At this point in my life, I’ve watched more Netflix content than I could ever hope to quantify, as I’m sure most of us have. I say that, though, because my viewing diet includes a ton of Korean-language content — and I’m of the opinion that on-screen chemistry just doesn’t get any better than what you see from the power-coupling of Park Seo-jun plus Han So-hee, the stars of Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature who also happen to be two of the most spellbinding K-drama actors working today.
Their show, the #10 Netflix series in the US today, follows in the tradition of so many great Korean shows by spanning genres — combining elements of horror, adventure, and historical drama. I could rave about this one all day, but I’ll simply add that the excitement of different genres, coupled with the show’s top-tier leads, also makes Gyeongseong Creature the kind of watch that’s perfect for anyone biding their time until the arrival on Netflix of Squid Game Season 2 in December.
After the first season of Gyeongseong Creature captivated audiences around the world to the point that it earned strong showings on the Netflix US and global charts, I’d even go so far as to say this show is one of the best K-dramas overall that Netflix has released to date.
What it’s about: The show opens in the spring of 1945 at the mysterious Ongseong Hospital in Gyeongseong, the latter being a former name for the city of Seoul. Park Seo-jun plays Jang Tae-sang, the owner of the House of Golden Treasure pawnshop. He’s the wealthiest, most well-connected person in the city, while Han So-hee plays a tough, no-nonsense sleuth named Yoon Chae-ok, who’s developed a reputation for taking on the impossible.
As a reminder of some of the highlights of Season 1 of Gyeongseong Creature, the characters eventually end up in Ongseong Hospital. Tae-sang gets access to the heavily restricted facility, where dozens of Joseon people are discovered trapped in a basement ward, in addition to a terrifying creature who breathes deadly anthrax spores.
Tae-sang and Chae-ok manage to break themselves, Jung-won, and the prisoners out of the hospital — albeit on different timelines. And when the two leads do finally reunite and profess their love for each other, they share a romantic kiss.
Season 2, which is now streaming on Netflix, is built around a big time jump from 1945 to the Seoul of 2024. This further entwines the fates of Jang Tae-sang and Yoon Chae-ok, with all sorts of exciting new twists and turns now made possible for fans of this excellent Korean series.
