If you are a Korean drama lover, your first drama was definitely one of Ji Chang-Wook’s dramas. And my guess would be, either Suspicious Partner or The K2.
And why wouldn’t anyone’s first drama be of Ji Chang-Wook? He’s brilliant at his job, he’s breathtakingly handsome (obviously), and he always takes the opinions of his fans into consideration.
He has acted in quite a lot of Korean dramas and movies, but here are the 8 best dramas of Ji Chang-Wook, and most of them were the most awaited k drama.
1. Empress Ki
Directed by: Han Hee & Lee Sung-Joon
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Ha Ji-won, Joo Jin-mo & Baek Jin-Hee
Trailer:
Synopsis: South Korean historical dramas are on another level. They have a beautiful combination of majesty, romance, and history.
Empress Ki is a South Korean historical drama aired on MBC from October 28, 2013, to April 29, 2014. The drama gained tremendous viewership when it aired. It shot Ji Chang-Wook to stardom and he received immense recognition because of it.
Ha Ji-won essays on the role of Lady Ki, who becomes the Empress Consort of the Yuan dynasty. Lady Ki strives to find true love in her life and also find her way into the harsh politics of the kingdom.
Joo Jin-mo took the role of King of Goryeo who is Ki Seung-nyang’s first love and fiance. Ji Chang-Wook played the role of Ta Hwan, emperor of the Yuan dynasty and Seung-nyang’s true love and later husband.
Empress Ki revolves around the life of Lady Ki. it depicts her struggles with her love life, how she wishes to be with her true love, and her political ambitions.
The drama helped Ji come into the limelight and gain all the fans that he boasts about to date. It garnered a huge viewership for its heartbreaking plot, depiction of royal life, and romance.
2. Healer
Directed by: Lee Jung-sub & Kim Jin-woo
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Park Min-Young & Yoo Ji-Tae
Trailer:
Synopsis: You know a drama will be a hit if it is in both the action and romance genres. Healer is a romantic action drama that manages to keep its viewers hooked on the screen.
The drama aired on KBS2 from December 8, 2014, to February 10, 2015.
Healer, a.k.a Park Bong-Soo, a.k.a Seo Jung-Hu (played by Ji Chang-Wook) is a felonious “night courier”, who is best in his field, equipped with advanced technology and excellent fighting skills. He is tasked by Kim Mun-Ho (played by Yoo Ji Tae) to protect and save a girl named Chae Young-Shin (played by Park Min-Young), who is wanted dead by several people but is unknown to this.
Kim Mun-Ho is a star reporter, idolized by many in the media world, one of them being Chae Young-Shin. She dreams of being a successful reporter one day but carries the burden of a traumatic past.
Healer focuses on the lives of these three characters and how they do not let their past define their present and future. It is packed with incredible action scenes and some heart-fluttering romance.
It brought Ji to the eyes of the international audience, and he received praise for his action scenes.
It can be streamed by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
3. The K2
Directed by: Kwak Jung-hwan & Sung Yong-il
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Im Yoon-ah & Song Yoon-ah
Trailer:
Synopsis: Ji established himself as a king of action dramas after the release of The K2. It shot him to stardom overnight and allowed him to create a forte for himself.
The K2 follows the story of Kim Je-Ha (played by Ji), a former mercenary soldier for the PMC Blackstone. He is framed for the murder of his lover, Raniya, while deployed in Iraq. He runs away and becomes a fugitive.
Back to South Korea, where he is offered a job as a bodyguard by Choi Yoo-Jin (played by Song Yoon-ah), CEO of JSS Security. He takes up the job in exchange for information about Park Kwan-Soo, a presidential candidate who had Raniya killed and is the political rival of Jang Se-Joon, Choi Yoo-Jin’s husband.
Kim Je-Ha is appointed to protect and guard Go An-na, the stepdaughter of Choi Yoo-Jin and the biological daughter of Jang Se-Joon. He later finds himself in love with Anna and seeks to protect her at all costs while also seeking revenge against Park Kwan-Soo.
What seems like a mysterious political thriller soon unravels into an action-packed romantic drama. It has all the elements to keep you edgy while you are watching it.
The K2 is one of the best dramas of Ji Chang-Wook, and why should it not be? He received immense recognition after the release of this drama, and fans were delighted to see how much of a dynamic actor he is.
And, of course, his abs. Who would not fall for his abs?
4. Suspicious Partner
Directed by: Park Sun-ho
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Nam Ji-Hyun, Choi Tae-Joon & Kwon Nara
Trailer:
Synopsis: What happens when a prosecutor-turned-lawyer falls in love with a lawyer who was framed for a heinous murder back when she was a prosecutor trainee? Well, you have to watch Suspicious Partner to find that out.
Ji Chang-Wook essays the role of Noh Ji-Wook, a failing prosecutor who becomes a lawyer under unfavorable circumstances. Nam Ji-Hyun plays the character Eun Bong Hee, a lawyer who previously worked as a prosecutor trainee for Noh Ji-Wook.
Choi Tae-Joon and Kwon Nara play the supporting role of Ji Eun-Hyuk, Noh’s former best friend, and Cha Yoo-Jung, Noh’s ex-girlfriend, who betrays him, respectively.
The drama is a legal, crime, and romantic drama and focuses on the lives of Noh Ji-Wook and Eun Bong-Hee. Eun Bong-Hee is framed in the murder of her ex-boyfriend, while the real murderer suffers from forgetfulness.
The two fall in love while working on several cases together, even uncovering Ji-Wook’s traumatic past, where his parents died in a fire accident, for which he believes Bong-Hees’s father to be the culprit.
