Drama Recommendations for My Mom

Fantasy rom-com - Guy is the only hearing person in a family of deaf people, which has definitely come with it's share of challenges, one of which being his feeling he has to hide his love of music. One day, his father finds out about his band and they get in a huge fight over it. But then, he ends up traveling back in time to 1995! There, he meets the teenage version of his father who is.....in a band? But he thought his dad was deaf from birth! And worse yet, he finds out his dad is pursuing some cellist. But wasn't his mom his dad's first love? To get close so he can make sure his parents get together and to keep his father from going deaf, he decides to join his father's band.

This is currently the highest rated drama on MDL, and with good reason. It's coming of age done to a T. It has a lot of heart and is a very joyful experience.  My only gripe is that they dub over the signing, which is just so unnecessary and, honestly, ableist. That's pretty much the only reason I didn't rate this a ten. 

Average rating: 9.2

Streaming: Viki

Romance drama - The South Korean financial crisis throws a lot of people's lives into disarray. For our female lead, it means her school fencing team is disbanded. For our male lead, that means he's gone from living off his rich parents to having to make a living for himself. The two grow close and support each other in pursuing their dreams and through life's changes.

This is really so very good. An excellent coming of age story. It doesn't feel like you're just following some straight-path story, but rather as though you're seeing the actual path of their lives, which are never just some straight-forward story.

Average rating: 8.8

Streaming: Netflix

Rom-com - An alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago is neighbors with a top actress. Stars the male lead from It's Okay to Not Be Okay and the female lead from Legend of the Blue Sea. This one is a bit of a classic, one of those shows everyone's seen. I feel like this is kind of a drama that is like a great example of what K-dramas are generally like, if that makes any sense.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Viki, iQIYI

Drama + romance - A dude decides to open a pub with the goal of becoming bigger and better than the most popular pub franchise in Korea because of a seriously messed up history he has with that pub's family. Stars Park Seo Joon (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?, will be in The Marvels). Very popular show that I didn't love as much as a lot of other people, but I really respect because it adresses racism and transphobia in Korea.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Netflix

Romcom - A woman goes in place of her rich friend on a blind date to try and get the guy to reject her. There's a problem with that plan though, as this guy, annoyed at his grandfather constantly sending him on blind dates, has decided to marry the next girl he goes on a date with. There's also the matter that he's the CEO of the company where she works.

Quite funny and really popular. Has a very interesting style.

Average rating: 8.7

Streaming: Netflix

Rom-com - Girl who was pretty as a child but isn't so much now makes plans to meet up with her childhood friend she hasn't seen in years. But it turns out he's super handsome now, and she's too embarrassed to meet him with her current looks, so she has her friend go in her place. Problems arise when it turns out the friend is her new boss! Stars Park Seo Joon (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?, will be in the Marvels)

Okay, so this premise sounded annoying and cringey to me, but I ended up really loving this show and definitely plan on watching other adaptations of it. It fits perfectly into what a rom-com should be.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - A grandma recruits the help of an orphaned kid to be a fake pen pal for her granddaughter who's lonely as all get out. They base the fake pen pal on Nam Do San, a kid who won a math competition that they saw in the newspaper. Now grown up, she wants to meet her childhood friend, so grandma and orphan boy find the real Nam Do San to keep the lie going.

Love triangle between the granddaughter, the orphan, and Nam Do San that had a lot of people unsure who she'd end up, though I thought it was pretty obvious even just from the first episode. But a lot, maybe most, people were rooting for the second male lead, so be warned if that could be a problem for you. I thought this was really good, and it was probably the most popular drama on-air at the time.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Netflix

Fantasy rom-com - Girl realizes she's a webtoon character. Wait to watch this until you've watched Boys Over Flowers, because basically that's the comic she's in.

I super duper love this, but I feel this is best appreciated when you're familiar with certain tropes in K-dramas, but particularly the tropes in cheesy dramas. There's a pretty direct ongoing reference to Boys Over Flowers.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, iQIYI

Rom-com - Back in high school, a boy and girl were filmed for a documentary about the top and bottom students in a grade. Ten years later, they find themselves back in each other's lives, and perhaps in a follow-up documentary.

Very good. A wonderful level of adorable. Very K-drama. Also, the male lead played one of the main characters in Parasite and Train to Busan.

Average rating: 8.7

Streaming: Netflix

Rom-com drama - A famous author moves into a property he rents out to hide from the press after his girlfriend plagiarizes his work, but releases her book first, making him appear to be the one in the wrong. The tenants he moves in with are two psychiatrists, one of which he previously met and butted heads with on his radio show, and a young man with Tourette's. Underrated show that destigmatizes mental health in a country that isn't the most progressive on that front.

