Top 30 Best Korean Anime To Watch

 

Korea has given some of the best dramas and films in the past few years but when we talk about anime for all generations then they are not far away from Japan.

 

Defining its existence through different themes and different genres, Korean anime has given the best of all time to the audience. Whether it is related to adventure or related to romance, they serve best in all the categories.

 

So if you are still wondering what to watch and what to follow, we have solved your problem by categorizing the best Korean anime. So without further waiting let’s take a look at the 30 best Korean anime ever made.

 

 

 

1. The Fake

 

 

Considered one of the best Korean anime, The Fake came out for the first time in September 2013. Being directed as well as written by Yeong Sang Ho, it has got all its achievements by winning several awards.

 

The story is related to the character Choi Gyeong Seok. When the municipality constructed a new dam then they tried to shift the people of the village to a new place.

 

The fate of all these people lies in the protagonist as he told villagers that a new Church and new housing would get developed. He also says that all the people would go to heaven and the church can secure their spot in heaven.

 

Behind all these religious representatives, Choi is actually destroying and defrauding the villagers for their resettlement. The only obstacle he is facing in his aim is a sceptical character called Kim Min Chul.

 

Kim comes into the story and tries very hard to find a solution against the Church institution and reveal their religious fraud.

 

 

 

2. Oseam

 

 

Oseam is an anime that is based on a religious Korean theme. Getting directed for the first time by Sung Baek Yeop, released on 25 April 2003. The story is related to two orphans whose names are Gami and her brother Gilson.

 

Coming to Gami then she is a very gentle as well as a reserved girl with one disability of blindness. Opposite of her is Gilson, a mischievous character. By having refugees in a Buddhist temple, they try to help each other with chores and other parts of living.

 

They try to overcome the loss of their mother as well as their home which happened due to a fire accident that took her eyesight. Brother Gilson, being very young to understand the situation, still believes that they would find their mother for sure.

 

The story further progresses as the brother gets the company of a Monk who meditates in mountains to find a cure for Gami’s eyesight.

 

 

 

3. Yobi, the Five-Tailed Fox

 

 

Coming for the first time in 2007, the anime Yobi, the Five-Tailed Fox is based on some Korean folktales. Carrying some supernatural themes, the anime was directed by Lee Sung Gang.

 

The story is set around 100 years ago when aliens landed on a mountain, the dwelling of white foxes. After being stuck on the Earth for around 100 years, they try to return home but their test fails.

 

One of the aliens ran away from the mountain and later on got the company of students. To save the alien, the five-tailed fox transforms into a human girl and joins the school under a name called Yobi.

 

After getting admission to school, she gets close to the human world, and later on, she gets exposed to a hunter. Her soul was then captivated, however, she got released and became human.

 

 

 

4. Tower of God

 

 

The Tower of God came for the first time on 30 June 2010. It is written by S. I. U., who also contributed to its illustration. The story is related to a boy named 25th Bam, meaning night or chestnut.

 

Coming to his personal life then he has spent most of his life being captivated by a mysterious Tower. He was not all alone in the tower but had the company of his friend whose name is Rachel.

 

When Rachel entered his life, a lot of hurricanes indeed devastated him, however, destiny had something else written with it. Without giving a bit of care to the consequences, Bam opens the door of the tower and meets Rachel.

 

Coming to the tower then it is a mysterious structure in a unique environment where every floor has three layers that serve either as a residential area or the area where people are tested.

 

 

5. A Day Before Us

 

 

Coming for the first time on 10 May 2018, the anime shares the theme of romance and slice of life. It is considered one of the best Korean anime ever made in terms of romance and sweet life.

 

The story is related to the four leading characters who are in their school life. Their past seems to be drawn in dark and old. It also gives a nostalgic feeling by showing how pure and fresh were the days of school with friends.

 

The story deals with the characters like Wook, Yeo Rum, Ha Eun, and Yeon Woo. The plot goes around the two couples: the first one deals with different thoughts and perspectives toward each other while the second one goes with a friendship that later blossoms into a happy relationship.

 

 

6. Noblesse

 

 

Coming for the first time on 30 December 2007, the anime deals with dark fantasy themes. It is written by Son Je Ho and illustrated by Lee Kwangsu. Coming to the plot then Noblesse is about a powerful noble named Cadis Etrama Di Raizel.

