35+ Fantasy Dramas Of 2023 (K-Drama Masterlist)

For K-drama fans still catching up on dramas from last year, Soompi has prepared masterlists of 2023 K-dramas organized by genre!

Here are K-dramas from 2023 that include fantasy elements (although many of these dramas fit into other genres as well).

Includes dramas that premiered in 2022 and ended in 2023.

“Unlock My Boss”

Cast: Chae Jong Hyeop, Seo Eun Soo, Park Sung Woong

Premiere Date: December 7, 2022

“Unlock My Boss” depicts the story of Park In Sung (Chae Jong Hyeop), an unemployed job-seeker whose life changes after picking up a smartphone that claims that he is the CEO of a big IT corporation whose soul was trapped inside the smartphone after an incident.

 

“The Forbidden Marriage”

Cast: Park Ju Hyun, Kim Young Dae, Kim Woo Seok, Kim Min Ju

Premiere Date: December 9, 2022

“The Forbidden Marriage” is about King Yi Heon (Kim Young Dae), who falls deep into despair after the death of his wife (Kim Min Ju). Seven years later, he comes across a con artist named So Rang (Park Ju Hyun) who claims that she can be possessed by the late princess’s spirit.

 

“Alchemy of Souls Part 2”

Cast: Lee Jae Wook, Go Yoon Jung, Hwang Minhyun, Yoo Joon Sang, Shin Seung Ho

Premiere Date: December 10, 2022

Set in the fictional nation of Daeho, “Alchemy of Souls” is a fantasy romance drama about people whose fates become twisted due to magic that swaps people’s souls. “Alchemy of Souls Part 2” is set three years after the end of Part 1 with Nak Soo (Go Yoon Jung) having inhabited the body of Mu Deok (Jung So Min) from the first part.

“Missing: The Other Side 2”

Cast: Go Soo, Heo Joon Ho, Ahn So Hee, Lee Jung Eun, Kim Dong Hwi, Ha Jun

Premiere Date: December 19, 2022

“Missing: The Other Side” is a mystery fantasy drama about villages inhabited by the souls of people who went missing while they were alive. Season 2 introduces new characters Kang Eun Shil (Lee Jung Eun) and Oh Il Yong (Kim Dong Hwi).

 

“Island”

Cast: Kim Nam Gil, Lee Da Hee, Cha Eun Woo, Sung Joon

Premiere Date: December 30, 2022

Based on a hit webtoon, “Island” is a fantasy exorcism drama that takes place on Jeju Island. It depicts the sorrowful and bizarre journey of the characters who are fated to fight evil that is trying to destroy the world.

“Kokdu: Season of Deity”

Cast: Kim Jung Hyun, Im Soo Hyang, Dasom, An Woo Yeon, Kim In Kwon, Cha Chung Hwa

Premiere Date: January 27

“Kokdu: Season of Deity” is a fantasy romance which tells the story of a grim reaper named Kokdu (Kim Jung Hyun) who comes down to this world to punish humans every 99 years. When Kokdu meets Han Gye Jeol (Im Soo Hyang), a doctor with mysterious abilities, he starts working as a visiting doctor.

 

“The Heavenly Idol”

Cast: Kim Min Kyu, Go Bo Gyeol, Lee Jang Woo, Ye Ji Won

Premiere Date: February 15

Based on a popular webtoon and web novel, “The Heavenly Idol” is a fantasy drama about High Priest Rembrary (Kim Min Kyu) who suddenly wakes up one day to find himself in the body of Woo Yeon Woo, the “visual center” of the unsuccessful idol group Wild Animal.

 

“Delivery Man”

Cast: Yoon Chan Young, Minah, Kim Min Seok

Premiere Date: March 1

“Delivery Man” tells the story of Seo Young Min (Yoon Chan Young), a taxi driver who only gives rides to ghosts, and Kang Ji Hyun (Minah), a ghost suffering from memory loss, as they work together to solve crime.

 

“Duty After School”

Cast: Shin Hyun Soo, Lee Soon Won, Im Se Mi, Kwon Eun Bin, Kim Ki Hae, Kim Su Gyeom, Noh Jong Hyun, Moon Sang Min, Lee Yeon

Premiere Date: March 31

“Duty After School” tells the story of high school students who are called upon to join the world’s first war against extraterrestrial forces. When mysterious alien spheres start invading, the Department of Defense offers college admission incentives to get the students to sign up for the reserved forces.

