KPop Demon Hunters is a cultural phenomenon, but many K-dramas also fit the bill. Following the mystical lives of singers who protect the world from ancient evils, KPop Demon Hunters is one of Netflix’s biggest success stories to date. The animated musical film was the perfect blend of comedy, fantasy, and heart-wrenching drama, all accompanied by award-winning original songs.

From the instantly iconic character designs of Rumi (Arden Cho), Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), and Mira (May Hong) to the seamless incorporation of creator Maggie Kang’s Korean heritage, the sheer originality of KPop Demon Hunters made the film a breakout sensation. As the agonizing wait for the KPop Demon Hunters sequel drags on, however, these 12 K-dramas make perfect substitutes.

The King: Eternal Monarch

An Emperor Discovers His Evil Uncle’s Portal To A Parallel World

Similar to KPop Demon Hunters, The King: Eternal Monarch is all about an alternate history that’s rooted in musical magic. The 2020 romantasy K-drama centers on Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), the ruler of the Kingdom of Corea who uncovers a dangerous portal to another world opened by his vengeful uncle, Lee Lim (Lee Jung-jin).

Beyond having one of the most fearsome K-drama villains ever, The King: Eternal Monarch is full of thrilling battle sequences and complex family politics. Lee Lim’s lust for power knows no bounds, and the only one who can save both universes from his wrath is Lee Gon— if he can repair a mythical flute called the Manpasikjeok, that is.

Business Proposal

A Modern Classic Starring A KPop Demon Hunters Voice Actor

Thematically speaking, Business Proposal is nothing like KPop Demon Hunters. Nevertheless, it’s a must-watch for every fan due to one major throughline: Ahn Hyo-seop. In Netflix’s musical blockbuster, he voices Jinu, the demonic leader of rival K-pop group Saja Boys. In a stunning display of his acting range, Ahn Hyo-seop stars in Business Proposal as the vastly different Kang Tae-moo.

Throughout the romantic K-drama, Kang Tae-moo is caught in a web of lies as he falls for Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong), an employee he enlists to pretend to be his girlfriend. Despite their relationship being built on deception, Tae-moo and Ha-ri have a delightful love story that makes Business Proposal one of the best fake dating K-dramas of all time.

Mystic Pop-up Bar

An Endearing Spitfire Employs A Magical Human To Break Her Centuries-Long Curse

After Weol-ju (Hwang Jung-eum) drains the power of a magical tree in her dying moments, the god of the underworld issues a curse: before she can be freed, she must help 100,000 people find peace. 500 years later, Weol-ju stumbles across Han Kang-bae (Yook Sung-jae), a human with the inexplicable power to use his touch as a truth serum.

In the highly binge-worthy K-drama, Weol-ju hires Kang-bae as a part-timer at her eponymous pop-up bar. Together, the pair work to end Weol-ju’s curse by helping one customer at a time. The supernatural mystery may veer into melodrama at times, but it’s a nonetheless entertaining watch that can easily be binged in a single weekend.

The Heavenly Idol

A Supernatural Warrior Swaps Bodies With A K-Pop Idol

The Heavenly Idol shares many basic building blocks with KPop Demon Hunters, yet it tells a wildly different story. In the K-pop centered drama, a high priest named Rembrary (Kim Min-kyu) is suddenly thrown into the body of Woo Yeon-woo, a struggling K-pop idol in another realm.

To get home and defeat the devil Mawang (Lee Jang-woo), Rembrary must first conquer the ruthless arena of the K-pop industry. As the mythic warrior struggles to adapt to the modern world, he leans on Kim Dal (Go Bo-gyeol), the new manager of Woo Yeon-woo’s boy band, Wild Animal. Though at times somewhat silly, The Heavenly Idol is pure fun.

Hotel del Luna

An Unassuming Human Becomes The Manager Of A Purgatorial Hotel

Similarly, Hotel del Luna is a fantastic K-drama starring a K-pop idol. In the bittersweet fantasy series, IU portrays Jang Man-wol, a soul doomed to run the eponymous hotel due to the sins she committed in her lifetime. After a thousand years of stagnation, however, everything changes when Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) becomes Hotel del Luna’s new human manager.

