Old but Gold: Must Watch Dramas Aired in 2013 and Before
Poll Start Date: 29 March 2022
Did you notice that:
- The MDL Top 20 Dramas are all relatively new dramas in the past few years?
- Only 1 drama is aired before 2015: "1 Litre no Namida (2005)" ranked #16 at 9.0
- Recent and new dramas are generally getting higher average ratings? (Due to word limit, MDL numbers are included in comments)
- MDL Top Ranked Dramas that aired in 2013 and before are rated not more than 8.6 (with the exception of "1 Litre no Namida (2005)" rated 9.0) and a drop of 0.3 points from the MDL Top 1 Drama in 2014?
Also, having watched a few recently aired dramas, have you found that the tropes are quite similar or the plots and plot twists are quite predictable, and you kinda missed older dramas that you have watched a long time ago? Those dramas may not have as much CGI and plot twists, but those dramas are no less meaningful, powerful and emotionally pure than the recent dramas.
What are some older dramas that aired in 2013 and before that you highly recommend and are must watch dramas that new viewers have been missing out on?
Recommend your "Old but Gold" dramas to fellow MDL users, so they don't miss a gem!
Note:
- Each user may list up to 5 dramas.
- Please only include dramas that are aired only in 2013 and before.
- Dramas that aired in 2014 and after will be deleted.
- You may also include in the comments why an older drama is a must watch.
Wish Upon A Star Mar 29, 2022
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![Coffee Prince]()
Choi Han Gyul is the grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. ...more -
![Dream High]()
Dream High tells the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars in the Korean music industry. Go Hye Mi is ...more -
![I Hear Your Voice]()
Jang Hye Sung, a bold, sassy, thick-faced, comical, and materialistic public defender who becomes a lawyer after overcoming poverty and painful memories from her childhood, comes to a realization about society and ...more -
![The Master's Sun]()
Joo Joong Won is the stingy and greedy CEO of Kingdom, a conglomerate that includes a major department store and hotel. He meets the gloomy Tae Gong Shil, who started seeing ghosts ...more -
![Reply 1997]()
Set in the 1990s, the drama centers around a female high school student Shi Won, who idolizes boyband H.O.T, and her 5 high school friends in Busan. As the timeline moves back ...more -
![My Love from the Star]()
Do Min Joon is an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty period. He possesses a near perfect appearance and enhanced physical abilities involving his vision, hearing ...more -
![Secret Garden]()
The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won, an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im, a poor and humble stuntwoman whose beauty ...more -
![School 2013]()
Seungri High School ranks as one of the worst of the 178 high schools in Seoul based on academic scores. Kang Se Chan is the top Korean language teacher who owns a ...more -
![Master of Study]()
When scrappy and abrasive lawyer Kang Suk Ho is put in charge of the liquidating Byung Moon High School, he sees his own troubled past in the problematic students who live their ...more -
![Secret]()
A man who does not believe in love, falls for a woman who has been hurt by it. Min Hyuk is wealthy, with everything but a good personality, He’s been enraged and ...more -
![Queen In Hyun's Man]()
Kim Boong Do is a scholar who had supported the reinstatement of Queen In Hyun when Jang Hee Bin's schemes resulted in her being deposed and replaced as King Suk Jong's queen ...more -
![Moon Embracing the Sun]()
Thirteen-year-old Heo Yeon Woo, the daughter of a high-ranking official, accompanies her mother to the royal palace to attend her brother, Heo Yeom's civil service examination congratulatory ceremony. By chance, she comes ...more -
![The Heirs]()
Kim Tan is the heir to Empire Group who has been sent to study abroad in the U.S. In reality it's a form of exile, as his elder half-brother back home schemes ...more -
![Jewel in the Palace]()
About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Based on a true story about a legendary girl, Jang Geum, who ...more -
![Empress Ki]()