 

“My Perfect Stranger”

Cast: Kim Dong Wook, Jin Ki Joo, Seo Ji Hye, Lee Won Jung

Premiere Date: May 1

“My Perfect Stranger” is a fantasy drama about the strange events that unfold when news anchor Yoon Hae Joon (Kim Dong Wook), who wants to uncover the truth behind a serial murder case from the past, meets Baek Yoon Young (Jin Ki Joo), who travels through time to prevent her parents’ wedding. After getting stuck in the year 1987, the two realize that their goals may be connected.

 

“All That We Loved”

Cast: Sehun, Jo Joon Young, Jang Yeo Bin

Premiere Date: May 5

“All That We Loved” is a teen romance drama about the love triangle that forms at a high school when best friends Go Yoo (Sehun) and Go Joon Hee (Jo Joon Young) both fall for the transfer student Han So Yeon (Jang Yeo Bin).

 

“Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938”

Cast: Lee Dong Wook, Kim So Yeon, Kim Bum, Ryu Kyung Soo

Premiere Date: May 6

A sequel to “Tale of the Nine-Tailed,” “Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938” tells the story of the male gumiho (mythical nine-tailed fox) Yi Yeon (Lee Dong Wook) who finds himself back in 1938 and embarks on an eventful adventure in his quest to return to the present.

 

“See You in My 19th Life”

Cast: Shin Hye Sun, Ahn Bo Hyun, Ha Yun Kyung, Ahn Dong Gu

Premiere Date: June 17

“See You in My 19th Life” is a romance drama about Ban Ji Eum (Shin Hye Sun), who has been repeatedly reincarnated for nearly a thousand years and remembers all of her past lives. After her 18th life is tragically cut short, Ban Ji Eum decides that in her 19th life, she will set out to find a man named Moon Seo Ha (Ahn Bo Hyun) that she met in her 18th life.

“Revenant”

Cast: Kim Tae Ri, Oh Jung Se, Hong Kyung

Premiere Date: June 23

“Revenant” is an occult mystery thriller in which Goo San Young (Kim Tae Ri), a woman possessed by an evil spirit, and Yeom Hae Sang (Oh Jung Se), a man who can see those evil spirits inside human bodies, dig into the mysterious deaths surrounding five divine objects.

“Durian’s Affair”

Cast: Park Joo Mi, Choi Myung Gil, Kim Min Joon, Han Da Gam, Jeon No Min, Yoon Hae Young, Ji Young San, Yoo Jung Hoo, Lee Da Yeon

Premiere Date: June 24

“Durian’s Affair” is a fantasy romance drama that travels through time and follows the chaebol Dan family as they get entangled with the mysterious women Du Ri An (Park Joo Mi) and Kim So Jeo (Lee Da Yeon).

 

“Heartbeat”

Cast: Taecyeon, Won Ji An, Park Kang Hyun, Yoon So Hee

Premiere Date: June 26

“Heartbeat” is a fantasy romance drama about Seon Woo Hyul (Taecyeon), a half-human and half-vampire who desperately wants to become human but misses his chance because of one fateful day out of 100 years. He eventually winds up moving in together with Joo In Hae (Won Ji An), a cold-blooded woman who lacks humanity despite being fully human.

“The Uncanny Counter 2”

Cast: Jo Byeong Gyu, Kim Sejeong, Yoo Joon Sang, Yeom Hye Ran, Ahn Suk Hwan, Jin Sun Kyu, Kang Ki Young, Kim Hieora, Yoo In Soo

Premiere Date: July 29

“The Uncanny Counter” is a superhero drama about demon hunters So Mun (Jo Byeong Gyu), Do Ha Na (Kim Sejeong), Ga Mo Tak (Yoo Joon Sang), and Chu Mae Ok (Yeom Hye Ran) with supernatural powers. The new season shows the entrance of new Counter Na Jeok Bong (Yoo In Soo) as well as various new evils.