Once Chan-sung settles into his new role, the hotel transforms from a gloomy purgatory to a hopeful base camp where the recently deceased can pass over. Throughout his stint, Chan-sung slowly uncovers the mystical history of Hotel del Luna— including how Man-wol became its tragic owner.

My Demon

After Accidentally Stealing His Powers, A Woman Enters A Fake Marriage With A Demon

​​​​​​​For KPop Demon Hunters fans who loved the subplot between Rumi and Jinu, something like My Demon would be the perfect watch. The supernatural K-drama centers on Do Do-hee (Kim You-jung), a young CEO who finds herself unexpectedly bound to a demon named Jeong Gu-won (Song Kang) after she absorbs his powers.

To curb a mysterious assassination plot that threatens Do-hee’s life and prevent Gu-won from disappearing entirely, the pair enter a contract marriage. Despite their initial hostility, Do-hee and Gu-won’s fake relationship unsurprisingly leads to true feelings— but the central love story may just defy heaven, hell, and everything in between.

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

An Immortal Goblin Seeks His One True Love To End His Suffering

​​​​​​​Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (also known simply as Goblin) is a classic K-drama romance that had a lasting impact on the genre. The fantasy drama followed Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), a Goryeo era soldier who becomes an immortal creature known as a Dokkaebi after he dies in battle.

To escape his eternal fate of outliving his loved ones, Kim Shin must find his destined bride. The chosen one ends up being an upbeat young woman named Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun), who seems to be the goblin’s polar opposite. As their inevitable romance kicks off, Kim Shin must evade vindictive creatures from his past and protect his bride.

Lovely Runner

A Super-Fan Travels Back In Time To Save Her Favorite K-Pop Idol’s Life

​​​​​​​Comparatively, Lovely Runner is far more grounded in reality, but the time travel K-drama still relies heavily on a bit of magical suspension-of-disbelief. The hit 2024 series fuses rom-com elements with a murder mystery, tied together with a time slip motif as Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) continually reverts to 2008 in hopes of rescuing Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok).

In the K-drama’s first episode, it seems as though Sun-jae is merely a K-pop star who Im Sol idolizes. As she relives her young adulthood, however, Im Sol discovers that she was not only her bias’ neighbor— she was his first love. The revelation only ups the ante as she must solve his murder from 15 years in the past.

Alchemy of Souls

A Body-Swapping Rogue And A Sheltered Nobleman Explore Forbidden Elemental Magic

​​​​​​​In the mystical land of Daeho, skilled fighter Nak-su finds herself in the powerless body of a maid named Mu-deok (Jung So-min) after performing a forbidden ritual— the titular alchemy of souls. When she crosses paths with nobleman Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook), the two strike a deal: Jang Uk will keep her hidden if Nak-su trains him.​​​​​​​

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Thus, the pair form an unlikely bond, with Jang Uk becoming Nak-su’s devoted apprentice. Yet, the secret identity K-drama takes a turn when Jin Mu (Jo Jae-yoon) makes it clear that there are no lines he won’t cross in his pursuit of power, even if it means betraying Jang Uk (and weaponizing his relationship with Nak-su in the process).​​​​​​​

The Uncanny Counter

Demon Hunters Pose As Noodle Shop Workers While Vanquishing Evil

​​​​​​​At a glance, The Uncanny Counter strikes many of the same chords as KPop Demon Hunters. In fact, the main characters of the webtoon-based K-drama are demon hunters themselves, known as the eponymous Counters. By day, the ragtag team work together at a noodle restaurant. By night, they band together to battle evil spirits seeking immortality.

The endless fight between good and evil ramps up when a high school student named So Mun (Jo Byeong-kyu) comes out of the woodwork to join the trio of demon hunters. With young blood on their side, the Counters use their superhuman powers to protect the barrier between life and death, unaware that their greatest challenge is on its way.