In recent times, television series produced in East Asia, known by the umbrella term "k-dramas", are gaining more and more notoriety. The stories they bring vary greatly in terms of genre and you can find the right k-drama for you from action, suspense, horror and, of course, good old romance!
And it's this last genre that we're going to focus on in this list! Do you like a good love story and are you looking for something to watch to immerse yourself in the universe of Asian series? We're going to show you the 7 best romance dramas according to the ratings provided by the IMDb website, from the lowest to the highest!
My Love From The Star (2013)
This drama directed by Jang Tae Yoo follows the unlikely romance between a human and a being from another world. The series has 21 episodes in total and is one of the best romance dramas ever produced, achieving a rating of 8.2/10 on IMDb.
In it, we follow Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), an alien who came to Earth 400 years ago. Over the years he has always been very cynical towards the human race, but everything is about to change today, as his encounter with the famous actress Cheon Song Yi (Gianna Jun) promises to shake the very foundations of his heart.
Kill me, Heal me (2015)
Known as the "Fragmented" of K-dramas, Kill me, Heal me is directed by Kim Jin Man and has an intriguing plot that guarantees its place among the best romance dramas. With 20 episodes, the drama has achieved a rating of 8.3/10 on the IMDb website.
The story revolves around Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung), a young heir to a successful business who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. He secretly seeks help from a psychiatry resident medical student called Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum). However, Ri Jin's twin brother aims to expose the secret lives of wealthy people and starts following Do Hyun. Will the boy be able to control their personalities and keep his secret intact?
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
Based on the South Korean film Mr. Hong, released in 2004, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is one of the best romance dramas and was directed by Ju Je Won. It managed to find an end to its plot with a total of 16 episodes and its rating according to reviews on IMDb is 8.4/10.
In the plot, viewers will meet Yoon Hye Jin (Shin Min-a), a beautiful and intelligent dentist who loses her job after unmasking her boss's ambitious scheme. She moves to the village of Gongjin, located near the beach, in order to start a new life.
There she meets Hong Du Sik (Kim Seon Ho), a man much loved by everyone in the village for his compassion and helpfulness. Their paths cross a few times and inevitably a feeling of love begins to grow between them. There's no denying that this is one of the best romance dramas ever produced.
Semantic Error (2022)
Based on a web novel of the same name produced by Jeo Soo-Ri, Semantic Error's live action series has earned its place among the best romance dramas and can also be considered one of the most watched dramas among fans of the Boys Love genre. It achieved a rating of 8.5/10 on IMDb, according to the reviews, and has only eight episodes in total, directed by Kim Su Jeong.
In Semantic Error, the protagonist is Chu Sang Woo (Jae Chan), a freshman studying Computer Science at a university. He ends up having to form a group to hand in a paper for his Liberal Arts course, but in the end his group leaves all the work to him and he decides to remove their names from the project and present it alone.
In doing so, the boy ends up directly harming a senior named Jang Jae Young (Park Seo Ham), who is very popular at the school. Willing to upset Sang Woo in revenge, Jae Young goes after the newcomer, but when the two are forced to work together, a new feeling of attraction begins to emerge between them.
Goblin - The Lonely and Great God (2016)
Written by Kim Eun Sook and directed by Lee Eung Bok, Goblin won the hearts of fans at the time of its release and is considered one of the best romance dramas to date. The series scored 8.6/10 on IMDb and has 16 episodes in total.
The story tells the saga of Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), an important general of the Goryeo Dynasty who was deceived by the king he served. After he dies, he is cursed by God to become a Goblin who lives forever, preventing certain people from living in pain.
But Kim Shin is tired of immortality. The only way to break the curse that has been placed on him would be to find his fiancée, the only one capable of ending this cycle that has gone on for so long. That's when he meets Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun), a high school student whose mother was saved by Shin years ago and who can communicate with spirits. Could she be the bride he's been looking for?
Twenty-Five, Twenty-One (2022)
Like Goblin, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One managed to achieve a rating of 8.6/10 according to the IMDb review, making it one of the best romance dramas to watch. It was directed by Jung Ji Hyun and has 16 episodes released.
The story of this drama is told through the daughter of the main character who ends up finding her diary and discovering things about her past. This is because the girl left her ballet class and decided to run away to her grandmother's house, where she found the writings of her mother's youth.
In the plot, Na Hee Do (Kim Tae Ri) is an excellent fencer who is part of her school's fencing team. However, the group ends up having to disband due to the financial crisis that hit the country in 1998. Another character affected by the crisis is Baek Yi Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk) whose once wealthy family ends up destitute, forcing him to look for a variety of part-time jobs to support himself.
Eventually they both fall in love, at the ages of 25 and 21. A captivating and engaging plot that deserves a place among the best romance dramas.
Landing in Love (2019) - 8.7/10
Landing in Love was the gateway for many people into the world of dramas after Netflix made it available in its catalog. It is one of the best romance dramas ever produced and achieved an 8.7/10 rating on IMDb, showing that critics really agree with it. Despite all this popularity, the drama was finished with just one season of 16 episodes, directed by Lee Jeong Hyo.
The story follows a young woman from a wealthy family who decides to take a paragliding flight with new products that have arrived at her parents' company to test the equipment. The problem is that she ends up caught in a tornado halfway through which throws her over the South Korean border, causing her to land in North Korean territory.
There she meets a general who is willing to hide her and help her. The time they end up spending together is enough for something stronger to emerge between them.
But what about you? Did you know any of the best romance dramas featured here? Let us know what you think in the comments! And don't forget to check out our list of the most touching children's movies that make even adults cry!