 

This noble person slept for around 820 years with no knowledge of the development and changes done to mankind. Being alienated from the advancement and scientific research with its success, Rai wakes up in an abandoned building.

 

He tries very hard to cooperate with the modern world and goes to a school where he meets his loyal servant named Frankenstein. With the help of his servant, Rai enrols in one of the high schools and becomes friends with an athletic teenager named Shinwoo.

 

He also becomes friends with Yuna and a few others, thus forming a group with dangerous adventures. The story further deals with a secret organization that is digging to uncover the past of Rai.

 

 

7. Leafie, A Hen Into The World

 

 

Also known as Daisy, A Hen Into The Wild, the anime was released in July 2011. The story of this anime is related to freedom as well as motherly love which can be seen through a hen mother who adopts and raises a duckling.

 

The story is of a chicken farm where a lot of eggs and hens are kept in cages. Coming to Daisy or Leafie, then she always dreams of becoming a mother but cannot lay eggs.

 

In trying to escape from the farm, she fainted which caused the farmer to think of her as dead. The farmer kept her in the cage of dead hens but soon she woke up and got saved by a duck.

 

At last, the mother leaves the farm and goes into the woods. Finding an egg of a duck, she decided to protect the duckling and become a successful mother. She accepted the duckling as her son and named him Greenie or Chorok Head.

 

Leafie gets new happiness in her life and watches her son growing up. The duckling learned to swim and enlisted to help a bat and an owl. The story then goes on with a lot of obstacles that come in their life and how they together try to solve all these things.

 

 

8. The Kings of Pigs

 

 

The Kings of Pigs is an adult anime psychological drama that was directed by Yeon Sang-Ho, who also serves as a writer. Coming for the first time in October 2011, it also deals with bullying and violence with systemic poverty.

 

Its popularity can be seen through getting three awards at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival. The story is related to Kyung Min who is a 30-year-old businessman dealing with bankruptcy.

 

He kills his wife and seeks a middle school classmate named Jong Suk. Jong Suk works as a ghostwriter and writes an autobiography with the hope of becoming a great novelist.

 

They met for the first time in 15 years and avoided their current situation by talking about their time in Middle School. When they were in middle school, they were full of wealth as well as status with grades, however, they were bullied by the ruling class named Dogs.

 

When they were called Pigs, they got frustrated about it but could not do anything against the ruling class. By remembering all the moments and situations, these two tried to disclose a shocking truth that happened 15 years ago related to Chul.

 

 

9. Aachi & Ssipak

 

 

Aachi & Ssipak is a 2006 Korean anime fictional film. It is a comic science that has been directed by Jo Beom Jin, who also serves as one of the writers.

 

The story is set somewhere in the future when mankind has used all their energy as well as their fuel sources. To replace energy and fuel, they have engineered a new kind of way to use human excrement as energy or fuel.

 

To limit the control of the excrement, the government went to extremes and it has resulted in them facing constipation. Coming to the title character, that is, Aachi & Ssipak then they struggle to survive in these worlds.

 

They met with a porn director and porn star whose name is Beautiful. Beautiful somehow to get a pink ring inside her but that has resulted in an exceptional kind of constipation.

 

Due to these reasons, she became wanted by the police and other characters in the story. To gain all the energy as a resource, people have started building a new city with their excrement.

 

They also try to generate and control this energy by installing a chip in each citizen. This chip will generate a limited kind of excrement that will be helping in energy development.

 

 

10. Sky Blue

 

 

Having a different name called Wonderful Days, it was released for the first time in July 2003. It came under the direction of Kim Moon Saeng who also served as one of the writers with Park Jun Yong.

 

The anime is set in 2142. It is related to environmental pollution that has led to the breakdown of humans and their civilization. A city called Ecoban which is a technologically advanced city was built and gets all the energy from a system called DELOS.

 

This system uses all the pollution in a crystallized way to generate power. The carbonite extraction was carried out by the people who used to live outside the advanced city in the area called Wasteland.

 

Among those citizens was a young man named Shua. He fell in love with his childhood friend called Jay. The love becomes a triangle when a new character comes in.

 

Apart from dealing with environmental destruction and pollution, it also deals with class struggle.

