Kdramas like Confidence Queen: Confidence Queen tumbled like a splash of champagne over the usual crime fare, as it is clever, fun, and just crazy enough. I was laughing at a well-timed swindle one moment, and the next I was bolt upright, as I saw Yun I-rang cheat a billionaire out of millions with nothing but raw nerve and a 165 IQ grin. Park Min-young owns every screen; she’s cool and menacing in heels, and Park Hee-soon and Joo Jong-hyuk bring their own brand of mayhem and heart to the crew.
I adore snappy comedies that involve crime, and viewing 컨피던스 맨 KR had me hungry for more — more revenge in comedic guise, more cunning tricks, and gee whiz, more morally ambiguously corrupt protagonists who make corruption this sexy. If, like me, you’re looking for that con high and that nicely spun sting that leaves wrongdoers panting, then you’re in for a treat, my friend.
Fortunately, the world of Kdramas similar to Confidence Queen is full of smooth, rip-off-laden gems that converge with wily machinations and heart, comedy, and just a little menace. With smooth antiheroes and groups that steal for justice, these shows do more than make quick tricks — they tug at your heartstrings, too. Here are five shows that’ll keep that con high going long past the credits keep rolling.
Kdramas like Confidence Queen
The Player
If Korean drama Confidence Queen had you in its thrall with its group dynamic and high-stakes cons, you’re going to adore The Player, and it will become a new addiction. Charismatic con, hacker, fighter, and driver: these four converge and tear apart the crookiest nation, and it’s a premise that screams chaotic genius. Each job is chic, each con larger-than-life in the very best sense, and the buzz never falters for even half a second.
Beyond the thrills, however, is that very same emotional thread that motivates Yi-rang and her crew. They’re not in it for the funds; they’re in it for justice, redemption, and, in some, belonging. There is that just-right note in balancing just the right amount of lush brain-teasers and emotional resolution, and all victories are personal.
Switch: Change the World
If Confidence Queen kdrama had a tone twin, it would be Switch: Change the World. Jang Keun-suk plays dual roles of Sa Do-chan, a supreme con artist, and Baek Joon-soo, a stiff prosecutor — two men who wake up to find themselves living each other’s lives in an effort to eliminate a humongous corruption scandal. The premise shouts fun, but it’s in execution that it persuades: snappy, quick, and utterly entertaining.
Switch is just such a pleasure because its tone is never serious and sombre but is filled with chic tricks, witty timing, and shrewd reversals. Yi-rang’s cons, just like Sa Do-chan’s, are not only brilliant — they’re theatrical. Each scene is like a piece of performance art on the stage that has a twist within its moral, that justice entails sometimes just that certain pizzazz. For all readers who loved Confidence Queen’s comedy-meets-heist tempo, Switch is sheer gold.
Legend of the Blue Sea
At least on paper, it would barely seem that a romance that is built upon the relationship of a con-artist and a mermaid would have much in common, but in The Legend of the Blue Sea, they do. Heo Joon-jae’s perfectly-cultivated life of deception is shaken up by Jun Ji-hyun’s elegant, serene mermaid and filled with heart and explosiveness, and their romance is that of which comedies and dramas from the motherland are made of.
Like in Confidence Queen, it’s the emotional depth that makes this show sparkle. Under the fantasy and the comedy, it’s the second-chances narrative, and the right versus wrong question, and the survival tactic of lying. Snappy comedy, electric tension, and brutal emotional blows earn surprisingly great television. If your con stories call for magic and redemption, this one’s your show.
Private Lives
Private Lives is the dark cousin of Confidence Queen – sleek, explosive, and double-cross in all the right places. It’s about professional grifters who find themselves in the middle of a government conspiracy that asks them to direct their scams towards something much grander in scope than money. Seohyun’s performance of a bold, silver-tongued con artist has the same sort of spark that makes Yi-rang, played by Park Min-young, unforgettable.
The show thrives on tension and sleek production — hidden agendas, backdoor deals, and cybercrimes woven into one seamless web. Every episode ends with another twist, another betrayal, another “how did they pull that off?” moment. If you love your con games with a hint of espionage and edge, Private Lives delivers in spades.
Leverage
Leverage is catnip for heist enthusiasts in its pure form. Adapted from the U.S. series, it is the story of an ex-insurance investigator who gathers a group of criminals, who all have a speciality, and they work together to rob the elite who prey on others. It’s quick, witty, and abundant in that found-family affection that Confidence Queen gave us.
Best of all: the group dynamic. Its members all bring their own personal pizazz to the group’s frantic plans, so that each show is like a mini-movie. If you enjoyed the banter and teamwork of Yi-rang’s group, Leverage will have your face smiling all the way through.
Confidence Queen got us all addicted to its clever lies, high-end hustles, and volatile antiheroes, and now, as we are only left with just two more episodes, let us know your thoughts about the Korean drama in the comments below.
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