Average rating: 8.6

Streaming: Viki

Superpower romance mystery thriller - Guy can see the memories of ppl and objects when he touches them and his prosecutor brother figure tries to use it to help solve some cases. Main dude's parents died in a fire, and so it's about trying to figure out what really happened.

I thought this show was incredible and kept me on my toes. Definitely one of my favorites. There's a bit of romance, but it's not a major focus.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki

Young adult with autism's dad dies and leaves the kid's deadbeat uncle as his guardian. Together the two run Move to Heaven, a cleaning service that clears out the rooms/houses of the recently deceased.

Highest rated drama on MyDramaList, but I somewhat wonder how much of that has to do with the way people view autism in media since Extraordinary Attorney Woo is fighting it for that #1 spot. I'm a bit iffy on the way autism is represented in it, as it claims he needs a guardian while also being a legal adult who seems fully capable of taking care of himself. It's really good, though.

Average rating: 9.2

Streaming: Netflix

Romance - A sprinter from the national team who recently had to quit bc reasons meets a translator who writes subtitles. Kind of off-beat, quirky, but like in a subtle way, not in a Wes Anderson way. I remember it being somewhat comedic, but I guess not enough so for it to be labeled as such.

I only saw positive things about this while it was airing. Both the main and side couples are wonderful. Has a different air about it than other dramas I've watched. Highly recommend.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Netflix

Rom-com drama - A teenage girl dreams of being a singer and escaping her abusive father, but while running away from home with the help of her friend, things go awry and she ends up alone on a deserted island for ten years. When she makes it back to the mainland, she has two goals: achieve her dreams, and find her friend. (In case it wasn't clear, the friend is a boy and the fall in love.)

I think this show was really good, though not quite enough focus on the romance for me. It was more about being resilient through all life throws at you to find happiness.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Netflix

Fantasy mystery comedy - A woman who needs to settle 10,00 grudges before time runs out (or something like that) meets a human who people spill all their truths to when they make physical contact with him.

This show has romance, but it's more of a subplot, and it's not between the two leads. Quite an interesting show that feels rather different from other dramas.

Average rating: 8.6

Streaming: Netflix

Comedy thriller mystery - A guy winds up in the possession of a serial killer's diary, then gets amnesia and now thinks the diary is his. 

I think this show is really good. Daddy was intrigued enough that he sat down and watched two random episodes with me despite only having a vague idea what was going on due to my quick explanations.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki

Romance melodrama - Dude moves from a rural town to the big city to go to college. He meets a sunbae who has recently completed his military service and there's an immediate connection between them. Freshman dude joins the surfing club to get closer to sunbae dude.

Something about this show just felt so incredibly real. I teared up multiple times watching this. You just get so emotionally invested. Now I will say that this show isn't for everyone. The way it's done is rather unique, so I guess that just pushed some people away, because the average rating by people who completed this is 9.1, while those who dropped it rated it 5.7, which is a kind of wild difference if you ask me. I have seen so much praise for this show, with many people saying that this is easily the best K-BL.

Overall average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - An art gallery curator (or maybe she works them in some other capacity, I don't remember) runs a fansite for her favorite idol, something she keeps secret from pretty much everyone. Her new boss is a retired, I think, painter, and he finds out about her secret. Stars the woman from What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? Standard, good-quality, workplace romcom.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Romance - Girl who was bullied for her appearance growing up gets major plastic surgery before going to college. The only problem is the most handsome guy from her middle school also goes there, and the last thing she wants is for anyone to find out her secret. 

A perfect example of what a K-drama is. I thought it was fairly good on my first watch, but after rewatching it I find myself loving it. Not sure whether my tastes changed or what, but that also means I have no idea how strong of a recommendation to give.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Fantasy rom-com - Little girl who can see ghosts makes a deal with a god to let him out of a prison if he'll protect her from the ghosts, but he swindles her. But later he gets stuck with her because reasons.

I'd say this show was what got me really kicked me into watching a ton of K-dramas back in like, October of 2019. It's a fantasy that's different from western fantasies while not being so different that it's confusing.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Historical rom-com + drama- In the Joseon Dynasty, they had historians who would document literally everything involving the royal family with great detail and no inaccuracies. In this show, they end up recruiting female historians for the first time. One of these historians ends up assigned to the crown prince. Guess what happens.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Netflix

Romance (melo?)drama - Two people who lived through but also lost family in a mall's collapse meet years later when the accident site becomes the construction site of a new mall, her working on the architectural team and him as a construction worker.