Genghis Khan built an empire that spanned vast regions in East Asia and East Europe. And there was one woman who held immense power in the Yuan Dynasty, which Genghis Khan founded, ...more -
![Cruel City]()
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![Goong]()
Feisty, bubbly, and no-nonsense, Chae Gyeong is an ordinary high school student. Until one day when she receives some unexpected news. Because of her grandfather's will, she must marry the unendurable Crown ...more -
![City Hunter]()
Lee Yoon Sung is a talented MIT-graduate who works on the international communications team in the Blue House. He plans revenge on five politicians who caused his father's death with his surrogate ...more -
![Autumn's Concerto]()
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![You're Beautiful]()
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![Rooftop Prince]()
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![The Innocent Man]()
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![My Lovely Sam Soon]()
Kim Sam Sun is a baker who has a talent for making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she catches her boyfriend, Min Hyeon U, cheating on her and breaks up. On ...more -
![49 Days]()
Shin Ji Hyun was enjoying absolute bliss as she was about to marry her fiancé, Kang Min Ho, but her perfect life is shattered when she gets into a car accident that ...more -
![Queen Seon Deok]()
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![Mars]()
Han Qi Luo, an extremely shy art student went to the same college as Chen Ling, a popular play boy. By chance one day they met at a park when Chen Ling ...more -
![The Greatest Love]()
Gu Ae Jung was once the most popular member of the girl band, ‘The National Treasure Girls’. When the band broke up ten years ago, she received the bulk of the blame. ...more -
![Gokusen]()
The story of a young, idealistic teacher who enters Shirokin Gakuen in hopes of making a difference in the lives of students. However, Yamaguchi Kumiko is in for a rude awakening when ...more -
![Hanazakari no Kimitachi e]()
This hilarious comedy follows the chaos, troubles, and friendship at a boys' boarding school after a girl disguised as a boy joins. Ashiya Mizuki has just come back to Japan from California ...more -
![The Princess's Man]()
Princess Se Ryung is the headstrong and forward-thinking daughter of Grand Prince Su Yang, who is determined to be King. She falls in love with the son of his mortal enemy, and ...more -
![King2Hearts]()
Kim Hang Ah is a legendary top female instructor working for North Korea’s elite special forces unit. With stamina, training tactics, and strength in all areas, she is the perfect female soldier; ...more -
![The Bridal Mask]()
Lee Kang To is an ambitious and callous Korean officer employed by the Japanese colonists. Despite his mother's disapproval of his work and his own brother's antagonistic history with the Japanese, Kang ...more -
![Two Weeks]()
Jang Tae San works at a pawn shop by day and prostitutes himself to older women at night. One day, he's contacted by his ex-girlfriend that he is the father of her ...more -
![Liar Game]()
Kanzaki Nao is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The ...more -
![Faith]()
A 21st-century plastic surgeon Eun Soo gets kidnapped and brought 700 years into the past for her healing powers. Goryeo era bodyguard to the king, General Choi Yeong is smart but a ...more -
![Long Vacation]()
Sena is a college music graduate who dreams of becoming a professional musician and a world-class pianist. Unfortunately, he has not been able to find any breakthrough opportunities and has to settle ...more -
![Iris]()
Kim Hyun Joon and Jin Sa Woo are best friends who were brought into a top secret organization known as NSS by analyst Choi Seung Hee and Park Sang Hyun. Hyun Joon ...more -
![Sungkyunkwan Scandal]()
Kim Yun Hee is a smart, responsible young woman with an independent drive. Since her father passed away, she has worked to support her family but has also managed to do well ...more -
![I'm Sorry, I Love You]()
Cha Moo Hyuk was adopted by an Australian family but was abused and left homeless at an early age. One day, he comes across Song Eun Chae, the coordinator for Choi Yune, ...more -
![Drama Special Series Season 1: White Christmas]()
40. Drama Special Series Season 1: White Christmas