 

 

11. Seoul Station

 

 

Coming for the first time on 18 August 2016, the anime came under the direction of Yeon Sang Ho. It is a horror anime and has been awarded as the Best-anime Feature Film in the Asian Pacific Screen Awards.

 

It is considered a prequel to the live-action film called Train to Busan. The anime is related to the zombie attack in South Korea taking place around the station. It is about a young woman who tries to survive in a world full of Zombies.

 

It goes along with the three main characters named, Hye Sun, Suk Gyu, and Ki Woog. Suk Gyu is the father who is trying to research his runaway daughter named Hye Sun.

 

He, later on, found his daughter with the help of her boyfriend named Ki Woong, alive but became a prostitute. When the father was about to reunite with his daughter, a zombie epidemic came to the capital of South Korea and they all tried to survive in the world.

 

 

12. Element Hunters

 

 

Element Hunters is a Korean as well as Japanese anime series. It has science fiction as well as adventure that goes around chemistry and other fields of Science. The story is set in 2089 and is based on a manga series of the same name.

 

It started in 2029 when chemical elements like oxygen, cobalt, carbon, gold, and molybdenum started disappearing from the Earth. Due to this, the environment started getting disturbed and resulted in the destruction of a lot of people being homeless and destroyed cities within the whole country.

 

After a lot of research, it was discovered that those elements went to a planet called Nega Earth. The story then comes in 2089 when elements started getting dematerialized very fastly.

 

So to save the Earth, 3 kids were hired by the government and formed Element Hunters. Their job is to transport themselves to Nega Earth and battle all the monsters and get all those elements back on Earth.

 

The story ends when they take the help of Professor Carr and Juno and save the planet by getting all the elements back.

 

 

13. Pucca

 

 

Pucca is a South Korean anime that is related to the title character Pucca who is the niece of three Korean men. They try to run a Chinese restaurant named Goh Rong which is located in a small village, Sooga, under the mountain.

 

Coming for the first time in 2000, it also focuses on the point of good business and has gained popularity not just in Korea but in other parts of Asia.

 

The story is related to an 11-year-old girl named Pucca who is a noodle delivery girl. Without speaking even a single word, she works in a local restaurant that was owned by her uncles.

 

She also has a love interest in a 13-year-old ninja whose name is Garu. He is a trained Ninja and always values those who remain silent. Coming to another character, Ching is an 11-year-old swordsman.

 

The story also goes around Ring Ring who is a 12-year-old fashion star and has also a love interest in the Ninja boy. She, later on, is revealed as the daughter of a Dong King.

 

The series also has a love story around another character called Abyo who is 14 years old and has an interest in Kung Fu.

 

 

14. The Nut Job

 

 

It is a computer-anime comedy film that came in 2014. It came under the direction of Peter Lepeniotis and is based upon the story of Surly Squirrel written by Peter.

 

This anime is created by South Korea under the co-production of the United States. The story is set in 1959 in a fictional town called Oakton City. A squirrel named Surly gains the protagonist role along with his rat partner named Buddy.

 

They together found a nut shop which was, later on, revealed as a hideout used by some criminals named Lucky and Fingers. They plan to break the wall and get all the cash from the bank with nuts.

 

The story goes around the gang and some other characters apart from the protagonist who tries to stop the criminal and the activity done by Lucky and Fingers. In the series, other characters like Raccoon and Cardinal were also seen plotting revenge.

 

They were shown stuck in the ocean surrounded by sharks who tried to eat them. The casting is done through characters like Surly, under the voice of Will Arnett, Grayson the voice of Brendan Fraser, Jimmy Gabriel Iglesias’ voice, Mole Jeff Dunham, and many more!

 

 

15. Green Days: Dinosaur And I

 

 

Also known as Dream Of A Precious Day, Green Days: Dinosaur And I were created by hand drawings. The story is related to the 1970s in a rural town. It is a nostalgic coming-of-age film related to a high school girl.

 

The girl struggles to find meaning in her life and learns to face her biggest fears. While doing all these things, she fell in love for the first time. The story is about Yi Rang who fails in a race and decides never to compete again.

 

The story also follows a new student named Soo Min and her popularity among boys. Yi Rang was quite restless as can be seen through her coming out of the movie theatre and crying hard in the restroom.

 

Her former teammate tries to persuade her to come back to the team but she refuses continuously. However, things change with the arrival of Cheol Soo, aka Charles, as these two characters develop a new friendship.

