School life is filled with waves of laughter with friends, rigorous study sessions, and raging youth, but not for Oh Ji-Soo. He does not have a guardian or financial support. Bae Gyu-ri, on the other hand, lives with her wealthy parents but is sick and tired of their cruel ways. Furthermore, they are not the only ones who had messed-up childhoods. As “extracurricular” activities, Ji-Soo and Bae Gyuri do illegal things to earn money.
Extracurricular is a Netflix crime-thriller Korean drama that will be released in 2020. The plot follows Oh Ji-Soo and Bae Gyu-ri as they enter the world of serious crimes to fulfill their dreams. The 10-episode K-Drama is directed by Kim Jin-min and written by Jin Han-sae. It stars Kim Dong-Hee, Park Ju-hyun, Da-bin Jung, Nam Yoon-Su and Kim Yeo-jin.
Extracurricular is a thorough and thrilling tale, and we can’t seem to get enough of it, so here is a list of 20 K-Dramas like Extracurricular.
Also read: How To Watch Delightfully Deceitful Episodes? Streaming Guide
Beyond Evil, 2021
In a case of serial murders, blood, gore, and a wild detective chase, humans truly are beyond Evil. Detective Lee Dong-Sik lives a quiet life in a small town, working as a detective. Though his life might seem peaceful, it is far from it. Once accused of murdering his own sister, he now he is being suspected of being the one behind a recent serial murder which is similar to the case of his sister. Detective Han Joo-Won joins the team of police in this small town as Lee Dong-Sik’s superior officer and partner. Though Joo-Won has suspicions about Dong-Sik, they need to work together.
Beyond Evil has similar dark tones to Extracurricular. The drama also features powerful villains with unexpected twists in the plotline.
- Director: Sim Na-Yeon
- Cast: Shin Ha-Kyun, Yeo Jin-Goo, Choi Dae-Hoon, Kim Shin-Rok, Cheon Ho-Jin, Gil Hae-Yeon
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Netflix, Viki, Prime Video
Also read: Dr. Cha Ending Explained: The Redemption of Love
Extraordinary You, 2019
Teenage is the right time for love and life drama, and Extraordinary You has just that. The meta-romantic comedy is based on a webcomic by Moo Ryoo. Eun Dan-O has everything in life, from a rich family to a bunch of boys at school who pay her attention. The only problem is that she has a heart condition. This makes her the perfect main character, but Dan-O soon realizes that she is not even a side character; she’s an extra. One day a new student appears, which gives her hopes of escaping the fate of an extra character.
Extraordinary You is a cringe-fest at many points, but that is intentional. It plays out all the cliche high school romances that are often seen in comics and point out the absurdity of the situation. There are no particular villains in the story, but secrets are lurking in the corners, just ready to unfold. Extraordinary You also has dark undertones, and the stakes keep rising as the story progresses.
- Director: Kim Sang-Hyub, Kim Sang-Woo
- Cast: Kim Hye-Yoon, Ro Woon, Lee Jae-Wook, Jung Gun-Joo, Lee Na-Eun, Lee Tae-Ri
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Viki
Also read: 30 K-Dramas Like Our Blues To Watch
Everything And Nothing, 2019
Teenage is years of turmoil and pain, but in certain moments, we see the light. Everything and Nothing follows the story of two teenagers, Min Jae and Seo Yeon, who are struggling to find themselves and happiness through the chaos of life. While they have their own struggles, they find comfort in one another. Though the total runtime of this drama is just 120 minutes, the show moves slowly, pondering upon the character’s grapple with life.
Everything And Nothing is a coming-of-age story that does not shy away from showing the grits of life, just like Extracurricular. It does not have the thrill and mystery that Extracurricular has but has the same darker tones. Additionally, Everything And Nothing does not try to solve all the problems that the characters come across. Rather, it leaves them open-ended and leans more toward finding happiness despite life’s issues.