Average rating: 8.6

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Romcom - We start our story with Sang Woo presenting a group project he actually did all by himself, and he makes sure his good-for-nothing groupmates don't get a lick of credit for it. One of those groupmates is Jae Young, whose plans to study abroad have to but put on hold because he failed the class. Jae Young decides to lightly torment Sang Woo until he agrees to let him share the credit for the project. When circumstances end up pushing them together, will opposites, perhaps, attract?

While at a basic level, this show is nothing new, its execution is immaculate. I'm also quite a fan of Sang Woo since I totally read him as autistic, though I've seen others interpret him as having OCD. While it was airing, basically every BL fan was watching it. Widely considered to be one of the best K-BLs.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - After her father's death, a woman takes over her family's art gallery and finds herself in a great deal of debt. One of her creditors takes a rather hands-on approach to getting his money back.

This couple is just the right amount of odd. They're both weird in their own ways and complement each other extremely well.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Fantasy drama + rom-com - Girl with brain cancer makes a deal with Doom to live how she wants for 100 days. This one has pretty mixed reviews, so approach with caution.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Romcom - A big shot in the tech field is allergic to other people. He is going to test out a humanoid robot assistant before investing in it. However, the robot gets a bit messed up, so its creator recruits his ex who he modeled the robot after to pose as the robot until he can get the real one fixed. This is a nice and cutesy show for warm and fuzzy happiness.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com superpower mystery - Girl has the ability to hear when people are lying and has made a career out of it but has also become very jaded since everyone lies all the time. Guy is a music producer for a bigtime idol, but when he was younger he was the prime suspect in a murder case, leading to him always hiding himself in public. Guy moves in next to girl and girl realizes that she can't hear his lies, making her very drawn to him.

I found this drama really interesting and really liked the main couple.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - After a divorce, a stay-at-home mom finds herself pretty screwed, with no job and no place to live. She ends gets a low-level job at her best friend's publishing house (without his help, he had no idea she applied or anything). This friend is a good bit younger than her and has been in love with her for years, so there's that. Starring the guy from W, Lee Jong Suk.

I really loved this show and thought it was super sweet. I loved the progression of the couple. I will note, however, that for a story about a single mom, it's weird that the daughter is away at boarding school the whole time and we legit never see her.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Netflix

Drama rom-com - Takes place in a world where basically the Korean War still happened, but South Korea is a constitutional monarchy. The prince of South Korea becomes engaged to a North Korean woman to help with reuniting Korea.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - A girl who can't hold a job to save her life finds out how much local government officials make and decides to run for office. Male lead is a government worker who's recently been demoted. Quality workplace romance.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Fantasy rom-com drama - A psychiatrist winds up having to be the servant of a water god while he visits earth on a mission. I don't think this is anything great, but it's a decent watch. Don't expect it to be incredible and just have a fun watch.

Average rating: 7.4

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - An architect is mistaken as gay and goes along with it so he can be the roommate of a woman who lives in a house that's design he wants to learn from.

Surprisingly, not homophobic. There is a side character who really leans into stereotypes, but the male lead doesn't. Even has a canonically gay and positively portrayed character, though they are only barely in the story. Stars Lee Minho and the female lead from crash Landing on You. I quite liked this one.

Average rating: 7.7

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com mystery - A 17-year-old violin prodigy is hit by a bus and goes into a coma for 13 years. She ends up living with a 30-year-old man (her actual age) and his 17-year-old nephew (her mental age).

This show is just super sweet. Of course, there's a tragic past, but overall I remember it to be rather heart-warming.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - A top actress changes bodies for a week once a month. She meets a CEO (or some other type of high-level businessman, idk) who has prosopagnosia (face blindness).

Absolutely loved this on first watch, still really liked it when I watched it again a year or two later. I like what they did with the concept.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, Netflix, iQIYI

Romance melodrama - A woman in her mid-thirties meets her best friend's younger brother after many years and sparks fly. The age difference + him being her best friend's sister + an obnoxious ex and more makes things a bit difficult though.

Only watch this if you're down to be in pain, because it's basically never truly happy times in this show. I absolutely loved this when I first watched it, at least for the first 2/3's or so, but I've seen a lot of people that really dislike it. Not sure if my opinion would change now that I've seen a lot more dramas.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: Viki, Netflix

Romcom mystery thriller - Love story between a single mom who runs a side dish store and the top instructor at a private tutoring academy. Honestly, I do not remember the mystery/thriller aspect well enough to explain it at all, and it straight up wasn't mentioned in the official synopsis, but it was a fairly significant part of the story.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Netflix

Supernatural romcom (melodrama?) - So there's this guy who does foley work and he has visions of the future. He meets a woman with the exact same name as his ex, who also happens to have gone to school with and now work with her.