Korean Special - 2011, 8 episodes493 points by 5 votersAfter receiving an anonymous letter stating that someone would die, eight students at the elite boarding school, Susin High School, nicknamed "Prison High", decided to remain at school for the 8 days ...more -
![Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo]()
At a high school entrance ceremony, high school student Aihara Kotoko, who isn't that smart, notices the pretty boy Irie Naoki. She falls in love with him immediately. Kotoko initially doesn't express ...more -
![Flower Boy Next Door]()
This is a drama about a girl, Go Dok Mi who is a shut-in Miss Lonelyhearts type, who spends her days spying on the man living in next building. She is caught ...more -
![Kimi wa Petto]()
In education, career, and appearance... Sumire is perfect, too perfect for even her boyfriend, who summarily dumps her. Also sexually harassed at work, Sumire takes matters into her own hands. Returning home ...more -
![A Gentleman's Dignity]()
Four men in their forties go through love, breakup, success and failure. The story includes the romantic relationship between Kim Do Jin, an architect with a scathing tongue, and strict high school ...more -
![Heartstrings]()
Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is the vocalist of the band "The Stupid" and also plays the guitar. He is known for his good looks and ...more -
![Bloody Monday]()
A high school student and genius hacker, Takagi Fujimaru, a.k.a. “Falcon”, uses his sophisticated hacking techniques to indict the fraudulent acts of evil villains. In order to save his family, friends, and ...more -
![Nobuta wo Produce]()
Shuji Kiritani is one of the most popular guys in his school. He pretends to care for all of his classmates, but deep down, is quiet and doesn't open up to others. ...more -
![Jumong]()
Jumong was the founder of Goguryeo in 37 BC. He was the son of General Hae Mo Su and Lady Yoo Hwa and was raised by King Geum Wa, who took him ...more -
![Scent of a Woman]()
A romantic comedy about a non-married, low ranking office worker who is given numbered days to live. Lee Yeon Jae is given the grim prognosis that she only has a short time ...more -
![Sweet 18]()
Grandfather Kwon, the head of the traditional Kwon family agrees to an arranged marriage between his grandson Kwon Hyuk Joon and Yoon Jung Sook when Jung Sook is born. Jung Sook’s family ...more -
![Thank You]()
Dr. Min Ki Seo went to Blue Island to fulfill his deceased girlfriend's last wish to find the single mother and her little girl who was infected by HIV and to apologize ...more -
![Arang and the Magistrate]()
It tells the story of a cynical and not-so-friendly government official named Eun Oh, who wanders the whole nation to look for his mother, who disappeared because of his mistake. Eun Oh ...more -
![The King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang]()
King Mu Ryeong was a Baekje king who oversaw a renaissance during his reign while also building his kingdom into a sea power. He had a hidden daughter called Soo Baek Hyang, ...more -
![My Girl]()
When Gong Chan meets the lively and beautiful Yoo Rin, he finds out that she has connections to his missing cousin, whom his grandfather has been searching for. He asks Yoo Rin ...more -
![Time Between Dog and Wolf]()
After his mother is brutally murdered in front of him by the Thai criminal syndicate Cheongbang, Lee Soo Hyun is adopted into NIS agent Kang Jung Ho's family. Together with Kang Min ...more -
![Love Shuffle]()
Usami Kei is a salaryman who has risen in status due to his engagement with Mei, the wealthy daughter of his company's president. Shortly after she breaks off the engagement, a power ...more -
![Soredemo, Ikite Yuku]()
Fukami Hiroki's younger sister was killed by a friend. Hiroki then meets the killer's sister, Toyama Futaba, 15 years after the incident. Both of their families have been burdened with grief, but ...more -
![Lucifer]()
When Homicide Detective Kang Oh Soo hit a dead end in his investigation of two seemly unrelated murders, except for the Tarot cards left behind at both crime scenes, he sought help ...more -
![Hi My Sweetheart]()
Xue Hai was a certifiable dork when he first arrived in Hangzhou. After his schoolmate Bao Zhu saved him from bullying, she became his first love. Then, a misunderstanding caused them to ...more -
![Beach Boys]()
