Popular Netflix Korean dramas that were cancelled after one season

Popular Netflix Korean dramas that were cancelled after one season

Stuck in limbo awaiting the release of your favourite Netflix Korean drama? The platform has pulled the plug on a trail of popular K-dramas, cancelling their return after the first season.

The last couple of years have seen the proliferation of K-dramas. While shows like Sweet Home and All of Us Are Dead have been renewed for exciting new seasons, others like A Time Called You, Mask Girl and more have been shunned by the platform, leaving many K-drama enthusiasts disappointed. Wondering if your favourite show made the cut or is facing the curtain call? Let’s take you through the list of Korean dramas that Netflix has silently ruled out.

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Why does Netflix cancel popular shows?

Many of you might be curious about Netflix’s track record of cancelling seemingly popular shows while renewing some lesser-viewed counterparts. According to Forbes, one of the main reasons behind Netflix’s decision to ditch a show is based on a metric called ‘completion rate’. This rate measures how many users actually made it till the end of the show. While the overall number of hours a show was viewed gives you an idea of how long users spent on a show, the completion rate helps decipher whether those numbers will translate into a strong user base for the future. Let’s give you an example.

Remember how the show First Kill got slashed after the first season, despite having a greater number of hours than a series like Heartstopper, which went on for two more instalments? This is because only 44% of people watching First Kill saw the whole thing. Meanwhile, 73% of Heartstopper viewers made it to the end. Thus, it makes sense that the streaming giant invests in the show that engages the viewer until the very end.

On that note, here are five Korean dramas Netflix won’t be renewing for the second season.

5 Korean dramas on Netflix that have been axed

1 /5

A Time Called You

Directed by: Kim Jin-won

Cast: Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, and Kang Hoon

Release date: September 8, 2023

IMDb rating: 7.8

A time-travelling Korean romance, A Time Called You revolves around a grieving woman, who magically travels through time to 1998. She encounters a man having an uncanny resemblance to her deceased lover, adding to the emotional turmoil of her journey. Netflix has categorised it as a ‘limited series’, quashing all hopes of a possible renewal. Sorry folks!

2 /5

Mask Girl

Directed by: Kim Yong-hoon

Cast: Lee Han-byeol, Nana, Go Hyun-jung

Release date: August 18, 2023

IMDb rating: 7.3

A black comedy crime thriller follows the tale of an office worker, who feels insecure about her appearance and eventually decides to transform into a masked internet personality overnight. However, a chain of unexpected, ill-fated events takes her life in a dark direction. Mask Girl concluded with no hope of a second season.

3 /5

Celebrity

Directed by: Kim Cheol-kyu

Cast: Park Gyu Young, Kang Min Hyuk, Lee Chung Ah

Release date: June 30, 2023

IMDb rating: 7.5

Diving into the glamorous yet scandalous world of social media stars, Celebrity revolves around an influencer named Seo A-ri, whose life is a mix of the intoxicating highs and lows of Instagram fame. In a glitzy world where one achieves stardom overnight, consequences can also be deadly. The storyline exposes the dark truth of the online world, and you’ll be left questioning: at what cost does digital popularity come? Filled with scams, harassment, drugs, and eventually murder – the lives of these virtual so-called celebrities aren’t as desirable as they seem. Despite its gripping storyline and intriguing premise, the show won’t be returning for a second run.

4 /5

Glitch

Directed by: Roh Deok

Cast: Jeon Yeo-been and Nana

Release date: October 7, 2022

IMDb rating: 6.1

If you’re a fan of sci-fi mysteries, Glitch would’ve satiated your binge-watch needs. However, Netflix decided to slash it too soon. A young woman joins forces with a UFO enthusiast to uncover the truth behind her boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance, only to land in a wild conspiracy. Despite being nominated for multiple Director’s Cut Awards as well as the 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards, Glitch couldn’t sustain itself amid the cutthroat competition on Netflix.

5 /5

The Sound of Magic

Directed by:  Kim Seong-yoon

Cast:  Ji Chang-wook, Choi Sung-eun, and Hwang In-youp

Release date: May 6,2022

IMDb rating: 7.6

Based on the Naver webtoon Annarasumanara, this K-drama sees Ji Chang Wook as a supernatural magician. Living in an abandoned theme park, Wook uses his mystical powers to make troubles disappear and hope reappear for a distressed teen facing the harsh realities of life.

Yun Ai is a little girl who always dreamt of becoming a magician. However, in reality, she’s a high school student who can’t even afford a new pair of socks. Her fate changes after encountering a strange magician at a carnival, reigniting her belief in magic and finding the strength to follow her dreams.