It's a weak explanation, but the one on the site gives you even less to go off, so I did my best having watched it once years ago.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Fantasy rom-com - A girl accidentally swallows the bead of a gumiho (a nine-tailed fox). He needs it so he can collect human energy so he can become human himself, and she needs to get rid of it because if she still has it in a year, she'll die.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Viki, Netflix, iQIYI

Fantasy romance - The love story of a blind noble and a poor painter in a fantasy version of the Joseon era that has gods, curses, and such.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Romance melodrama - A woman in a four-year relationship struggles with the idea of marrying him. She meets a pharmacist who kindly helps her when she goes in for hangover medicine but forgets her wallet. I really like this drama, highly recommend.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Netflix

Fantasy rom-com - A middle-aged overweight mom on the brink of divorce receives a perfume that magically makes her look like her 23-year-old self. She3 now can pursue her former dream of becoming a model and walks the runway wearing a design a famous fashion designer who has a ridiculous amount of phobias and allergies.

I'd say the story itself isn't fatphobic, but there seemed to be fatphobia in the production or something. I really loved this drama, but it seems to be considered rather averagely good by the general public.

Average rating: 7.7

Streaming: Viki

Fantasy Mystery Romance - So there's the girl from a long line of women who can see people's future when they touch them. There's this rich family who has kept them locked up for generations to use their power for their own personal/financial gain. She manages to escape and spends the day with this guy whose pretty confused by her and really just wants to get her back to her home. He gets her back to her home/prison but is then accused of having kidnapped her. Then his life turns into an absolute tragedy, and on top of that he becomes basically the unluckiest man on the planet. Seven years later, when she manages to escape again, she sets out to find him, viewing him as her Prince Charming. 

I quite liked this show and found the story really interesting and was constantly invested in how the story would progress, but apparently a lot of people don't agree with me, so I guess take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Average rating: 7.2

Streaming: Viki, Hulu, iQIYI

Romcom - So there's this woman that was basically raised to be the perfect wife for a wealthy family, but she doesn't really vibe with that and leaves her old life behind. She takes these skills she's learned and puts them to use at her job as a for-hire wife, allowing her clients to live a happy single life without the pressure from their families to get married (or whatever other reason somebody might want a fake wife for). Our male leads are a rather quiet client she's had for the past five years and a famous actor whose been kind of in love with her since she totally ruined her marriage meeting with his brother ten years ago.

Average rating: 7.7

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - A standard high school romance with a quality love triangle, but it's a BL. See, that's notable because most BL is very distinctly different from straight romances, making them a gay love story, whereas this one is a love story that's gay. But also, it being gay is relevant to the story, I'm more speaking about the feeling of the show than the plot specifically.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Rom drama - Two childhood best friends who became rivals reunite in a Chinese language class to prepare for college admissions. But things get complicated because one has an almost-girlfriend and the other has a crush on one of their other friends, but like this is a love story so we know where this is going. 

The production value of this show is great, and the acting is incredible. It's an emotional rollercoaster that is executed beautifully. The average rating from people who've completed the show is 9.2 for a reason, but I guess the losers who bailed really didn't like it considering how much they dragged the rating down.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki

Mystery thriller superpowers - A school where people are put in classes based on their skill level. The better the class, the better the perks. The top class is kind of mysterious, and it turns out because the people in it all have superpowers. 

Really good, really well done, highly recommend.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Youtube

Romance drama - Mhok has a lot of debt, so he applies for a job as a caregiver for Day, a newly blind former badminton player. Mhok has no relevant experience or qualifications for this job, mind you. However, he doesn't treat Day like some poor, fragile little thing, he gets the job. They get off to a rough start, but overtime fall in love.

An overall fantastic show, high up on many people's favorite BL's list.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Youtube

Action romance drama - Kinn, a member of a mafia, hires Porsche as his personal bodyguard. Porsche reluctantly takes the job to protect his family home and to take care of his brother, who he is the sole caretaker of. Follows the dealings of the mafia and the romance between Kinn and Porsche.

This is very well done with great acting but suffers from being adapted from a very problematic book. They definitely toned down a lot of those issues, but it still has a lot of those issues as well. But can you really expect healthy relationships from characters whose jobs involve murder? I saw a lot of love for this show while it was airing, but also a lot of criticism of it later on.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: iQIYI

Romcom - Gay Romeo and Juliet. Pat and Pran's families have had a rivalry since before they were born. Their college faculties have been fighting for who knows how long. However, they've been secretly friends for years, and just maybe . . . they could be something more.