Upon getting thrown out of his girlfriend Fujiko's apartment, Hiromi decides to head for the ocean. En route, he crosses paths with Kaito, an elite employee of a large multinational trading company ...more -
![Missing You]()
15-year-old Soo Yeon is a victim of bullying at school. They target her because her father is a murderer. Soo Yeon has an ally named Jung Woo, who always protects her from ...more -
![Ugly Alert]()
The story of a man named Gong Joon Soo who sacrificed himself by pretending to be a murderer to protect his younger stepbrother from being accused instead. While serving time in prison, ...more -
![Lie to Me]()
Gong Ah Jung, a level 5 Ministry of Culture official, gets entangled in a web of lies when she mistakenly lies that she's married to Hyun Ki Joon, a noble hotel manager ...more -
![Memories of Murder]()
In 1986, in the province of Gyunggi, in South Korea, a second young and beautiful woman is found dead, raped and tied and gagged with her underwear. Detective Park Doo Man and ...more -
![Fated to Love You]()
Chen Xin Yi is an ordinary office lady who is termed a 'sticky note' girl because, just as sticky notes are useful for a while and then discarded, she finds herself frequently ...more -
![Three Kingdoms]()
Three Kingdoms is a Chinese television series adapted from Luo Guanzhong's classical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Directed by Gao Xixi, the 95 episodes long series has a budget of over ...more -
![Evasive Inquiry Agency]()
Moo Yeol, a taekwondo instructor, falls for Eun Jae at first sight when she comes to his agency and asks for help finding gold treasures. Hee Kyung is a tarot card master, ...more -
![Good Doctor]()
Although Park Shi On is an autistic savant who lacked mental maturity and empathy, he graduated from medical school with distinction. His medical skills are exceptional, but he struggles to deal with ...more -
![The Last Breakthrough]()
Dr. Albert Wong Fu Fun joins "Life Force", an international medical humanitarian organization, to carry out the unfulfilled wish of his deceased girlfriend, Ha Hiu Tung. He also set up "Lung Sing ...more -
![JIN]()
The story follows a brain surgeon named Minakata Jin, who has spent the last two years in anguish as his fiancee lies in a vegetative state after an operation he performed. One ...more -
![GTO]()
Onizuka Eikichi is a graduate of a third-rate University and the leader of a motorcycle gang, whose lifelong dream is to become a teacher. After being hired by a seemingly eccentric director, ...more -
![Ruler of Your Own World]()
Go Bok Su has had a difficult childhood and served time in prison for stealing. Jeon Kyung, a moody tomboy and a daughter of a rich family, plays the keyboard as a ...more -
![Osozaki no Himawari]()
The drama is set at the beautiful Shimanto River in the Kochi prefecture and revolves around a group of seven men and women and the unfolding of their lives. Ikuta plays a ...more -
![Chinese Paladin]()
The story takes place in a fantasy medieval China. Li Xiao Yao, a "Stinky Punk", journeys to Dream Island to find a cure for his sick aunt. There he meets and marries ...more -
![My Fair Lady]()
Of the high-rolling top 'hot celebrities' of the wealthy upper class in Korea's high society, Kang Hye Na is the one desired by the men, feared and hated by the women. Being ...more -
![Hormones]()
This series is about Thai secondary school students and their friends trying to find their way through the ups and downs of adolescence. It features issues and experiences of Thai teenagers in ...more -
![The Slave Hunters]()
Chuno follows the story of Lee Dae Gil, a man of high birth, whose family was ruined when Won Ki Yoon, a slave, burnt down his house and escaped with his sister, ...more -
![Orange Days]()
Yuuki Kai is in his senior year at university studying social welfare psychology. At present, he is in the middle of job-hunting season. He is finding it difficult with no job offers ...more -
![Kodai Shojo Dogu-chan]()
By chance, a hikikomori named Makoto Sugihara finds a strange breastplate buried in the woods. When he places his palm on the breast plate, its design gets burned into his palm while ...more -
![Shinzanmono]()
In the Ningyo-cho area of Nihonbashi, Tokyo - a woman was murdered. Detective Kaga Kyoichiro, who just transferred to the Nihonbashi police precinct, is placed in charge of the murder case. With ...more -
