5 Supernatural K-Dramas to Binge-Watch for Halloween
There is an endless supply of Korean dramas for fans of the supernatural and fantasy genre. With Halloween approaching, some dramas will satisfy every desire and itch a viewer wants to see on screen. This list of supernatural K-dramas ranges from ghosts beyond the mortal world to a bloodsucking vampire that roams the night.
K-dramas like Hotel Del Luna are considered classics and a drama every new fan has on their roster. Amid the ghosts, haunted real estate, and the threat of powerful demons, viewers will have a hard time looking away from their screens.
‘A Korean Odyssey’ is one of the most recognized fantasy/supernatural K-dramas (Netflix)
There is a unique backstory to A Korean Odyssey. The 2017 K-drama’s storyline is inspired by the 16-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. Created by the Hong sisters, the K-drama interweaves mythical gods, fated romance, and the threat of disastrous evil.
A young girl can see spirits. One day, she meets a demon who asks her to retrieve an item from a magical house. There she meets the Monkey King, Son Oh-gong (Lee Seung-gi). In exchange for protection against evil, Oh-gong convinces the girl to set him free from his prison. Instead of fulfilling his promise, he erases her memory.
Jin Seon-mi (Oh Yeon-seo) was that little girl and grew up to own a real estate company specializing in haunted properties. She crosses paths with Oh-gong and starts a relationship, but there is a complicated detail. Oh-gong learns a Sam-jang was born that can grant immortality to whoever feasts on it. Seon-mi happens to be the Sam-jang as an ancient evil threatens to destroy humanity.
‘Hotel del Luna’ stars K-pop idol IU in a whimsical K-drama (Netflix)
Every K-drama fan has either heard or watched Hotel del Luna. In 2019, it was the most viewed tvN K-drama on cable television. The fantasy and supernatural K-drama centered around Jang Man-wol (IU). Centuries ago, she was forced to become the manager of Hotel del Luna to atone for her past crimes.
The hotel is a supernatural place between both worlds and is only visible to humans under special circumstances. Ghosts visit the hotel to come to terms with any past grievances or unfinished business they left behind. Hotel del Luna gets a new assistant manager, Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo). Man-wol bartered a deal with Chan-sung’s father before his death. The two characters develop a bickering relationship that turns into love as they uncover the hotel’s secrets.
‘The Scholar Who Walks the Night’ is a chilling supernatural K-drama with blood sucking vampires (Viki)
The Scholar Who Walks the Night is a popular historical K-drama with supernatural elements to watch for Halloween. Its storyline takes place during the Joseon dynasty as the daughter of a nobleman makes a drastic decision to make ends meet. Jo Yang-sun (Lee Yu-bi) cross-dresses as a male to work as a bookseller.
Her secret is in jeopardy when she meets the suave and mysterious scholar Kim Sung-yeol (Lee Joon-gi). But, Sung-yeol has his own secret to guard. He is a 120-year-old guardian vampire who punishes vampires that disobey the rules.
This K-drama has a romance story. Sung-yeol’s first love sacrificed herself centuries ago and is left with a broken heart. He looks for the secret to killing the powerful vampire responsible. Along the way, Sung-yeol finds himself caring for Yang-sun that can lead to an unkind consequence.
‘The Uncanny Counter’ is about a teenager given a new opportunity (Netflix)
In 2020, K-drama fans saw a boom of content on Netflix as they acquired streaming rights to many new dramas. One of the most praised was JTBC’s The Uncanny Counter. This K-drama is strictly about the supernatural and fantasy with no need for romance. Based on a Daum webtoon, the story follows So Mun (Jo Byung-gyu), a high schooler.
So Mun lost his parents in a car accident and became physically disabled in one leg. He soon learns the world is not what it seems. In a twist of fate, he is possessed by a spirit from Yung, a boundary between the afterlife and the mortal world. So Mun learns of the existence of Counters, a group of demon-hunters who eradicate evil spirits who escape the afterlife.
As So Mun exhibits powers never seen before and adapts to his new life, the Counters fight a powerful demon. Their new enemy unveils So Mun’s past and his parent’s death might not have been an accident. Soompi reported the drama was confirmed for a second season.
‘Sell You Haunted House’ takes real estate to the supernatural/fantasy world (Viki)
The storyline of Sell Your Haunted House may seem oddly familiar to another series. The k-drama draws parallels with the SyFy series, SurrealEstate. Unlike the SyFy series, the supernatural/fantasy K-drama has more riveting and emotional plot elements.
Soompi describes, “Sell Your Haunted House has been met with praise for its combination of the occult and humanism.” Hong Ji-ah (Jang Na-ra) is the owner of Daebak Real Estate, specializing and eradicating spirits from haunted properties.
Ji-ah’s mother was also an exorcist and could see spirits. As a young girl, Ji-ah witnessed her mother’s death during an exorcism. Fans will sympathize with the character as her abilities allow her to see her mother’s spirit that cannot move on. She meets con-artist Oh In-beom (Jung Yong-hwa). They team up to find the answers to Ji-ah’s mother’s death and the unexplainable death of In-beom’s uncle.
