Ranking all Korean dramas with a cast full of top actors and actresses

It is not certain that they will achieve complete success, but these dramas with an “All-Stars” cast have always been at the center of attention from the very first days of their release and were all expected to become blockbusters. Having such a cult cast is both a good thing and a challenge for these dramas as they have to make sure all the actors of their cast have enough space to show the best of their skills. 

7th place: Athena: Goddess Of War (2010)

As a spin-off of the 2009 blockbuster Iris, Athena: Goddess Of War was expected to be as successful as the original series with a huge investment budget and the main cast of cult actors.  With the main actors of Jung Woo Sung, Cha Seung Won, Lee Ji Ah, Soo Ae, Kim Min Jong, and Choi Si Won, this drama got off to a good start with a rating of 25.9%.

However, that was also the only good thing that Athena: Goddess Of War has done. The more you watch the series, the more confusing the script àn all of its stories is no longer attractive.  The impressive acting of the main cast couldn’t t save the boring script. Athena: Goddess Of War has gone from an expected blockbuster to a complete failure of the Korean small screen.

6th place: Our Blues (2022)

Our Blues has remained its rating quite stable from the first day of its release. The highest rating ever recorded for this drama is 9.1%, which many viewers find quite modest compared to the cult main cast with Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, Han Ji Min, Kim Woo Bin, Lee Jung Eun, Uhm Jung Hwa…

5th place: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

This historical drama released 6 years ago is still not really a favorite work of many audiences. The popularity of IU, Kang Ha Neul, Nam Joo Hyuk and Seohyun is the main point that brings Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo closer to audiences.

4th place: The Heirs (2013)

As an idol movie, The Heirs has completely met all the requirements for works of this genre: a cast with top visuals of the Korean entertainment industry, acceptable acting, cheerful content, and of course, excellent clothes styling. 

The cast of The Heirs includes Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, Kim Ji Won, Kang Ha Neul, Krystal Jung, and Park Hyung Sik… is still considered one of a kìnd nowadays.  At the present time, it’s a challenge to find an idol drama with a top-notch young cast like that of The Heirs.

3rd place: It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014)

Jo In Sung and Gong Hyo Jin, combined with others like Sung Dong Il, Lee Kwang Soo, Do Kyung Soo, and Lee Sung Kyung, are the things that made the audiences fall headfirst for It’s Okay, That’s Love. 

For the majority of viewers who love Korean dramas, It’s Okay, That’s Love is always on the list of dramas that should be re-watched every year, to feel more loved and to know what a quality “All-Stars” drama is like.

2nd place: Hospital Playlist (2020 – 2021)

Compared to other dramas on this list, the “All-Stars” cast of Hospital Playlist is not as popular or well known. However, what makes this series so popular is the very realistic storyline and the perfect combination of all the emotional aftertastes in life. Its ratings and impact are both excellent. It can be ranked among the typical works of tvN so far.

Those things are shown even better through the skillfully acting of the main cast including Jo Jung Suk, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jung Kyung Ho, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Dae Myung. Hospital Playlist is like a perfect version of 2 legendary series on American television, Friends and Grey’s Anatomy.

1st place: Iris (2009)

It’s unclear if Iris was the first Korean TV series to feature the “All-Stars” cast. However, after the huge success of this drama both professionally and commercially, Korean dramas with the “All-Stars” cast have appeared more densely. This work, which has recorded huge ratings and rocked the whole of Asia when it was released, opened up a whole new genre, showing that Korean drama is not only about love dramas. Each episode or even the OST of the series has become legendary.