I think part of why this is so loved is how it differs from other BLs, so you'll be looking at it through a different lens than most people, so fair warning for that. However, the writing is great, the acting is phenomenal, and the direction is really well done. ON like everyone's top BLs list.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Romance drama - Two guys meet and start to get weird flashes of memories that aren't their own. It turns out, they are the reincarnations of a gay couple that killed themselves because of familial disapproval.

Very good. Has its intense moments. Some people struggled to follow parts of the story and found it too confusing, but I didn't have that problem at all.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki, iQIYI

Rom-com drama - Dude has been in love with his best friend for years, but said friend is a total womanizer (aka, not gay in the slightest), so there's not really any hope for him. Follows them and their two other film major buddies.

I honestly don't remember this being very comedic, but that's probably because of the emotional torment it put me through. I feel like this is a show that you either love or hate.

Average rating: 7.8

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Drama + rom-com - Two boys fall in love despite COVID meaning they are confined to their homes.

Don't be dissuaded by the cringe title. This show is so good, and widely loved. Extremely well-written and well-acted. Made me cry multiple times. ME. So only watch if you're emotionally ready.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Netflix

Rom-com drama - A guy planning to switch majors to film ends up temporarily rooming with a current film major. Has a good amount of focus on internalized homophobia. Very good, very emotional.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Youtube

Xianxia, romcom drama - So there's this big bad evil dude who's been locked up in a super prison for 30,000 years. One day, this weak flower fairy (not a fairy in the western sense, she doesn't have wings) accidentally winds up in the prison and they accidentally end up swapping bodies. 

I loved this show so much that I immediately wanted to go watch more xianxias but knew that none of them would live up to it. The costumes are gorgeous, the romance was exquisite. Utterly incredible.

Average rating: 8.8

Streaming: Viki, Netflix, iQIYI

Xianxia, romance - So, the Devil Lord has basically taken over the world and is destroying everything, so the female lead sent back in time to kill him before it's too late. The only problem is that she has to go about it a very specific way to keep him from turning into the Devil Lord. When sent back, she becomes Ye Xi Wu, the future Devil Lord's wife who was actually really shitty and abusive towards him.

One thing I loved about this show is that it somewhat frequently changes paths so you don't get bored of it, while those changes also feeling like a very natural progression to the story.

Average rating: 8.6

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Romcom - The top and worst students become seatmates and end up forming a strong bond. The end up separating after high school but reunite after some years. Half the time focuses on them as high schoolers and half them as adults. 

This is such a standard setup for a Chinese drama, but it's one of the best I've seen, perhaps because it's based on a book that is either autobiographical or semi-autobiographical (I'm not sure), giving it an extra element of realism and sincerity.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, iQIYI

Rom-com melodrama - Two single fathers decide to raise their kids together. Warning: there is a romance between the girl and one of the "brothers," but it didn't feel too incest-y to me.

I absolutely loved this drama, as does most anyone who watches it.

Average rating: 8.9

Streaming: VIki, iQIYI, Youtube

Rom-com - A guy returns from abroad with intentions to pursue a music career......and also his childhood friend. However, she's older than him in a country where such an age difference where the woman is older is not looked on very fondly.

I really love this show. The way the male lead pursues the female lead gives feels very sweet (at least to my memory, but most dramas have something toxic on that front, so there's a decent chance I'm forgetting something). I quite liked the side characters and their stories. It's not one of those shows where you're just waiting to get back to the main couple.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Romcom xianxia - The twin daughters of a mortal king are each betrothed to help build bonds between realms. One daughter is considered to be a bad omen, and is thus engaged  to a demon prince. The other is viewed like a bajillion times more postively, and is thus engaged to an immortal prince. However, due to a mix up, the twins are switched and end up with the wrong prince!

I loved both the couples in this. One big upside is that neither couple has any big prolonged conflict. The conflicts are more them vs the world, which I greatly appreciated. Definitely not one of my top xianxias, but it's pretty solid.

Average rating: 8.5

Streaming: Viki, Netflix, Youtube

Action thriller mystery romance- A perfect example of a BL where the love story isn't the main plot. But also, the romance is between a cop and a mafia boss, so we already have a a fun as heel start. Basically, the cop is following the mob boss because cop dude's mentor was killed a few years ago and he's convinced mod dude knows something.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Mystery thriller superpower romance - A popular host at a bar gets kissed by a stranger. This kills him, then takes him back in time by a week. Learning about her superpower, he decides to use it to get ahead in life.

