'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAIBBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQAEBREGEgchMQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwQRAQACAAcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBREhMaH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMS4Dyi/Tn7g0LRbFGJatpJCBJgHdCUDud9db+xV03yepLTWWKuCkCkZKMgwYmY9b11pSqNPC2XqvLuw8UK3QA6fJ//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
K-dramas rose to popularity because of their swoon-worthy portrayal of romance, however, there has been a shift since 2019, where revenge-thriller K-dramas have also seen colossal success amongst viewers.
While the series predominantly still use heavy romance as their plot, 2022 was a year full of tears and pain as the majority of the shows released were all about retribution and betrayal, which left viewers on the edge of their seats with every episode.
This shift in K-drama plots has given viewers some fantastic masterpieces, including Reborn Rich, Vincenzo, and The Devil Judge that have helped catapult the popularity of Korean TV shows.
The Glory, Eve, and three other revenge-thriller K-dramas that everyone tuned into, in 2022
1) Revenge of Others
Where to watch: Disney+
Episodes: 12
Status: completed
Revenge of Others is a high-school based revenge-thriller K-drama. A boy falls to his death at school and it gets ruled as suicide but her sister Chan-mi is convinced he was murdered. She transfers to her brother's school and meets Soo-heon, who witnessed her brother’s death.
The latter is also a school vigilante who helps the weak get revenge on their perpetrators. Together, they try to find out the truth behind Chan-mi’s brother’s death and get their revenge. This revenge-thriller K-drama will have viewers second-guessing everyone’s intentions.
2) The Glory
Where to watch: Netflix
Episodes: 16
Status: ongoing
The Glory is divided into two seasons and only season one, which has eight episodes, is available on Netflix to binge. The second season will be released in March 2023.
The show revolves around Dong-eun, the protagonist, whose sole aim in life is to make the lives of her high school bullies miserable. Having lived through hell in her teenage years, she takes the time to come up with an elaborate plan to take them all down. The revenge-thriller K-drama can be extremely triggering for some people, so viewers should exercise caution before binge-watching it.
3) Eve
Where to watch: Viki
Episodes: 16
Status: completed
Eve is a revenge-thriller K-drama narrating the story of Ra El, who grew up in a loving family. Her life only knew happiness until her father’s sudden death due to some cruel forces that were out of her control.
Ever since then, Ra El has swore to avenge her father’s untimely death by going after the super-rich Chaebol Kang family who had orchestrated the murder. Her weapon of choice in this fight was divorce.
4) Somebody
Where to watch: Netflix
Episodes: 8
Status: completed
The show revolves around Sum, a software developer for the app Somebody, and how her life gets tangled in a homicide investigation when murders are being committed using the app.
Somebody is a psychological, revenge-thriller K-drama with many violent scenes that can be extremely jarring to watch. It’s loosely based on the novel American Psycho.
5) Remarriage & Desires
Where to watch: Netflix
Episodes: 8
Status: completed
Hye-sung was a fulfilled middle-class wife content with her teaching job until her husband’s death, which reveals dark secrets to her that she is unaware of.
She meets the woman who upended her life at an elite matchmaking company, Rex, and decides to vow revenge on those who were responsible for her condition by taking part in the matchmaking race. Remarriage & Desires is a revenge-thriller that will surely leave the audience shocked after every episode.
After a tearful 2022 that had a lot of K-drama viewers going through heartbreak, 2023 offers some relief with rom-com shows such as Crash Course in Romance starring the Hospital Playlist heartthrob Jung Kyung-ho. However, the trend of revenge-thriller K-dramas being the norm remains with shows such as Payback and Vigilante releasing in 2023.
