HYH's Top 5 Kdramas with Darker Themes
Warning: This Article Contains Spoilers
If you dislike spoilers with a fiery passion, please avoid this article 
안녕 (Annyeong)! During my wait for a few dramas to complete, I thought I would type up an article that includes some of my top favorite feel good dramas in hopes to either find those who think the same about one or two or possibly influence others to give some a go. Before we get started, remember that although I find these dramas comforting, others may not. And that is a-okay!
You might find a pattern in here. I prefer to watch dramas in a cozy zone - especially when I feel anxious or I am overthinking and need an escape.
I put a warning for spoilers at the top of the article just in case, please only continue on if you do not mind them.
Let’s get started!
BONUS (because I had to include it!). Witch's Love
I found this one to be so cute and very light when watching. And one of the songs off of the OST had been on repeat long after it completed. There were plenty of scenes to laugh along with and others that made you root for the characters!
Cho Hong is a witch who operates a restaurant with her fellow witches Maeng Ye Soon and Jo Aeng Doo. They try to keep a low profile, even avoiding getting their picture taken for years. However, when Sung Tae (the building owner) finds out that the place their restaurant is located is the same building from a traumatic event that happened to him when he was younger, he can’t help but move in.
It sounds a little iffy with the traumatic experience but it really is a nice drama that can help get your mind off of your day-to-day worries and stress. But go into this one expecting the traumatic event to occur very early in the drama.
Best way to watch: In increments. Like one episode or two a day until you feel better. The atmosphere is best with loads of blankets while watching during any cold weather season and also a little cup of either hot chocolate or tea.
Ideal food/snack: Something sweet with either pumpkin spice or honey butter chips.
5. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim
Not only will this make you want a huge stuffed cow or bear to snuggle, but it will also make you laugh. A good dose of Seo Joon proclaiming self love each episode is needed in your daily life. Not only does this drama have a good romance with pretty nice chemistry, it really knows how to make you giggle throughout! The conversations between Seo Joon and Ki Young's characters will keep you laughing for a long time after the scene is over.
The story centers around the narcissistic Lee Young Joon who is the vice president of a company that his family owns and Kim Mi So who is his secretary who has stuck by him for years. When she tells him that she is handing in her resignation letter, he cannot understand why she would do such a thing. This causes many events to occur throughout her remaining time at the company.
Best way to watch: One or two episodes a day to give you the proper warm fuzzies and laughs that are needed for daily endurance. A soft throw blanket and a cuddly plushie is needed.
Ideal food/snack: Ramyeon, gimbap.
4. Society Obsessed with Love
Although this is a web drama and a very short one at that, I thought it deserved a spot on this list because I feel all too often that it hits a lot of notes about the pressures of many of societies today. Not only does it highlight how adamantly some people place love above everything else (which is great for some people and not for others), it also showcases what you can do when you're not focused on love (especially if it's not a priority for some).
The story follows Sa Rang whose hobby is photography. Sa Rang constantly faces reminders of how she should start a relationship at her age. The pressures that her friends and acquaintances place on her begin to take a toll and she eventually buckles under the pressure, accepting a relationship that she was not all for in the first place. As the viewer, we follow along on her adventure and see how she decides to deal with this.
Best way to watch: When you’re in the mood for something that will help get your mind off of things and also be short enough that you could watch it right before going to sleep or going to work or school. You could even watch it during your lunch break.
Ideal food/snack: Gummies! (alternatively jellies)
3. Splash Splash LOVE
During a night where I felt panicked but wanted something new to watch, I asked a friend of mine to give me a recommendation and this drama happened to be among the two she sent. I went in, like most of the time I prefer to do (unless it’s based on real life events), not reading about the drama beforehand and happened to be pleasantly surprised. Not only did it help get my mind off of the panic but it captured my attention and my heart. Not only is this good if you adore historical dramas but also if you love the whole travel back in time type of thing where a modern lead has to face times that are WAY different than her own.
Dan Bi is a stressed out high school senior who is really bad at math. On the day she has to take KSAT for college, she runs away, thinking about how she wants to not have to face the troubles of her generation or possibly failing the test. During a rain shower, she jumps through a puddle and enters Joseon-era Korea where King Se Jong is currently reigning. Se Jong desires to learn more about mathematics and decides to to have Dan Bi teach him the knowledge that she knows.
Best way to watch: Lots of pillows, lots of blankets and with rainymood.com on in the background. Good to binge as it is short.
Ideal food/snack: Soup if you’re looking for something not sweet. Fruits, like strawberries, if you want something sweet.
2. I’m Not a Robot
This is the actual first drama that I ever completed so I might be a bit biased when it comes to listing this as second but I do know that any time I have had a cold or had a lot of complications last year (before my surgery), I went to this drama during those times and even now -- I’ll go to it if I am either sick, feeling down , just want to feel all warm fuzzy, or laugh a lot -- because this drama has a good amount of humor in each episode!
