The dramatic romance and revenge plots commonly associated withK-dramasmake for an ideal escape from reality, but sometimes, a more grounded narrative is what audiences are after. That is not to say unrealistic series are any less deserving of praise or attention than those that are more reasonable, as many ofthe best K-dramas of all timeutilize fantastical and supernatural means of storytelling. However, some of these K-dramas tend to veer too far into the impossible, risking taking audiences out of their stories entirely.
Realistic K-dramas are still fun and present audiences with a drama-filled story,but they avoid using too manycommon K-drama tropes. The overuse of tropes often leads to a cheesy story full of convenient and predictable plot points. While many of the more realistic K-dramas also aim to have a happy ending, the path to getting there is easier for audiences to believe. Many K-dramas with logical narratives revolve around captivating portrayals of romance and friendship, both of which audiences have an easier time buying into compared to gritty tales of revenge or political conflict.
Though a marriage of convenience may not be the most relatable relationship set up, the way it’s depicted inBecause This Is My First Lifeis still highly realistic.The people involved in the marriage are IT employee Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) and assistant screenwriter Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min), the latter moving into a room rented out by Se-hee. Upon meeting for the first time, Se-hee and Ji-ho agree to keep interactions between them strictly platonic.
The central love story inBecause This Is My First Lifeis sweet and elevated due to Lee and Jung’s captivating on-screen chemistry.
However, the pressure and expectations from other individuals in their lives, in addition to their own complicated feelings, lead them to rethink their initial agreement.The central love story inBecause This Is My First Lifeis sweet and elevated due to Lee and Jung’s captivating on-screen chemistry. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in the K-drama, as varying views on romance, career choices, and marriage are addressed throughout the show.
Like Flowers in Sand
Cast
Like Flowers in Sand follows a former wrestling prodigy on the brink of giving up his dreams. An unexpected reunion with an old friend rekindles his passion and commitment to the sport, offering a new perspective on his journey toward success.
There’s a handful of K-dramas that are strictly about sports, but a majority of sports-related series also include a bit of romance as well, includingLike Flowers in Sand. The 2023 series tells a charming and realistic story about a ssireum team at risk of being disbanded. Ssireum is a style of wrestling, and it’s a sport Kim Baek-doo (Jang Dong-yoon) participates in, though he’s thinking about retiring.That is until he discovers his childhood crush is the team’s new management leader.
Much ofLike Flowers in Sanddepicts the rekindling connection between Baek-doo and Oh Yoo-kyung (Lee Ju-myoung),but there’s a coming-of-age component to the series as well. Many of Baek-doo’s peers struggle to find their identity in a town so wrapped up in ssireum, which is an experience many young viewers are likely to connect with.
Love Scout
Love Scout is a romantic drama featuring Yoo Eun-ho, a single father who becomes the secretary to Kang Ji-yun, the dedicated CEO of a prominent headhunting firm. The series explores their evolving relationship amidst the challenges of balancing professional and personal responsibilities.
Having justpremiered at the start of 2025,Love Scouthas already proven to be a compelling, realistic series about love. The K-drama depicts the growing romantic connection between Kang Ji-yoon (Han Ji-min) and Yoo Eun-ho (Lee Joon-hyuk). As a CEO, Ji-yoon is highly ambitious, but her tendency to prioritize her work has resulted in the negligence of her personal and romantic lives.
On the other hand, Eun-ho, a secretary and single father, has found the ideal balance between work and family.
While there is little drama that pops up in the workplace and daily lives of Eun-ho and Ji-yoon, much ofLove Scoutis focused on the healthy development of their relationship.The two learn a lot from one another and help each other grow and become well-rounded individuals.Han and Lee have an undeniable chemistry and audiences will find it difficult not to be completely invested in their sweet relationship.
LikeSomething in the Rain,One Spring Nightaddresses social stigmas in South Korea that impact a potential romance. InOne Spring Night,Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-Min) is in an unfulfilling relationship that she stays in due to pressure from her parents to marry him.Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in) has relationship problems of his own as he’s a single dad wanting to find love again.Many people in Ji-ho’s life, strangers and acquaintances alike, cast judgment on him for being a single parent.
A romantic connection between Ji-ho and Jeong-in begins to take shape, but they must find the courage to defy the expectations of others before making anything official.There is also a supporting storyline involving Jeong-in’s sister and her abusive husband, whom she cannot divorce due to his control. Each depiction of love inOne Spring Nightis realistic and moving in unique ways and makes the K-drama a powerful series to watch.
There are several reasons whyaudiences will want to binge-watchLovestruck in the City.The K-drama has a unique interview format where six individuals, each in their late 20s or early 30s, are asked about their takes on love. The characters, portrayed by familiar K-drama actors, often break the fourth wall and acknowledge the series' camera crew and viewers, creating an additional layer of realism to the show. Audiences are also given further insight into the characters' love lives as they’re followed around during their daily routines.
