5 Korean Dramas to Survive Tough Days
Tags: Romantic, Politics, Dreamers, Korean Dramas, Relationships Love Dating

While we keep waiting for a glimmer of hope for this brutal and battering pandemic year, 5 Korean dramas are listed here to provide you the best escapism as well as serotonin boost. Some help remind people of all the beautiful experiences and notions that you know exist whereas the other engages viewers’ interest in the good guy turning vigilante. And here to unwind:

Warning: contains spoiler!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Starred with: Nam Joo-hyuk, Lee Sung-kyung, Kyung Soo-jin, Lee Jae-yoon

16 episodes +engsub

Kim Bok-joo is a collegiate weightlifter aspiring to become a gold-medalist. Her talent in weightlifting as well as her strong sense of justice are the two unfeminine tags she carried during her young adult years. The tags don’t really bother her until she has a crush on the swimmer, Jung Joon-Hyung, who attends the same sport university as her. When feelings creep in, Bok-joo gets confused about her life priorities. Her lack of basic womanly needs of being slim and pretty will hurt her chances of finding a boyfriend. To make matters worse, how will she balance her relationship with weightlifting career?

The coming-of-age drama resonates with young viewers who struggle with first love and self-expectations. When Kim Bok-joo works hard to deal with the thin beauty ideal and the fitness levels to compete in weightlifting, Joon Hyung is there appreciating the flaws that Bok-joo hates in herself. They have extremely adorable chemistry and share a very healthy best friends-to-lovers relationship. Joon Hyung is the best boyfriend material that one can get in life. He is caring, funny, and brave enough to open up to his partner. Besides the romance aspect, the friendship supporting Bok-joo when she slips into an athlete’s slump is definitely heartwarming and sweet. Overall, the drama with ‘slice of life’ leaves you warm and fuzzy. Growing up is bittersweet and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo nails that with an uplifting note: whether bounce or not, we move on.

18 Again

Starred with: Yoon Sang-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, Lee Do-hyun

16 episodes +engsub

In Kdrama 18 Again, Jung Da-jung and Hong Dae-young have been married and raised their twins for 18 years. Both being 37-year-old in present time, the wife Jung Da-jung is a rookie announcer while the husband Hong Dae-young is a senior wash machine repairman. The years they spent as a family and spouse is a contributing factor to their finger-pointing and estrangement. Therefore, Da-jung filed for a divorce as soon as she learned her husband lost his job. Shock and regretful, Dae-young wishes to undo all the damage caused by his negligence and immaturity. With the snap of a finger, Dae-young’s body transforms into the one he used to have when he was 18-year-old. His 37-year-old mentality remains intact as he changes his identity to a high school student, Ko Woo Young. Dae-young resolves to grab the opportunity and fix his life.

This is the kind of drama that makes you feel nice and warm inside. It elaborates on family, marriage, friendship, social expectations and the pursuit of self-identity. The relationship between spouses suffers once kids come along. In 18 Again, the young parent, Da-jung, juggles multiple jobs to make ends meet and the acute stress results in his irritability and smoking habit, which eventually arouses Da-iung’s resentment against him. When passion fades and parenting responsibilities set in, the lead couple struggle with mismatched expectations and aching loneliness. On the flip side, seeing how parents sacrifice themselves to support the family reminds everyone of our blessings. The birth of kids may delay or deny parents’ dreams. In 18 Again, Da-jung postpones her dream of working in the broadcasting industry to fulfill the role of a mother while Dae-young gives up his dream of becoming a professional basketball player. Over the course of the drama, it’s heartwarming to see Dae-young persevere in his attempts to offer the best for his family (especially in his 18-year-old body!) Committing parenting that was portrayed by Dae-young and Da-jung does make a profound impact on general viewers.

The K2

Starred with: Ji Chang-wook, Im Yoon-ah, Song Yoon-ah, Jo Sung-ha, Kim Kap-soo

16 episodes +engsub

Kim Je Ha is a former mercenary soldier who was framed for murdering his girlfriend during his service in Iraq. Vowing revenge, the fugitive finds his way back to South Korea where he is offered a job as a bodyguard for Choi Yoo Jin, the owner of JSS Security and the wife of the presidential candidate, Jang Se-joon. The new job helps Je Ha plan his revenge on Park Kwan Soo, the leader of the current ruling party and Se Joon’s rival, whom Je Ha believes ordered the murder of his girlfriend. When Je Ha is assigned to bodyguard Go An Na, the illegitimate daughter of Se Joon, the couple become aware of their growing feelings for each other. Later when the bodyguard finds that the major threat to An Na has always been Choi Yoo Jin, his boss and revenge ally, Je Ha will have to choose between a bunch of bad options.

