3 Korean Movies on Netflix to Watch With Kids

When you have young children (or grandchildren) it’s always fun to spend an afternoon or evening watching family-friendly movies. Netflix offers a sweet selection of Kid and Family Movies. Here are 3 K-drama films you are sure to enjoy (with or without kids).

♦ 1) The Larva Island Movie (2020)

• GENRE: Animation, Comedy, Adventure
• IMDb Rating: 5.1 out of 10 stars
• MyAnimeList.net: 6.3 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 2.8 out of 5 stars

STORYLINE:

Larva Island is a follow-up or sequel to the series Larva. This is a franchise. Larva (also known as Larvae) is a South Korean animated TV series. Per Decider.com: “Red and “Yellow are undoubtedly the Abbott and Costello, the Laurel and Hardy, the Ren and Stimpy of maggot-based comedy.” As an adult, you might get bored but if you’re watching with kids, they might laugh all the way through.

A young man was a castaway on a small deserted island. He thought he was all alone until he found out that Red and Yellow were there too. He eventually gets rescued and returns to civilization. A young reporter wants to write his story so they agree to meet up and discuss his adventure. She wasn’t expecting a survival story about larva. Believe it or not, this is actually based on true events.

Main Characters:

• Chuck is voiced by Eddy Lee (USA), Bum-ki Hong (Korean), and Shogo Nakamura (Japanese)
• Red and Yellow are both voiced by Bum-ki Hong

TRAILER/TEASER:

Netflix After School. “The Larva Island Movie Trailer ?￯ﾸﾏ Netflix after School.” YouTube Video. YouTube, July 9, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlNyQk2W83k.‌

♦ 2) Arahan (2004)

• GENRE: Superhero, Action, Comedy, Fantasy or Supernatural, Asian folklore
• IMDb Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars
• MyDrama List: 7.1 out of 10 stars

STORYLINE:

“Moving” is the 2023 K-drama series about superheroes that has been getting a lot of buzz. Also, the “Strong Girl” series about mutant women who have superhuman strength is very popular. There are probably a lot of Korean dramas about legendary superheroes or common people who discover they have superpowers released long before 2023/2024. “Arahan” is a hidden gem. It was probably underrated and went under the radar because the male lead is not the typical “Adonis-type”. Viewers have come to expect handsome male leads (by Korea’s standards) and the main character is not on any of the published lists for “most handsome South Korean actors”. Even so, his chemistry with the female lead made this movie very entertaining. And … in the interest of full disclosure, the male lead actor is the brother of the film director. LOL.

Yoo Sang-Hwan is an ordinary guy. He got a job working as a policeman to fight the bad guys. It’s a noble cause except when he has to face off with a gang, he is a coward. But there’s this girl. When he saw her in action, he was amazed because she could really kick butt!! Ahn Wi-jin was trained by a master to use her martial arts fighting skills to fight bad guys. Yoo Sang-Hwan met the master who trained her and that’s when he discovered he had superpowers. What? He’s supposed to be a superhero?? One can not escape their destiny. An Ultimate Evil force has been set loose and he’s the one who must save the world (and he might even end up with the girl).

Main Characters:

• Yoo Sang-Hwan (played by Ryoo Seung-bum, “Moving”)
• Ahn Wi-jin (played by Yoon So-yi)
• Ja-Woon (played by Ahn Sung-ki, “The Divine Fury”)
• Heuk-Woon (played by Jung Doo-hong)

TRAILER/TEASER:

CJ ENM. “ARAHAN Official Int’l Main Trailer.” YouTube Video. YouTube, May 25, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMwe75Kz5lA.‌

♦ 3) Psychokinesis (2018)

• GENRE: Superhero, Action, Comedy, Fantasy or Supernatural
• IMDb Rating: 5.9 out of 10 stars
• MyDramaList: 7.2 out of 10 stars
• Common Sense Media: 4 out of 5 stars

STORYLINE:

Shin Suk-Hun was just an average guy with an average job and then one day, he discovered that he had the power of psychokinesis (i.e. he could move physical objects with his mind and without use of physical means). Imagine how much money he could make with a skill like this! For most of his adult life he had low-paying jobs and was debt-ridden. This could be his ticket to financial freedom!

Shin Roo-Mi has a reputation for making the best fried chicken ever! She and her mother run a fried chicken restaurant, but a construction company wants to force all of the business owners in the market area to leave. They are willing to use strong arm tactics if necessary. One night a bunch of men showed up to force Roo-Mi to leave the building. She and her mother were both in a physical altercation and her mother died, as a result. Roo-Mi has no desire to reunite with her father since he abandoned her at a young age. Nevertheless, she calls him to let him know that her mother has passed away.

When Suk-Hun, Roo-Mi’s father arrives at the memorial services, she isn’t overjoyed to see his face. When Suk-Hun realizes that his daughter and other business owners plan to fight the construction company, he tries to convince her to leave and come live with him. She refuses. When the bullies show up again, he uses psychokinesis and overpowers them. Everyone is in shock. Everyone. The business owners and the guys who worked for the construction company were shocked! When they showed a video of what happened to the police, the folks in law enforcement were ready to dismiss it. What they saw couldn’t possibly be true. But by that time, the business owners were fully convinced that Suk-Hun’s psychokinetic abilities were real and they were glad Suk-Hun was fighting on their side.

Of course, someone with powers of psychokinesis could also use that power for EVIL. That was never the way Suk-Hun intended to use his powers. But that didn’t stop others who were corrupt and in positions of power to paint him as a threat to soceity and have him throw in jail on trumped up charges. Evil people had managed to distort and twist his good intentions. Not only that, but they planned to get his daughter arrested too! Suk-Hun was not going to sit in a jail cell while they went after his innocent daughter.

Main Characters:

• Shin Suk-Hun (played by Ryu Seung-Ryong, “Moving”, “Kingdom 1 and 2”)
• Shin Roo-Mi (played by Shim Eun-Kyung)

TRAILER/TEASER:

2.0 Trailers. “Psychokinesis (2018) Super Netflix Korean ShiFi Adventure Trailer.” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 10, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_vysv3s_Ec.‌