Are you looking for the best royal Korean Drama recommendations? Korean dramas are known to have a variety of genres. There are some viewers who prefer Korean thriller Korean dramas or crime series, while others prefer romance that makes us feel shy and awkward.
In addition, there are also those who like Korean dramas with historical backgrounds that depict a certain era in the past.
Well, in this article, Dafunda will discuss the best royal Korean drama recommendations based on the ratings on IMDb.
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Best Royal Korean Drama Recommendations
15. Moon Embracing The Sun (2012) – 8,0/10
“Moon Embracing The Sun” the best royal drama that takes place during the Joseon Dynasty, tells the story of the oldest royal dynasty in Korea. The story specifically depicts a love triangle between a prince, the half-brother of a neglected concubine, and a female shaman.
Compared to other royal Korean dramas, “Moon Embracing The Sun” stands out in terms of sets, costumes, and cinematography that truly reflect the era. With a perfect flow and narrative, the drama manages to keep its audience glued and not bored.
14. Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016) – 8,0/10
The next royal Korean drama recommendation features the debut of Kim tae-hyung (V BTS) as an actor who was highly anticipated at the time. In addition, this royal drakor also features famous actors such as Park Seo-joon and Park Hyung-sik.
The best Royal Korean drama “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth” tells a romantic story that focuses on a group of young men from society’s elite. The drama is set during the time of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-935 AD), where the Queen sends her son away from the palace to protect him from the kingdom’s enemies.
Having grown up, the crown prince and his followers waited for the right time to show themselves. However, the Queen later felt worried about the nobles who once tried to usurp the throne and decided to form an elite army, the Hwarang, without realizing that the crown prince was also part of the group.
The Hwarang Army itself aims to protect the crown prince’s throne and outweigh the power of the existing factions, although its members do not realize that the person they are protecting is the crown prince among them.
13. Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) – 8,1/10
The next best royal Korean drama recommendation features K-Pop star Cha Eun-woo. “Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung”, which premiered on Netflix in 2019, focuses on the comedy and romance genres. However, viewers will also uncover many historical facts.
In this royal drakor, there are two storylines: one takes place in early 19th century Joseon and the other 20 years earlier. The first plot is lighter with a lot of humor, while the second plot is a series of flashbacks depicting unjust oppression.
This Korean drama also presents a love story between a free-spirited woman who wants to be a historian and a prince who is secretly a romance writer.
12. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) – 8,1/10
The 12th best royal korean drama features handsome actor Lee Min Ho.
The King: Eternal Monarch is a romantic drama series set in two parallel worlds, the Korea we know today and another Korea where constitutional monarchy is the form of government.
The plot begins with the younger half-brother, Lee Lim, who is ambitious to take over the Manpasikjeok, a mystical flute that has the power to open gates to parallel worlds, from his older half-brother, the king of Korea, and his son.
At that time, Manpasikjeok was separated into two parts, with Lee Lim managing to steal the first part and escape, while the second part was kept by Crown Prince Lee Gon who witnessed the king’s death firsthand.
At that moment, Lee Gon found an unfamiliar object at the scene, a police identification card hook with the name Jung Tae-eul, a police officer from another parallel world, the Republic of Korea. From then on, the two are connected and eventually build a story at one time.
11. Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People (2017) – 8,2/10
This royal Korean drama recommendation is set during the reign of the 10th king of the Joseon Dynasty. For most viewers, this drama may feel very similar to the classic Robin Hood story.
The story in this royal drakor tells of a servant boy who has no social status and no space for himself.
He, Hong Gil-dong, chooses to become the leader of a band of thieves who aim to steal and restore the rights of the poor, while King Yeonsangun oppresses his people in an inhumane way. It also tells the story of a queen who cannot forget her first love, who turns out to be Gil-dong.
10. Deep Rooted Tree (2011) – 8,2/10
“Deep Rooted Tree”, originally a historical novel by Lee Jung-myung, is an interesting choice for royal drama lovers looking for thrills. The main plot centers on a royal guard investigating a series of murders of Jiphyeonjeon scholars.
Although not the main focus, this best royal Korean drama also presents romantic nuances. The story focuses on Ddol-bok, a former slave of the young king. The king has caused the death of his in-laws and slaves to protect them from his father. However, this slave is determined to survive.
As time goes by, Ddol-bok instead becomes a royal guard who wants revenge but gets involved in a mysterious murder. The creation of the Korean alphabet as the mystery unfolds could give or take away power.
9. Kingdom (2019) – 8,3/10
The next best royal Korean drama recommendation is Kingdom which was released in 2019.
Kingdom is a royal drakor adapted from a web comic titled “Land of the Gods” by Kim Eun-hee. The web comic was first published by RHK in July 2015 and has been made into two seasons of the series.
Set in Joseon-era medieval Korea, Kingdom’s story centers on crown prince Lee Chang who is assigned to a dangerous mission to investigate a mysterious plague sweeping across the kingdom.
When Lee Chang discovers that the outbreak is a very scary zombie infection, the truth becomes a threat to the kingdom.
8. Empress Ki (2013) – 8,4/10
The 8th best royal korean drama is Empress Ki, which was released in 2013. “Empress Ki” is a well-known work both at home and abroad, much loved by many thanks to its interesting story and stunning performances.
