Here Are the 30 Best Korean Anime to Watch of All Time

Semi and the Magic Cube is a Korean anime that is a mix of adventure, comedy, fantasy, and thriller genres.

It follows the story of Semi and the genius teacher Wai as they become entangled in a time-magical journey to stop Evil X from exploiting the powers of the magical cube.

To stop the looming threat and save the world, our protagonists must solve math and history problems along the way.

Ghost Messenger is a Korean action, fantasy, fiction, and supernatural anime that explores the world of super-powered agents known as "ghost messengers".

They are dispatched into the human world to capture and bring back stubborn and evil ghosts who refuse to go back to the World of Death.

On that note, the World of Death is a highly advanced place with cutting-edge technology similar to that of Wakanda in Black Panther.

Based on the Korean game of the same name, Elsword is a Korean anime with 12 released episodes.

The premise is similar to Sword Art Online, Log Horizon, Granblue Fantasy, Chain Chronicles, and other fantasy anime that feature MMORPG games.

Armed with beautifully animated fight scenes, astounding world designs, and gorgeous visuals, Elsword is one of the most highly-rated Korean anime.

We assure you, it will be a feast for your eyes!

Through the years, Noblesse has been one of the top-tier webtoons in the world. It is a successful webtoon that spawned animations, ONAs, and OVAs.

The story centers on the pure-blooded noble vampire named Cadiz Etrama de Raizel as he awakens from his 820-year slumber.

While the webtoon is amazing in itself, the anime, unfortunately, doesn’t shine that much, even with the collaboration between Crunchyroll and Webtoons.

To the dismay of fans, the anime fails to execute the narrative, much like its mysterious plot.

Despite the anime’s shortcomings, Noblesse is still a decent watch with Rai’s quirky and enjoyable scenes.

Closers: Side Blacklambs is a 12-episode web anime produced by Studio Animal that debuted in 2017. It is an action and sci-fi anime based on a video game.

Closers: Side Blacklambs is worth a watch if you're looking for a Korean anime to watch in your spare time, thanks to its pretty good and decent animation and superb character designs.

The anime follows a group of odd high school students tasked with protecting New Seoul from an invasion of dimensional monsters.

These students fight to reclaim their homeland with the assistance of the CLOSERS and the UNION organization.

If you're looking for a Korean BL anime, then look no further because Semantic Error could be your next show. Semantic Error is a four-episode Korean ONA that premiered in April 2021.

Despite its brief duration, Semantic Error contains some adorable and fluffy moments between the characters.

However, if you haven't read the manhwa, you may get lost in translation, so it's best to start with the source material.

Chu Sangwoo, a computer science major, and Jang Jaeyoung, a design artist, are polar opposites.

Things take an unexpected turn when Sangwoo decides to exclude Jaeyoung from a liberal arts group project. What will happen to them?

Also known as Shinbi Apartment, The Haunted House is a children’s anime that centers on a 102-year-old goblin named Shinbi as he tries to vanish all the demon ghosts in the world with the help of the Koo Siblings.

Although it is targeted toward children, the anime proves to be a decent watch even among adults.

With 83 current episodes on its slate, the anime provides a horror-comedy experience to the viewers.

Based on the hit historical Korean drama Jewel in the Palace, Jang Geum’s Dream is a Korean anime that centers on the main protagonist, Jang Geum, as she ventures toward her dream of becoming a palace chef.

Unlike its source material which involves murder and corruption, the anime is a light-hearted show targeted toward a young audience.

The anime is a delightful show that features Korean values, culture, and food.

ALSO READ: The Best Historical Anime to Watch

Imagine a world without chemical elements such as oxygen, carbon, gold, molybdenum, and cobalt. The world would be chaotic.

Not only was the population reduced, but the missing elements were discovered on a planet called Nega Earth, which is located in another dimension!

The only hope for survival is carried by a group of young people known as Element Hunters.

They are all 13 years old, and their flexible brains will allow them to access the Nega Earth and solve the problem while there is still hope!

Super Secret is a 22-episode ONA based on the same-named manhwa by webtoon artist eon.

Super Secret, despite its short episode length, is a fluffy and comforting anime that will soothe your soul. It was created by Studio Shelter in 2020.

Emma Ji and Ryan Nam, two childhood friends, are the protagonists of the anime.

While Emma is an airhead, Ryan is a doting and overbearing mother-like figure. Ryan and his family agreed to take Emma in after her parents left her.

Meanwhile, Ryan's family has a supernatural secret that they must keep hidden from Emma. What will happen if Emma finds out about their secret?

Tower of God is an action fantasy adventure Korean anime based on the popular manhwa of the same name.

