Best 14 Romantic K-Dramas on Netflix (May 2024)
Korean dramas have soared in recognition in the previous decade, romantic k-dramas particularly. Netflix was one particular of the initial streaming solutions to bring K-dramas to the international stage, introducing audiences to sweet, swoon-worthy romances that prioritize the female gaze. With a big choice to pick from, obtaining the greatest romantic K-drama on Netflix can be a daunting challenge. Never worry simply because we at Collider have the fantastic K-drama starter pack to assist you parse via Netflix’s library and locate the fantastic romantic K-drama for you.
For much more suggestions, verify out our list of the greatest k-dramas on Netflix, the greatest Korean thriller series on Netflix, or the greatest shows and films on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are offered on US Netflix.
Editor’s note: This write-up was updated May 2024 to consist of The Atypical Family.
‘The Atypical Family’ (2024 – Present)
IMDb: 7.2/10
The Atypical Family
- Genre
- Action, Drama, Fantasy
- Debut Date
- May 19, 2024
Created by Gleline and Kang Eun-kyung, The Atypical Family follows the members of a superpowered family members who are losing their skills. When a mysterious lady enters their lives, factors commence to modify, but the stranger has secrets and skills of her personal. The series, which is written by Joo Hwa-mi and directed by Jo Hyun-taek, stars Jang Ki-yong, Chun Woo-hee, Go Doo-shim, and Claudia Kim in primary roles. While its premise is absolutely fantastical, The Atypical Family proves much more relatable than it appears, thanks to its concentrate on mental overall health challenges and their extended-term effects. Using the metaphor of superpowers, the series attempts to show how psychological trauma can inhibit a person’s capability to totally be themselves. The execution of that idea, even so, can be uneven and exaggerated, and so is the character improvement. As a outcome, the show has received mixed evaluations from critics. Despite its flaws, The Atypical Family is an entertaining drama with an intriguing take on mental overall health and trauma.
Watch on Netflix
‘Doona!’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 7.2/10
Doona!
Follows the romance in between a freshman college student and an established female pop idol.
- Release Date
- October 20, 2023
- Cast
- Bae Suzy , Yang Se-Jong , Lee Jin-Wook , Ko Asung
- Creator
- Min Song-a
- Seasons
- 1
Set in the course of the 1920s Japanese occupation, this Korean drama follows a group of exiles who fight to save their homeland when all appears lost. A story of hope in the face of worry, Song of the Bandits feels epic from minute one particular, with director Hwang Jun-hyeok pulling out all the stops to bring an eye-catching sense of scope to the modest screen. A tale with each heart and soul, Song of the Bandits comfortably excels as each an informative period piece and a dramatic Western, with its pace neatly constructing as tension rises and explodes into impressive action sequences. Heartfelt and highly effective, this multi-genre knowledge is not to be missed. – Jake Hodges
Watch on Netflix
‘Chocolate’ (2019 – 2020)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Chocolate
- Release Date
- November 29, 2019
- Cast
- Ha Ji-Won , Yoon Kyesang , Seung-jo Jang , Jin-Woong Min
- Seasons
- 1
Chocolate, a captivating romance out of South Korea, marks a reunion of writer Lee Kyung-hee and director Lee Hyung-min soon after their initial collaboration on the hit series I’m Sorry, I Love You. The story follows a young neurosurgeon named Lee Kang (Yoon Kye-sang), who abandoned his childhood dreams of becoming a chef but rediscovers his passion for cooking when he reunites with Moon Cha-yeong (Ha Ji-won), a well-known chef he inspired to dive into the culinary arts several years prior to. The reality the series is a reunion for the creatives oozes onto the screen, as the show illustrates the approaches that time alterations us into absolutely diverse versions of ourselves but offers us hope that our passions can heal the wounds that time has inflicted. – Tauri MillerWatch on Netflix
‘Twenty Five Twenty One’ (2022)
IMDb: 8.6/10
Twenty Five Twenty One
- Release Date
- February 12, 2022
- Cast
- Nam Joo-hyuk , Kim Ji-yeon , Choi Hyun-wook , Lee Joo-myung
- Seasons
- 1
Chronicling the romantic ups and downs of 5 characters from 1998 to 2021, Twenty Five Twenty One is one particular of the most preferred K-dramas on screen, with fans such as K-pop stars like BTS‘ Jungkook and BLACKPINK‘s Lisa. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show follows Kim Min-chae (Choi Myung-bin), the daughter of a retired qualified fencer, Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri), as she reads her mom’s old diary and learns much more about her previous. In 1998, Hee-do was a member of her higher college fencing group, but soon after the fallout of the 1997 IMF economic crisis, the group loses its funding. In order to pursue her fencing dream, Hee-do should transfer schools and navigate hard competitors. Along the way, Hee-do meets the handsome, difficult-functioning news vendor Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), who tries to get his life back with each other soon after the economic crisis left his family members bankrupt.