It is a royal Korean drama that tells the life journey of a Korean woman who becomes an influential empress in China, against the backdrop of love, war, and politics.
Ki Seung-nyang managed to reach the pinnacle of power despite the barriers of the class system at the time. In order to become empress, she married the Emperor of the Mongol Empire despite still having love for her first love.
For you, be warned that you may be drawn into the deep love between the Emperor and the empress’ ambition.
7. Jewel In The Palace (2003) – 8,5/10
The next royal Korean drama recommendation comes from a fairly legendary korean drama. This royal drakor used to air on our national private TV.
If you feel that Korean dramas are overrated, try adding to your watch list by watching “Jewel In The Palace”, a globally acclaimed drama.
This royal korean drama takes place during the Chosun Dynasty and tells the real-life story of a woman named Jang-geum who managed to become the first royal physician in Korea.
“Jewel In The Palace” focuses on Jang-geum’s struggle as a woman in a society where men dominate, and with its historically relevant storyline and outstanding cast, this Korean drama has managed to capture the attention of viewers around the world.
6. Mr. Queen (2020) – 8,6/10
This Korean drama titled “Mr. Queen” is a royal drakor with a historical comedy genre that is guaranteed to make the audience laugh out loud with its funny dialogues and scenes.
The drama combines elements of the present and the past, with the story of a chef who is gaining popularity, but has an incident and wakes up in a very different era.
The chef was not only thrown into the Joseon Dynasty era, but also turned into a woman who was a queen. Not an ordinary woman, but a queen.
Although the king at that time seemed relaxed and gentle, it turns out that he had a dark side and secrets that the “queen” gradually revealed. The chef’s modern life and the Joseon era begin to mix when corruption occurs in the royal palace.
5. The Great Queen Seondeok (2009) – 8,6/10
The best royal Korean drama Queen Seondeok, is still considered one of the most popular and has good reasons for that. The drama is full of conflicts and political struggles that draw the audience in.
The main character, Princess Deokman (Lee Yo-won), is sent from childhood to fight a royal concubine who has ambitions to rule and become queen. She was raised by a loyal servant and from there she learned about her true origins.
She struggles not only to regain her rights as heir to the throne and bring down the concubines, but also to seek justice for her twin sister. The play guides viewers through her journey as queen and the challenges she faced behind the scenes.
4. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) – 8,6/10
These best royal drakor recommendations are for fans who want a bit of fantasy and time travel associated with historical romance.
The drama generally did well and gained great popularity overseas, partly because audiences were familiar with it as it was a new version of a Chinese television show.
In this royal Korean drama about changing bodies, a 25-year-old woman is thrown back to the year 941 and meets a prince from the Wang family. The drama is full of love triangles, good guys and bad guys.
The heroine falls in love with a kind prince but is also attracted to another prince who hides his face with a mask. In her quest for love, she finds herself caught up in risky palace politics and competition for the throne.
3. Mr. Sunshine (2018) – 8,7/10
In this popular royal Korean drama, Lee Byung-hun played the character Eugene Choi and Kim Tae-ri played Go Ae-shin. Mr. Sunshine is well-loved by K-drama fans. Because it is a melodrama that combines an interesting love triangle and an amazing utilization of historical facts.
Fans praised the accuracy of the historical depiction and timing. Unlike other dramas, it is set in the period before Japan annexed Korea in the late 19th century.
Eugene Choi, once a slave, escaped to the United States and became a member of the Marine Corps. Later, he returned to Joseon on a mission, but instead fell in love with a noblewoman who had a secret identity as a soldier.
2. Six Flying Dragons (2015) – 8,8/10
The royal drakor “Six Flying Dragons” is considered a prequel to “Deep Rooted Tree”. This is because of the character-centered storyline based on real figures and their role in the formation of the Joseon Dynasty.
The drama centers on the character Yi Bang-won, a prince and future king who was instrumental in his father’s establishment of the dynasty. “Six Flying Dragons” offers various elements, including character development, thrilling action scenes, drama, and riveting political conflicts.
1. Alchemy of Souls (2022) – 8,8/10
The best royal korean drama recommendation that comes first on this list is Alchemy of Souls.
Hwanhonsool, the concept of a dead soul returning to life. This concept is a crucial element in the play. People are “trapped” in this fate and souls occupy bodies that don’t belong to them because of greed.
The story is set in the country of Daeho. A nobleman named Jang Uk, the son of the famous witch, Jang Gang, has a birth secret that is the talk of the entire country.
She is portrayed as a mischievous figure who deliberately does not use her powers because her energy door was closed by her father. Jang Uk accidentally meets Mu-deok, a soul transmitter, where the soul of Naksu, a shadowy assassin, is trapped inside Mu-deok’s weak body.
Mu-deok then becomes the servant of Jang Uk, who learns that he is Naksu and asks him to become her teacher in order to tap into the locked magic power. This best royal Korean drama has been praised for its incredible visuals and talented cast.
Those are 15 recommendations for the best royal Korean dramas that are very captivating and have a deep impression on the audience. Of the various royal Korean drama films above, which one will you watch?