The anime centers on Rachel, a girl who dreams of reaching the top of the tower of God, where everything exists in the world, and Bam, who only wants Rachel.

Legends say that if you manage to reach the top of the tower of God, your wish will be fulfilled.

DOTA: Dragon's Blood is an anime based on Valve's 2013 hit video game, Dota 2.

The anime, which debuted on Netflix in 2021, has spawned three seasons. Production Reve animated all previous seasons of Dota: Dragon's Blood.

DOTA: Dragon's Blood is set in a fantasy world and follows Davion, a dragon knight who hunts and slays dragons for a living and to protect the world.

Davion's soul, however, merges with the dragon Slyrak during the battle of Eldwurm.

Following that, Davion embarks on a journey with the Sun Princess Mirana to prevent the demon Terrorblade from slaughtering all the dragons and collecting their souls.

Beauty Water is a Korean anime horror-thriller film that depicts the darkest aspects of Korean culture in terms of beauty.

It delves into important issues such as humanity's drive for physical perfection, societal pressure, and beauty standards.

It is an appropriate anime to watch in our day and age when the vast majority are obsessed with appearance rather than enhancing what is on the inside.

The film also demonstrates how the main character will go to great lengths just to fit in.

Beauty Water is not for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution!

Alien Stage is a drama, sci-fi, and suspense Korean anime set in a world where aliens reign supreme against humans.

Now, the aliens organize a reality audition program called Alien Stage, where humans and aliens start gathering to tell their stories and perform of their own volition.

All the contestants need to sing to survive, and those who fail to do so will be eliminated on the spot!

As the plot unfolds, a mysterious girl, who seems like the only hope of humanity, appears.

If you’re a fan of girls' love anime, then you should check out The Summer, produced by Red Dog Culture House.

It is an hour-long movie that tells the budding romance between the 18-year-old quiet and ordinary student named Yi-Gyeong and the athletic girl named Su-Yi.

Over time, Yi-Gyeong and Su-Yi learn more about their feelings. Their relationship is smooth sailing, but not until Yi-Gyeong realizes that her thoughts about Su-Yi are beginning to change.

For the Sake of Sita is a short drama, fantasy, and romance anime with a runtime of only four minutes.

It revolves around the tragic love story between a Korean medical student named Sangmin Han and the beautiful prepubescent girl worshipped as a goddess vessel, Sita.

Sangmin and Sita fell in love, but their happy days were cut short after the latter died.

To bring Sita back, Sangmin prayed desperately for the goddesses, and thankfully, they heard his plea.

However, Sangmin didn’t know that bringing Sita back came with a sacrifice. Will they ever have a happy ending?

In case you didn’t know, The Sound of Your Heart is the original source material for the South Korean TV series of the same name starring Lee Kwang-Soo and Jung So-Min, which is now available on Netflix, depending on your location.

The Sound of Your Heart is a comedy and slice-of-life Korean anime with Cho-Seok (Jo-Seok) at the center.

He is a webtoon artist who lives with his parents and is trying to juggle his everyday life with his family and his girlfriend, Ae-Bong.

The God of High School is one of the most popular manhwas that have been released as a webtoon in Korea.

It is so popular that it received a mobile game, an original net animation, and an official anime adaptation, which is produced by the giant anime studio, MAPPA.

The plot follows 17-year-old martial artist Mori Jin, who is invited to attend a martial arts tournament called "The God of High School" (GOH) along with the strongest high schoolers all over Korea.

Furthermore, the tournament aims to select three Korean representatives to compete in the GOH World Tournament.

While the event is sponsored by a shady corporation, it promises a grand prize of fulfilling any wish made by the victor.

Bullying is a major problem in Lookism. Park Hyung-Seok is haunted by his appearance and physique, which make him look disgusting in front of his classmates.

Park Hyung-Seok recognizes that having a handsome face and a toned body can change the reception of those around him when he decides to transfer out of school and attend a fashion school.

That's when Park Hyung-Seok experiences a miracle and receives a new body, but this time he gets to keep his original body asleep at home while he goes to school in his new, perfect body!

Although the Solo Leveling anime is produced in Japan, it is based on Chu-Gong's hit South Korean novel turned manhwa (comic) of the same name.

It is well-known for its dynamic art style, exciting action sequences, character development, intriguing plot twists, sophisticated world-building, and other aspects.

Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-Woo, an E-rank hunter who is regarded as the weakest hunter in a world where portals to dungeons teeming with monsters have unexpectedly opened!

He eventually discovers a system that allows him to advance as a player.

As the plot unfolds, Jin-Woo obtains new talents that allow him to become more powerful than ever before.