Shows Like Life on Mars (Korean)

Loved Life on Mars (Korean)? These picks share the same story DNA — same tropes, same emotional beats, same kind of show.

2018 TV Show Crime Thriller Sci Fi
10 K-Drama & Asian Picks

Tunnel

29% match
16 eps OCN Sci Fi Crime Thriller

Detective Park Gwang-ho is chasing a serial killer in 1986 when he stumbles through a tunnel and emerges in 2017. The serial killer's case is still open. His daughter — who was jus…

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s time travel used to explore what we'd change — and what we can't, Tunnel delivers exactly that. The emotional territory — time travel and justice — is the same. The pacing is emotionally heavy — you'll need to sit with it after.

16 eps KBS Romance Thriller Sci Fi

Two strangers travel back to 1987 and must prevent a serial murder while hiding their identities.

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s time travel used to explore what we'd change — and what we can't, My Perfect Stranger delivers exactly that. The emotional territory — time travel — is the same. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch

Signal

25% match
16 eps tvN Crime Thriller Mystery

A criminal profiler communicates with a detective from the past via a mysterious walkie-talkie to solve cold cases.

Both navigate the same emotional territory: time travel and justice. The pacing is emotionally heavy — you'll need to sit with it after.

Where to Watch

Steins;Gate

24% match
24 eps TV Saitama / Crunchyroll Sci Fi Thriller Drama

A self-proclaimed mad scientist accidentally invents a method of sending messages to the past using a microwave. What starts as gleeful tinkering becomes a nightmare when he realiz…

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s time travel used to explore what we'd change — and what we can't, Steins;Gate delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about questions of who you really are under the person you've been told to be. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Erased

24% match
12 eps Fuji TV / Crunchyroll Mystery Thriller Sci Fi

Satoru Fujinuma has an involuntary ability: he gets sent back in time moments before a disaster, just far enough to prevent it. When his mother is murdered, the ability sends him b…

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s time travel used to explore what we'd change — and what we can't, Erased delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Grid

23% match
10 eps Disney+ Sci Fi Thriller Mystery

A government worker discovers a mysterious woman from the future is connected to a dangerous fugitive and the fate of humanity.

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s time travel used to explore what we'd change — and what we can't, Grid delivers exactly that. The emotional territory — time travel and survival — is the same. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch

Celebrity

23% match
12 eps Netflix Thriller Crime Drama

Seo A-ri was an ordinary woman working retail until a celebrity's impulsive post made her an influencer overnight. As she navigates the cutthroat world of Korean social media elite…

If you loved Life on Mars (Korean)'s fish completely out of water — comedy and heart in equal measure, Celebrity delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about questions of who you really are under the person you've been told to be. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch

Hide

23% match
12 eps ENA Thriller Mystery Crime

Cha Joo-eun's picture-perfect life shatters when her husband vanishes the night before he was supposed to testify in a high-profile case. As she desperately searches for him, she d…

Both are built around questions of who you really are under the person you've been told to be. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch

Nine Puzzles

23% match
10 eps Disney+ Crime Thriller Mystery

A former genius detective, now a reclusive puzzle constructor, is pulled back into an active case when a series of murders with perfectly crafted puzzles left at each scene seems d…

Both are built around questions of who you really are under the person you've been told to be. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch

Watcher

23% match
16 eps OCN Thriller Crime Mystery

Three people with shattered lives — a detective whose wife was murdered, an internal affairs officer whose career was destroyed by corruption, and a crime profiler caught in the mi…

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is the kind of suspense that makes you forget to breathe.

Where to Watch
western shows with similar vibes — find their Asian matches 🌏

Shows Like Life on Mars (Korean): FAQ

What dramas are most similar to Life on Mars (Korean)?

The closest match to Life on Mars (Korean) is Tunnel, scoring 29% on DramaMatch. You should also check My Perfect Stranger.

Is there a show like Life on Mars (Korean) I can watch next?

DramaMatch found 10 shows with the same story DNA as Life on Mars (Korean). Top picks: Tunnel, My Perfect Stranger, Signal.

Where can I watch dramas like Life on Mars (Korean)?

Dramas similar to Life on Mars (Korean) are available on Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Crunchyroll. DramaMatch lists the exact streaming platform for each recommendation.

got another show you're obsessed with? I can find its Asian drama match too.

find another match →

Get the Asian drama watchlist your friends don't have

Monthly picks — hidden gems, new releases, best matches. No spam.