While K-pop has recently been on the rise as a global phenomenon, South Korea has much more to offer in forms of entertainment. These South Korean dramas will probably be the cutest and most heart warming shows you will ever watch! If you are looking for a binge-watching session to warm your soul, these dramas have got you covered.
1. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
This drama is hands down one of my favorites to date. It follows the weightlifter Kim Bok Joo as she tries to navigate school, weightlifting, and blindsiding crushes. This drama perfectly balances humor and cuteness with more serious subjects as well. Its drama is also home to one of the best Korean drama couples ever. Who are they? I'll let you watch and find out. This show is available to watch on the Asian Drama streaming network: Viki.
2. Descendants of the Sun
This drama will go down in history as one of the most well-written and -produced dramas of all time. This drama follows doctor Kang Mo-Yeon as she travels to the fictional country of Uruk to do some volunteer work. There she is reunited with a missed connection from back in Korea, the captain of a special forces unit of the Korean Army: Yoo Si-jin.
This drama can be quite serious as it tackles serious such as natural disasters, coping with the deaths of loved ones, and valuing your work over your loved ones. However, the characters are completely lovable and will leave you coming back for more just to make sure they are OK. This show is available to watch on Hulu.
3. Goblin
Now bear with me. I know this one is going to sound strange, but it is worth a watch, I promise.
This drama follows the character Kim Shin, an immortal "goblin" with a bunch of cool powers. However, he only wishes to be able to move into the afterlife and the only way he can do that is by finding his "bride," who can remove the sword that has been permanently stuck in his chest for 939 years. This concept may seem a bit out there, but the show is strangely compelling and it never ceases to be entertaining.
4. I'm Not a Robot
Warning: another seemingly strange plot coming your way.
In this drama, Kim Min-kyu suffers from an allergy that leaves him unable to touch other people as it causes him to break out in rashes all over his body that can potentially become fatal. He is the leader of a large financial company that funded the creation of an advanced robot, and he planned to test the prototype in his own home. However, right before he is to test the robot, it malfunctions. Not wanting to lose their funding, the scientists behind the robot pay a girl named Jo Ji-ah to pretend to be the robot.
I think you can guess where this is going. It may seem strange at first, but the bizarre story makes it an utterly entertaining watch. This show is available to watch on Viki.
5. Hogu's Love
This drama is probably the least popular compared to the others on this list, but I love it to pieces. This show focuses on the character Kang Hogu (which means "fool" in Korean) as he reunites with his high school crush, Do Do-hee. Shortly after, he finds out that she is hiding a pregnancy from everyone she knows, since if the news breaks out it will ruin her career.
This may seem like a simple plot, but once you watch it, you will see there is a lot going on. This show unexpectedly tackles some very serious issues that are often absent in lighthearted dramas. It still manages to be cute and humorous at times, and creates a good balance between bringing up topics that need to be discussed and making you laugh at the same time.
6. Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon
This drama is undeniably the cutest and funniest entry on this list. This show follows the Do Bong-Soon, who comes from a family where all the women are granted with the power of superhuman strength. Enter Ahn Min-Hyuk, a CEO of a gaming company who finds himself being stalked and blackmailed. He employs Bong-Soon as his bodyguard. This may sound like a serious action thriller, but it manages to take this plot and execute it in the funniest way possible. If you are looking for a good laugh, this is the show for you. It is available to watch on Netflix.
7. W
This drama takes the cake for having one of the most unique story lines. In this drama, Oh Yeon Joo is the daughter of the author of the famous webtoon "W." One day, she unknowingly gets sucked into the world of the webtoon when browsing her father's workstation. Wild things begin to ensue when she begins to interfere with the world of the webtoon, as it begins to affect her life in the real world as well.
Even if you are not here for the plot, I would just say to watch for the aesthetic, at least. The way the characters are drawn as if they are in a webtoon and then transition into real people is quite pleasing to the eye. This show is available to watch on Viki.
8. Coffee Prince
This was one of the first Korean dramas I ever watched and it will always hold a special place in my heart. This drama follows Choi Han-Kyul, the grandson of a successful businesswoman who runs one of the company's coffee shops, and Go Eun-Chan, a girl who disguises herself as a boy to get a job at said coffee shop. As this is a romantic comedy, I have a feeling you know where this plot will lead. This may seem like a plot that has been done before, but it is a refreshing and wildly entertaining take on it. The show is available to stream on Viki.
9. Let's Fight, Ghost
This show follows Park Bong-Pal, a man who has always been gifted with the ability to see ghosts. He begins to be followed by the ghost Kim Hyung-ji. Together, they work as exorcists who banish evil ghosts while simultaneously trying to figure out how Hyung-ji died and why she became a wandering spirit. This seems like it might be spooky, but it is very compelling and a lot of fun to watch. This show is available to stream on Viki.
10. Scarlet Heart Ryeo
This drama is hands down the most gut-wrenching and saddest of the list, but that is what makes it such a great watch. The show follows Hae Soo as she finds herself transported back to the time of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. She becomes a court lady to the royal princes of the Wang family and experiences their bitter rivalry firsthand.
I would recommend this drama to anyone who is interesting in learning about Korean history. While the show is heavily fictionalized, the princes focused on in the show were real people. However, be prepared to cry your eyes out because this one is a tear jerker.
