The K-drama industry has been growing rapidly and presenting viewers with gripping series of different genres, including romance, comedy, thriller, action, and more. Most of these shows have sixteen or more episodes. However, in recent years, several Korean drama series have also wrapped up their storylines in eight or fewer episodes.
The Frog is one of the most recent short K-dramas, and it gained popularity for its thrilling storyline and outstanding performances by the lead actors. The 8 Show is another 2024 short thriller Korean series that went on to become a massive hit. On that note, here are some series that are perfect for viewers to binge-watch in one go. Moreover, they are available online on different streaming platforms.
The Frog
The Frog is a psychological thriller K-drama starring Go Min-Si and Kim Yoon-Seok. It premiered on Netflix on Friday, August 23, 2024. From the scripts of Son Ho-Young, the series was directed by Mo Wan-Il.
The Frog shows the ominous story of Young-Ha (Kim Yoon-Seok), a man who owns a vacation rental in the quiet and deep woods. One day, the arrival of a mysterious woman, Yoo Seong-A (Go Min-Si), at the place turns the owner’s life upside down, making it a complete nightmare. The suspicious guest also destroys the peace and order of the lives of other individuals around Young-Ha.
Viewers can watch all eight episodes of The Frog on Netflix.
Death’s Game
Adapted from Lee Won-Sik and Ggulchan’s webtoon of the same title, Death’s Game premiered on December 15, 2023, on Prime Video and TVING. With eight episodes in total, the fantasy thriller series stars actor Seo In-Guk as the main character. Ha Byung-Hoon has served as both the writer and director of the drama.
Death’s Game chronicles the fascinating story of a man, Choi Yi-Jae, played by Seo In-Guk. The series also focuses on the character of Death, portrayed by actress Park So-Dam. After failing to secure a decent job for several years and facing other major hardships in life, Choi Yi-Jae loses all hope and decides to end his life. At that moment, the mysterious being, Death, appears and punishes him for giving up on his life. Death also forces him to experience thirteen different life and death cycles through reincarnation until he earns his last chance to live again.
The K-drama is available to watch online on Prime Video.
Serendipity’s Embrace
Serendipity’s Embrace is a new eight-episode rom-com K-drama that aired on tvN on Monday, July 22, 2024. It is an adaptation of Nam Ji-Eun’s well-known webtoon Is it Fate? and stars Jong-Hyeop as Hyu-Yeong and So-Hyun as Hong-Ju. The eight-episode series revolves around the concept of coincidence and fate.
Serendipity’s Embrace tells the story of Hyu-Yeong and Hong-Ju, who used to go to the same high school before Hyu-Yeong went abroad. Their heartwarming story unfolds when the two meet after a long time and deeply fall in love.
Viewers can watch the Korean short series on Viki and Viu in selected regions.
The 8 Show
The 8 Show is another popular dystopian thriller K-drama series with eight episodes. It aired on Netflix on May 17, 2024. It is a dark-comedy survival drama starring Ryu Jun-Yeol, Bae Sung-Woo, Chun Woo-Hee, Park Jeong-Min, Moon Jeong-Hee, Lee Yul-Eum, and more.
Directed by Han Jae-Rim, The 8 Show follows the story of eight people struggling in life for different reasons. They soon get invited to play a strange game to win large sums of money. However, they soon face social disparity while playing the game, leading to complete chaos.
The series is available to watch online on Netflix.
Some other binge-worthy short K-dramas include Soundtrack #1, The Hymn of Death, A Shop for Killers, and Weak Hero Class 1, amon others.
