When it comes to quirky TV shows, you would be hard-pressed to out-quirk Chicken Nugget, a demented K-Drama about a young woman who is transformed into a chicken nugget, while her father and wannabe boyfriend try to find a way to change her back. However, this is far from the only off-the-wall Korean series out there, so here are ten more unique K-Dramas like Chicken Nugget that you should also check out if you’re into this kind of thing.
10 K-Dramas Like Chicken Nugget
Yumi’s Cells (2021)
This romantic comedy takes a more personal look at the inner workings of heartbreak, and we see and feel things from the point of view of the brain cells that control young office worker Yumi. As is often the case with these more off-beat shows, the story comes from a webcomic of the same name by Lee Dong-Gun.
Behind Your Touch (2023)
At the heart of many of these shows is a premise that seems to come from left field, catching the viewer off-guard. Such is the way of Behind Your Touch, which features a vet with special powers. Bong Ye-Bun can see the past of an animal, or person, when she touches their, ahem, backside. She ends up partnering with a disgraced police detective, and the drama unfolds.
Pegasus Market (2019)
This weird and wonderful series is set in a supermarket, where the staff seem to take precedence over the actual customers. This is a corporate tale of petty revenge and sabotage, filled with oddball characters and with disaster written all over it, but things take a strange turn when business starts to improve.
A Good Day to be a Dog (2023)
Here’s another body swap story, similar to Chicken Nugget but perhaps not quite as bizarre. This time, we are introduced to a young woman who has an odd curse placed upon her. Whenever she is kissed, she transforms into a canine. However, the romantic comedy goes on to introduce us to the one person who can break the spell, however, he is, of course, frightened of dogs.
Extreme Job (2019)
It might be an oversight to omit this series from our list, as once again chicken plays a role in the narrative. This comedy finds a team of underperforming police officers, working within narcotics, that have to go undercover as chicken shop owners, keeping a watchful eye over a local crime organization. However, it seems they are better at the chicken game than the real task, and the eatery becomes a sensation.
The Uncanny Counter (2020)
With a slightly darker and more violent tone, The Uncanny Counter follows a group of noodle shop workers who are demon hunters on the side. They are trying to protect us from demonic forces that feast on humans, providing viewers with some exciting and violent action sequences. The show is based on the popular webtoon Gyeongiroun Somun written by Jang Yi.
Welcome to Waikiki (2018)
This wacky comedy-drama is filled with absurdity and chaos, as we follow three ambitious filmmakers who open a hotel without having the first clue about what they are doing. The arrival of a mysterious baby adds to the mishaps in this lively and energetic series.
18 Again (2020)
Here we are again in body swap territory, this time slightly less chaotic than chicken and dogs, but with an age swap situation that is oddly a remake of the Zac Efron comedy 17 Again. A 37-year-old man finds his marriage on rocky ground, before being transported into the body of an 18-year-old. Enrolling in school, he starts to see where his life had gone wrong.
W: Two Worlds (2016)
Here’s a strange but romantic drama, that follows the tragic story of Kang Chul, a young talented marksman who wins a shooting competition. However, tragedy strikes when an unknown assassin murders his family, and he is in the frame. His life is about to entwine with Yeon-joo, who visits her artist father’s studio and is drawn into an alternate comic book universe where she meets Kang and they fall in love.
Mr Queen (2020)
Once again, keeping in line with Chicken Nugget, here is a gender-bending body swap story, this time involving a chef who finds he is in the body of a queen in the Joseon era. Of course, this leads to no end of absurdity and chaos ensues. The show is a remake of Go Princess Go from 2015.
Do you have any recommendations for quirky K-Dramas like Chicken Nugget? Let us know in the comments.
For more Chicken Nugget, check out:
Season 1 Review | Season 1 Recap | Season 1 Ending Explained | Season 2 Status |