“My Lovely Liar”

Cast: Kim So Hyun, Hwang Minhyun, Yoon Ji On, Seo Ji Hoon, Lee Si Woo

Premiere Date: July 31

“My Lovely Liar” is about Mok Sol Hee (Kim So Hyun) who has a supernatural ability to detect lies which has made her lose faith in other people. However, she finds out that there is one person that her power doesn’t seem to work on—her suspicious next-door neighbor Kim Do Ha (Hwang Minhyun).

 

“Moving”

Cast: Lee Jung Ha, Go Yoon Jung, Jo In Sung, Han Hyo Joo, Ryu Seung Ryong, Cha Tae Hyun

Premiere Date: August 9

“Moving” is a superhero action drama about teenagers with hidden superhuman powers and their parents who, unbeknownst to them, harbor a painful secret from their pasts. They eventually team up to battle powerful dark forces that threaten multiple generations across different eras.

“Behind Your Touch”

Cast: Han Ji Min, Lee Min Ki, Suho

Premiere Date: August 12

“Behind Your Touch” is about the busybody veterinarian Bong Ye Bun (Han Ji Min) who somehow gains psychometric abilities to be able to see the past of both people and animals in Mujin, a small rural village free of crime, and the ambitious elite detective Moon Jang Yeol (Lee Min Ki) who needs her abilities to return to the criminal investigation team in Seoul.

“Destined With You”

Cast: Jo Bo Ah, Rowoon, Ha Jun, Yura

Premiere Date: August 23

“Destined With You” is a fantasy romance drama that tells the love story of civil servant Lee Hong Jo (Jo Bo Ah) who obtains a forbidden book sealed 300 years ago and ace lawyer Jang Shin Yu (Rowoon) who becomes a victim of the forbidden book.

“A Time Called You”

Cast: Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, Kang Hoon

Premiere Date: September 8

Based on the Taiwanese drama “Some Day or One Day,” “A Time Called You” is a time-slip romance about Jun Hee (Jeon Yeo Been), who winds up miraculously traveling back in time to 1998 where she wakes up as the high school student Min Ju and meets Si Heon (Ahn Hyo Seop) who looks exactly like her late boyfriend.

“Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun”

Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Lee Joon Gi, Shin Se Kyung, Kim Ok Bin

Premiere Date: September 9

“Arthdal Chronicles” is an epic fantasy drama about the mythical ancient land of Arth. The second season titled “Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun” is set approximately a decade after Season 1 with Lee Joon Gi and Shin Se Kyung as the older versions of the original leads.

“Twinkling Watermelon”

Cast: Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Seol In Ah, Shin Eun Soo

Premiere Date: September 25

“Twinkling Watermelon” is a fantasy drama in which CODA (child of deaf adult) student Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) time travels through a suspicious music shop and lands in 1995, where he meets his parents Lee Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) and Chung Ah (Shin Eun Soo) as high school students along with the school’s cello goddess Se Kyung (Seol In Ah).

 

“Strong Girl Namsoon”

Cast: Lee Yoo Mi, Kim Jung Eun, Kim Hae Sook, Ong Seong Wu, Byun Woo Seok

Premiere Date: October 7

A spin-off of the hit drama “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,” “Strong Girl Namsoon” is a comedy about Gil Joong Gan (Kim Hae Sook), Hwang Geum Joo (Kim Jung Eun), and Gang Nam Soon (Lee Yoo Mi), three generations of women born with unbelievable strength as they investigate drug-related crimes occurring around the Gangnam area.

 

“A Good Day to Be a Dog”

Cast: Cha Eun Woo, Park Gyu Young, Lee Hyun Woo

Premiere Date: October 11

“A Good Day to Be a Dog” is a webtoon-based fantasy romance drama about Han Hae Na (Park Gyu Young), a woman who is cursed to transform into a dog when she kisses a man. However, the only person who can undo her curse is her colleague Jin Seo Won (Cha Eun Woo), who is afraid of dogs due to a traumatic event he can no longer remember.

 

“High Cookie”

Cast: Nam Ji Hyun, Choi Hyun Wook, Kim Moo Yeol, Jung Da Bin

Premiere Date: October 23

“High Cookie” is about an elite high school that gets swallowed up by dangerous handmade cookies that make people’s dreams come true. At the age of 18, Choi Soo Young (Nam Ji Hyun) starts part-time work at a factory to raise her younger sister Choi Min Young (Jung Da Bin) and voluntarily jumps into the swamp created by the cookies to save her sister.

