Korean Dramas, colloquially known as K-Dramas, have been dominating the romance genre for years. Like shojo anime and manga, romantic K-Dramas focus on emotions, friendships, and love stories, usually with a relatable and likable female protagonist at the center of the show's occurrences.
With streaming services such as Netflix and Viki allowing overseas viewers to enjoy old favorites and discover new obsessions, fans of shojo can now indulge in similar Korean shows that range from endearing comedies to emotional dramas.
10 Princess Hours Is A Signature Contributor To The Korean Wave
Also widely known by its Korean title, Goong, Princess Hours follows the young royals of an alternate universe where South Korea remains a monarchy. The twenty-four-episode series stars former Baby Vox member Yoon Eunhye as the immature yet kind Chaekyeong, a high school girl who marries Crown Prince Lee Shin.
Princess Hours was a massive hit across Asia and contributed to the Korean Wave that started in the 1990s. Its undeniable success led to the production of a 2007 spin-off called Prince Hours, a high-profile musical starring well-known K-Pop stars, and two international adaptations (one from Indonesia, and another from Thailand).
9 Strong Woman Do Bongsoon Blends Hilarious & Sweet Romance With Thrilling Action
One of the highest-rated dramas of 2017, Strong Woman Do Bongsoon tells the story of a young woman with superhuman strength and her adventures as she becomes a rich heir's bodyguard and learns to control her power. The series stars Oh My Ghost award-winning actress Park Boyoung and popular actors Park Hyungsik and Jisoo.
Despite being a romantic comedy at heart, Strong Woman Do Bongsoon also has plenty of action to keep viewers at the edge of their seats. As Bongsoon learns to handle her strength, she becomes determined to catch a kidnapper who had been threatening the women of her neighborhood, leading to incredibly thrilling sequences.
8 People Are Notified Of Possible Romantic Interests Around Them In Love Alarm
Based on the popular Daum webtoon of the same name, Love Alarm was the first Korean drama to be produced exclusively for Netflix. The fourteen-episode romantic series is set in a world where a mobile app called Love Alarm can alert the owner if anyone around them has romantic feelings for them.
Former child actress Kim Sohyun plays the main character, a cheerful high schooler with a tragic past called Kim Jojo; with When The Camellia Blooms' Jung Garam and Sweet Home's Song Kang starring as her love interests. Love Alarm's successful first season led to a six-episode second season that was released in early 2021.
7 Imitation Shows The Behind-The-Scenes Of The K-Pop Industry
Imitation dives into the private lives of K-Pop idols. Its twelve episodes follow the romantic relationship between Lee Maha, a member of the rookie group Tea Party, and Kwon Ryok, the most popular member of boy group Shax. The series was based on the eponymous KakaoPage webtoon by Park Kyungran.
Jung Jiso, who also appeared in Parasite as Park Dahye, takes on the lead role of Maha. Several idols from popular groups like T-ara's Jiyeon, U-KISS' Junyoung, and ATEEZ's Yunho play the rest of the main and supporting cast. The actors appeared in character to promote the series on Music Bank, a popular music program where idols perform every Friday.
6 Her Private Life Follows An Art Curator With A Double Life
Based on the novel Noona Fan Dot Com by Kim Sungyeon, Her Private Life follows Park Minyoung as Sung Deokmi, a highly capable museum curator who moonlights as a fansite manager for K-Pop idol Sian. Rumors of Deokmi dating Sian eventually lead her to pretend to date Ryan Gold, the new art director of the museum.
Kim Jaewook, who is known for his many roles in dramas like Coffee Prince and Marry Me, Mary!, plays Ryan Gold, an aloof yet strict artist who has lost the ability to paint. Her Private Life ran for sixteen episodes and was developed by Studio Dragon, the company behind similar projects like Love Alarm and Crash Landing on You.
5 A Comic Book Character Becomes Self-Aware In Extraordinary You
Originally a Daum webtoon, Extraordinary You is about Eun Danoh, a student at the prestigious Seuli High School who realizes she's an extra character in the comic Secret. Determined to change the fate set up for her, she decides to change the story and encounters a student that she names Haru.
Sky Castle alum Kim Hyeyoon and K-Pop group SF9 member Rowoon have their first drama leading roles as Danoh and Haru, respectively. The series follows an unusual format of thirty-two half-hour episodes and was released in late 2019 to critical acclaim. It won Drama of the Year at the 2019 MBC Drama Awards and 2020 Seoul Drama Awards.
4 A Temperamental Hotel Owner Falls In Love In Hotel Del Luna
Hotel del Luna stars popular singer/actress IU as Jang Manwol, the long-lived owner of the ghosts-only Hotel del Luna, and award-winning actor Yeo Jingoo as the hotel's new manager, Gu Chansung. The series was the highest-rated drama of 2019 and was written by well-known screenwriters, the Hong sisters.
Hotel del Luna's original soundtrack won several awards, including Best OST for Gummy's "Remember Me" at the Mnet and Melon Music Awards. The success of the drama has led to the production of a musical adaptation that will premiere in South Korea in 2022, and an American remake that will be handled by Skydance Media.
3 You're Beautiful Follows The Adventures Of A K-Pop Rock Band
One of the signature dramas of the late 2000s, You're Beautiful centers around Go Minyeo, a young, sheltered girl who must pretend to be her twin brother to join a famous boy band called A.N.Jell. The main cast includes popular actress Park Shinhye, "Prince of Asia" Jang Geunsuk, CNBlue leader Jung Yonghwa, and F.T. Island lead singer Lee Hongki.
You're Beautiful was a cultural phenomenon. While the series wasn't particularly successful during its first broadcast, it became a hit with foreign audiences through online streaming, leading to the development of both a Japanese and a Taiwanese remake. The drama's soundtrack was also incredibly successful, selling over twenty thousand copies in its first week.
2 A Girl Gains Confidence Through Her Makeup Skills In True Beauty
In late 2020, Korean network tvN adapted LINE Webtoon's True Beauty into a sixteen-episode series starring Moon Gayoung as Lim Jukyung, a young high schooler who becomes a skilled makeup artist after getting bullied for her appearance. K-Pop group Astro member Cha Eunwoo and actor Hwang Inyoup play her fellow classmates and love interests.
The television adaptation made several plot and characterization changes to keep the story fresh but retains the webtoon's original vibe. Its soundtrack features songs by established artists such as Ha Sungwoon and GFRIEND's former member Yuju, as well as contributions from both male leads.
1 Boys Over Flowers Is A Classic Of The Genre
A classic of the genre, Boys Over Flowers is one of the most well-known K-Dramas of all time. An adaptation of the eponymous shojo manga by Yoko Kamio, the series follows Geum Jandi, a headstrong and kind girl from a working-class family who receives a scholarship to study at Shinhwa Academy. Now a student at the prestigious high school, she finds herself up against the F4, a foursome of handsome, rich boys who rule the school.
Boys Over Flowers made its main actors into overnight stars, making Gu Junpyo actor Lee Minho one of the most sought-after leading men in the industry. The series was an immediate success and has been remade several times in other countries, including the 2018 Chinese drama Meteor Garden.