This show's really interesting, and I believe there were a lot of times I didn't know what would happen next. This show is a good example of what is great about J-dramas that you don't necessarily see from other countries.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: N/A

Slice of life romance - A dude who super keeps to himself feels uncomfortable eating around other people. That is, until he meets a brother duo. The brothers have a significant age gap, so with their mother being dead, the older does a lot to help their dad take care of to the younger one. Loner dude ends up having a meal with this family every weekend. Overtime, love blossoms between loner dude and the older brother.

Firstly, the kid is super adorable and I was rather impressed by his acting. Secondly, it was like super easy to connect with the characters. I really, really loved this.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Gagaoolala

Gentle romance drama - After a lawsuit, a 35-year-old gynecologist moves to work at a small clinic in a seaside town. One day, she goes camping alone where she encounters a deaf man 10 years younger than her who ends up suddenly kissing her. The meet again due to his job of cleaning out the homes of the deceased.

This show is exactly why I love J-dramas. You get this lovely simplicity rather than there always needing to be something big happening. It's nice and relaxed while still having its dramatic but grounded moments. You don't get much of that in shows from other countries. Also, the romance of it was an absolute 10/10.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki

Rom-com - Love story of a blind girl and a former juvenile delinquent. 

This show is light and cozy and adorable. I don't think this is everyone's style, but I absolutely love it.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: N/A

Crazy toxic BL. My absolute favorite drama. You know the one. 

Average rating:  7.8

Streaming: Viki, Gagaoolala

Gentle romcom drama - Girl who grew up in an orphanage is forced to quit her budding professional karate career after an injury she got during a match. Now, she works as a cleaner alongside others who grew up at the orphanage, including her friend who secretly has a crush on her. She goes to clean the apartment of a songwriter who she finds out wrote the song she used to listen to before every match! However, his career has really gone downhill, not having written a single hit since then. In an attempt to help him better understand love so he can write a hit love song, he enters into a fake relationship with the girl.

Average rating: 7.9

Streaming: Viki

Action thriller mystery drama - An investigator is assigned to spy on the head of a yakuza (Japanese mafia), but he ends up discovering something about an old case that hits close to home for both him and the mob boss. They decide to team up to solve the case. Adapted from a BL, but is written more as a suspiciously romantic bromance.

I really loved this. What really keeps you hooked is the characters and their dynamic.

Average rating: 7.5

[Not available to stream]

Romance drama - Mitarai Yo and Ishida Ren have known each other since high school and been best friends since college. On Yo's 29th birthday, they make a bet over who will get married by the time they turn 30. 

This show is a lot of pain for the viewer as you watch these characters who clearly love each other but don't let themselves and try to deny it, but like it's also so so good. I would put the Taiwanese drama this is based on on this list, but if there's a way to watch it in even remotely good quality, I couldn't find it, and while I was fine with that, I wouldn't expect anyone else to be.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: Viki, Youtube

Romance drama - Two high school boys who walk on the white lines on the side of the rope imagining up dangers that they would fall victim to were they to step/fall of the line meet when walking opposite directions on the same line. Follows their love story over the years. Have tissues at the ready.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki

Gentle romcom drama - Girl's parents die when she's in high school. To take care of her three younger brothers, she gives up on going to university and gets a job at a hardware store. Now, she's 27 and her brothers are 20, 17, and 14, and she still puts their happiness before anything else. One day, she meets a guy at work who she develops a crush on.

This show has a nice warm and cozy feeling. This falls into that genre of calm j-dramas that I think you might really like.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Comedy life ft romance - Girl joins publishing company hoping to become a fashion editor, but instead gets assigned to the proofreading department. She takes the job extremely seriously, often visiting the authors and other locations to verify facts, hoping that by doing an incredible job, she'll be able to get transferred to the fashion magazine editorial department.  Also, there's a romance between her and a former author who is now trying out modeling.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Amazon (additional service)

Rom-com - A guy gains the ability to read minds because he's still a virgin when he turns 30 and he finds out his coworker likes him. It's a super cute BL, with intentional cringe.

You have to be on board for Japanese-style comedy to like this, but it's far less over the top than a lot of other things, so it's a bit of a softer introduction to Japanese comedies.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Pseudo-sci fi  - Twenty eight tear old guy with a severe mental disability works at flower distribution center that employs a lot of troublesome youth. He ends up becoming a test subject for an experimental surgery designed to improve mental performance, and boy oh boy does it work. He's now a genius! But what will the repercussions of this experimental surgery be?

