Top 10 Romantic K-Dramas to Binge Watch
#10: “Coffee Prince” (2007)
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Based on the novel by Lee Sun-mi, “Coffee Prince” sadly does not include an actual prince of coffee. The series does involve coffee shops, in the form of Choi Han-kyul’s grandmother’s coffee empire. When his grandma won’t stop setting him up on blind dates, he decides to hire Go Eun-chan to pose as his boyfriend. Much to his surprise, he learns that Go Eun-chan is a girl who happens to look like a boy.. Shakespeare would be delighted by this take down of gender norms! Choi Han-kyul’s and Go Eun-chan’s banter is delightful, and the series was such a massive hit that it spawned multiple global remakes. Who knew that coffee could be so titillating?
#9: “The Legend of the Blue Sea” (2016-17)
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If you ever wanted to see a version of “The Little Mermaid” where Prince Eric is a con artist who is helping Ariel reunite with a fisherman she once knew, then have we got the show for you. Loosely based on a Korean legend, “The Legend of the Blue Sea” follows that premise with even more of a fantasy twist. Se-hwa, a mermaid, saves the son of a nobleman, who goes on to do his best to protect her. After their romance ends in tragedy, we fast forward to modern day. We meet Joon-jae, the conman, who meets a mysterious woman who just happens to be a mermaid. The two leads have palatable chemistry, and the beautiful shots of Spain prove that life may be better under the sea.
#8: “My Love from the Star” (2013-14)
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Now for something completely different: a rom-com drama where the male lead just happens to be an alien. Do Min-joon has been stuck on Earth for the last 400 years, but he’s made his time worthwhile by rivaling Barbie for who has had the most careers. He meets Cheon Song-yi, a former child actor who is down on her luck. Thanks to his extensive legal expertise and alien superpowers, Do Min-joon is able to help Cheon Song-yi deal with her out of control behavior. All of this saving causes the two to fall in love with each other. Despite the outlandish premise, the series sparked multiple fads in South Korea, including a deep love for fried chicken and beer.
#7: “Boys Over Flowers” (2009)
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Also known as the Korean drama that inspired South Korean men to adopt a more “pretty” image, “Boys Over Flowers” also sparked multiple shows set in high schools. The F4 are the most popular boys at their wealthy high school, led by Gu Jun-pyo. When poorer student Geum Jan-di transfers to their school, Jun-pyo begins to intimidate and insult her because she is the one girl to not fawn over him. After endless taunting that rivaled anything Regina George did in “Mean Girls,” Jun-pyo comes to his senses and begins to treat Jan-di with dignity. They eventually fall in love. While the series was a hit, not everyone loved it - it was criticized for its focus on materialism as well as depicting violence and discrimination among students.
#6: “Goblin” (2016-17)
Also known as “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” “Goblin’s” characters span across multiple generations. Initially set in the Goryeo Dynasty, Kim Shin is a highly regarded military general who was responsible for the deaths of multiple soldiers while trying to safeguard his country. Due to his ambiguous actions, he’s cursed to be an “immortal goblin.” The only way out is to find his bride. Flash forward to modern day, Kim Shin meets the bubbly Ji Eun-Tak, his bride. The love complications don’t stop there - Kim Shin’s roommate just happens to be the Grim Reaper, who falls for Ji Eun-Tak’s boss Sunny, the owner of a chicken restaurant. Who knew love in the after life could be so convoluted?
#5: “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” (2021)
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Following a plot reminiscent of most Hallmark Christmas films, “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” is a charming meet cute between a city gal and a country boy. Dentist Yoon Hye-jin moves from Seoul to the adorable seaside town Gongjin, where she meets the town’s handyman, Hong Du-sik. Du-sik not only helps out seniors and performs random tasks around the village, he also takes care of Hye-jin. Despite its formulaic plot, the two leads are utterly delightful and Gongjin will make you want to take a beach holiday immediately. It is the perfect comfort show to watch on a rainy afternoon.
#4: “Crash Landing on You” (2019-20)
This K-Drama proves that love transcends boundaries. Yoon Se-ri is a successful #girlboss. When she learns that she’s getting a promotion, she goes paragliding. After learning that paragliding and tornadoes don’t mix, Se-ri accidentally crashes into North Korea. She meets Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok, who protects her from the authorities. The creators actually did consult North Korean defectors, who have said that the show is fairly accurate to life in a North Korean village. While it’s not 100% accurate, it is one of the only series to focus on North Korea. The creative team was also faced with the challenge of navigating the 1948 National Security Act, which barred any praise or propaganda of North Korea.
#3: “It’s Okay to Not be Okay” (2020)
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One of the few K-dramas to focus on mental health, “It’s Okay to Not be Okay” will hit you right in the feels. Moon Gang-tae is the sole caretaker of his brother, Moon Sang-tae, who has autism. Due to Sang-tae’s recurring nightmares about their mother’s death, the brothers frequently move. In their current city, Gang-tae works at the local mental health unit. He meets one of Sang-tae’s favorite authors, Ko Moon-young, who is also working through her own trauma. Together, the three help one another to heal. The series handles its difficult subject matter delicately, so it never feels like the characters are one-dimensional. It’s a beautiful meditation on the idea of a “forever family.”
#2: “Descendants of the Sun” (2016)
Also known as the series that reveals just how complicated military relationships can be, “Descendants of the Sun” was a massive hit in Korea. The award-winning series follows Yoo Si-jin, a Special Forces unit captain. He meets Dr. Kang Mo-yeon, a prominent doctor, while at the hospital where she works and the two start dating shortly thereafter. The pair quickly realize that having such fundamentally different careers may impact their relationship, so they decide to break up. Eventually, due to circumstances beyond their control, they both end up on the same battlefield. Ironically, Song Joong-ki had just finished his mandatory military service before starting production on the show.
#1: “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” (2022)
The newest K-drama on this list looks at the ways relationships evolve over time. Set in 1998, the story introduces us to Na Hee-do, a fiercely ambitious competitive fencer. When she meets Baek Yi-jin, a rich boy fallen on hard times, the chemistry between them is instantaneous, even if neither one is sure what it means at first. The two find comfort in one another, fall in love, and gradually face more adult issues as they each mature and come into their own. While Twenty-Five Twenty-One is guaranteed to make you cry, there are plenty of light hearted moments to balance out tear-jerker ones.