Kim Min Kyu is the largest shareholder of the country’s largest financial company - KM Financial. He has a rare allergy to humans and cannot come into contact with others. Although he has tried many remedies for this affliction, he has yet to find a cure, and so when he learns he is the owner of a robot that looks eerily human, he decides to test it out. Jo Ji Ah is a struggling inventor who buys rare figures for people who otherwise cannot wait in long lines or sleep outside to get their prized object, and she is also in immense debt due to her failed inventions. Before Min Kyu can obtain the robot, an accident renders her useless and the Santa Maria team hire Ji Ah to pretend to be Aji 3 for a short time, all completely oblivious to Min Kyu’s allergy.
Best way to watch: In a soothing environment with plenty of pillows. Good for winter, summer, spring or fall (I have watched during all the seasons, it’s a must). This is good for watching a couple episodes at a time, like 4-5 back to back each day until complete.
Ideal food/snack: You can’t really go wrong here with either a warm snack or something chilled. Cookies, apple pie or ice cream/sherbet. Fruits would go nice too!
1. Eulachacha Waikiki
Of course, Eulachacha Waikiki is number one for the reason that when I’m crying, and when I can’t stop, this is literally the only thing that can help make me feel better and stop the tears from flowing as well as force a laugh at the very least out. I watched it early last year (during my very first !! few drama experiences) and I have turned to this drama numerous times - it is my comfort zone.
Based around the lives of the owners of a failing guesthouse in Itaewon. Dong Goo is a kindhearted, down to earth guy but always faces hardships or misfortune - he dreams of becoming a movie director. Joon Ki is the son of an A-list actor and he wants to follow in his footsteps but only if he can do it on his own without any help from his dad; sadly, he continually lands minor roles. Doo Sik is the youngest of the three and works hard at a part time job while writing freelance, dreaming of one day writing scripts for movies. The three are joined by Dong Goo’s sister Seo Jin, who helps manage the household and dreams of becoming a known journalist, Yoon Ah, who is a single mother with no work experience or family to turn to during her rough time, and Dong Goo’s ex Soo Ah, a famous model, who is used to living a lavish life but turns to them when she is scammed and cannot face her family.
WARNING: For those who do not like sequels, there is one in the works to be released this year. Though you could totally watch the first without seeing the second.
Best way to watch: Pillows, stuffed animal, cozy blanket. This works well in winter months as well as fall or spring. Summer would be nice, though no blankets for that. BINGE FEST. As many episodes as you can watch during the span of your day.
Ideal food/snack: Any junk food, if I’m being honest. Chips, gummies/jellies/chocolate. Soda or tea or water!
A currently airing drama that I found to be under the feel good category would be Clean With Passion For Now. Although I thought about adding My Strange Hero and The Last Empress to this category, I found that some of the tension in both might not outweigh the humor for some, so I opted to not include those.
Clean With Passion For Now is a drama that I hold pretty close to my heart due to how well it is done in both writing, description, etc. To see more about this wonderful drama, you can look back on my previous article for it located here.
I have gone back to my favorite scene in this drama MANY times since the episode aired. Though the gap between new episodes this year has been far between, it still never fails to be my comfort zone when a new episode airs or when I often need to watch something in a nice environment. Though there is a bit of a tragedy aspect referencing a past event for the main female character, so please go in with caution regarding that. I'll copy/paste my written description from my previous post below.
Clean With Passion For Now centers around Jang Sun Gyeol, a CEO of a cleaning company, who has mysophobia (a fear of contamination and germs) and Gil Oh Sol, who puts her all into her work to help provide for her family, believes showering is a luxury with so little time and so she often skips washing her hair in order to sleep at least a few more minutes in the morning. Sun Gyeol, with his phobia, keeps everyone at a distance physically (and unknowingly emotionally) so as to not get hurt or sick. But their worlds are shaken up when these two opposites begin to fall for one another.
We’ve come to the end of my list! Although I began watching dramas around March last year, I know I haven’t seen a fair share of nearly enough. And this is where my insatiable curiosity comes in. I would LOVE to hear about what your top favorite feel good dramas are and why. Sound off in the comments! Give your heart a voice and rant, rave, discuss! Some ideas to get the discussion flowing:
Topic discussions:
1. What are your top favorite feel good dramas and why?
2. How would you recommend they be watched?
3. Do you snack when you watch? If so, what snacks do you grab?
Until the next time when we give our heart a voice again, thank you for reading my fellow drama lovers and enthusiasts! 화이팅 (hwaiting)!
[author notes] The images used are from the official sites of each drama mentioned or google. Some photos have been edited to remove text. And the gifs were made by me. All graphics have been created under the fair use copyright law 106 and 106A.