I really like the way this show handled Sakuto's mental disability. We get to see him with it and how it affects his life for a good amount of time before the surgery really takes effect. It's an essential part of the story, rather than it being something there just to make his turning into a genius more dramatic.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Romance drama - So there's like a 99% chance that a meteor is going to hit Earth in 10 days and wipe everyone out. Shortly after news breaks, this one guy runs into his ex from college who then asks him to help him hide a body.

Beautiful and emotional. I thought this was absolutely incredible.

Average rating: 7.5

Streaming: Viki, Gagaoolala

Comedy romance - Dude 1 borrows an eraser from his crush and finds the name of the guy in front of him on it with a heart next to it. He accidentally drops the eraser, guy in front picks it up and notices his name on it. Dude 1 panics and says that it's his so he doesn't tell his crush's secret. Confusion, hilarity, and super sweetness ensues.

I really love this show. It's so over the top, which is so my style, but not sure how you'd like it. I love all the relationship dynamics between characters. Everyone interacts with each othe in a specific way, making their friendships feel real. This show is such a wonderful watch. It's a perfect fluffy high school romance.

Average rating: 8.3

Streaming: Viki

Romance drama - Tired of being overworked and underappreciated in her TV talk show job, a woman quits her demanding role after a humiliating on-air blunder. She dives into a new career in makeup and beauty at Animal Beauty, where she gets off to a rocky start with the CEO. As Umi navigates her new job, she discovers that the CEO's tough exterior hides a softer side – and a possible crush. Meanwhile, she forms a close bond with a charming photographer and sparks fly. Will Umi's fresh start lead her to professional success and a chance at love?

The poster and title definitely mislead me for the tone of the show, so do not let it impact your decision to watch it.

Average rating: 7.9 

Streaming: Viki

Gentle romcom - A pastry chef loses her job at a bakery and has difficulty finding a new job until her unrequited love from her school days shows up. Learning about her situation, he offers her summer work at the seaside restaurant his family runs and invites her to stay with him and his two younger brothers.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: Viki

Life, drama - Girl finds out about asexuality and aromanticism and realizes she's aroace. In a society built around the assumption that people will fall in love and get married, she instead decides to forge her own path, deciding to try to become a new type of family with man who is also aroace.

I love that FL and ML experience their identities differently. He seems sex repulsed and even hates physical contact, whereas she seems to only have a problem with sex if it involves her.
They form their own path and decide what love and family is for them and find their happiness without worrying about what is "normal" or what others will understand, making for a great depiction of a queer-platonic relationship. This show is really incredible and I cannot recommend it highly enough.  They actually had several aro/ace people that they consulted for accuracy, which definitely shows.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Romance drama - It is a love story between Takahashi Ryohei, a caring, young yankee (kind of a subculture full of troublemakers/delinquents) who runs a bicycle shop, and Hanno Tomoko, a shy 30-year-old office worker.

I loved this. So sweet. The characters have a bit of backstory, but we only see hints of it, really giving it the sense that they're real people.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Romcom drama with a fantasy element - A guy has a crush on his best friend and dies in a car accident after telling him. However, a god steps in and brings him back to life by putting him in the body of a girl who is currently in a coma (or something like that, it's been a bit). He decides to take advantage of his new situation, hoping his friend will fall for him now that he's a girl.

This show explores some really complicated ideas that I will not get into for spoiler reasons. It was so incredibly interesting and I kept wondering where the story was going.

Average rating: 7.9

Streaming: N/A

Gentle romance drama - Girl works as an interior designer and influencer. She's a fashionista who cares a lot about her appearance and what others think. She is so busy with work that she forgets to renew her lease, so her friend helps her to find a new place to stay, a share house with three other occupants. A minimalist chef who only wants a simple life, an online counselor, and an aspiring contemporary artist that works part time as a delivery driver. Living with these three men helps her to grow as a person.

This was sweet and heartwarming and just makes you feel good. I love how they interact and talk things through, no problems stay lingering. It was sweet and simple, no crazy drama. I really loved this.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Psychological romance - Boy's dad is murdered, and girl's mother gets arrested because of boy's testimony.  Fifteen years later, they meet again at a Japanese confectionary competition. Boy, unaware that she's the girl from his childhood, is captivated by her creations and impulsively proposes to her. Girl, determined to prove her mother's innocence, conceals her past and agrees to marry him.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Family melodrama - Twenty-eight-year-old guy on the verge of moving in with his girlfriend of three years finds out he has a seven-year-old daughter after attending his ex-girlfriend's funeral.

