As many of you who have read my reviews know, I'm a K-drama nut. 'The Girl Who Can See Smells,' is among those I am a fan of, but, what about the other dramas in the same genre?  Well, they're long since finished, their entire runs archived on various drama sites so that we can watch them without having to wait a whole week between episodes. So I'll stop rambling, and share a few of my favorites:

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IRIS

Two men, as close as brothers, are pitted against each other by their boss, the corrupt leader of a covert anti-terrorist organization. High-octane and expensive, this is practically an action movie made for the small screen in episodic format. Top notch performances (like assassins Kim So Yeon and Big Bang's T.O.P), breathtaking action sequences, and heartrending scenes put this show on my list.   

TWO WEEKS

A careless slacker finds out he has a daughter stricken with leukemia. He can save her with his bone marrow, but this isn't the least of his problems as he is accused of murder. Can he clear his name and save his dying daughter? This is another of those dramas that tugs on your heart even as it pulls you to the edge of your seat -- my kind of show.

GOLDEN CROSS

Kang Do Yun is on the fast track to becoming a successful prosecutor... until his father is imprisoned for the murder of his sister. By extension, he is shamed, as well. Can he avenge his family and clear his name, especially when his opponents are the richest men in Korea? I love action and I love conspiracies. Is it any surprise this show made my list?

VAMPIRE PROSECUTOR

Who better to solve crimes than a vampire, who can tell where and how murder victims died simply by smelling and tasting their blood? A vampire, Min Tae Yeon, becomes a prosecutor, who solves supposedly uncrackable cases while searching for the vampire who "turned" him seven years ago. The teaser only shows the action sequences. But check out the series and you'll find romance, intrigue, and danger are all inextricable parts of the whole thing. I have a love-hate relationship with mass-market depictions of vampires (even before 'Twilight'), but this is an example of vampires done right.

GOD'S GIFT - 14 DAYS

What happens when a time travel series meets a murder mystery? This show. A girl is kidnapped and killed, and her mother gains the power to travel back into the past -- two weeks, to be precise -- and races to stop the killer. Helping her is a badass ex-cop trying to clear his name. Together they uncover more than they bargained for. This is one of those shows that I was on the fence about, until I bit the bullet and watched. Not a dull moment, conspiracies and action abound. Just, um, don't watch the ending.

TRIANGLE

Three brothers are orphaned and separated. One becomes a cop. Another, an errand boy for thugs. The third is adopted by a rich family. It all comes to a head when fate brings these three brothers together, and their lives will never be the same. Action, manipulation, deception, and greed are all part and parcel of this series, much of it centering around a casino. The ending is quite bittersweet. Jaejoong of JYJ and Siwan of ZE:A star.

GABDONGI

After 17 years, a murderer once again resumes his killing spree. Mu Yeom, son of the accused killer, is a detective, and believed Gabdongi to be dead. Intrigue, romance, and misdirection are just some of the things you'll find here. I enjoyed the show even as I despised its excesses. If you can look past those, it's actually fairly entertaining. Former MBLAQ member Lee Joon puts in a top-shelf performance as a creepy serial killer. Plus, where else can you find a show where an inspector beats his subordinate with a chair?

GHOST-SEEING DETECTIVE

Detective Yoon Cheo Yong can see, hear, and touch ghosts. He's had this ability since birth. He solves unsolvable crimes with the aid of a femme fatale partner, and, well, a ghost. Grim, creepy, and humorous, the drama features SECRET leader Hyosung as the ghost. She did a great job being alternately adorable and fickle, given to teenage mood swings and recklessness -- a great counterpoint to the driven cops she hangs out with. The kid with the missing mom kinda made me tear up, though.

CITY HUNTER

Lee Jin-Pyo (that, strangely, rhymes with Lee Min Ho) is trained to be a killer by his late father's friend, and vows to wreak vengeance on the government officials responsible for his father's murder. This is based on the anime/manga series, which I am a fan of. This was one of those shows I was kind of annoyed by as the first episode was grim, grimmer, and grimmest. The second was similar. Then all of a sudden, it took on a light, humorous tone. This wasn't the show I started watching! I still gave it more chances, and it grew on me. Cars + guns + Lee Min Ho = awesome.


 

ATHENA: GODDESS OF WAR

Probably the first of these kinds of dramas I ever watched, this thing cost a pretty penny (or would that be won?) to produce: a price tag of $17 million. A spin-off of Iris, it also featured espionage, double crosses, explosions, and incredible amounts of military-grade hardware going boom. I loved the impossible romance between the leads -- impossible because they were on opposite sides! If you're looking for idols, this one stars another, Siwon, the one from Super Junior, in a killer supporting role.

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Which ones are your faves? Any that didn't make the list that are must sees? Let me know!