 

Coming to the cast and character then it created a huge remark among the fans. It is Park Shin Hye who has given voice to the leading girl called Yi Rang.

 

Song Chang Eul has given voice to the character Kim Cheol Soo, and Oh Yeon Seo voiced the character Han Soo Min.

 

 

16. Underdog

 

 

Underdog is an anime that came out in July 2018. It has been directed by Oh Sung Yoon as well as Lee Chun Baek and stars big names like Do Kyung, Park So Dam, and Park Chul Min.

 

Coming to the popularity of the series then it can be seen through its opening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival where tickets got sold in just 9 seconds.

 

The story is related to stray dogs who got abandoned by humans. They try to find a place where there would not be any humans. In search of such a place, they find meaning as well as freedom in their life.

 

They form their own identity and existence with self-independence from humans and things. The protagonist of this anime is Moongchi who got its voice from Doh Kyung Soo. Other characters are: Bami, a wild dog who got its voice from Park So Dam, Jjangah has got a voice from Park Chul Min, and Hunter from Lee Jun Hyuk.

 

 

17. Pororo, The Racing Adventure

 

 

Also known as The Little Penguin: Pororo’s Racing Adventure, the series has everything one needs to watch. Along with South Korean anime films, the series also falls under the category of China.

 

It is based on a television series in Korea named Pororo the Little Penguin. The story is related to Pororo and his friends who dream of becoming a champion by getting inspired by a white tiger winning the Super Sleigh Championship.

 

To follow this dream, they built a sleigh so that Proro could drive but he and his friends decided to go with a handmade sleigh. He put a lollipop in the sleigh that made it fly up above the sky and crash into a plane.

 

However, the plane made an emergency landing with the pilot Toto and Mango. After seeing the medal of Toto, Pororo thought of him as a champion. To get the benefits from the situation, Toto also lies about him being a champion.

 

The story then follows the craziness of Pororo becoming a sleigh champion. Related to succeeding doing so, Mango and Toto celebrate their success. Coming to the cast, there are a lot of characters that get involved in the anime with the help of different voice artists like Pororo has the voice of Sun Lee, Crong has Mi Ja Lee, Poby has Hwan Chin Kim, Eddy has the voice of Su Jung Ham, and more.

 

 

18. The Haunted House: The Secret Of The Ghost Ball

 

 

Coming for the first time in 2016, The Haunted House: The Secret Of The Ghost Ball falls under the theme of horror and mystery. The anime also carries the theme of comedy as well as adventure.

 

The story is related to the 102-year-old Goblin. It is also related to two siblings who live in an apartment building. The only relation that goes between the goblin and the two siblings is the apartment building.

 

The old Goblin lives under The Haunted apartment building and when it comes to siblings then they deal with all the ghosts and try to solve the mysteries. When it comes to the characters and cast then it carries great names with great development.

 

Anna Cummer is there as Shinbi, Megan Baldrey is as Mom, Natasha Strickey as Hari Koo, Brianna Johnston as Ballerina Girl, Anna Barker as The Black Pearl Ghost, Nikki Rae Hallow as Drowned Bluewater Ghost, and Nathan Hunt as Boy 14B.

 

 

19.  Shining Star

 

 

Shining Star is a heartwarming and inspiring anime series that follows the journey of a young aspiring musician. Determined to pursue her dreams and make a name for herself in the competitive music industry, she faces various challenges and obstacles along the way.

 

With the support of her friends and mentors, she strives to overcome setbacks, discover her unique voice, and shine brightly on stage. Through captivating musical performances, relatable characters, and themes of perseverance and self-discovery, Shining Star takes viewers on an emotional and uplifting ride that celebrates the transformative power of music and the pursuit of one’s passion.

 

 

20. Blade Of The Phantom Master

 

 

Blade Of The Phantom Master is an anime, not just South Korean but also an amalgamation of Japanese. The series has been created under the theme of action as well as epic fantasy.

 

It was released under the direction of Joji Shimura and Ahn Tae Kun. The story is related to a fictional land called Jushin. In the land, a secret government agent used to live who travelled in disguise to the countryside.

 

The agents were charged by the king for finding and punishing some corrupt government officials to give justice to the citizens of the country. At the beginning of the series, the fictional land got destroyed and divided into many kingdoms.