Heartfelt, nostalgic, and nicely-acted, it really is no surprise that this series has so several devoted fans begging for Season 2. If you happen to be searching for a romantic drama that feels like chicken noodle soup for the soul, appear no additional than Twenty Five Twenty One.
Watch on Netflix
‘The Fabulous’ (2022)
IMDb: 6.5/10
The Fabulous
- Release Date
- December 23, 2022
- Cast
- Choi Minho , Choi Min-ho , Chae Soo-bin , Anzu Lawson , Ren Hanami
- Seasons
- 1
If you love shows following the struggles of young pros like The Bold Type or Emily in Paris, then The Fabulous desires to move to the leading of your list. This South Korean romantic drama following 4 greatest buddies attempting to navigate careers in the style sector is not just a spectacle of spectacular clothes and wild dance parties (even though it has that in spades) — it really is also a lighthearted showcase of what it is like to pursue your dreams prior to even figuring out who you truly are. Through all the turbulent drama, the anchor that keeps the audience firmly planted in their seats is the enchanting dynamic in between the 4 leads: Choi Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Lee Sang-woon, and Park Hee-jung. – Tauri Miller
Watch on Netflix
‘Summer Strike’ (2022)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Summer Strike
- Release Date
- November 21, 2022
- Cast
- Si-wan Yim , Seol-Hyun Kim , Park Ye Young , Eun-soo Shin
- Seasons
- 1
Summer Strike is a romantic drama adapted from a webtoon by Joo Young Hyun. Summer Strike focuses on a couple of twenty-somethings obtaining themselves beginning more than in the modest seaside town of Angok. In Summer Strike, Kim Seol-hyun plays Lee Yeo-reum, a heartbroken young lady who leaves the significant city for a modest town soon after each a breakup and the death of her mother. Starring opposite Seol-hyun is Im Si-wan, who co-stars as the nearby librarian searching for escape. Summer Strike makes it possible for these young people today to discover their quarter-life crisis with each other, uncovering their accurate nature, person passions, and potentially much more. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Netflix
‘It’s Okay Not To Be Okay’ (2020)
IMDb: 8.6/10
It’s Okay Not To Be Okay
- Release Date
- June 20, 2020
- Cast
- Kim Soo-hyun , Seo Ye-Ji , Oh Jung-se , Park Gyuyoung
- Seasons
- 1
This Tim Burton-esque twisted fairytale is one particular of the greatest romantic K-dramas on Netflix. Although some of its themes may well be difficult to watch, the unfolding mysteries and blossoming relationships will have you invested from the jump.
The story follows an antisocial children’s book author, Ko Mun-yeong (Seo Yea-ji), and a hospice caretaker, Moon Gang-Tae (Kim Soo-hyun), crossing paths when her book reading goes awry at the mental hospital he operates at, their lives modify forever (and for the greater). Gang-tae saves her life when an unstable patient tries to kill her and prevents her from attacking the patient. Mun-yeong, intrigued by Gang-tae’s empathy for even the most undeserving and his capability to see via her standoffish behavior for what it truly is, hires Gang-tae to be her “safety pin” in order to defend her from her worst impulses.
Gang-tae moves into Mun-yeong’s gothic mansion along with his autistic brother, Sang-tae (Oh Jung-se) who’s a significant fan of Mun-yeong’s books and harbors significant dreams of becoming an illustrator. With the assist of Mun-yeong, Sang-tae is capable to flourish creatively. Gang-tae, on the other hand, learns how to let other folks take care of him, relinquish manage more than his feelings, and most of all, permit himself to fall in enjoy.
Watch on Netflix
‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019 – 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Crash Landing On You (2019)
The absolute leading secret enjoy story of a chaebol heiress who produced an emergency landing in North Korea simply because of a paragliding accident and a North Korean specific officer who falls in enjoy with her and who is hiding and safeguarding her.