- Director: Jo Young Min
- Cast: Park Si Eun, Yoon Chan Young, Seo Jeong Yeon, Lee Hang Na, Baek Seung Hwan, Choi Dae Hoon, Park Se Hyun
- Number of episodes: 4
- Where to watch: Viki
Also read: How To Watch One Day Off Episodes? Streaming Guide
Class Of Lies, 2019
Crook lawyer Ki Moo-Hyeok loses his credibility after losing the case of a murder in a high school. To earn back his reputation and find out what really is going on in the school, he joins the school as a faculty. What he witnesses is a world of teenage crime and bullying. In this case, both the criminals and the victims are teenagers. Even the school and adults are trying to hide something. The case keeps becoming a stranger as more secrets begin to reveal themselves. It is up to Ki Moo- Hyeok to reveal the truth and help the victims.
Class Of Lies features high school characters to turn over to a life of crime and bullying like in Extracurricular. People of power and those having money try to cover up these criminal incidents so as to protect their reputation and the students.
- Director: Sung Yong-Il
- Cast: Yun Kyun-Sang, Keum Sae-Rok, Lee Jun-Young, Choi Kyu-Jin, Han So-Eun, Joo Se-Bin, Choi Yu-Hwa
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Viki
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All Of Us Are Dead, 2022
Based on the webcomic by Joo Dong Geun, All Of Us Are Dead is a zombie survival story in a high school setting. There is a zombie virus outbreak, and everyone is locked in. It is a race against time to escape and save your life. The nerve wreaking situation brings out the animal and human inside of each of us. The show features multiple scenes of gore and horror. All Of Us Are Dead also talks about school bullying and violence.
The Korean drama that took Netflix by storm, All Of Us Are Dead, is similar to Extracurricular in more ways than one. Both dramas show the good and bad of human beings. They also discuss serious topics like bullying and have a gloomy and thrilling feel to them.
All Of Us Are Dead season 2 will release soon on Netflix.
- Director: Lee Jae-Kyu, Kim Nam-Soo
- Cast: Park Ji Hoo, Yoon Chan Young, Lomon, Jo Yi Hyun, Yoo In Soo, Kim Byung Chul
- Number of episodes: 12
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: 35 K-Dramas Like Doctor Cha To Watch
How To Buy A Friend, 2020
The mini-mystery series is a story of two students from very different worlds who form a bond to help each other out and uncover a suicide case. It is based on a comic by Kwon Laad. The two students strike a deal together and take care of each other’s concerns on a very contractual basis, hence the title. After the death of his girlfriend, Don Hyuk needs to know the reason behind her death, and hence, his contractual friendship with Chan Hong starts.
What starts out to be a sweet romantic story quickly turns into a suicide mystery, and teenagers get into situations that are beyond risky. Similar to Extracurricular, How To Buy A Friend also surrounds bullying, violence, crimes, and uncovering the truth that is brewing underneath the lies.
- Director: Yoo Young-Eun
- Cast: Lee Shin Young, Shin Seung Ho, Kim So Hye, Oh Hee Joon, Min Do Hee, Jo Yi Hyun
- Number of episodes: 8
- Where to watch: Viki
Also read: Will There Be The Promise Episode 11?
Itaewon Class, 2020
Based on the same Itaewon where the Halloween 2022 tragedy took place, Itaewon Class is the story of Park Sae-ri-yi and his struggle to build up his business in Itaewon. The story, based on a webcomic written by Jo Gwang-Jin, revolves around the rivalry between Sae-ro-yi and the CEO of one of Korea’s biggest businesses, CEO Jang Dae-Hee.
Both Extracurricular and Itaewon Classes deal with topics like bullying, class differences, societal evils, and fighting to make dreams come true. Additionally, actor Kim Dong-Hee plays a grey character in both dramas. The drama made headlines for breaking many social barriers and starting conversations surrounding racism and transphobia.
