Seven (7) Must-Watch Wavve Original Korean Dramas

Wavve is a major South Korean streaming platform known for producing original K-dramas. The originals include a variety of genres, from action and thriller to fantasy, romance and comedy.

• Most often, the content produced is exclusive to the platform. Now and then, some of the series are made available for international audiences and streamed on other platforms like Viki and KOCOWA+.

• Below is a curated list of notable Wavve Original K-dramas you are sure to enjoy. Reviews have already been published via PopGeeks.

(1) Reverse (2026): A suspense thriller

This K-drama is a psychological thriller that opens with Ham Myo-Jin driving away from a villa moments before it explodes. Distracted by the blast, she collides with an oncoming vehicle. Incredibly, she survives the accident, only to awaken in a hospital with complete amnesia. Her fiancé, Ryu Jun-Ho, is right by her bedside. He is wealthy, handsome, calm, and caring. He wants to do everything he can to help her fully recover.

But Ham Myo-Jin senses something unsettling beneath his calm exterior. She doesn’t understand. If he is the man she loves, why can’t she remember him? Who doesn’t she feel emotion toward him? As her memories gradually return, Ham Myo-Jin realizes she may be in danger and that Ryu Jun-Ho has been manipulating her. Regaining her physical strength, mental clarity, and most importantly, her memory, she resolves to expose the truth.

(2) S Line (2025): An action drama based on a webtoon.

The “S” is short for “Sex-Line,” which stands for Social Sex Secret. This k-drama unfolds in a near-future South Korea where glowing red lines suddenly appear above people’s heads, linking them to past sexual partners. Shin Hyun-Heup, a withdrawn student born with the ability to see the lines, has long lived in isolation after her visions revealed painful truths. However, people are being given special glasses that allow anyone to see these connections, exposing secrets and destabilizing society.

When the glasses spread, paranoia spreads, and some people exploit the S lines for power, blackmail, and revenge. Detective Han Ji-Wook investigates crimes tied to the lines, only to find his own past entangled. Lee Kyu-Jin, a teacher, offers insight into their emotional impact. But the truth behind the glasses proves more shocking than anyone expected.

(3) One: High School Heroes (2025): Action drama.

This Korean drama follows Kim Ui-Gyeom, a top student hiding a painful reality. At home, he is abused by his controlling father while enduring bullying at school. His life shifts when his suppressed fighting instincts surface during a confrontation, revealing unexpected strength. This draws the attention of Kang Yoon-Ki, a street-smart and fearless student who challenges school hierarchies.

Seeing potential in Kim Ui-Gyeom, Kang Yoon-Ki proposes they become masked vigilantes, “High School Heroes”, and protect vulnerable classmates. As they act, they expose deep corruption within the school, including violent bullies and indifferent teachers. As their influence grows, powerful figures push back, including Kim Ui-Gyeom’s father, forcing him to choose between submission and becoming the hero he has begun to embody.

(4) High School Return of a Gangster (2024): Supernatural, Fantasy drama.

Kim Deuk-Pal is a tough but humble gangster who secretly studies for his GED since he’s too old to attend high school. Just after learning he’ll become the next gang boss, he spots a student, Song Yi-Heon, preparing to jump off a bridge. Kim Deuk-Pal rushes to save him, but two life-changing events occur simultaneously. Song Yi-Heon jumps, and Kim Deuk-Pal is struck by a car. Kim Deuk-Pal wakes up in the hospital, but he now inhabits Song Yi-Heon’s body. Soul-swap or body-swap? Kim Deuk-Pal is believed to be dead. But he’s alive! However, he can’t get his body back. On the plus side, he now gets to go to high school.

Kim Deuk-Pal discovers that Song Yi-Heon attempted suicide because of relentless bullying, both at school and at home. Since he’s now living in Song Yi-Heon’s body, Kim Deuk Pal decides to fix the boy’s broken life. He returns to high school and goes home. Technically, he’s a gangster, and when the same people try to bully him … you can guess how he reacts. There’s a “new Song Yi-Heon” in town.

(5) The Deal (also titled “The Perfect Deal”) (2023): Crime thriller.