The drama is intriguing with the four main characters having their own stories of revenge or ambition about the future. Kim Je Ha, played by Ji Chang Wook, carries out impeccable fighting scenes as a serving soldier and secret agent. However, his revenge plan gets tangled up in the relationship with An Na, who happens to be the stepdaughter of the power-thirsty Choi Yoo Jin. The highlights of each episode are Je Ha’s evaluation and response to different events. Another achievement of the drama lies in the character development, especially the villain Choi Yoo Jin. She acquires so many layers in her character that gradually emerge in political talks and schemes. If you are into evil character double-crossing, hot guy fighting like a superhero and romance in the sidetracks, you’ll definitely enjoy The K2.

It’s oKay, That’s Love

Starred with: Gong Hyo-jin, Jo In-sung, Sung Dong-il, Lee Kwang-soo, Do Kyung-soo

16 episodes +engsub

Jang Jae-yeol is the bestselling author and a radio DJ with a prickly personality. An abnormal incident in childhood causes his estrangement from his elder brother and results in his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ji Hae-soo is a psychiatrist in her first year of fellowship at a University Hospital. She is caring and compassionate in the professional field, but insecure and commitment-averse in her romantic relationship. The two meet while serving as panelists in a talk show. No sooner had they realized their compatibility in love than their deep-rooted emotional scars began to surface.

Instead of stigmatizing mentally ill people, the crew of It’s oKay, That’s Love invests significant time and energy in portraying the struggles and internal forces that act on a mental disorder. The drama emphasizes that love and empathy are two pillars that can rescue and lift up any collapsing souls. The lead couple demonstrate a matured relationship which includes strong boundaries and understanding. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo are compatible as their flaws are recognized and smoothly woven together. It’s not the typical kdrama whose main characters conquer all external hurdles and finally reach happiness. On the contrary, it showcases the union of two flawed people honing their resilience skills through unconditional love. Nothing in It’s oKay, That’s Love is too dramatic; yet every reaction is natural and powerful.

Backstreet Rookie

Starred with: Kim Yoo-jung, Ji Chang-wook

16 episodes +engsub

Choi Dae-hyun ran into a group of high school girls, one of whom was Jung Saet-byul. Saet-byul found Dae-hyun cute and good-looking, so the reckless girl asked him to buy them a pack of cigarettes from the nearby convenience store. Their first encounter ended shortly after Saet-byul took Dae-hyun’s candies with his phone numbers and intentionally kissed him. Fast forward to 3 years later, Dae-hyun is in charge of his family-owned convenience store. The long working hours from daytime to midnight exhausts him to such an extent that he decides to recruit new staff to help. Saet-byul, now 22-year-old, applies for the job. Despite a bad first impression, Dae-hyun hires Saet-byul and allows their budding romance to develop.

Adapted from the webtoon Convenience Store Saet-byul, the romantic comedy builds its world at a convenience store where neighbors visit to grab snacks or last-minute grocery shopping. Dae-hyun enjoys managing the convenience store and serving the customers. He is motivated by the desire to turn the convenience store into “the neighborhood’s lighthouse.” Despite the goofy and clumsy way he talks, he has a soft heart, caring people in both his store and life. The romance between Dae-hyun and Saet-byul is especially interesting to watch. Their relationship starts off bad but gradually with Dae-hyun’s kindness and Saet-byu’s optimism, the couple find balance. Neither of them force the other to behave as he/she desires. They make sacrifices out of necessity rather than self-esteem or attention-seeking. They wait for each other till both feel comfortable. Backstreet Rookie isn’t the typical goal-achieved or mind-blowing Korean dramas. Instead, it tells a story about characters making human decisions and mistakes.

Lastly, you can find Bok Joo, 18 Again, The K2 on Viu.com while Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, 18 Again, The K2, It’s oKay, That’s Love, Backstreet Rookie all available on iQIYI.