The void viewers feel when their favorite K-drama ends is possibly worse than a breakup — the impatient wait for the weekly drop of episodes and the gut-wrenching pain caused by all those cliffhangers have all come crashing down to a feeling of sheer emptiness. Queen of Tears, the most talked about K-drama in recent times, has finally ended after an eight-week-long journey of 16 glorious episodes and a frenzy of emotions. The first episode of Queen of Tears aired on Netflix on March 9, 2024.
Owing to its refreshing storyline straying away from the happily-ever-after trope, the show quickly gained traction for focusing on the crumbling of a marriage and rekindling the lost spark. So if you watched that one or any similar K-drama, and currently find yourself with nothing to look forward to next week, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 10 K-Dramas you need to watch right now!
1. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
When a kind boy hands you flowers whilst he calls you pretty, that’s sometimes all the healing you need. Starting off strong with a drama starring Kim Soo-Hyun — for viewers who aren’t quite ready to let go of this heartthrob after the Queen of Tears finale. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay features Seo Yea-ji as the eccentric female lead and Oh Jung-se as the hero’s autistic brother. The story revolves around troubled children’s book author Ko Moon-young, who is encouraged to embrace a path of mental healing as she moves back to her hometown to pursue her romantic obsession with the selfless psych ward caretaker Moong Gang-tae.
The show explores themes of trauma, mental healing, and finding comfort in being loved. What can be particularly appreciated is the strong and outspoken character of the female lead, who, though in distress, is never portrayed as a damsel. Back in 2020, It’s Okay To Not Be Okay was the most popular Netflix romance show in South Korea — with good reason. It boasted a stunning wardrobe, compelling storyline, and Kim Soo-Hyun’s abs, among other things.
Watch It’s Okay To Not Be Okay on Netflix
2. Marry My Husband (2024)
Cheating husbands are the epitome of societal trash that one needs to be rid of to cleanse one being; throw in a viciously jealous best friend, and you’ve got yourself a match made in heaven. Marry My Husband is a recent drama series that gained immense popularity owing to its star cast, vile antagonists, and edge-of-the-seat plot. Starring Park Min-young, Na In-woo, Lee Yi-kyung, and Song Ha-yoon, this K-Drama is based on a web novel of the same name, which was later turned into a Webtoon.
Watch Marry My Husband on Prime Video
3. Crash Landing on You (2019 – 2020)
Find you a man who loves you so profusely that he crosses borders into feuding territory to protect you from impending danger, takes a bullet for you without a second thought, and wreaks political havoc across two nations just to see you again. The K-Drama that led to the birth of the Ri-Ri couple, Crash Landing on You, is a hopeless romantic’s Roman Empire. This cross-border love story is centered around how a paragliding accident lands chaebol heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) in the North Korean portion of the DMZ.
It’s there that she is discovered by Ri Jeong-hyoek (Hyun Bin), a Captain in the North Korean Army. While it was still airing, Crash Landing on You went on to become the highest-rated TV series in the history of Korean cable television. Of course, the whole thing got even cuter when the actors who starred in the series went on to get married off-screen and even welcomed a son in 2022.
Watch Crash Landing on You on Netflix
4. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)
“Some people are meant to fall in love with each other, but not meant to be together.” Twenty-Five Twenty-One is not for the faint of heart — you have been warned. It is a K-drama that you will think about for days, weeks, or even years, and it will still hurt the same. The central plot revolves around the lives of Na Hee-do, a member of the school fencing team, and the former rich boy turned sports reporter, Baek Yi-jin. A chance encounter leads the two to develop a friendship where they agree to always be happy when they are together, with their relationship gradually blossoming into a beautiful romance over the years.
Watch Twenty-Five Twenty-One on Netflix
5. Business Proposal (2022)
Yet another K-drama that evolved from a Webtoon, Business Proposal is that light, feel-good watch that has you rolling on the floor in splits and squealing in delight during cute make-outs. The drama, starring Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong, takes all the cliché romance tropes and embraces them with open arms in this slapstick rom-com. A classic contract relationship between employee Shin Ha-ri and chaebol CEO Kang Tae-moo sees the pair falling for each other while they struggle with some run-of-the-mill ups and downs.
Watch Business Proposal on Netflix
6. Nevertheless, (2021)
We’ve come a long way in the K-drama world since Lee Min Ho’s closed-mouthed pecks in Boys Over Flowers as we bring a racy number into this list with this NSFW K-drama. Nevertheless, is based on a popular Webtoon of the same name, which tells the story of heartbroken You Na-bi and commitment-phobic Park Jae-eon. Starring Han So-hee and Netflix’s favorite Song Kang, Nevertheless, explores themes of casual flings, same-sex relationships, and figuring out dating goals in the 21st century. Brimming with steamy sex scenes and generous shots of Song-Kang’s muscles, this K-drama will have you questioning your morals and fighting the urge to throw your soda can at the screen all at the same time.
Watch Nevertheless, on Netflix
7. True Beauty (2020-2012)
Based on a webtoon of the same name, True Beauty centers around a high school girl, Lim Ju-kyung, who has been bullied all her life for not conforming to societal beauty standards. When life gives her an opportunity to start afresh, she turns toward makeup to transform herself into a “goddess.” Things take a surprising turn when she befriends the ridiculously handsome wealthy boy Lee Su-ho, who loves her for who she is beyond the superficial bubble she has been cast into. True Beauty explores deeper themes like suicide, bullying, and parental neglect while keeping things light with quintessential love triangles and best friend betrayals!
8. Descendants of The Sun (2016)
Old but gold Descendants of The Sun is a classic K-drama that broke records and won a plethora of awards back when it aired in 2016. The show revolves around the love story between Yoo Shi-jin (Song Joong-ki), a soldier in the South Korean Special Forces, and Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo), a beautiful surgeon, and their on-again, off-again relationship owing to the nature of their respective professions. Apart from the heart-pounding effects of seeing Yoo Shi-jin in a uniform as he beats up bad guys and comes to rescue our lovely heroine, its cute dialogues, and gut-wrenching breakups, Descendants of the Sun is a drama you simply cannot miss.
Watch Descendants of The Sun on Netflix
9. Hospital Playlist (2020 – 2021)
From the director of Prison Playbook, Shin Won-ho, Hospital Playlist is the second installment of the Wise Life series. Starring Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, and Jeon Mi-do, Hospital Playlist follows the lives of five forty-something-year-old doctors working at the Yulje Medical Centre and the nuances of their friendship spanning 20 years. This K-drama is a digital masterpiece that cannot be endorsed enough. Its engaging storyline, finer details to medical intricacies, and elite soundtrack, all make it worth a watch!
Watch Hospital Playlist on Netflix
10. Thirty-Nine (2022)
Ending on a relatively different tangent, this is an ideal watch for older audiences coming to terms with exiting the last leg of their thirties. Thirty-Nine is a drama that celebrates lifelong friendships, romance as an adult, and how to deal with childhood trauma. Touching upon some controversial themes of glorifying extramarital affairs and the emotional journey of potentially losing your friend to a terminal illness, Thirty-Nine is a delightfully unhinged and irrevocably heartfelt watch. Starring Son Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Ji-hyun, this K-drama will have you weeping as you dial up your best friend’s number in the middle of the night. Also, don’t forget this trivia about the members of ITZY, if you’re a fan of K-pop!
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