Must-Watch Korean Dramas & Films I Loved Too Much to Move On From

These are the K-dramas and movies I couldn’t stop thinking about—too emotionally wrecked to write a full review, but not shouting about them felt criminal. Here are my must-watch Korean dramas

---

A Time Called You

I don’t think I’ll find a better K-drama for a long, long time. A Time Called You is so far above the rest that everything else feels like filler now. This is one of the best must-watch Korean dramas out there! If you’re looking for an emotional time-travel romance K-drama that messes with your head and heart in equal measure—this is it.

To summarize: A Time Called You is about a girl grieving the loss of her boyfriend, who died in a plane crash on his way to her. But weird things start happening—texts to his phone start going through, a photo she never took (with her in it) shows up, she sees him across a subway platform, and his phone even answers her call. You know it’s about to get real.

Then BAM—a mysterious cassette tape sends her back in time into the body of a high school girl in 1998. And guess what? The girl looks just like her. And her best friend? Yeah, he looks exactly like her dead boyfriend. But there’s a twist: the girl she’s possessed is destined to be murdered, and now she has to solve that mystery while navigating this insane, emotional loop of grief, love, and déjà vu.

This K-drama blends romance, mystery, and fantasy perfectly. And let me just say—it has the BEST falling-in-love scene I’ve ever seen in a Korean drama. It’s in the trailer—when she’s running through the woods, yelling at him to catch up? A cinematic masterpiece. I’m obsessed. I have an embarrassing number of screen recordings of that moment on my phone. Zero regrets.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say Ahn Hyo-seop had to work a bit harder to sell the chemistry compared to Jeon Yeo-been, but it’s so minor it doesn’t matter. The show still delivered in every way. It’s honestly heartbreaking how underrated this drama is.

Yes, I know it’s a remake of Someday or One Day, and that’s probably why some people were harsher in their reviews. But I read this comment that said, “Most of the bad reviews were from people who weren’t gonna give it a real chance anyway,” and I have to agree. A Time Called You had me theorizing, rewatching, crying, and questioning everything. The acting was top-tier, the plot twists were constant, and the emotional payoff? Chef’s kiss.

So if you’re into heart-wrenching K-dramas with time travel, mystery, and the kind of romance that’ll have you kicking your feet and punching your pillow in jealous rage—watch this. Immediately.

*You can find the ratings in the Romance List along with many other gems!*

---

Hidden Love

I don’t think it’d be right to have my favorite K-drama (A Time Called You, obviously) up top without following it immediately with my favourite Chinese drama of all time—Hidden Love.

Hidden Love, ladies and gentlemen, is peak slow-burn romance. It’s the perfect example of what happens when two actors don’t just act like they’re in love—they are in love, at least for those 24 episodes. The chemistry? INSANE. The acting? Probably some of the most natural I’ve ever seen. The facial expressions, the micro-emotions, the quiet little glances—it was all so real I had to remind myself it’s fiction.

The story? Classic but done so right. It’s about a teenage girl who falls for her older brother’s best friend—a guy five years older than her. They first meet when she’s 14 and he’s 19, and for her, it’s love at first sight. But for him? She’s always just been his friend’s kid sister. Even as she grows up, he still sees her as this innocent little girl… until she moves to the university in his city. And slowly, so slowly, he starts to see her for who she is now—an adult, a woman, and someone he can’t help falling for.

This might be the first romance drama where I truly believed they’d last forever. Like, you know how sometimes you finish a drama and think, “There’s no way these two would actually stay together in real life”? Not here. This couple felt real. Like wedding bells, house-hunting, aging-together real.

Even though Hidden Love doesn’t have a strong overarching plot, it doesn’t need one. The character growth, the emotional tension, the impossibly good slow burn romance—it carries the whole show. I still haven’t recovered from the hole this left in my chest. Like genuinely, where is my Duan Jiaxu and how do I file a missing soulmate report??

Anyway, 10/10. Highly recommend this to anyone who loves sweet but realistic age gap romances, emotional coming-of-age love stories, or just wants to feel like they’re falling in love for the first time all over again. Hidden Love is everything.

*You can find the ratings in the Romance List along with many other gems!*

---

Twinkling Watermelon

I didn’t think I liked slice-of-life K-dramas… until this one. Twinkling Watermelon completely caught me off guard—in the best way. This is another one of the must-watch Korean dramas that’ll I’d recommend until I die. And yes, I’ve already rewatched it multiple times and have way too many screen recordings saved. No shame.

This drama follows a teenage boy who’s the only hearing person in his deaf family—his mom, dad, and brother all communicate through sign language. But he secretly loves music, especially playing the guitar, even though his father wants him to become a doctor. After a heated argument, he finally agrees to give up on his dream and sell his guitar to put his family first.

