5 K-dramas to Warm Up With This Winter
Photo: Lovely Runner on IMDb.
As the days get shorter, our TV time gets longer. The feeling of getting out of work or school, taking a hot shower to warm up from outside, lighting a candle, and lying down in front of the TV cannot be topped. Whether it’s a melodrama, a romance, or a show packed with action and suspense, the distraction and getaway of a perfect K-drama is exactly what dark days need. So grab your cozy, hot drink of choice, a fluffy blanket, and maybe even a snuggly pet or two, and let's get watching.
Photo: When the Weather is Fine on IMDb.
When the Weather is Fine
Genre: Romance, Melodrama
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki
Lead cast: Park Min-young, Seo Kang-joon
Cellist Mok Hae-won leaves city life after trouble at work and decides to go back to her hometown. However, being home again might be just as hard as being away. Throughout her time at home, Hae-won struggles with discovering who she wants to be and who she has been.
With a haunted past that she is trying to avoid, an aunt that keeps her distance and secrets, and a hesitant love life, the only calm that comes for Hae-won is with the winter. Maybe also a community book club.
Recommended for: introverts who want to be understood and loved. This show shows that there is someone perfectly created for everyone. When the Weather is Fine also teaches the viewer that no matter how long it takes, you can be and do better. Even when you think it is too late or you’ve strayed too far, you can always start now.
Photo: Crash Landing on You on IMDb.
Crash Landing on You
Genre: Romance, Action
Where to watch: Netflix
Lead cast: Son Ye-jin, Hyun Bin
For Yoon Se-ri, life is fantastic. She has a successful business, immense wealth, and is determined to be the best in her well-known family. With greatness on the horizon, she takes a leap of faith while paragliding, happily floating along, that is until a tornado sweeps her up and away.
After being knocked out by the storm, she wakes up where no South Korean businesswoman has ever been: North Korea. When an elite soldier, Ri Jeong-hyeok, finds her and gets entangled in her misfortune, they join together to return her to her country and avoid conflict. But what happens when they don’t want to say goodbye?
Recommended for: those with a passion for one true love. Crash Landing on You is one of the most beautiful and tragic love stories I’ve ever seen and though the episodes are quite lengthy, it is worth every second. Not to mention the two lead actors are married in real life, so it is as if the show never came to a close.
Photo: Military Prosecutor Do Bae Man on IMDb.
Military Prosecutor Doberman
Genre: Action, Drama
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki
Lead cast: Ahn Bo-hyun, Jo Bo-ah
Doe Bae-man is on a mission to avoid his military service after the death of his parents. With intelligence and a perfect physique, the only way to avoid eventual enlistment is to drop out of high school and become a middle school graduate. Bae-man passes the bar exam in hopes of becoming a lawyer and supporting his aunt, but when no one will employ him he resorts to a job where the money seems endless: being a corrupt military prosecutor.
When his discharge date approaches after five years, his successor, Cha Woo-in, is set to convince him to stay, no matter the cost. Why? Bae-man may not know it yet, but the only thing that will motivate him more than money is revenge on their common enemy.
Recommended for: those looking to mentally escape with action, drama, and suspense. Military Prosecutor Doberman hits every note with high stakes and morally grey characters. If you are a fan of the K-drama Bad and Crazy or the anime Spy x Family, I highly recommend this show.
Photo: Lovely Runner on IMDb.
Lovely Runner
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Where to watch: Viki
Lead cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Byeon Woo-seok
The boy saves the girl. The girl loves the boy. The girl tries to save the boy. This is the storyline that Im Sol has found herself in. On the brink of giving up after a traumatic accident, she receives a phone call from idol singer Ryu Sun-jae that changes her view on life.
Feeling like she’s been given a second chance at life, she falls madly in love with the voice and face that brought her such comfort. So when Sun-jae suffers a tragic fate, Sol believes it to be her destiny to save his life. What she doesn’t know is their pasts may be more intertwined than she ever could have imagined.
Recommended for: those in love with the idea of fate. Lovely Runner takes the viewer on a journey of loss, tragedy, chosen family, and destiny. If you are a fan of youthful romance and cute moments between lovers, this show is for you.
Photo: Something in the Rain on IMDb.
Something in the Rain
Genre: Romance
Where to watch: Viki, Netflix, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
Lead cast: Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in
Love can come at any time and Yoon Jin-ah thinks she’s found it, until she finds out too much. After a rough breakup, Jin-ah seeks solace in her friends and work until the men at her job decide they want her gone for speaking up too much. Her days are taxing and painful, until Seo Jun-hui, the younger brother of her best friend, comes into her life again.
After returning from working internationally, Jun-hui returns to his normal days of animating, but now he has Jin-ah on his mind. Between work, an age gap, friends, and family, everything tells Jin-ah and Jun-hui not to be together, except for their hearts.
Recommended for: those looking for a silent and calm but all-encompassing love this winter. This show is very slow-paced with beautiful visuals and warm-hearted moments. It touches on family drama, work problems, women’s struggles, and more. I
Interested in more K-drama suggestions? Check out my article 5 K-dramas Perfect for Introverts!