- Director: Kim Sung-Yoon
- Cast: Park Seo-Joon, Kim Da-Mi, Yoo Jae-Myung, Kwon Na-Ra, Ahn Bo-Hyun, Kim Dong-Hee, Ryoo Kyung-Soo, Lee Joo-Young, Chris Lyon
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Netflix
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Law School, 2021
One murder at a law school and multiple suspects; everyone from the professors to the students is a suspect. Law School is a crime thriller in which the professors and the students come together to solve a murder case. Secrets of the process and students also start pouring out during the investigation.
Law School makes every character a suspect at some point in the story. As the story unfolds, we get to look a little deeper into the characters’ lives and learn about their secrets. Like Extracurricular, Law School too has flawed characters, and the plot is heavily based on solving crime cases. For viewers who enjoy dramas based on law and court trials without them getting too dark, this one is a must.
- Director: Kim Suk-Yoon
- Cast: Kim Myung-Min, Ryoo Hye-Young, Kim Beom
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Netflix
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Mouse, 2021
Revealing anything about the drama will definitely spoil the mystery for you. It’s a psychological, mystery, science fiction, crime, thriller, and everything in between. Mouse is the story of a kind police officer Jung Ba-rum who gets involved in a serial murder case after his brother and an old neighborhood lady is murdered. It is up to him and Detective Ko Moo-chi to find the psychopath killer before time runs out.
It was directed by Choi Joon-Bae and written by Choi Ran. Mouse has characters leading double lives, surprising plot twists, and the revelation of the real villain along with a thrilling crime story just like Extracurricular. This drama was an instant hit amongst international fans because of its unpredictable turn of events.
- Director: Choi Joon-Bae
- Cast: Lee Seung-Gi, Lee Hee-Jun, Park Ju-Hyun, Kyung Soo-Jin
- Number of episodes: 20
- Where to watch: Viki
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My Name, 2021
After the sudden death of her father, Yoon Ji-Woo is out to take revenge on whomsoever is the reason behind it. In order to gain power, she turns to a criminal group and becomes a part of their gang. She goes undercover as a mole for the criminal organization and joins the police force. She will take revenge by hook or by a crook with her partner Detective Jeon Pil-Do.
My Name is a gritty crime revenge story that has awesome action scenes. It is a gory and suspenseful story of a daughter trying to get revenge for her father’s unfair murder. The lead character has multiple identities, and she uses crime as her tool to get what she wants, which is similar to Extracurricular’s lead character.
- Director: Kim Jin-min
- Cast: Han So Hee, Park Hee Soon, Ahn Bo Hyun, Lee Hak Joo, Kim Sang Ho, Chang Ryul
- Number of episodes: 8
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: How To Watch The Good Bad Mother? Streaming Guide
Save Me, 2017
Based on the webcomic by Jo Geum-San, Save Me is a story of a woman trying to escape a religious cult. Sang Mi and her family move to a new place after a failed family business. When there is no hope in sight for the family, Baek Jung Ki opens his hands and offers them help. What the family doesn’t realize is that they are slowly becoming a part of a cult from which there is no escape.
Save Me tackles darker themes like religion and cults. The overall color of the show is also murky. Four ex-classmates of Sang-Mi cross paths with her, and she asks them to be saved.
Save Me season 2 features a whole new cast and story but still explores the story of a cult.
- Director: Kim Sung-Su
- Cast: Seo Yea Ji, Ok Taec Yeon, Woo Do Hwan, Jo Sung Ha, Jo Jae Yoon, Park Ji Young
- Number of episodes: 16
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School Series, 1999-2021
The School series first started in 1999, and initially, there were four seasons. After a decade of hiatus, the series picked up again in 2012, and 4 new seasons premiered. The latest season was School 2021. The stories of all the eight seasons are not related to each other. School series focuses on teenage problems like bullying, corruption in the education system, the stress of students, suicide, and much more.