Except… plot twist. He gets sent back in time.

And not just anywhere—he ends up in the past with his teenage father. Who, by the way, can hear. Determined to stop whatever led to his dad losing his hearing, he decides to stick around and protect him. Oh—and remember how his dad was totally against him being in a band? Yeah, well teen-dad is a guitar-shredding band kid himself. The irony was beautiful.

This time-travel family K-drama had so many emotional and heartwarming moments. Watching the main character constantly overreact to everything his teenage dad said or did was hilarious. But it also explored identity, generational relationships, and the struggle between chasing your passion and honoring your roots. The musical performances were phenomenal, and the story had just enough fantasy to keep it exciting.

I really liked the ending, even though it dropped the ball a bit on Se Gyeong’s arc. Like… we needed more clarity there. But overall, Twinkling Watermelon delivered. A beautiful blend of music, family, comedy, and time-travel, all wrapped in the emotional depth of a coming-of-age drama.

So if you’re looking for a feel-good Korean drama with music, heart, and time travel, this one is for you. Don’t be surprised if you end up rewatching it. I know I will.

*You can find the ratings in the Drama List along with many other gems!*

---

My Mister

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved My Mister. Honestly, I can’t even fully explain why—especially since this kind of drama is usually not my thing. It’s slow. There’s no romance. There’s no action. And yet… I absolutely loved every second of it.

The writing? Subtle but powerful. The moments? Heart-wrenching and healing all at once. And of course—IU. I already loved her, but this performance? Incredible. She brought so much depth to the role that it made everything hit harder.

It’s hard to pin down what this K-drama is “about” in a traditional sense, but here goes: My Mister tells the story of two broken people trying to survive. She’s a young woman drowning in debt, trapped under an abusive man’s control, and struggling to care for her severely ill grandmother. He’s a middle-aged man dealing with workplace stress and a wife who’s having an affair. They meet when she steals from him, and what starts as something bitter and tense slowly grows into a deep, unspoken bond.

There’s no romance here—just raw, emotional connection. It’s about finding comfort in another person’s existence when the world feels unbearably heavy. They don’t fix each other, but they help each other stand up again. And sometimes, that’s more powerful than any love story.

I usually go for fast-paced thrillers, high-stakes romances, or action-packed dramas, so watching something like My Mister was a big shift for me—but it was so worth it. It had just the right amount of quiet comedy, pain, and hope to make it unforgettable.

Thinking about it now, I’d 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a slow burn healing drama. I don’t think I could watch it alone again—I’m still not over Lee Sun-kyun’s passing, and seeing him now just hurts too much. But I’d absolutely rewatch it with someone else.

If you’re open to slice-of-life Korean dramas with emotional depth, stunning performances, and quiet storytelling, do yourself a favor and experience this one. My Mister is special.

*You can find the ratings in the Drama List along with many other gems!*

---

Hotel Del Luna

It might surprise some people that this is one of my top dramas—but Hotel Del Luna was one of the first K-dramas I ever watched, and it completely changed everything for me. When I finished it, I was like, “Yup, this is going to be my entire personality now,” and I haven’t looked back since.

What’s even funnier? I only picked it because the main character looked really pretty in the thumbnail. At the time, I didn’t even know it was IU! So yes—my K-drama obsession started because of a pretty face, and honestly, no regrets.

It’s hard to explain exactly what Hotel Del Luna is, but I’ll try. This fantasy K-drama is about a mysterious, otherworldly hotel that caters to ghosts. The dead check in and stay until they’re ready to move on to the afterlife—especially those who died unfairly or have unfinished business. The hotel is run by Jang Man Wol (played by IU), who’s been cursed to manage it for centuries while she waits for her first love to appear… so she can kill him out of revenge. Casual.

But then Goo Chan Sung enters the picture. He’s a new hotel manager who ends up helping Man Wol heal her emotional wounds and face the pain she’s been holding onto for hundreds of years. It’s got ghosts, romance, revenge, forgiveness, and the most gorgeous visuals I’ve ever seen in a drama.

I’m so glad this was one of the first Korean dramas I watched—it really set the bar high. From the stunning cinematography and haunting OST to the layered storytelling and emotional depth, Hotel Del Luna is such a solid intro to the K-drama world. It’s magical, tragic, funny, and beautiful all at once.

So if you’re new to K-dramas (or know someone who is), Hotel Del Luna is the perfect starter. It’s a supernatural fantasy drama that’s emotional without being overwhelming, visually stunning, and easy to fall in love with. I absolutely loved it—and I’ll always be grateful it was one of my first.

---