After an onslaught of new premieres last month, August is giving us a bit of a break. Hopefully, that allows you to get caught up on that ever growing list! We’ve still got some new premieres and quite a few that just recently premiered though.
Let’s see what we have to look forward to in this August 2019 edition of “Korean Dramas You Need to Be Watching.” This monthly series is meant to keep you updated on what’s happening in that amazing world of Korean dramas so that you don’t miss out on anything!
Here are the kdramas you should keep an eye out for in August 2019:
My Pick:
1. When the Devil Calls Your Name
I’m always ready for Jung Kyung Ho, and adding Park Sung Woong as the villain (as in the actual devil!) is more than enough to get me excited. I’m ready to watch this duo impress me, and hopefully, we get an entertaining and well-executed story to do them justice!
When the Devil Calls Your Name is about a star music composer (Jung Kyung Ho) who sold his soul to the devil (Park Sung Woong) to gain success. But when the time comes to keep his end of the bargain and he finds out a woman’s (Lee Seol) talent was stolen for him, they are left desperately trying to save themselves.
When the Devil Calls Your Name airs Wednesday and Thursday on tvN.
PREMIERING IN AUGUST:
2. Welcome 2 Life
Welcome 2 Life is a legal drama about a top lawyer (Rain) who takes advantage of the law that gets into an accident and ends up in a parallel world where he is now an ethical prosecutor.
Welcome 2 Life is scheduled to premiere August 5 on MBC.
3. I Wanna Hear Your Song
I Wanna Hear Your Song tells the story of a woman (Kim Se Jung) who can only go to sleep by hearing a person who is tone deaf sing. She meets a tone deaf pianist (Yeon Woo Jin) and tries to remember a murder as well as a past love that are lost in her memories.
I Wanna Hear Your Song is scheduled to premiere August 5 on KBS.
4. Melo is My Nature
Melo is My Nature is a romantic comedy that follows the work and love lives of three women (Chun Woo Hee, Jeon Yeo Bin, Han Ji Eun). Also starring Gong Myung and Ahn Jae Hong.
Melo is My Nature is schedule to premiere August 9 on JTBC.
5. Love Alarm
Love Alarm is based on the webtoon of the same name about a love triangle that is complicated by the use of a phone application that tells them if someone close by has feelings for them.
Love Alarm is scheduled to premiere August 22 on Netflix.
CURRENTLY AIRING IN AUGUST:
6. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung is about 19th century women who faced prejudice for being writers of historical records. One historian (Shin Se Kyung) works to establish her place and meets a lonely prince (Cha Eun Woo) who lives a double life as a romance novelist.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung airs Wednesday and Thursday on MBC.
7. Hotel Del Luna
Hotel Del Luna is a supernatural drama about a mysterious hotel filled with ghosts and the romance that blossoms between the hotel manager (Yeo Jin Goo) and a woman (IU) who is stuck running the hotel because of a curse.
Hotel Del Luna airs Saturday and Sunday on tvN.
8. Justice
Justice is about a talented lawyer (Choi Jin Hyuk) who loses his family and then sets out for revenge by joining with a corrupt business man (Son Hyo Joo).
Justice airs Wednesday and Thursday on KBS.
9. Moment of Eighteen
Moment of Eighteen is a coming of age drama that follows the stories of 18 year olds in high school including a lonely student (Ong Seung Woo) who transfers to a new school. Also starring Kim Hyang Gi and Shin Seung Ho.
Moment of Eighteen airs Monday and Tuesday on JTBC.
10. Doctor John
Doctor John is about doctors (Ji Sung and Lee Se Young) who work in pain management as they try to discover the cause of their patients’ pain.
Doctor John airs on SBS.
Other Premieres & Ongoing Dramas:
(these dramas will be highlighted in coming months)
Graceful Family
The Great Show
Strangers from Hell
Doctor Detective
Mr. Temporary
AND SO YOU’RE UP TO DATE,
OTHER DRAMAS THAT WILL BE ENDING IN AUGUST:
Joseon Survival
Joseon Survival is about a deliveryman (Kang Ji Hwan) who used to be a national archer that travels back in time to the Joseon era with his first love (Kyung Soo Jin) and his younger sister (Park Se Wan) where they meet and team up with a famous thief (Song Won Seok).
Joseon Survival airs Saturday and Sunday on TV Chosun.
Level Up
Level Up is a romantic comedy about an expert at restructuring companies (Sung Hoon) who comes in to help the head of game development (Han Bo Reum) revive a dying game company.
Level Up airs Wednesday and Thursday on MBN .
Love Affairs in the Afternoon
Love Affairs in the Afternoon is a forbidden love story about an ordinary married woman (Park Ha Sun) whose life changes when she moves to a new neighborhood and meets a very different man (Lee Sang Yeob).