- Release Date
- December 14, 2019
- Cast
- Hyun Bin , Son Ye-jin , Seo Ji-hye , Kim Jung-hyun
- Seasons
- 1
While a mysterious tornado blows heiress Yoon Se-ri’s (Son Ye-jin) paragliding off course, she accidentally crashes into a tree on the North Korean side of the DMZ. Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a captain of the Korean People’s Army and a member of the North Korean elite, finds her though on patrol and saves her life. While creating a program to assist Se-ri get back dwelling to South Korea, Jeong-hyeok hides her from his fellow North Koreans like Cho Cheol-gang (Oh Man-seok), a corrupt officer from the State Security Department intent on exposing Jeong-hyeok. Meanwhile, in Seoul, Se-Ri’s family members hasn’t announced her disappearance, and her envious brothers conspire to steal her spot as subsequent in the line of succession to lead their father’s corporation.
Meanwhile, Se-Ri and Jeong-hyeok’s feelings for each and every other develop as they invest time with each other. However, with all the external forces threatening to tear them apart, will these two star-crossed lovers go the distance? Watch this hilarious romantic comedy if you happen to be in the mood for one thing silly and sweet.
Watch on Netflix
‘Love Alarm (2019 – 2021)
IMDb: 6.6/10
Love Alarm (2019)
- Release Date
- August 22, 2019
- Cast
- Kim So-hyun , Song Kang , Ga-ram Jung , Min-Si Go
- Seasons
- 2
If you happen to be searching for one thing bananas, this drama is for you. Based on the preferred webtoon by the identical name, Love Alarm follows the life of a higher college girl, Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun), who has to navigate the social status quo amidst not only an influx of teenage hormones but also the recognition of a mobile app that can notify customers no matter whether somebody in their vicinity has romantic feelings for them. The app can reveal how several people today are into you but does not reveal their identities. This leads to a lot of confusion and chaos for Jo-jo, who has caught the eye of one particular of the most eligible boys at college, Lee Hye-young (Jung Ga-ram), the greatest pal of the wealthy Hwang Son-Oh (Song Kang). Son-Oh knows that Hye-young likes Jo-jo, but in an experiment to see if his feelings are accurate, he kisses her in front of him to gauge his reaction. Jo-jo’s enjoy alarm goes off, and the messiest enjoy triangles in K-drama history go off with a bang!
Love Alarm was one particular of the initial Korean series to be picked up by Netflix. After the initial season dropped on Netflix on August 22, 2019, it was ranked as one particular of Netflix’s leading releases and renewed for a second season a handful of months later. Season 2 was released on March 12, 2021, and Love Alarm went on to turn into one particular most-watched K-dramas on Netflix that year.
Watch on Netflix
‘Crash Course in Romance’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Crash Course In Romance
Retired ex national group female handball player has turn into a grocery shop owner in order to appear soon after her family members though she grapples with her daughter’s tutor’s consuming disorder.
- Release Date
- January 14, 2023
- Cast
- Jeon Do-yeon , Jung Kyung-ho , Lee Bong-ryun , Oh Eui-Sik
- Seasons
- 1
One of the highest-rated dramas in Korean tv history, Crash Course in Romance follows banchan shop owner Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) as she tries to assist her daughter Hae-yi (Roh Yoon-search engine marketing) navigate Korea’s notoriously tricky college entrance exams. She enlists the assist of a frequent client, Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho), to secretly tutor her daughter. He’s a preferred math teacher at the nearby private college, Pride Academy, but there is much more to Chi-yeol than what meets the eye. Chi-yeol struggles with an consuming disorder, but with the assist of Haeng-seon’s scrumptious meals, he can take greater care of himself and concentrate on his operate. In exchange for his tutoring lessons, Haeng-seon offers Chi-yeol 3 meals a day, and a tenuous bond emerges from there.