It is a story of a group of students who take up unconventional streams for their studies and make their own path in life. If you enjoy school drama along with romance and a dash of dark themes, look no further, the School series got you.
- Director: Han Sang-Woo
- Cast: Kim Yo-han, Cho Yi-hyun, Choo Young-woo, Hwang Bo-Reum-Byeol, Jeon Seok-Ho
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Viki
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Shadow Beauty, 2021
Just like Extracurricular, another story of a student living a double life and bullying, Shadow Beauty brings out the double standards of people and how beauty is perceived. It is the story of Ae-Jin, a high schooler who is bullied for her looks. What the others don’t know is that she is actually an influence who uses makeup and editing to change her looks for digital media. One day she is threatened by someone who now knows her real identity.
Having some of the few situations like Extracurricular, Shadow Beauty is adapted from a webcomic by A-Heum. It is also a dark drama that explores the negative parts of school life.
- Director: Bang Soo-In
- Cast: Shim Dal Gi, Choi Bo Min, Lee Na Gyung, Heo Jung Hee, Yang Hong Seok, Baek Ji Hye
- Number of episodes: 13
- Where to watch: Viki
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SKY Castle, 2018
Which parent wouldn’t want their child to succeed? The problem arises when the well-wishers start morphing their high expectations into pressure and stress for the kid. SKY Castle deals with a very real societal problem of the admission process and the stress that comes along with it. It is the story of a wealthy neighborhood who wants their children to get into SKY Universities (the top 3 universities in Korea), and that comes along with betrayal, accusations, and even suicide and murder. It’s not just a competition to get into the best university, and it’s a war.
Both Extraordinary You and SKY Castle star actor Kim Dong-Hee. Additionally, both have features like characters leading a double life, crime, and striving to hide the crime. Characters turn very ugly and toxic to each other.
- Director: Jo Hyun-Tak
- Cast: Yum Jung-Ah, Lee Tae-Ran, Kim Dong-Hee, Choi Won-Young, Kim Byung-Chul, Yoon Se-Ah, Oh Na-Ra, Kim Seo-Hyung, Choi Won-Young, Kim Hye-Yoon, Kang Chan-Hee
- Number of episodes: 20
- Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Viki
Also read: How To Watch Run Into You Episodes? Streaming Guide
Solomon’s Perjury, 2016
Based on Miyuki Miyabe’s novel, Solomon’s Perjury is a murder mystery that takes place in a school setting. A student fell to their death from the school rooftop, and the police are convinced that it was a suicide. The school, the adults, and the press don’t do much to help the situation and want to get over with the whole thing and move on as soon as possible. The students feel that there is more to the story, and so they decide to hold their own trials by duplicating a court setting. Secrets start revealing themselves one by one during the student trials.
Solomon’s Perjury is a drama in which the students take charge of the situation at hand and decide to bring justice to their classmates. It delves deeper into human psychology and is a suspenseful watch.
There is a Japanese series based on the novel, which you can give a try if you are into such stories.
- Director: Kang Il-Soo, Han Hyun-Hee
- Cast: Kim Hyun Soo, Jang Dong Yoon, Seo Ji Hoon, Seo Young Joo, Jo Jae Hyun, Shin Se Hwi
- Number of episodes: 12
- Where to watch: Disney+
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Strangers From Hell, 2019
The psychological thriller is sure to give you the creeps. Strangers From Hell is the story of a young man who recently moves up to Seoul. He cheaply rents a room in a hostel, and the living conditions here are less than comfortable. Additionally, his neighbors are strange and eerie. Unexplainable events start happening in this building. A strange paranoia surrounds the whole setting of the show.
Based on the webcomic by Kim Yong-Ki, a dark and thrilling drama that is very unpredictable, to say the least. It is made in a way that the viewers feel like a part of this creepy house, and just like the lead character, the viewers, too, feel the rush to step out of this scary madhouse.
