If given the opportunity, would you go back in time and rearrange the blueprint of your life? A second chance to right the wrongs as well as tempting fate to rewrite one’s destiny may seem like a mission impossible. However, in the vast world of K-dramas, we have riveting tales of revenge as our characters travel back in time and exact their pound of flesh with such finesse that you cannot help but cheer them on. Here are six binge-worthy time travel revenge dramas, where the main characters could not be outwitted in their plan for retribution.
“Perfect Marriage Revenge”
For as long as she can remember, Han Yi Joo (Jung Yoo Min) has been gaslighted by her own family. Her wealthy adoptive parents and step-sister have looked down on her and constantly mistreated her. Her husband, whom she loves, has no feelings for her, and she discovers to her horror that he is in love with her sister. Feeling betrayed and broken, Yi Joo gets into an accident, and as she gets up from a coma, she realizes she has traveled back in time and has got a second chance in life. She meets the suave CEO and heir to a fortune, Seo Do Guk (Sung Hoon). He is the man her step-sister is trying to win over, and in him she finds the perfect bait for her plan. What makes it even interesting is Do Guk is willing to go all the way with Yi Joo. “You can use me in whatever way you want,” he says to her and becomes a willing accomplice. The two enter into a contract marriage, and their union sets in motion a series of events which are likely to impact everyone, including Yi Joo and Do Guk.
“Perfect Marriage Revenge” is a pacy drama and comes with all the trappings of a melodrama, love and betrayal, seduction, and manipulation. However, it is the chemistry between Jung Yoo Min and Sung Hoon which keeps up the momentum. The two actors are not only in perfect sync with their characters, but their on-screen romance is also heartwarming.
Start watching “Perfect Marriage Revenge”:
“Reborn Rich”
Yoon Hyun Woo (Song Joong Ki), a loyal and earnest secretary to an influential yet corrupt conglomerate family, is brutally killed and framed for a crime he never committed. There is no remorse amongst those who murdered him, but little do they realize they have actually signed up for their own downfall. Hyun Woo wakes up in the body of the family’s youngest, Jin Do Joo. He remembers his past as well as holds the key to the family’s deepest secrets. He sets in motion a plan which can change the family’s fortunes in the unseen future, which he has experienced, but they are yet to see. On the way he uncovers the truth not only about the family but of his own life as well.
“Reborn Rich” is Song Joong Ki’s show all the way. The actor masterfully brings to life a tricky storyline, playing dual characters. His onscreen chemistry with Lee Sung Min, who plays the ambitious patriarch Jin Yang Chul is what screen moments are made of.
Start watching “Reborn Rich”:
“Marry My Husband”
Kang Ji Won (Park Min Young) is a submissive sort, who has constantly been manipulated by her best friend, Jung Soo Min (Song Ha Yoon), and her husband, Park Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung). She works herself to the bone, but at work and home she has been subject to taunts and barbs from all. She discovers she is terminally ill and only has a few months left to live, and the ultimate betrayal is when she discovers her friend and husband are having an affair and awaiting her death so as to lay claim on her insurance. When she is pushed by her husband, she is proclaimed dead, but instead she travels back in time, 10 years in the past. “I need someone to steal my fate,” she says as she carefully lays down her plan for revenge. She find an ally in her boss, Yoo Ji Hyuk (Na In Woo), who is willing to go the extra mile in helping her.
“Marry My Husband” has an arresting plot and keeps you riveted and entertained. Na In Woo as Yoo Ji Hyuk is winning hearts for his earnest performance, and his chemistry with Park Min Young is fire. Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon play their parts to the hilt, so much so that you end up hating their characters for real.
“Again My Life”
Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a public prosecutor with a strong sense of justice. However, when he unearths some misdoings by an influential and powerful politician, he is murdered by a hitman. He is saved by a mysterious Grim Reaper, who sends him back to the past, giving him the chance to relive his life all over again and succeed this time in his pursuit for truth and against the statesman. As he finds himself once again in his 18-year-old body, he starts sifting out the people in his life, many of whom he thought to be allies but were actually enemies. Though he has the chance he wanted, can this lone ranger stand up against a conglomerate?
Lee Joon Gi is a one man show in this engaging and taut narrative. A fast paced storyline, it keeps you on the edge as this one man sets to destroy the edifice of corruption.
Start watching “Again My Life”:
“Sisyphus: The Myth”
The year is 2020, and Han Tae Sool (Cho Seung Woo) is a brilliant engineer who wants to uncover the truth behind his brother’s murder. As he embarks on a perilous journey to uncover hidden beings that are residing in the world, he finds a savior in Kang Seo Hae (Park Shin Hye). Seo Hae is a skilled character from the future, 2035 to be precise. She can easily travel between the sky scrapers that dot Seoul’s skyline, is a skilled shooter, and can take down men twice her size with her bare hands. Her mission is to stop Tae Sool from inventing a time travel technology which can trigger a war. Together, these two need to break the time loop they have been caught in and set to uncover conspiracies.
The show is something like the “Transformers” films, and there is a lot going on in it that it does get confusing at times. However, one cannot doubt its remarkable production and the high tech science fiction premise. Those who enjoy sci fi and fantasy, this one is for you.
“Signal”
Park Hae Young (Lee Je Hoon) is a distrustful criminal profiler. He abhors the police system and its workings, which stems from him having witnessed the kidnapping of his friend who was later found dead. The unsolved case weighs on his conscience. One day, he comes across a walkie talkie and hears the voice of a detective, Lee Jae Han (Jo Jin Woong) from the ’80s. It so happens that Jae Han is missing in the present day world and was the detective who was investigating the kidnapping of Hae Young’s friend. Hae Young and his colleague, Cha Soo Hyun (Kim Hye Soo), make use of the information available to them to set straight events of the past, but can they outwit their enemies in the system?
“Signal” is a clever show and thrives on the powerful performances by its lead actors. Lee Je Hoon is an effortless actor who manages to get under the skin of his character with ease. A pacy and tight storyline which keeps you invested, fans have been craving a second season.
Hey Soompiers, which one of these is your favorite time travel revenge drama? Let us know in the comments below!
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
Currently watching: “Only for Love.“