LE SSERAFIM’s 12 K-Drama Picks For Viki’s Pass It On Campaign

K-pop group LE SSERAFIM partnered with streaming platform Viki on October 14 to launch their latest brand campaign called “Pass It On,” which shines a spotlight on the group’s favorite television dramas. The initiative invites viewers to discover and share the shows that have captured the hearts of the group members, spanning multiple genres and storytelling styles across the K-drama landscape.

The 12 dramas selected by LE SSERAFIM offer a diverse viewing experience, ranging from romantic adventures that bend the rules of time to supernatural worlds populated by immortal beings, action-packed narratives about secret operatives living double lives, and feel-good romantic comedies about second chances. Each selection reflects different aspects of storytelling that K-drama fans value, whether seeking escapism through fantasy elements or emotional resonance through character-driven narratives.

Time-Slip and Supernatural Romance

The Past and the Impossible

“Lovely Runner” appears on LE SSERAFIM’s list as a time-slip romance grounded in a popular web novel adaptation. The story centers on Im Sol, played by Kim Hye Yoon, a devoted fan who becomes devastated after learning about the death of her favorite star Ryu Sun Jae, portrayed by Byeon Woo Seok. Rather than accept this loss, Im Sol travels backward through time with the singular goal of preventing Ryu Sun Jae’s death. The drama uses its temporal mechanics not as a gimmick but as the emotional core of its narrative, where love and obsession drive a character to rewrite history itself.

Immortality and Human Connection

“Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” takes audiences into a supernatural realm where an immortal being desperately seeks an escape from eternal life. Gong Yoo plays Kim Shin, a goblin cursed to live forever unless he finds a human bride willing to pull the sword from his chest and end his existence. Along his journey, he encounters an amnesiac grim reaper, brought to life by Lee Dong Wook, who becomes an unlikely companion and confidant. The romantic tension builds when Ji Eun Tak, played by Kim Go Eun, enters the narrative as a girl whose strange fate becomes intertwined with Kim Shin’s quest for mortality. The 10th anniversary of the drama’s original release has also been included on the group’s watchlist. The show balances supernatural mythology with intimate human relationships, creating layers of meaning beneath its fantasy premise.

Blurred Realities

“W” presents a different approach to narrative complexity by literally blurring the boundary between the real world and fiction. Han Hyo Joo portrays Oh Yeon Joo, a woman searching for her missing father, only to be pulled into the completed webtoon world that he created before his disappearance. Once inside this fictional universe, she meets Kang Cheol, a character portrayed by Lee Jong Suk who exists as the protagonist of her father’s unfinished masterpiece titled “W.” Kang Cheol serves as an Olympic gold medalist and self-made millionaire within his webtoon reality, but the collision between Oh Yeon Joo’s real identity and Kang Cheol’s fictional existence generates romantic chemistry that transcends the boundaries between worlds.

Elite Schools and Social Hierarchies

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“Heirs” focuses on the intersection of extreme wealth and social inequality within the context of a prestigious high school. The story centers on Kim Tan, portrayed by Lee Min Ho, a chaebol heir from one of South Korea’s most powerful families, and Cha Eun Sang, played by Park Shin Hye, whose family works for Kim Tan’s household as domestic staff. Despite the class barrier between them, romantic feelings develop between the two protagonists. The drama extends beyond their connection to examine how the rest of the school’s elite population treats those from more modest backgrounds who become unexpectedly involved in their world. The series uses the school setting as a microcosm for larger questions about privilege, power, and whether love can transcend economic divides.

Fantasy, Action, and Double Lives

Culinary Magic and Unexpected Quests

“The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” blends military comedy with fantasy gaming elements. Park Ji Hoon takes the lead role as Kang Sung Jae, a cook who works in the army preparing meals for soldiers. His ordinary existence transforms when a mysterious quest window suddenly materializes before him, similar to interfaces found in video games. This magical window sets Private Kang Sung Jae on a path toward culinary legend, where cooking becomes not merely sustenance but a craft tied to supernatural destiny. The series uses humor alongside fantasy as Kang Sung Jae navigates this unexpected calling within the constraints of military service.

Motherhood and Lethal Secrets

“A Bona Fide Killer” examines what happens when someone balances the demands of motherhood and employment with a job that carries deadly consequences. Kong Hyo Jin plays Yu Bo Na, who presents herself to colleagues and the outside world as nothing more than the manager of Sales Team 3 at a company called Durumi Electronics. In reality, Yu Bo Na is a legendary sniper known by the alias “Kingfisher.” The action drama pivots around her attempt to maintain work-life balance while operating in an industry where exposure would mean danger. The show promises high-stakes action sequences while grounding the narrative in the emotional complexity of protecting loved ones from the truth of one’s occupation.

Time Travel and Soul Exchange

“Dive into You” combines soul-swapping mechanics with time-travel narratives in a fantasy romance setting. Kim Ji Yeon portrays Yoon Ha Na, a successful actress whose life takes a dramatic turn when an accident causes her soul to exchange places with her twin brother Yoon Ha Ru, played by Jang Se Hyuk. After the swap, Yoon Ha Na finds herself thrust backward through time, where she must confront the death of her first love, Jung Woo Jae, a character embodied by Park Seo Ham. The premise allows the drama to explore love across temporal boundaries and the question of whether one can save the past from the present.

Romantic Comedies and Reunions

“Dream to You” reunites two characters years after they parted ways. The series follows Woo Soo Bin, portrayed by Hwang In Youp, a genius film director who returns home after successfully achieving his professional ambitions abroad. There, he reconnects with Ju Yi Jae, played by Hyeri, a reporter who once dreamed alongside him but has since forgotten those earlier aspirations. The romantic comedy draws its energy from watching two people rediscover each other and their past shared dreams.

Based on a popular webtoon, “Positively Yours” follows two characters who have both decided marriage is not in their future. Kang Du Jun, portrayed by Choi Jin Hyuk, and Jang Hui Won, played by Oh Yeon Seo, share a one-night stand that produces unexpected consequences that neither anticipated. The romantic comedy hinges on the ways that unplanned circumstances can derail carefully constructed decisions and open people to possibilities they had previously rejected.

Complex Characters and Moral Ambiguity

“Dear X” centers on Baek Ah Jin, portrayed by Kim You Jung, an A-list actress who accomplished her rise to prominence through calculating manipulation of those around her. The drama does not shy away from her ruthlessness; rather, it examines how she maintains a beautiful public facade while trampling on colleagues and peers beneath her climb to stardom. The series presents a character study of ambition without conscience and examines the toll of such a lifestyle.

“To My Beloved Thief” blends historical setting with magical body-swap elements. Nam Ji Hyun plays Hong Eun Jo, a woman who unexpectedly becomes known as a bandit named Gil Dong. Moon Sang Min portrays Yi Yeol, a royal prince of Joseon who becomes entangled with Hong Eun Jo after a soul exchange occurs between them while he is pursuing her. The historical fantasy examines how fate and circumstance can bring unlikely pairs together across social and political boundaries.

“While You Were Sleeping” grants its protagonist a dangerous gift. Suzy plays field reporter Nam Hong Joo, who possesses the ability to glimpse future events before they unfold, yet remains powerless to prevent most of them from occurring. Lee Jong Suk portrays prosecutor Jung Jae Chan, who eventually acquires the same precognitive ability. The pair’s intertwined fates drive a narrative that questions whether knowing the future grants genuine power or creates merely the illusion of control.

Source: Soompi