 

Most of these kingdoms were ruled by corrupt and tyrant Kings and that’s how the mission came and became possible. It falls in the adventure of Munsu who goes to the countryside and deals with things related to the falling of the fictional land.

 

The protagonist is Munsu who is considered an anti-hero serving as a military general. Because of his asthma, Munsu always carries an inhaler that goes around his neck. When Munsu was reaching his goal, he met with some friends from his past who, later on, joined his enemy’s team.

 

 

21. Dooly The Little Dinosaur

 

 

It is an anime series about a dinosaur that Kim Soo Jung, a cartoonist, has created and designed. The story is of Dooly, the dinosaur, who is regarded as one of the most popular South Korean animated characters ever created.

 

The first episode of the animated series aired in 1989, and it concluded in 1990. Dooly, the protagonist, is a baby dinosaur who was abducted by aliens. The Dooly was used in some magical experiments by these aliens, who later returned him to Earth.

 

When the ice broke after 100 million years then he came to Seoul with his oversized head and got the attention of other characters. Taking a look at the appearance then he has great height and a tail.

 

He has two feet with three toes and five fingers like a human on each hand, giving him alien features. He also has some characteristics of humans with the habit of eating and playing all the time.

 

Dooly met with the character Younghee who thought the dinosaur was a dog and took him home with her brother.

 

 

22. The Story of Mr. Sorry

 

 

With themes like comedy and fantasy, the anime also carry horror. The story is of an unprecedented media show related to a question that asks people whether a spider that has driven an assemblyman insane should be punished or not.

 

The punishment is related to the execution of that spider. The name of this spider is Je Bul Chal, whose meaning is nothing but ‘my mistake’. He is a young hardworking person but an ear cleaner by profession.

 

The story gains focus when a spider gets into some kind of memory of a person. It progresses with the disturbance in the ear of a legislator made by the spider.

 

This spider has discovered some shocking memory of the legislator with the sister whom he loved and also misses a lot.

 

 

23. On The White Planet

 

 

With drama and psychological flavour, considered one of the best on the list, the series has got its popularity with different characters. The story is set in a colourless world where everything is pale and desolate, resulting in people being born with some kind of pale white skin.

 

The world doesn’t have any colour except white and that’s how the title of the series comes forward, On The White Planet. The story is related to a boy who was born with yellow skin and everyone treats him like a monster.

 

Due to this reason, the boy lives in isolation with his mother in the forest. The time when he turned 16, he was depressed by his surroundings, and also his mother was depressed too.

 

Due to this depression, his mother committed suicide and left him alone in this world. Now, the boy blamed himself for his mother’s death; however, the hope of becoming a normal person with normal skin colour was always there.

 

 

24.  The God of Highschool 

 

 

The God of High School is an action-packed and exhilarating anime series that revolves around a prestigious martial arts tournament. Jin Mori, a talented high schooler, enters the tournament alongside his friends in a bid to prove themselves as the strongest fighters.

 

As the competition escalates, supernatural elements and divine powers come into play, adding an extra layer of excitement to the battles. With stunning animation, jaw-dropping fight sequences, and a diverse cast of characters, The God of High School delivers intense martial arts action while exploring themes of friendship, determination, and the pursuit of greatness.

 

 

25. The Life Is Cool

 

 

Life is Cool is an anime that came in 2008 under the theme of romance. The film is influenced by other films called Waking Life as well as A Scanner Darkly.

 

It is directed by Choi Equan and Choe Seung Win, Choi Equan was also the one who has written the series. The series revolves around the story of three best friends.

 

One is a heartbroken Romeo and the other one is a hopeless romantic person. Coming to the third one then he is a goofy playboy. All three characters met in 10 years and things got complicated when they shared the same love interest.

 

The cast and characterization of the series are well defined by the characters and actors like Kim Su Ro as Baek II Kwon, Kang Sung Jin in the role of Kim Tae Yeong, Kim Jin Soo as Seong Hoon, and Park Ye Jin as Kang Yeo Woo.

 

 

26. Empress Chung

 

 

Having a unique plot and character, the anime called Empress Chung was released in 2005. Directed by Nelson Shin and the screenplay by Kim Jung Ha, Yoo Kwang Hee, and Shin Jang Hyun, the series is a favorite of all.

