It led the list of the prestigious publication for this year.
In the article entitled The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2025 published by Time’s Kayti Burt, it revealed the slate of Korean drama series that have rose to the top of all the productions that aired and streamed this year.
This year, the Number 1 spot went to the hit series When Life Gives You Tangerines, which starred singer-actress IU and actor Park Bo Gum.
The program, which streamed on Netflix, was praised for its ability to make a rare feat of making something “ordinary” feel beyond that.
“Anyone can make the fantastical seem extraordinary. But to make the ordinary feel extraordinary without losing any of its complexity or texture? What a rare and precious feat,” the article read.
The statement of director Kim Won-suk was also recalled, especially when he said: “We were hoping that the story will help break down the invisible barriers between generations, genders, and just people in general.”
“Even backed by an all-star cast that included IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, Park Hae-joon, and Yeom Hye-ran, and one of the biggest production budgets in K-drama history, these still felt like grand ambitions. Somehow, When Life Gives You Tangerines managed to pull it off,” Burt wrote.
Aside from When Life Gives You Tangerines, other dramas on the list are Trigger (#10), Spirit Finger (#9), The Tale of Lady Ok (#8), Study Group (#7), Resident Playbook (#6), Our Unwritten Seoul (#5), Tempest (#4), Squid Game Season 3 (#3), and Way Back Love (#2).
As for the honorable mentions, the list includes Weak Hero Class 2, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, Mercy For None, Love Scout, Dear Hongrang, You and Everything Else, and Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.
Also part of the bunch are The Price of Confession, Nine Puzzles, Melo Movie, Our Movie, As You Stood By, The Manipulated, The Dream Life of Mr. Kim, The Defects, When the Phone Rings, Dear X.