Suspicious Partner gained huge international recognition and is considered one of the best dramas of 2017 by fans. The flawless chemistry between the leads and the other characters is a treat to viewers’ eyes. It has all the ingredients to create suspense and make viewers rant about it after they’ve watched it.
5. Backstreet Rookie
Directed by: Myoungwoo Lee
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook & Kim Yoo-Jung
Trailer:
Synopsis: Hmm. What’s better than two leads who always bicker and work together as an employer and an employee? Them falling in love.
Backstreet Rookie aired on SBS TV from June 19 to August 8, 2020.
Choi Dae-Hyun, essayed by Ji Chang-Wook, is a 29-year-old handsome convenience store manager. He struggles to earn a decent earning from his store and is also always burned out from working in the store.
He skeptically hires a part-timer Jung Saet-Byul, played by Kim Yoo-Jung. She is a 22-year-old girl who is extremely beautiful and athletic and has excellent fighting skills.
Although Dae-Hyun and Saet-Byul start off on the wrong foot, the two form a genuine bond eventually. They fall in love but fail to properly start a relationship due to many issues, such as Dae-Hyuns ex-girlfriend trying to win him back or Saet-Byul trying to move away from him after she realizes that her being with Dae-Hyun will cause issues between him and his mom.
But true love prevails over every obstacle, and their love is one that will make viewers laugh, giggle and also cry. It’s a huge miss if you plan to skip it.
The drama is available on Netflix.
P.s. The drama has some really cool fight scenes that you do not want to miss.
6. Lovestruck in The City
Directed by: Park Shin-Woo
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook and Kim Ji-Won
Trailer:
Synopsis: Lovestruck in The City is a mockumentary television series that stars Ji Chang-Wook and Kim Ji-Won as the leads. The drama tells the stories of six people who live an urban life but wish to find passionate love in their lives.
It is one of Ji Chang-Wook’s best yet underrated dramas.
Ji plays the role of Park Jae-Won, an architect with an honest personality. He falls in love with Yoon Seon-a, who he calls a “camera thief” because she stole his heart and ran away. (She also did steal his camera)
Lee Eun-O, played by Kim Ji-Won, is a freelance marketer with a sweet personality who lives an ordinary life. But here’s the twist. Lee Eun-O is actually Yoon Seon-a, the one who stole Park Jae-Won’s heart and camera.
She met Park Jae-Won in Yangyang Beach under a false identity and fell in love with him. But her internal struggles with her own identity and personality force her to distance herself from Jae-Won, despite her love for him.
The drama touches our daily struggles with our personality, identity, and mental health. Kim Ji-Won’s character will make you hate her, love her and even cry with her. Her search for her real self is truly inspiring for everyone who struggles with mental health and an inferiority complex.
Steal a few glances at the drama from the trailer above, and make sure to watch the drama on Netflix. Thank me later.
7. If You Wish Upon Me
Directed by: Kim Yong-Wan
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Sung Dong-il & Choi Soo-Young
Trailer:
Synopsis: Inspired by true stories of the Make-a-Wish Foundation in the Netherlands, If You Wish Upon Me is a television series that tells the story of Yoon Gyeo-Ree, a young man with a troubled past.
Yoon Gyeo-Ree (Ji Chang-Wook) is an ex-convict who volunteers at a hospice hospital after going through an orphanage, a juvenile detention center, and a prison. His life is seemingly dark, but he finds warmth seeping into it after he joins Team Genie as a volunteer.
He works with Kang Tae-Shik (Sung Dong-il), the leader of Team Genie, and Seo Yeon-Joo (Choi Soo-Young), a nurse at the hospice hospital. Slowly but beautifully, he learns to value the true meaning of life while fulfilling the last wishes of the people at the hospice hospital.
The drama was highly praised by viewers for its subtle touch on human nature, exploring the deeper meaning of life and how for granted, we take it. After watching thrillers and romances, it’s always good to take a break and watch comfort dramas that teach us a thing or two about life.
You can watch the drama on Viki and Viu.
8. The Sound of Magic
Directed by: Kim Seong Woon
Cast: Ji Chang-Wook, Choi Seng-Eun & Hwang In-Youp
Trailer:
Synopsis: “Do you believe in magic?” Yes, we do. And especially if Ji Chang-Wook asks it.
The Sound of Magic is an emotional musical fantasy drama that takes us away from the real world and sends us to the world of magic, where every dream comes true.
It revolves around the lives of Yoon Ah-Yi, Ri Eul, and Na Il-Deung.
Yoon Ah-Yi is a poor high school student who is immersed in debts left by her mother. She used to believe in magic as a child, but her dreams took a backseat when she began facing the struggles of life. All these make her want to be an adult real quick so that she can escape all her struggles.
Ri Eul is an adult magician who wants to remain a so-called child. He asks anyone he meets, “Do you believe in magic?”. He inspires Ah-Yi to believe in magic again.
Na Il-Deung is a gifted and wealthy high school student who is Ah-Yis’s classmate. He comes off as cold and composed but has issues with his parents. He starts liking Ah-Yi and sees a change in his life after meeting Ri Eul.
The drama garnered positive remarks and also a very good viewership. It was praised for its cast’s earnest performance and spectacular visuals.
The drama is available on Netflix.
Conclusion
Ji has had an amazing career so far. He lives beyond the expectations of his fans and always manages to slay his roles with his dynamic acting.
Although these are the Best 8 Dramas of Ji Chang-Wook, fans are waiting to see what he comes up with in the future to turn the 8 into a 10.
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