Three former high school friends: Lee Joon-Sung, a gambling addict hunted by gangsters; Song Jae-Hyo, an expelled medical student desperate for money; and Park Min-Woo, a wealthy but sheltered son. Driven by desperation, Song Jae-Hyo and Lee Joon-Sung kidnap Park Min-Woo, planning a ransom. They keep him blindfolded and don’t talk so that he doesn’t know who his kidnappers are. But he discovered their identities anyway.

Surprisingly, Park Min-Woo proposes joining forces to earn even more money. But does he really mean it, or is he tricking them to survive? The crime escalates quickly, turning bad decisions into worse ones. It gets even worse because a neighbor becomes suspicious and tries to investigate and uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Park Min-Woo’s mother is desperately searching for her son. She has connections with certain people in the “criminal element”. If they find her son, who knows what will happen to his “friends”?

(6) Weak Hero Class 1 (2022): Highly popular action-thriller.

Weak Hero Class 1 is a high school K-drama about three (3) best friends ~ Yeon Si-Eun, and how their failure to communicate with each other led to tragedy.

• Yeon Yeon Si-Eun is a brilliant but solitary student who avoids relationships, but finally befriended 2 other students.
• An Soo-Ho is strong, kind, and overworked, respecting Yeon Si-Eun without pushing for friendship.
• Oh Beom-Seok, a transfer student abused at home, is lonely and desperate to escape bullying.

When school bullies target Yeon Si-Eun and manipulate Oh Beom-Seok, the plan backfires, Yeon Si-Eun proves far tougher than expected. The ordeal unexpectedly bonds the three into a genuine friendship. For a time, they support one another, though each hides painful struggles at home.

Oh Beom-Seok believes money can buy loyalty, so he aligns with bullies and turns his anger toward An Soo-Ho. Yeon Si-Eun tries to stop the escalating conflict, but it spirals into tragedy, shattering their friendship. Yeon Si-Eun ends up alone again, realizing friendships can break easily, while bullies remain painfully predictable.

• NOTE: Weak Hero Class 2 continues the story, but it is not a Wavve original. It is a Netflix original.

(7) Bitch and Rich (2023): Murder Mystery, Thriller.

At Cheongdam International High School, wealth determines power. Poor students endure relentless bullying, while the rich act without consequences. Kim Hye-In, a poor student, discovers an unexpected way to survive: deception. After posting a photo with a luxury handbag while tutoring a wealthy girl, her peers assume she is rich. Realizing the protection that status brings, she decides to maintain the illusion, believing it’s safer than being herself.

Meanwhile, Baek Je-Na, a truly wealthy and influential student, embodies unchecked privilege. Accused of bullying, she escapes punishment as others take the blame for her. When a fellow student is murdered, Baek Je-Na becomes the prime suspect, and Kim Hye-In is the only witness. Now, Kim Hye-In faces a moral dilemma: expose the truth and risk everything, or protect her fabricated status. In a world where power shields the guilty, she must decide whether survival is worth sacrificing her integrity.

• NOTE: Bitch and Rich 2 (2025) is a Wavve original, but it is TBR (to be reviewed). This K-drama is still on my watch list, but Viki viewers rated it 9.3 out of 10 stars.

TRAILER/TEASER FOR SEASON 2:

Viu Philippines. “[TRAILER] Bitch x Rich 2.” YouTube, 1 Jul. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKU8AfiLyDs.

♦

Wavve is a major South Korean streaming platform created by SK Telecom and the country’s three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC, and SBS.

This gives it access to strong creative talent and industry resources, which helps its original dramas stand out. The global rise of K dramas, part of the Korean Wave, has made viewers more curious about Korean culture, traditions, and storytelling styles.

Viewers are drawn to Wavve Original K-dramas for their blend of the strengths of the broader Korean Wave (Hallyu). Wavve Originals contribute to this by showcasing Korean customs, language, food, and social dynamics. This is a major draw for international fans, and its originals often reach international viewers through licensing deals. (YAY!)

Based on the listing above, do you think Wavve Original K dramas are heading in the right direction? (I do!)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

How Korean Drama Has Taken the World By Storm. | CEO Weekly

What’s the Secret behind the K-Drama Wave, and Will It Crash? | RVCJ Media

14 Best Websites to Watch Korean Dramas in 2026. | TechCult

♦