7 Lee Jong-suk Dramas to Start With If You're New to Him

Seven Lee Jong-suk dramas ordered by how easy they are to start, not by acting merit, from School 2013 through Big Mouth.

Lee Jong-suk's filmography stretches across coming-of-age drama, fantasy, procedural crime, office romance, and thriller, so a first-time viewer can't just go by title to figure out where to start. Fantasy premises and grounded, career-focused stories sit side by side in his catalog, which makes it hard to tell which drama makes an easy entry point and which is better saved for later. Rather than ranking by acting quality or popularity, this list sorts his major titles by how gentle a landing each one gives a newcomer.

How we picked

Dramas that shaped his early image come first.
Titles move from simpler premises toward more plot-heavy, world-building-dependent ones.
Romance-heavy and genre-heavy titles alternate so you can skip around by taste.
Romance titles with different professional settings for his characters are spread throughout rather than clustered.

Fans of coming-of-age drama and romance can work straight down the list from No. 1. If fantasy or procedural crime pulls you in more, starting at No. 4 or No. 5 works just as well. After finishing each one, comparing how his character's job or relationships shift into the next title helps the whole filmography click into place.

School 2013

This is the role that defined his early image — Go Nam-soon, blunt on the surface but quietly carrying old relationship wounds. Nothing about the plot is elaborate; it's built entirely on small shifts in how the characters feel toward each other, which makes it a good starting point for anyone who prefers a subdued growth story over a flashy one. Watching it first also gives you something to measure his later roles against, and the school setting suits viewers who enjoy a low-key, character-first drama.

I Hear Your Voice

Park Soo-ha can hear what people around him are really thinking, but the show never lets that premise overshadow the deeper thread of a promise made and a person growing into himself. Courtroom tension runs alongside the romance the whole way through, so it rewards anyone who likes a story that keeps crossing between genres instead of settling into one. The ability itself stays tied to the emotional relationships rather than becoming a plot gimmick, which makes this an easy way into fantasy romance.

Pinocchio

Playing a rookie reporter named Choi Dal-po, this one leans harder into questions of career and identity than it does into romance. Journalism and the pursuit of truth stay wired into his choices from start to finish, so it's a natural second watch for anyone drawn more to a character's growth than to a couple's chemistry. Go in expecting a workplace drama rather than a love story and the tone will land better.

W: Two Worlds

The premise puts a webtoon character face to face with the real world, and the tension comes from Kang Chul slowly realizing he can't trust the rules of the world he's stuck in. Mystery and action carry more weight here than romance does, so it's worth picking up early if a fast pace and an unusual setup appeal to you more than a quiet mood piece. The first few episodes ask you to work a little to follow the rules of that world, but the payoff is a show that feels distinct from everything else on this list.

While You Were Sleeping

Built around a prophetic-dream premise grafted onto a police procedural, prosecutor Jung Jae-chan's story balances the tension of solving cases with the trust building between characters. It stays genre fiction without tipping into anything too dark, which makes it a comfortable entry point, and the fantasy element never feels bolted on — it threads directly into how each case unfolds. A solid choice if you want procedural momentum without losing the emotional thread.

Romance Is a Bonus Book

Rather than chase big plot turns, this one tracks the everyday warmth between its characters, with Cha Eun-ho, a publishing editor, anchoring an easygoing office romance. It's the pick for when a gentler relationship story sounds better than anything high-stakes, and the publishing-house setting lets career pressures and the central relationship develop side by side. A dependable choice for winding down at the end of the day.

Big Mouth

As Park Chang-ho, a man reshaped by the events that pull him in, this genre thriller looks and feels nothing like the rest of his filmography. Crime, power, and reversals drive the plot, so watching the romance titles first makes the range on display here land harder. There's real payoff in seeing how differently the character carries himself by the end compared to the start, which makes this a strong finish if you're drawn to dramatic transformation over a steady, consistent character.

How to choose

Want coming-of-age warmth? Start with rank one, School 2013. Prefer fantasy or crime? Try rank four or five. For something low-stakes, rank six is gentlest, and rank seven is worth saving for last to see his range.

Compare how each character's job feeds the central conflict — that's where titles differ most. Streaming access shifts by platform, so check directly, and confirm through official channels before watching since this reflects the time of research.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best first Lee Jong-suk drama to watch?

I Hear Your Voice or School 2013 are the most approachable — both defined his early image and make later performances easier to appreciate in context.

I prefer genre fiction over romance — what should I watch?

Try W: Two Worlds or While You Were Sleeping, both built around fantasy premises. Big Mouth in particular shows a genre performance quite different from his romance-heavy roles.

Where can I stream these dramas?

Availability varies by streaming platform depending on broadcast year and distributor, so it's worth checking each platform's search function before you start watching.

How was the order of this list decided?

It's ordered by how approachable each drama is for a first-time viewer, not by acting merit or popularity. Titles that shaped his early image and lighter genre elements come first, with more complex or genre-heavy premises placed later.

I only want gentle romance — which rank should I watch?

Rank six, Romance Is a Bonus Book, follows everyday warmth over big plot turns and fits that mood well. Rank one, School 2013, also works well alongside it, since it tracks relationship changes without an elaborate setup.

How different do School 2013 and Big Mouth feel back to back?

School 2013 is a quiet coming-of-age drama, while Big Mouth centers on crime, power, and reversals, so the tonal shift is stark. Watching them in order makes the range across his filmography easy to see.

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How we picked

School 2013Upvote

I Hear Your VoiceUpvote

PinocchioUpvote

W: Two WorldsUpvote

While You Were SleepingUpvote

Romance Is a Bonus BookUpvote

Big MouthUpvote