 

The central character Chung with father Shim Hakku is the focus of the story. The story started when Shim’s house was set on fire by some minister whom he once rejected to join in a conspiracy.

 

As a result of all these things, he lost his eyesight and none of his family members survived, except his daughter. The story further moves in the future, 14 years after these incidents.

 

Coming to Chung then she is the favorite of all in the whole village, loves her father, and is ready to do anything to bring his eyesight back. With an opportunity to get the eyesight of her father, she decided to sacrifice herself to the Gods of the sea just to get 300 bags of rice to offer to Lord Buddha who can restore the eyesight of her father.

 

After getting all her courage, she went into the depth of the ocean but was saved by a dog with a turtle and a goose. The story progresses when Chung leads her to a Prince and eventually makes her Empress.

 

 

27. Doggy Poo

 

 

Considered one of the best in the South Korean industry, the series is based on a children’s book called Doggy Poo. This children’s book was written by Kwon Jung Saeng, and published in 1968.

 

The anime was directed by Kwon Oh Sung. Marking its characterization, the anime has great casting like Anna Desmarlas, Tony Ruse, Flona Stuart, Josh Smith, and Kate Yoon. The story is related to a dog who was found on the side of a dirty road.

 

Doggy Poo, a sentient pile of feces, was amazed by new surroundings but soon was rejected by Sparrow in disgust. The story also covers the soil and its way to ridicule the doggy, however, the doggy opposed it by confessing the meanness and ugliness of the soil.

 

The soil was then kept in the cart of the farmer and left on the road. The soil was waiting for another cart to run over him and kill him for his life.

 

After all these things, the soil lamented the death of some peppers that happened in drought. A cart then approaches the doggy who, later on, is found to be the cart that has dropped soil on the road.

 

Autumn came and the doggy was very relieved as well as very grateful for the fortune of soil. It left him nothing but lonely and uncertain related to his purpose.

 

The setting changed to spring where the doggy has now approached a hen. The series has become popular and has also won the 2003 Tokyo International Anime Fair for the Best Pilot category.

 

Its success can also be marked by the 2003 Big Apple Anime Fest which gained the Viewer’s Choice Award.

 

 

28. Hammerboy

 

 

Hammerboy came for the first time on 4 August 2003. When it came to its worldwide release then it premiered on 6 August 2004 under the direction of Ahn Tae Geun.

 

It was well written by Ha Yeong Min, Chol Jeong Woon, Ahn Cheol Woo, Kim Min Jo, and Lee Seo Kyeong. The story of Hammerboy is related to a boy called Mangchi, small in height and age; however, his possession is not so small as he carries the biggest treasure called Magical Hammer.

 

With the help of this hammer, Mangchi can solve all the problems and get any kind of solution. Due to his possession of a Magical Hammer, he is known to be a Hammerboy.

 

Coming to the setting then the protagonist lives on a small island called Candlestick. The name of this island comes from the places that transformed into a wasteland because of some catastrophe.

 

The story also revolves around Princess Poplar who comes from the Kingdom of Jemius. She is being pursued by a henchman, Moonk. The story progresses well with Hammerboy as he is ready to use all his powers and his hammer for the sake of the world and to save humankind.

 

 

29. Shining Star

 

 

This anime was produced in South Korea. And that’s why it is a bit special, particularly in regards to its animation. The story focuses on Chae Nara, a unique girl who happens to have a dream.

 

She wants to be an idol and her dream can only be a reality if she manages to get into the legendary school called the Shining Star School. And this is where all the aspiring idols are present. There’s one common dream. And that is to become the “Muse”.

 

However, there’s no denying that this entire experience and adventure for Nara isn’t going to be a normal one at all. Therefore, you need to watch this show no matter what. 

 

 

30. Blade of the Phantom Master

 

 

This incredible anime talks about an ancient world as the story takes place in Korea. The series focuses on Munsu, who happens to be one of the few people who are still fighting against Tyranny and corruption.

 

However, after a horrible incident that led to a significant loss, Munsu decides to take a new route and try to find people who were responsible for the loss he experienced.

 

And in this endeavour to find what’s best for him, he will end up getting his hands into something that is way beyond his control. However, that’s exactly what will make the anime interesting for you, me and everyone else watching it on screen.