This show was literally written with the lead actor in mind, and it shows as he absolutely kills it. This show made me hardcore tear up multiple times. It's both heart warming and heart breaking.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: N/A

Romcom - Girl from rural town with no real aspirations follows her childhood friend/crush to Tokyo. She applies for the supply management department at the same company as him but instead gets assigned to the fashion editorial department. She doesn't take the job seriously at first, by the editor-in-chief is not having it. She lets her boss's criticism motivate her to work harder and dream bigger. She also develops a budding relationship with a cameraman who, unbekwonest to her, is her boss's brother!

Average rating: 7.9

Streaming: Viki

Romcom drama - Naive university student relies on her overprotective mom for everything in life. One day, she meets a guy who grew up very differently. His presence in her life helps her to grow and become more independent.

Average rating: 8.0

Streaming: N/A

Mystery romance drama - Girl goes into coma at 10 years old and wakes up 25 years later. The world has changed a lot, but she hasn't, so it's difficult for her to adjust. She again meets her childhood crush, who has kind of closed himself off from others.

I really like how they handled the romance, as romance would inherently be complicated if you're 35 and just woke up from a 25-year coma. They had it move at a pace that felt appropriate. The guy was careful and cautious and was able to understand the ways in which she was an adult versus the ways in which she was still a kid.

Average rating: 7.7

"Supernatural" mystery romance drama - BL that starts with one of them getting hit by a truck dying. Kind of. He gets back up just fine, but overtime less and less people are able to see him.

A beautiful story that I believe was really well done.

Average rating: 8.1

Streaming: Viki, Gagaoolala

BL drama - Guy 1 takes a nap in the school staircase holding onto his guitar. Guy 2 happens upon him and gets on him about letting his guitar strings get to such a sorry state. Guy 1 asks Guy 2 to teach him how to play, who eventually agrees and invites him to a jam session with his bandmates. Guy 1 turns out to have an incredible voice and becomes the lead singer of the band. 

The acting was great and you could really feel the weight of the story. Based on a beloved manga.

Average rating: 7.4

Streaming: Crunchyroll

BL drama ft. comedy - Guy 1 trips and rolls down a hill, happening upon Guy 2, who is eating a delicious looking lunch. As it turns out, Guy 2 is hard of hearing and in need of a notetaker for his college classes. Guy 1 decides to take up the job in exchange for Guy 2 bringing him a lunchbox everyday.

Average rating: 8.4

Streaming: Gagaoolala, iQIYI

Romance drama - Woman is an out-of-work modal who gets left at the altar. She rushes to his apartment, where she only finds his roommate, a guy who dreams of becoming a world-class pianist but has yet to breakout and instead teaches at a local piano school. It turns out her fiancé has skipped town with all her savings. Broke, she moves into the apartment, taking over her former fiancé's old room. She ends up growing close his her new roommate over time.

I absolutely adore this drama.  I really like that the older one is the more relaxed and free-spirit type and the younger one is the one that is more calm and collected. It's a nice reversal for an older woman/younger man drama (not a weird age gap, just a bit of one). And they weren't meant for each other because they were pulling each other more towards the center of that dichotomy. They fit together because of their similarities.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: N/A

Psychological mystery romance drama - Girl meets a guy that has a general vibe that reminds her of her brother that she hasn't seen since they were very young (don't worry, he's not secretly her brother). They develop feelings for each other and also he finds out that being next to her eases his insomnia. When she is staying at his apartment, she finds a diary and in it is the confession to a murder. Is he actually a murderer or is there some misunderstanding? And what should she do about her feelings for him?

I swear no other country would ever make this show, which is what I love so much about j-dramas. It's a wild and interesting show. 

Average rating: 7.1

Streaming: Viki

Gentle romance drama - Bright, energetic girl moves to Tokyo to follow her fiancé. She runs into a guy in the street, both dropping an earbud, and end up picking the wrong one without realizing until the bluetooth disconnects. It turns out they were listening to the same song! They end up meeting again when she moves into a boarding house after finding out her fiancé was cheating on her where it turns out the guy she met earlier also lives. She develops and interest in fashion, and he's a composer who's yet to make it big and is close to giving up on his dream. They both help each other in the pursuit of their dreams and, surprise surprise, fall in love along the way.

Average rating: 8.2

Streaming: Viki

Romcom with a touch of drama - A self-publishing manga author with a strong need for approval only satisfied by selling a lot of copies of his manga at conventions for self-published authors. One day, he meets his friend from high school he had always admired (possibly had a crush on) who is now an idol. As it turns out, both have been following each other's careers and are fans of each other!

I love the depth of these characters and their development. We see both who they are as individuals and who they are together. You fully understand their motivations and their insecurities.

Average rating: 7.4

Streaming: Viki