Love Affairs in the Afternoon Friday and Saturday on Channel A.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days
Designated Survivor: 60 Days follows the story of the Minister of Environment (Ji Jin Hee) who is 12th in line of succession and must take over as president following a terror attack that takes out everyone ahead of him.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days airs Monday and Tuesday on tvN.
Watcher
Watcher is a thriller about three people (Han Suk Kyu, Seo Kang Joon, Kim Hyun Joo) whose lives were ruined after an accident that team up to bring to light corruption by the police and other powerful people.
Watcher airs Saturday and Sunday on OCN.
What dramas are you looking forward to or enjoying in August?
Make sure to get caught up because there are more dramas coming your way in September!
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I just checked for my number 1 favorite of this list (probably won’t come as a surprise that is When the Devil Calls your name) and it’s on VIKI! It’s subtitels are now at 85% complete, so am waiting for that to finish before I can start on it. I’m also ready to go start watching erm Watcher. Sadly Justice isn’t available for me, but with the Chinese drama, these two and four animes I’m thinking I have pretty much reached my limit anyway lol😂 So many good shows though! Wow!
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I was crossing my fingers that Viki would get When the Devil Calls Your Name and was so excited when I saw that they got the license! That’s too bad about Justice. It does sound like you have plenty of shows to keep you occupied though. I’m impressed with your show watching capabilities, hehe 😉
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I definitely smiled when I entered the search for the series with a pounding heart and saw it pop up. I think the translations will be finished tomorrow (it’s at 90% now) so this weekend I will watch the first episode! 😊)
But yes, one could say I have too much to watch even, but that has never stopped me before😂
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Yeah, they should get finished pretty quick if they’re that far along. It should make for a fun weekend! 🙂
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Currently watching: Designated Survivor: 60 Days and Rookie Historian. I also watched the first 2 episodes of Mr. Temporary and plan to continue with it. Interested in: Hotel del Luna, When the Devil Calls Your Name.
I find the idea of a tone deaf pianist kind of funny…
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I’m interested in all the dramas you are 🙂 Will probably get to Designated Survivor or Hotel Del Luna first since they end soonest. We’ve definitely got a promising crop of dramas!
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So many exciting things to watch for yey😊 haven’t started on any of the ongoing dramas but still excited 😊
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That there are! I haven’t started any of them, but I will soon, and I’m certainly excited 🙂
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I don’t need any more dramas, I’m drowning in them already!! *wails like a wahan* 😁 Isn’t always like this, from relative drama drought to a deluge. Sigh. I’ll probably give that Devil drama a go anyway. The cast is just too tempting.
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Haha, yep, that seems to be how it goes sometimes. I’m definitely giving When the Devil Calls Your Name a go. Like you said, that cast is just way too tempting!
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I see you are watching Nokdu Flower. How is it and who is streaming it? I watched the first episode on Ondemandkorea. I think I will need to prepare for a total emotional devastation at the end of it.
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Kocowa and OnDemandKorea are streaming it. It’s going well. It’s definitely not the usual kind of historical I go for as I usually like more of the fushion sagueks while this is much more realistic and has a lot of battle/war type stuff. It took some warming up to for me, but now I’m 20 shorts eps in and am liking it. Yes, you may want to prepare yourself as it does have a very somber tone to it, and I think some emotional turmoil may be heading my way!
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Wow, I am so behind! I have been working so much I didn’t even realize how many shows came out! I’ve been only keeping up with Designated Survivor 60 Days and Hotel Del Luna which are both really good! I literally spend my week waiting for the weekend, Monday, and Tuesday when both shows air haha. I was up late last night catching up on the latest episode of Designated Survivor actually because I worked Tuesday. I’ve been looking to start When the Devil Calls Your Name, Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung, Doctor John, and Justice when they started airing, but I think I might wait until they’re done and just binge them. Watcher looks right up my alley, maybe I should try that as well!
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Yes, there are soooo many! I can see why you would be looking forward to both Hotel Del Luna and Designated Survivor each week. Both are on my watch list. Hotel Del Luna is my most looked forward to, but I really enjoyed the first season of the American version of Designated Survivor, so I’m really interested to see the Korean take on it. And you do have quite a few interesting ones you’re looking to start. I plan to watch several of them, though I usually just watch one at a time once it’s about to end. So many good ones to choose from right now! 🙂
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When the Devil Calls Your Name and Let Me Hear your Song of course. 🙂
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Both good choices 🙂
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Will Surviving Joseon be returning?
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The drama was supposed to resume July 27 and be shortened by 4 eps to a total of 16 eps. It looks like it aired, but apparently the site streaming it internationally ended up dropping it.
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