4 Fun-Filled Summery Historical K-Dramas You'll Love After "Our Blooming Youth"

With no sageuks on the immediate horizon after the wrap-up of “Our Blooming Youth,” there’s no better time than to revisit (or watch anew) some of the best historical dramas of the past few years. Some feature detective duos who bicker their way into romance like Lee Hwan (Park Hyung Sik) and Min Jae Yi (Jeon So Nee), and others matchmake sweet heroines like Ga Ram (Pyo Ye Jin) with brooding men like Han Sung On (Yoon Jong Seok). And there’s a healthy splash of danger, mystery, and even the slight hint of magic in all these recommendations below. Here they are, without further ado!

1. “Scarlet Heart: Goryeo”

This show took the drama world by storm in 2016 and gained both Lee Joon Gi and IU legions of fans. And for good reason! It’s the classic story of a modern woman named Go Ha Jin (IU) who gets transported back in time during a solar eclipse. She wakes during the Goryeo Dynasty in the body of a girl named Hae Soo. There, she befriends the numerous, eccentric princes of the house of King Taejo. The tenderhearted eighth prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha Neul) is Prince Charming personified, but there’s something about the notoriously cruel fourth prince, Wang So (Lee Joon Gi), that terrifies and fascinates Hae Soo. Before long, she finds herself embroiled in palace scandal and politics as she unwittingly becomes a pawn in an ongoing fight for the throne where the brother she chooses could save the kingdom or doom it.

Why you’ll love it: Lee Joon Gi and IU’s chemistry is off-the-charts in this show. Wang So is one of the most unhinged characters Lee Joon Gi has played, while Hae Soo grows from terrified woman to weary palace maid, but their relationship just works. It’s a testament to how good these two are together that fans still clamor for a sequel. It’s a must-watch!

2. “Secret Royal Inspector & Joy”

“Secret Royal Inspector & Joy” is a zany splash of fun, perfect for the summer! Ra Yi Eon (Taecyeon) would really rather not be a royal inspector. So it’s a rude awakening when he goes from spending his days creating magnificent culinary creations to the applause of his two menservants, Yook Chil (Min Jin Woong) and Goo Pal (Park Kang Sub), to being assigned the most deadly job a clerk of the Hongmungwan (Office of Special Advisors) can have. Royal inspectors are in charge of ferreting out corruption (or rather enabling it, depending on how the wind blows), which often results in a painful death. Thus, Ra Yi Eon decides to eschew justice altogether and treat the job as a food tour across Joseon. Naturally, this doesn’t work out as planned.

Kim Jo Yi (Kim Hye Yoon) has had it with men and their mothers. After being married for far too long in her opinion, she petitions the local magistrate for a divorce with the support of all the town’s women, save her mother-in-law of course. Chance and some skullduggery have her running into our royal inspector, where she’s promptly smitten and furious that she’s smitten, so she treats him like she’d treat any other man, by being blunt and keeping her distance. And just like that we’ve a detective duo to rival Lee Hwan and Min Jae Yi. Granted, the drama skews a little more mature in certain respects, but this is a hilarious, fun detective drama with a slow-burn romance that fans of “Our Blooming Youth” will love!

Start watching “Secret Royal Inspector & Joy”:

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3. “Ruler: Master of the Mask”

Lee Sun (Yoo Seung Ho), the Crown Prince of Joseon, is born during a turbulent time. A secret organization called Pyunsoohwe aims to control Joseon’s water supply and has the King, Lee Sun’s father, on a tight leash. To protect his son, the king orders that Lee Sun wear a mask for the rest of his life and tells everyone that Lee Sun has a horrible disfiguring illness. But as Lee Sun grows up, he starts to wonder why he has to wear the mask and what the outside world looks like, so he sneaks away from the Palace to meet someone who can tell him the truth. But things go awry, and Lee Sun is saved by Han Ga Eun (Kim So Hyun), who ends up paying a terrible price for doing so because of Pyunsoohwe. Lee Sun conceals his identity and sets out to destroy the organization from within. But Pyunsoohwe has spies everywhere, and when Lee Sun meets a water deliverer also named Lee Sun (Kim Myung Soo), Pyunsoohwe sees the opportunity for a switcheroo of kings.

Why you’ll love it: This drama has everything – assassinations, death, and protagonists conspiring to oust an evil organization. And there are plenty of cute moments to make up for the darkness. Take Ga Eun and Lee Sun’s first meeting, where she saves him. It’s absolutely worth watching!

4. “The Crowned Clown”

In the tumultuous kingdom of Joseon, the ruthless king Lee Hun (Yeo Jin Goo) rules all. Half-mad and reliant on drugs, he’s as vicious as a king can get, but is plagued with his own doubts and insecurities because of repeated assassination attempts on him since he was a child. The king’s loyal advisor, Lee Kyu (Kim Sang Kyung), sadly watches over him. Lee Kyu is furious when he happens upon a troupe of clowns mocking the king. The person portraying the king is a clown named Ha Sun (also played by Yeo Jin Goo), who happens to look exactly like the king. So when the king falls ill and needs to recover away from the royal court, Lee Kyu decides to bring Ha Sun in as his replacement to avoid suspicion and so that any attempt on the king’s life would get Ha Sun instead.

However, as Ha Sun takes the throne and begins to fool the royal court into believing he’s the king, he begins to fall for Lee Hun’s beautiful Queen Yoo So Woon (Lee Se Young), who has no idea that this isn’t her husband! As Ha Sun realizes the extent of his power and tries to make Joseon a better place, the two kings, real and fake, battle over empires and love.

Why you’ll love it: “The Crowned Clown” will keep you on the edge of your seat. Yeo Jin Goo is famed as a brilliant actor, and it’s easy to see why. He differentiates Ha Sun’s innocence and conviction with Lee Hun’s bitterness and madness so well. It’s an incredible performance.

But that’s not all! The romance between the Queen and Ha Sun is a beautiful slow burn. Ha Sun’s ignorance of palace etiquette makes for some hilarious moments as he tries to pursue the woman who’s technically his Queen. Hwan and Jae Yi vibes but on the other foot!

Start watching “The Crowned Clown”:

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Hey Soompiers! Which of these shows do you want to see most? If you’ve already seen some of them, which ones are your favorites? Let us know in the comments!

Shalini_A is a long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she works as a lawyer, fangirls over Ji Sung, and attempts to write the greatest fantasy romance of all time. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and feel free to ask her anything!

Currently Watching: “Stealer,” “Decoy: Part 2,” “Divorce Attorney Shin,” “Joseon Attorney: A Morality,” “Three-Body.”
Looking Forward to: “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938,” “Gyeonseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “The Girl Downstairs,” The Worst Evil,” “Black Knight,” “Queen of Tears,” “Vigilante,” “Demon,” “Dr. Romantic 3,” “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” and Ji Sung’s next drama.