Feel-good Dramas to Watch When You're Feeling Blue
List of dramas to watch if you're in need of a pick me up or when you feel like something light. Hope this list can help. :)
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1. Run On
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
A delight of a drama. Beautifully written with excellent performances all round. This is a drama to be savoured. It's just a treat. Love it so much.
It's about an athlete who complicates his life and career as his intolerance for injustice leads him to clash with powerful people. There is plenty of romcom for a little bit of escapism, just enough plot to carry the story and loads of food for thought in the dialogue.
A delight. That's all.
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2. The Romance of Tiger and Rose
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
Hilarious. Truly, This drama is exquisite. It's well-acted, brilliantly written and has great chemistry. Highly addictive. Just so entertaining. Literally the most fun ever.
The story is about a young scriptwriter who ends up in her own story as a character she had killed off. She has to try and survive while also trying to make the plot happen with all sorts of contrivances.
It's excellent. Really bingeable. Cannot recommend more.
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3. Coffee Prince
Korean Drama - 2007, 17 episodes
One of the few kdrama classics I actually enjoyed. Totally romantic and funny. The chemistry in the relationships and friendships are perfection itself. It's also really rewatchable.
It's about a young woman who is a tomboy and who gets mistaken for being a boy and keeps up the ruse after she secures a job. (This ruse inevitably complicates life for her a bit - especially the romantic side.)
It's honestly just so much fun.
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4. I'm Not a Robot
Korean Drama - 2017, 32 episodes
Funny, romantic, engaging. Just total romcom vibes to chillout with when you want a bit of light fantasy. Great chemistry and witty script. Really well executed idea.
It's about a man who is allergic to humans who ends up buying a robot AI that is uncannily human-like.
Really addictive, bingeable drama.
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5. Perfect and Casual
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
Nice take on contract marriage trope. Great acting, healthy (surprisingly untoxic) relationship and excellent chemistry.
It's about two people who meet, get off on the wrong foot and then find out they are professor and student. They then agree to a contractual marriage for mutual benefits.
Really light. Background drama. Sweet, fluffy, healthy.
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6. 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii
Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
Fluffy and sweet. Really good acting, nice scipt. Really good for a bit of light escape.
It is based of a meme/Japanese tale thing. Basically the idea is that if you are still a virgin at 30 you will become a magician. The lead character turns 30 still a virgin and gains the ability to read minds. With this ability he discovers that a male colleague has feelings for him. Hyjinks ensue.
It's nice to chill with when you're tired/worn out. It's just so terribly cute.
(PS Japanese dramas can be slightly out of my personal taste as I sometimes feel the humour doesn't translate for me, which happened once or twice with this but mostly the humour worked for me here. So if you have that too with humour in Japanese dramas I would still recommend this.)
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7. Because This Is My First Life
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
Another contract marriage trope romcom. This drama is really good for the acting and the two leads are reserved which I liked. It‘s entertaining and sweet. A variety of characters and personalities.
It’s an easy watch, relatively bingeable with mostly likeable characters.
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8. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
The chemistry in this one is off the charts. The banter and humour are to die for. This drama is genuinely really hilarious. Great acting and witty dialogue.
It’s about a young female weightlifting athlete and her exploits in college as she trains. Good ol’ romcom with predictable tropes done really well. It also has really interesting family dynamics that work really well (I’m a sucker for dramas that give real respect to the importance of family without making it a sermon lol).
One thing to be prepared for is the lead actress does not fit the body of a weightlifter, there are several times where you have to suspend your disbelief as what is said in the script does not fit the visual. But she’s so great in the role that you’ll learn to overlook it. :)
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9. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
Funny. Romantic. Great banter. Excellent characters.
It's a drama about a woman who was born into a family where the maternal line passes down extraordinary strength. So she was born with superhuman strength. She is such a great character, so well acted.
This one is really bingeable.
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10. Shopping King Louie
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
Just so, so adorable. The two leads are both naive, innocent and sweet. Just all the endearing energy in the world.
It's about a young chaebol who loses his memory in a car accident meeting a young woman who is from the countryside who is looking for her younger brother who ran away from home.
It really is just a lot of cuteness. Some heavy moments on occasion but mostly very light and sweet.
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11. What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Famously good. If you haven't seen it you really are missing out.
It's about a secretary who resigns from her job, shocking her boss and colleagues.
It's genuinely great. All the romcom vibes in the world exist in this drama. So easy to chill in front of.
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12. Touch Your Heart
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Classic romcom. Good chemistry. Light with fluff.
It's about an actress who has fallen from grace in the public eye due to a scandal and is planning to make her comeback with a drama where she plays a lawyer, she then goes to work in a law firm temporarily for research.