/10 would recommend!
Watch “Mr. Queen” below:
JJin: “Blue Birthday”
In “Blue Birthday,” Oh Ha Rin (Yeri) burns photos taken 10 years ago in high school in order to save her first love Ji Seo Jun (Hongseok), who died on her 18th birthday. Although the plot sounds tragic, this drama is filled with many heart-fluttering moments and close friendship among the main characters. Additionally, the time-traveling narrative unquestionably highlights and deepens the romance between the leads. You won’t get bored watching the drama not only because Oh Ha Rin constantly keeps finding undiscovered stories but also because of plot twists surrounding Ji Seo Jun’s sudden death. If you love the fantasy genre and believe that dramas shouldn’t be too realistic like I do, “Blue Birthday” is definitely worth a watch.
Watch “Blue Birthday” below:
Winnie: “Again My Life”
Even if you think you’ve seen enough of dramas about time traveling, the addition of terrific action scenes, a lawless lawyer, and revenge makes “Again My Life” a fresh experience worth watching. In this series, Lee Joon Gi plays the role of Kim Hee Woo, who was unjustly killed while investigating a corrupt politician. Luckily, he unexpectedly travels back 15 years into the past after getting a second chance at life, and he decides to live a bit differently this time. What really enhances this drama is Lee Joon Gi’s impressive acting, as he interpreted the roles before and after the reincarnation very delicately.
Watch “Again My Life” below:
Somni: “Familiar Wife”
Starring Ji Sung and Han Ji Min, “Familiar Wife” is a fantasy romance drama that teaches a very important life lesson to not be deceived by familiarity and to not lose the precious one next to you. Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung), who married Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min), gets tired of his wife’s temper as she always yells at him for not doing the housework. One day, Joo Hyuk happens to attain two magical coins that can take him back to the past, and he decides to use them to change his life by marrying his first love Lee Hye Won (Kang Han Na) instead of Woo Jin. Although Joon Hyuk is happy living a prosperous life with Hye Won, he keeps getting entangled with Woo Jin and finds himself being attracted to her. If you are feeling that the person next to you is less important now, “Familiar Wife” is a drama that can enlighten you that it may not be the people around you that changed but your attitude toward them. Although we cannot go back in time and change our lives even if we wanted to, let’s not forget the precious time and memories we spent with the people who have always been there for us!
Watch “Familiar Wife” below:
Yeon: “Tomorrow With You”
Although I am usually not fond of time travel dramas, there is one time travel drama that I never get tired of watching. “Tomorrow With You” tells the story of time traveler Yoo So Joon (Lee Je Hoon) who ends up marrying the bubbly Song Ma Rin (Shin Min Ah) to prevent an unfortunate event he sees in the future. Although the marriage begins with this purpose, they gradually fall in love and work to protect their love and each other from darkness ahead. Yoo So Joon travels through time by riding a subway, and this is portrayed in a quite realistic way that can even attract viewers like me who tend to shy away from the fantasy genre. More than anything, Lee Je Hoon and Shin Min Ah’s chemistry really adds spark to this drama and is what hooked me immediately. They portray an incredibly lovable couple that is impossible not to fall for!
Watch “Tomorrow With You” below:
What is your favorite K-drama that features time traveling? Vote in the poll above, and also let us know other favorites in the comments below!
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