“Perfect Marriage Revenge”

Cast: Sung Hoon, Jung Yoo Min, Kang Shin Hyo, Jin Ji Hee, Lee Min Young, Jeon No Min, Lee Mi Sook

Premiere Date: October 28

Based on a popular webtoon, “Perfect Marriage Revenge” follows the story of Han Yi Joo (Jung Yoo Min), a woman who enters into a contract marriage with a man named Seo Do Guk (Sung Hoon) to seek revenge for everything that her family has done to her.

 

“Moon in the Day”

Cast: Kim Young Dae, Pyo Ye Jin, On Joo Wan, Jung Woong In

Premiere Date: November 1

“Moon in the Day” is a drama based on a webtoon that tells a chilling and heartbreaking love story that spans 1,500 years. Moving back and forth between the past and present, the drama follows a man for whom time has stopped after being killed by his lover and a woman who has lost her memories of her past life and continues to “flow like a river.”

 

“The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract”

Cast: Lee Se Young, Bae In Hyuk, Joo Hyun Young, Yoo Seon Ho

Premiere Date: November 24

Based on a webtoon, “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract” is a time-slip romance drama about the contractual marriage between bachelor Kang Tae Ha (Bae In Hyuk) and Park Yeon Woo (Lee Se Young), who has traveled to modern day from 19th century Joseon.

 

“My Demon”

Cast: Kim Yoo Jung, Song Kang, Lee Sang Yi

Premiere Date: November 24

“My Demon” is a fantasy rom-com about chaebol heiress Do Do Hee (Kim Yoo Jung) who doesn’t trust anyone and the charming demon Jung Gu Won (Song Kang), who unexpectedly loses his powers one day, as they enter a contractual marriage and gradually end up falling for each other.

“Sweet Home 2”

Cast: Song Kang, Lee Jin Wook, Lee Si Young, Go Min Si, Park Gyu Young, Jung Jinyoung, Yoo Oh Sung, Oh Jung Se, Kim Moo Yeol

Premiere Date: December 1

“Sweet Home” is about Cha Hyun Su (Song Kang), a loner high school student who moves into a new apartment when monsters start breaking out among humanity and the apartment residents are trapped inside the building. Season 2 focuses on how Cha Hyun Su and other survivors struggle to survive after leaving Green Home.

“My Man Is Cupid”

Cast: Jang Dong Yoon, Nana, Park Ki Woong

Premiere Date: December 1

“My Man Is Cupid” tells the star-crossed love story of “Cupid” Cheon Sang Hyuk (Jang Dong Yoon), a matchmaker of humans who has been trapped on earth for 500 years, and Oh Baek Ryeon (Nana), a human who committed a great sin in her past life.

“Overlap Knife, Knife”

Cast: Kim Dong Hwi, Jo Ah Ram, Shim Yi Young, Joo Suk Tae

Premiere Date: December 2

Part of KBS’s short drama collection “2023 KBS Drama Special,” “Overlap Knife, Knife” is about Su Ho (Kim Dong Hwi) and Yeon Hee (Jo Ah Ram) who are trying to protect their loved ones and end up traveling back in time.

“Death’s Game”

Cast: Seo In Guk, Park So Dam, Kim Ji Hoon, Choi Siwon, Sung Hoon, Kim Kang Hoon, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Do Hyun, Go Yoon Jung, Kim Jae Wook, Oh Jung Se

Premiere Date: December 15

“Death’s Game” tells the story of Death (Park So Dam), who sentences a man named Choi Yi Jae (Seo In Guk) to 12 cycles of life and death right before his first life is about to end.

“Gyeongseong Creature”

Cast: Park Seo Joon, Han So Hee, Claudia Kim, Kim Hae Sook, Jo Han Chul, Wi Ha Joon

Premiere Date: December 22

Set in the dark times of Spring 1945, “Gyeongseong Creature” tells the story of Jang Tae Sang, the most wealthy man in Gyeongseong and the owner of the pawnshop Golden Jade House, and Chae Ok (Han So Hee), who searches for missing people), as they fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed.

 

 

cr: Soompi