Netflix has pulled the plug on second seasons for some of your beloved Korean and Japanese dramas. While shows like Sweet Home and All of Us Are Dead are set to return for thrilling new seasons, some dramas featuring popular actors like Ahn Hyo Seop and Ji Chang Wook, among others, have been canceled after their first season. But hold on before you drown your sorrows in kimchi stew, let’s see if your ultimate must-watch made the cut (or got cut). Dive into the list and see if your oppa’s masterpiece is facing the curtain call, or if there’s still a glimmer of hope for another round.
K-dramas canceled for season 2
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A Time Called You (aired on September 8th, 2023)
Starring Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, and Kang Hoon and helmed by Kim Jin Won, Choi Hyo Bi, the time slip drama became a fan favorite. A woman in mourning mysteriously journeys back to 1998, encountering a man who strikingly resembles her deceased love. If you visit Netflix now, you’ll find the series categorized as a Limited Series.
Celebrity: Released June 30th, 2023
Starring Park Gyu Young, Kang Min Hyuk, Lee Chung Ah and directed by Kim Cheol Kyu, Kim Yi Young. Explore the world of Seo A-ri, a social media influencer whose life revolves around the intoxicating highs and perilous lows of Instagram fame. This story exposes the dark underbelly of online stardom, where carefully curated feeds mask the constant chase for more, leaving you questioning: at what cost does digital popularity come? The show won’t be renewed for the next season.
Also read: K-dramas January 2024 releases: Doctor Slump to Gyeongseong Creature 2, 10 shows to begin your New Year with
The Days (June 1st, 2023)
The official synopsis of the Japanese show reads “Blamed by some, hailed as heroes by others, those involved with Fukushima Daiichi face a deadly, invisible threat — an unprecedented nuclear disaster.” Thw show starring Koji Yakusho, Yutaka Takenouchi, Fumiyo Kohinata won’t be renewed for the next season.
First Love (November 24th, 2023)
Hailed as one of the best romantic shows of 2023, First Love starring Hikari Mitsushima, Takeru Satoh, Rikako Yagi is a Japanese drama. Once fueled by dreams of pirouettes and applause, Sasha and Tanya, childhood dance partners turned ambitious teenagers, built their own show from the ground up. Now, the magic of those teenage dreams feels lost, replaced by a nagging void in their adult lives. Can reigniting their old flame on the new stage rekindle their passion and prove their love for dance, not just to the world, but to themselves?
Glitch (November 24th, 2022)
Starring Jeon Yeo Been, NANA and directed by Gin Han Sai, and Roh Deok, Netflix won’t be renewing Glitch. The official synopsis reads “A young woman joins forces with a UFO enthusiast to investigate her boyfriend’s sudden disappearance and stumbles into a wild conspiracy.”
Mask Girl (Released August 18th, 2023)
Featuring Ko Hyun Jung, Ahn Jae Hong, and Yeom Hye Ran, directed by Kim Yong Hoon, the story unfolds around an office worker who, feeling insecure about her appearance, transforms into a masked internet personality at night. However, her life turns for the worse as a series of unfortunate events unfold.
The Sound of Magic (Released May 22nd, 2022)
The K-drama stars Ji Chang Wook, Choi Sung Eun, and Hwang In Youp and is directed by Kim Sung Youn and Kim Min Jeong. The show is about “A magician living in an abandoned theme park makes troubles disappear, and hope reappears, for a disenchanted teen enduring harsh realities.” Unfortunately, this beloved show of the K-drama star won’t be getting a new season.