K-dramas have a reputation for having dramatic plot lines that often end in heartache. Nonetheless, they’re extremely well done and have become much more mainstream in recent years.
They’re not all so melancholy though, in fact, there are some Korean dramas that are quite cheery, and end in happy endings for all involved. So if you’re looking for a K-drama without all the added heartache, keep on reading for 10 of the best.
1. Fight For My Way’ (2017)
Fight For My Way is an ensemble series about a group of four friends who are all trying to achieve their dreams and find their way in their careers.
Among the group are Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won), who begin to form a romance.
The pair have known each other since they were children, and haven’t lost the playful dynamic they’ve always had, which often lends to some very sweet scenes between them.
2. Mad For Each Other’ (2021)
Mad For Each Other follows a detective, Noh Hwi-oh (Jung Woo), who, after an incident at work, finds himself with anger issues he can’t seem to get a hold on.
He ends up meeting a woman named Lee Min-kyung (Oh Yeon-seo) and discovers that she’s not only his neighbour, but that they also share a therapist.
They just can’t seem to escape one another and eventually all the animosity they feel for each other turns into love.
Throughout the show, there is a hefty spotlight on the characters’ mental health, and it is handled extremely well.
It’s also balanced by the comedic moments between Noh Hwi-oh and Lee Min-kyung as they attempt to avoid each other, despite it being inevitable. They eventually overcome their difficult pasts and grow stronger together when they get their happy ending.
3. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ (2021)
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha follows a young woman named Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) who moves to a small seaside town for a fresh start. It’s there that she meets the local handyman Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), who catches her eye. The pair slowly begin to fall in love over the course of the series. But it’s not just the romance that audiences loved. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha was praised for its colorful cast of supporting characters who populate the town.
The series has a very warm and cozy feeling to it that resonated well with audiences when it first premiered, and that feeling continues all the way to the end of the show as Yoon Hye-jin and Hong Du-sik’s relationship grows stronger. It’s a charming story and one that will have you smiling as its happy ending slowly unfolds.
4. Romance Is a Bonus Book’ (2019)
Romance Is a Bonus Book is about a woman named Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young) and Cha Eun-ho (Lee Jong-suk) who have a deep history. When Cha Eun-ho was a child, Kang Dan-i saved him from an accident and injured herself.
Eun-ho helped her recover from her injuries by fetching her books to read from the library, and in doing so he acquired a passion for writing.
In the present day, he is a successful author and editor-in-chief of a book publishing company, and Kang Dan-i has just been cheated on and divorced. She eventually gets a job at the publishing company, which puts her and Eun-ho in close contact with one another.
5. Touch Your Heart’ (2019)
Touch Your Heart follows an actress named Oh Jin-shim (Yoo In-na), who faces a scandal that ruins her career. She’s out of the spotlight for two years until an opportunity for a role in a brand-new drama comes along. First, she must clear her name and fix her image. To do so, she takes a job as a secretary for lawyer Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook). Naturally, they end up falling in love and both learn that there is more to life than work.
Touch Your Heart is similar to the previous entry Love To Hate You, due to the lawyer/celebrity dynamic of the main couple. Both shows see their characters navigate their personal and professional lives, and find their happy endings out of unlikely circumstances.
6. Our Beloved Summer’ (2021)
Our Beloved Summer is a coming-of-age story about two exes who promised to never see one another again when they broke up. This doesn’t go to plan, of course, and the pair are forced to face each other after a documentary they filmed in high school goes viral. It’s a classic tale of forced proximity, and we get to see how the former lovers react.
While the past love between Choi Ung (Choi Woo-shik) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim Da-mi) is the main plot of Our Beloved Summer, we actually spend more time getting to know both characters now that they’re older. We get to see them make amends and form a friendship that eventually blossoms into rekindled love.
7. Because This is My First Life’ (2017)
Because This is My First Life’s main relationship begins due to a marriage of convenience between Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) and Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min). The two decide to marry since both are struggling financially and sharing a home would be cheaper. Things start out well for the pair as they get to know one another and become close. Living together also allows them to heal from past relationships and generally become a better, happier version of themselves.
By the time they fall in love, both Nam Se-hee and Yoon Ji-ho are in a much better place than they were in the beginning of the series, and are emotionally available to take on a relationship.
This is proven time and time again as past events and family issues are thrown at them, and they show they can work through it and come out the other side even better. It’s a quirky way to find love, but it’s fascinating to watch unfold.
8. Love to Hate You’ (2023)
Love to Hate You was released on Netflix just ahead of Valentine’s Day in 2023, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a perfect binge-watch for the lovey-dovey holiday. The series follows Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), a successful lawyer, who is offered a job at a male-dominated law firm that specializes in celebrity scandals.
One of the celebrity clients is Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo), an actor who seems to have very little respect for women outside the occasional date.
Love to Hate You doesn’t sound like it should work. After all, how could Yeo Mi-ran end up falling for someone who makes such cruel comments about women when she so fiercely fights for women’s rights?
But as the series unfolds, we get to know Nam Kang-ho better and see how both he and Yeo Mi-ran have been hurt by relationships in the past. Making their inevitable coupling all the sweeter as they learn to trust again with one another.
9. King the Land’ (2023)
King the Land follows Gu Won (Lee Jun-ho), the heir of the luxury King Hotel. He’s cold and gruff, and his personality puts off many. Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) is a hotelier who is known for always having a smile on her face.
That is until she meets Gu Won. The issue? Gu Won finds himself infatuated with Cheon Sa-rang, despite the fact that she can’t stand him.
Their relationship is complex due to their initial animosity, and it’s difficult for them to navigate their warring personalities.
By the time they get their happy ending, Gu Won has warmed his heart and become a much more outgoing and friendly person.
Meanwhile, Cheon Sa-rang begins to understand why he is the way he is, while finding her own personal and professional happiness.
10. Shooting Stars’ (2022)
Shooting Stars is a unique series due to the dynamic between the main couple. It follows a famous actor, Gong Tae-sung (Kim Young-dae) and his publicist, Oh Han-byul (Lee Sung-kyung).
The pair do not get along, which makes working together rather difficult. Having met back at university, Han-byul knows a different side of Tae-sung than the rest of the world.
Despite the initial disdain between the two, they begin to fall in love. They manage to overcome their issues, the main one being how Tae-sung’s fame affects their relationship, and secure themselves a happy ending that seemed nearly impossible in the beginning.
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