This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Maya Stokley. Find her on Instagram at @maya.aesthetic. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and romantic comedies are scarce this season! Where is the angst? Where is the passion? What happened to the friends to lovers or enemies to lovers tropes on our streaming platforms!? I might as well keep scrolling on my Roku remote and sob for more content. Scrolling. Scrolling. Scrolling. And alas, I settled into the Korean drama sections, and I haven’t been the same since! Here are some hot K-Dramas you need add to your watchlist ASAP!
1. Mr. Plankton (2024)
I MEAN COME ON! I had to start off with the K-drama that dominated Netflix last year (and on TikTok, for many reasons) as my number one! Mr. Plankton is a romantic comedy that keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout the entire ten-episode set. Not to mention, HELLO! Woo Do-hwan and Lee Yoo-mi are the hottest romantic couple on the screen. Don’t get me started! Anyways, Hae Jo (played by Woo Do-hwan) is a result of an improper artificial insemination and is terminally ill. He goes on a journey with his ex-girlfriend Jae-mi (played by Lee Yoo-mi) to find his biological father before it is too late!
See now, that was just the formal synopsis of this show, and I don’t want to give away too much. But this is my article, so I can reveal a bit more; why not? Throughout the journey, Hae Jo and Jae-mi have some romantic scenes that rekindle their love for one another despite the ticking clock Hae Jo is on with his health. Also, there are funny scenes with these two that make your heart pound and kick your feet repeatedly! Check out one of the scenes below and trust, you do want to watch the whole show in one sitting like me!
2. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Shy male lead? ✅ Bold, sassy woman lead? ✅ In depth storyline about mental health and family dynamics? ✅
“It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” is one of those K-dramas that will fuel your romantic bottles but also make you shed waterfalls down your face, staining your makeup in your bedroom. (Literally, this was me watching episode nine when Sang Tae and Gang Tae had a major fight in the hospital)
But this K-drama is an absolute must-watch! The story follows Moon Gang-Tae (played by Kim Soo-hyun), who lives and cares for his autistic older brother, Moon Sang-Tae (played by Oh Jung-se). Because of his brother’s condition, the pair have traveled around to find their place after their mother was killed. Now, Moon Gang-tae works as a nurse in a psychiatric ward, where he meets a bold personality, Ko Moon-young (played by Seo Yae-ji). Ko Moon-young is a children’s author who may suffer from a personality disorder in the show!
I’m going to be so honest with you all! This show is a rollercoaster of emotions! Not only do we see the brotherhood dynamics, but we also get to witness Gang-tae’s experience finding love with someone who is the complete opposite of his personality. Miss Moon-young is such a character because the moment she saw Gang-tae, it was game over. That woman was on a mission and she succeeded in the end! The show has several love triangles and comedic moments to lighten the intensity of the show. Also, there is an interesting dynamic between Moon-young and Sang-tae. They are more alike than they think they are. The one thing they most definitely have in common though: they both love Gang-tae immensely! Check out this scene from the show. Truthfully, you have to see all sixteen episodes on Netflix!
3. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? (2018)
When I dived into Korean dramas, there was so much content that my mind spun like crazy! But with me, I love a good office romance show, and my goodness, did I find the most PERFECT one I have seen so far! The amount of fangirling I have done throughout this sixteen-episode show is too much! “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?” is a certified Korean drama classic with two famous leads (Park Seo-Joon and Park Min-young) embarking on a journey of self-discovery and love for one another.
Lee Young-joon (played by Park Seo-joon) is the second big boss of a corporation and his top-notch secretary Kim Mi-so (played by Park Min-young). Both characters play off one another so well and they have been working with one another for about ten years. When I tell you this woman was his backbone like daily is insane. Coffee in hand, documents in a folder, and all the appointments booked in advance. Miss. Kim Mi-so did not play with her job. BUT GASP!? Now, she is resigning and Mr. Lee Young-joon was flabbergasted, jaw agape.
Then, it was revealed that she wants to find her own happiness and maybe consider finding love. Now, what is going to happen with Lee Young-joon? Sooner than later, he is going to find out that he secretly had feelings for her the entire time. If you want angst, tension, comedy, and traditional romantic scenes, this is the show for you! Look at one of the scenes below and let me know how you feel! Like seriously, let’s chat after you watch the show!
4. Business Proposal (2022)
As you can tell, I love a good office trope! “Business Proposal” follows Shin Ha-ri (played by Kim Se-jeong), who goes on a blind date for her friend so her friend doesn’t participate in the whole matchmaking scheme her father put her up to. But, surprise! Her blind date is her boss, Kang Tae-moo (played by Ahn Hyo-seop), and man do the parks fly in this one! Before we dive more into the whole nine, a quick background check of the story!
Shin Ha-ri works as a nutritionist at Go Food, and Kang Tae-moo is the CEO of the company. Tae-moo is being pressured by his grandpapa to find a wife to, you know, make future heirs of the company. You know the whole “my legacy shall live on with you” or that Lion King song, “The Circle of Life”.
Back to these two lovers! Once Ha-ri saw her boss, she wanted to run and hide so bad. But, it was revealed by her friend, who told Tae-moo that she had asked someone to fill in for her. Soon after, Ha-ri meets with Tae-moo because her friend mentioned that Ha-ri is an “actress”. (If you can see where this is going, I love you so much).
So, Tae-moo bribes Ha-ri to pretend to be his fiancee with a fake identity and background to trick his grandpapa. I’m going to leave it here because there is so much detail in this show that you have to watch it to get the FULL JUICINESS OF IT! Look at one of the scenes below and perhaps you’ll get more of the gist!
5. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)
Okay, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I had to RECOMMEND this classic Korean drama that is so true and dear to my heart! “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” is a show where you may need to take breaks because so much is happening all at once. This show is that girl!
Quick rundown without any spoilers? Maya, you got this.
Go Ha-jin (played IU, an amazing K-pop singer) is 25 years old and she is from the 21st century. During a solar eclipse, she is transported back in time (Outlander vibes) and becomes someone named Hae Soo. Now, Hae Soo (aka Go Ha-jin) was that girl back in the day! She had all of the princes of the ruling family at the time OBSESSED with her, especially the 8th Prince Wang Wook (played by Kang Ha-neul).
But, of course, Wang Wook is the gentle, kind prince that wouldn’t hurt a fly. We all know that second lead trope, the one that the main character should be with, right? SIKE! The misunderstood, bad-boy prince is on his way, and he falls for Hae-soo real quick. The 4th Prince Wang So (played by Lee Joon-gi) becomes very close to Hae-soo and finds out that he has feelings for her.
Mind you, there are a lot of princes and there is one throne. The drama in this one is POPCORN GOOD! Check out one of the scenes from the show here and bask in the amazing set and costume design! PROPS TO THE PRODUCTION TEAM FOR REAL!
What do you think are best K Dramas on Netflix? Business Proposal? Mr. Plankton? It is up to you to decide! Check out one of the shows or recommend a few in the comments below!
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