To ensure audiences are fully invested in the on-screen romances,Lovestruck in the Cityintroduces storylines taking place in the past and present, so there’s a better understanding of the developing relationships.Viewers are guaranteed to feel incredibly seen by the variety of love on display inLovestruck in the City.It’s a series audiences will cry and laugh with and walk away from with a new perspective on love.
Incomplete Life
Misaeng, released in 2014, follows Jang Geu-rae, who, after failing to become a professional baduk player, navigates the challenges of traditional corporate life. With only a high school equivalency exam on his resume, Geu-rae must adapt to his new environment, leveraging skills learned from the game to succeed.
One of the mostbeloved slice-of-life K-dramas,Misaeng: Incomplete Life, became a cultural phenomenon due to its accurate portrayal of South Korean corporate culture.The series follows Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan), a skilled baduk, or Go, player who dreams of playing professionally. As Geu-rae’s chance of fulfilling his dreams becomes increasingly slimmer, he enters the professional workplace, interning at a notable trading company.
Misaeng: Incomplete Lifegets its name from a baduk term which translates to “not yet alive” — an ideal way to describe the transitional period of life Geu-rae is in.
Though Geu-rae isn’t as qualified as his colleagues, he doesn’t let this stop him from wanting to succeed. Geu-rae gets creative and uses his knowledge of baduk to help him adjust to his job.Misaeng: Incomplete Lifegets its name from a baduk term which translates to “not yet alive” — an ideal way to describe the transitional period of life Geu-rae is in.For many viewers around Geu-rae’s age, the character’s arc is relatable and refreshing to see so honestly depicted on screen.
My Liberation Diary
Set in the backdrop of modern South Korea, My Liberation Diary follows three siblings grappling with the mundanity of adulthood. As they strive for fulfillment and freedom from their unremarkable lives, the narrative explores themes of personal liberation and the quest for meaning.
Life isn’t always as eventual or easy-going as it appears in movies and TV shows, andMy Liberation Notesunderstands this.The series is set in a suburb in Seoul where three siblings (Lee El, Lee Min-ki, and Kim Ji-won) seek a way out of their monotonous routines. Like many viewers their age, the Yeom siblings struggle to find another path in life that isn’t already predetermined for them by older family members or society at large.
For this reason,My Liberation Notesearned high levels of praise from critics and audiences, especially the latter, who felt the K-drama perfectly captured the societal pressure placed on young adults in Korea.The series' writing, which earned praise from acclaimed South Korean actor Gong Yoo, is full of dialogue that is deep and realistic.My Liberation Notesis one of the quieter, slower K-dramas, but such a tone is necessary for its emotional weight to truly impact audiences.
Since its 2022 release,Extraordinary Attorney Woohas earned praise for its ability to touch upon subject matter rarely addressed in most K-dramas.The series revolves around an autistic rookie attorney, Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin). Young-woo is discriminated against because of her neurodivergence but manages to get a job at a notable law firm thanks to her father’s connections. ThroughoutExtraordinary Attorney Woo, audiences are exposed to the various ways Young-woo is teased and made to feel different.
These acts of hatred are both drastic and subtle, which has earned praise from critics and experts who are familiar with the various ways autism is stigmatized.What makesExtraordinary Attorney Woorealistic and so refreshing as a series is its protagonist’s attainable success. Neither superpowers nor a fantastical phenomenon help Young-woo prove her prejudiced peers wrong. Instead, Young-woo uses her natural intelligence and photographic memory to move up in her career as an attorney.
OneK-drama guaranteed to put audiences in a good moodisHometown Cha-Cha-Cha. The series sees accomplished dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) move away from the city to a quiet seaside village named Gongjin. The new setting provides Hye-jin with a fresh start, where she opens up a dental clinic and becomes familiar with the town’s residents. The K-drama is grounded and has a cozy small town feel, as the supporting characters in Gongjin are not simply throwaway figures.
Every Gongjin resident that grows close to Hye-jin becomes invested in her life, especially when it comes to her growing romance with the local handyman, Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho).The connection between the two comes about naturally and is a result of Hye-jin’s move and involvement in the village.The simple yet effective story inHometown Cha-Cha-Chaimpressed audiences, and the series spent 16 weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 for non-English TV shows.
Certain romantic relationships are more difficult for outsiders to understand, including age-gap relationships.This is the taboo element of Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin) and Seo Jun-hui’s (Jung Hae-in) relationship inSomething in the Rain. Though Jin-ah is in her mid-30s and Jun-hui is in his late 20s, others have an issue with the difference in their ages, making the choice to go public with their relationship a risk.
Something in the Rainis considered one ofthe best romance K-dramas of all time. The series has earned this honor as a result of its honest and realistic portrayal of love, which has left many viewers feeling seen. In addition to its relatable display of a complicated romance,Something in the Rainalso features a storyline involving workplace harassment at Jin-ah’s job. The unjust culture at work is specific to South Korean businesses, but it can be easily understood by audiences worldwide.