Watch on Netflix
‘Cinderella and The Four Knights’ (2016)
IMDb: 7.4/10
Cinderella And The Four Knights (2016)
- Release Date
- August 12, 2016
- Cast
- Il-Woo Jung , Ahn Jae-Hyun , Park So-dam , Jung Shin Lee
- Seasons
- 1
After higher college senior Eun Ha-won (Park So-Dam) loses her mother in a vehicle accident and her father’s new wife steals the revenue her parents had saved for her tuition, Ha-won has to take on component-time jobs in order to spend for her mother’s memorial and her incoming college tuition. One day, Ha-won has a possibility encounter with a wealthy corporate chairman, who provides her a job searching soon after his 3 grandsons at his grand mansion, the one particular caveat becoming that she has to move in. The Kang cousins are each bit as intriguing and enthralling as she may well have imagined. There’s arrogant playboy Hyung-min (Ahn Jae-hyun), charismatic singer-songwriter Seo-woo (Lee Jung-shin), and final but not least, the rebellious Ji-woon (Jung Il-woo) with whom Ha-won shares a secret previous.
Based on the internet novel of the identical name, Cinderella and The Four Knights has had very the following more than the years and remains one particular of the most extremely watched Netflix K-dramas.
Watch on Netflix
‘Boys Over Flowers’ (2022)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Boys Over Flowers
Poor girl attends the elite Shin Hwa High and is bullied by the leader of F4 (the 4 richest boys). He becomes attracted to her even so, she has a crush on his greatest pal. Whom will she pick?
- Release Date
- January 6, 2009
- Cast
- Ku Hye-Sun , Lee Min-ho , Kim Hyun-joong , Kim Bum
- Seasons
- 1
It does not get much more iconic than this one particular! Often regarded as one particular of the pioneers of the Korean wave, Boys Over Flowers is a should-watch for any one interested in the O.G. drama that began it all.
Based on the Japanese manga series of the identical name, the show follows Geum Jan-di (Koo Hye-sun) soon after she stands up against F4, a group of privileged heirs when they try to bully a boy to his death. She receives a scholarship to the prestigious college they attend, Shinwa High School, when she is lauded as a hero in the nearby newspapers. As quickly as she measures on campus, Jan-di finds that her classmates are completely obsessed with the F4 boys, consisting of the hot-tempered Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), musician Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong), and womanizer So Yi-jung (Kim Bum). The much more she resists the pull of F4, the quicker Jan-di finds herself tangled in a difficult enjoy quadrangle with the boys.
Watch on Netflix
‘Romance Is A Bonus Book’ (2019)
IMDb: 8./10
Romance Is A Bonus Book (2019)
- Release Date
- January 26, 2019
- Cast
- Lee Na-young , Lee Jong-suk , Jeong Eu-Gene , Wi Ha-joon
- Seasons
- 1
In this sweet K-drama, former childhood buddies Cha Eun-ho (Lee Jong-suk) and Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young) reconnect and discover to lean on each and every other years soon after Dan-i’s marriage to an unkind man strained their friendship. Years later, soon after her husband cheated on her, a newly divorced Dan-i has to hustle to make ends meet to deliver for her daughter. Meanwhile, Eun-ho is enjoying a effective profession as the editor-in-chief of a publishing corporation, the corporation exactly where Dan-i ends up obtaining a temp position. Although he’s initially unsure no matter whether she’d match into the corporation culture, Dan-i’s creativity pleasantly surprises him and his fellow senior executives. As the two continue to operate beside each and every other, Eun-ho’s extended-dormant feelings bubble up to the surface and Dan-i starts to really feel a spark with him that she did not prior to.
This romance is positive to satisfy any one in dire require of a delectable slow burn. With Eun-ho and Dan-i’s history, their eventual union is nothing at all quick of fireworks.
Watch on Netflix
‘Nevertheless’ (2021)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Nevertheless
The intoxicating charm of a flirtatious art college classmate pulls a reluctant enjoy cynic into a buddies-with-advantages connection.
- Release Date
- June 19, 2021
- Cast
- Han So-hee , Song Kang , Cheska Aguiluz , Yang Hye-Ji
- Seasons
- 1
The second series on this list starring the beloved Song Kang, Nevertheless was an immediate hit with audiences worldwide. Fresh off a rough breakup, art student Yu Na-Bi (Han So-hee), has turned into a cynic who no longer believes in enjoy. But when she meets the intoxicating Park Jae-eon (Song Kang), she’s unable to resist his magnetic pull and flirtatious charm. An emotionally unavailable commitment-phobe in his personal appropriate, Jae-eon is not interested in a connection. He’s there for a fantastic time, not a extended time. The pair embark on a tentative buddies-with-advantages connection. Both assist each and every other heal from their pasts and fall for each and every other the much more they get to know each and every other.
Watch on Netflix