![Tree With Deep Roots]()
Early in his reign, King Se Jong accidentally causes the death of his in-laws and their slaves in an attempt to save them from his brutal father, King Tae Jong. Two young ...more -
![All In]()
As a kid, all Kim In Ha ever did was follow his uncle around and help him cheat in gambling. As a high school student, he hung out with his friends at ...more -
![Ku Kaen San Ruk]()
Songkran is a real estate mogul a total womanizer with a son named Pe. But he didn’t start out like this, though. Pe’s mother left him when he was young to be ...more -
![Saikou no Rikon]()
A romantic home comedy about 30-year-olds with an immature view on marriage that focuses on themes related to married couples and families in general. The protagonists of ‘Saikou no Rikon’ are two ...more -
![Maou]()
Naruse Ryo, who is an able attorney that can turn any case in his clients’ favour, takes cases for the disadvantaged and defends them free of charge; therefore, he is called an ...more -
![Legend of Chu and Han]()
Liu Bang is one of the most controversial emperors in the history of China. A lowly commoner by birth, he conquered the entire country and laid the foundation for the great Han ...more -
![Suugaku Joshi Gakuen]()
The story, developed with the cooperation of the International Mathematical Olympiad in Japan, is set at a specialized math school full of “suugaku joshi” (“math girls”). Naturally, the show will incorporate various ...more -
![Galileo]()
A genius physicist and university associate professor, Yukawa Manabu, solves difficult mysteries. Affectionately known as Detective Galileo, Yukawa is brilliant, an all-round sportsman, tall and handsome but eccentric. Yukawa's partner is a ...more -
![Sword Stained With Royal Blood]()
Yuan Cheng Zhi is the son of a general who has been killed by the emperor. He comes across a beautiful girl named Qing Qing, and they embark on exciting adventures together, ...more -
![Lovers in Paris]()
Tae Young lives in Paris and is working on a screenplay, she meets Gi Ju while working at a friend's stall and Soo Hyuk, when her bicycle breaks down. Soo Hyuk and ...more -
![The Painter of the Wind]()
Shin Yoon Bok is a talented painter who disguises herself as a boy to search for her father's murderer and meets a master painter who guides her into being a great painter. ...more -
![City Hall]()
It's about the happenings between a young woman mayor and an elite bureaucrat. Jo Gook is an exceedingly smart government official. He passed the Higher Civil Service quickly and basically is the ...more -
![Oum Ruk]()
Napat is a beautiful but head-strong young lady. Against her father's wishes to come and live with him in the States, Napat decides to stay back in Thailand and earn her way ...more -
![The Legend of the Condor Heroes]()
It is set in the late Song Dynasty (12th century), when the failing Song government was slowly falling prey to the northern tribes. (Source: MyDramaList) ~~ Adapted from book 1 "The Legend ...more -
![Shinya Shokudo]()
Set in a small restaurant in the corner of a shopping district. The unusual eatery is only open after midnight, and its standard menu consists of just a single choice. However, the ...more -
![Prince of Lan Ling]()
A prophecy foretold that victory goes to the one who has the priestess' blessing. Yang Xue Wu, the last priestess of her clan, unwittingly embroiled in a war between Northern Qi and ...more -
![The Qin Empire]()
In the mid-fourth century BC, during the Warring States period, groundbreaking political changes occur in the Qin state in western China. Qin, weakened by poverty and internal conflict, is in peril of ...more -
![Long Love Letter]()
Yuka Misaki, whose parents run a flower shop, casually begins dating college student Akio Asami, and later falls for him. But due to some type of accident, the two lose contact with ...more -
![Scarlet Heart]()
A car accident sends Zhang Xiao back in time into the body of one of her previous reincarnations, a 16-year-old aristocratic Manchu girl, Maertai Ruoxi, who lived during the Qing Dynasty. Despite ...more -
![What Happened in Bali]()
Lee Soo Jung is a travel agent who is seeking her good luck in Bali after a harsh and unforgiving childhood. She meets Jae Min, Kang In Wook, and Young Joo in ...more