- Director: Lee Chang-Hee
- Cast: Yim Si Wan, Lee Dong Wook, Lee Jung Eun, Ahn Eun Jin, Park Jong Hwan, Lee Joong Ok
- Number of episodes: 10
- Where to watch: Prime Video
Also read: How To Watch The Good Bad Mother Episodes? Streaming Guide
Taxi Driver Season 1 & 2, 2021 & 2023
After Kim Do-Ki’s mother is murdered by a serial killer, his life changes entirely, and he turns his life around to get revenge for his mother’s death. Once in the naval force, Kim Do-Ki is now a taxi driver. So, why be a taxi driver if you want to get revenge? Well, it’s not just a simple taxi. He works for an undercover organization that helps people get revenge. All members of the organization, while also looking to get their revenge, aid in some or the other way to help people get justice.
It is a show in which characters lead a double life and punish criminals. The characters try to solve crime with crime to give people justice. It is based on a webcomic by Carlos and Lee Jae-Jin. You can check out the second season of Taxi Driver.
- Director: Park Joon-Woo
- Cast: Lee Je-Hoon, Esom, Pyo Ye-Jin, Kim Eui-Sung, Cha Ji-Yeon, Jang Hyuk-Jin, Bae Yoo-Ram
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: 30 Interesting Kingdom K-Drama Facts You Need to Know
The King Of Pigs, 2022
Two classmates reunite after receiving a message from a mysterious serial killer. The two recount their accounts of facing bullying. The killer is someone they know back from school, and so the chase begins. The King Of Pigs is a re-imagination of a Korean animated movie of the same name.
The story crisscrosses between the past and the present. It is a story about revenge and the results of bullying. The murder mystery has scenes that sometimes might be very hard to digest because of the scenes of school violence, but one will surely stay for the twists and the mystery.
- Director: Kim Dae-Jin
- Cast: Kim Dong Wook, Kim Sung Gyu, Chae Jung An, Choi Hyun Jin, Sim Hyun Seo, Lee Chan Yoo
- Number of episodes: 12
- Where to watch: Prime Video
Also read: How To Watch Bo Ra! Deborah Episodes? Streaming Guide
The School Nurse Files, 2020
The School Nurse Files is an absurd K-Drama based on the novel “School Nurse Anh Eun-Young” by author Jung Se-Rang. Anh Eun-Young is a quirky school nurse who can see monsters that are created out of human desires, and when the school is infected with these monsters that only she can see, it is up to her and her lightsaber to take them down. She is soon joined by the Chinese literature teacher Hong In-Pyo who has a special aura that helps them in the battle.
Just like Extracurricular, The School Nurse Files is a school drama with characters, who lead double lives. It engages comedy and absurdism together and throws them into an everyday school setting. It also talks about human wants and desires and comments on what being a human is.
- Director: Lee Kyoung-Mi
- Cast: ung Yu-Mi and Nam Joo-Hyuk
- Number of episodes: 6
- Where to watch: Netflix
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The Uncanny Counter, 2020
It might seem like just another noodle shop, but not everything is what it seems. A secret organization called the Counter eradicates evil spirits that try to harm the human world. All the members of Counter have special abilities that help them fight Evil. One day while visiting the noodle shop as a customer, high schooler So-Mun discovers the reality of the employees of the noodle shop and joins them.
The Uncanny Counter is based on a webcomic by Jang Yi. The K-Drama has a good mix of high school life and demon hunting. Just like Extracurricular, the show portrays a darker side of school life while the characters live a secret life.
- Director: Yoo Sun-Dong, Park Bong-Sub
- Cast: Joe Byeong-Gyu, Yu Jun-Sang, Kim Se-Jeong, Yum Hye-Ran, Ahn Suk-Hwan
- Number of episodes: 16
- Where to watch: Netflix
If you have finished watching Extracurricular and are craving some more stories of thrill and school life, be sure to check out these 20 K-Dramas, which are similar to Extracurricular in some way or the other. These will surely satisfy your appetite for darker high school stories.
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