K-dramas often have a relatable sense of realism yet are also predictable, and those unpredictable overdramatic moments stretch past the norm in melodramas or even makjang dramas. The stories or situations might be a little over the top. These memorable dramas have a well-balanced mix of melodramatic moments, so stick around!
Best Korean Melodramas With Strong Story Concepts
10. Love to Hate You
This Enemy to Lovers kdrama stars Kim Ok Bin, Yoo Teo, Kim Ji Hoon, and Go Won Hee. The drama showcases the whirlwind romance between our celebrity male lead and a lawyer female lead who also happens to exhibit some fantastic street fighting abilities.
Due to a misunderstanding, she cannot stand our male lead and sets out to serve her own version of justice. But when he catches sight of her incredible fighting skills, he wishes to learn this free combat style so he can further prepare more authentically for a role.
This brings them closer together but also results in a contract relationship with many melodramatic moments. Viewers have highly rated Love to Hate You for its slice of life, comedy, and heartfelt romance.
9. Flower of Evil
This kdrama blends the best of crime thriller with a haunting romance. Our male lead has a secretive past and many socializing issues which he's kept hidden from his wife.
Our female lead who is a crime investigator but a serial case suddenly has her investigation coincidentally pointing towards her husband and the mysterious darkness that envelops him.
This married couple also has a young daughter. So the situation could become complicated for them both. A tangled web unfolds and viewers are treated to a riveting thriller where we have a male lead with a well-developed character background that slowly comes into focus.
He'll also have an exponential amount of growth throughout the story. The drama stars Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won as our main leads. Among the other cast, you'll see Jang Hee Jin and Kim Ji Hoon.
The melodramatic moments will be summed up with increasing tension, not to mention the heights and lengths our characters go to.
8. That Winter, The Wind Blow
This 2013 romantic drama stars Song Hye Kyo. The story will build with melodramatic undertones as the gambler who fraudulently passes himself off as the long-lost brother of a beautiful heiress and she also happens to be blind.
The concept is for him to steal her money but he now must live the lie while trying his best not to become romantically swayed by her free spirit. Our female lead has her own slice-of-life issues going on in addition to her impairment.
Now together, this main lead couple will test the boundaries of supposed siblings. This will present many dramatic moments as her fortune is close at hand. But our male lead will have his work cut out for him by trying to maintain this new identity. The drama focused on the chemistry between our leads.
7. Mr. Sunshine
A period drama with breathtaking visuals and set during the Japanese colonial rule, the story follows the difficult life of our male lead whose parents were servants. An unfortunate circumstance will arise and befall his parents.
He, however, as a young boy manages to escape and through the help of others will find his way to the United States. But eventually, he'll make his way home to Korea. where he will encounter our female lead.
The drama stars Lee Byung Hun, Kim Tae Ri, Yoo Yeon Suk, and Byun Yo Han. In addition to military historical vibes, the drama will showcase romance, imperialism, and a swoon-worthy romance.
Balanced with brooding melodrama and strong action, the character development all around was admired.
6. Youth Of May
Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si alongside Lee Sang Yi and Geum Sae Rok star in this tear-jerking melodrama which is set in the 1980s and around the events of the Gwangju uprising.
Our male lead is set to go on a blind date but the girl he was supposed to meet sends her friend as a substitute. This sub is our female lead and these two will fall in love.
However, obstacles and adversaries might try to pull them apart. Yet fate has connected them and their love is undeniably strong for each other.
This youth and romance melodrama also has a medical theme as our female lead is a nurse and our male lead is from the prominent Seoul National University.
Still rating and ranking highly after first airing coincidentally in May of 2021, Youth of May is a memorable mellow that should be on your watchlist.
5. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
A time travel story concept, Scarlet Heart Ryeo has our female lead waking up as the 8th prince's wife's cousin. This drama is also based on the popular C drama with the same concept.
Our female lead from the present day has gone back in time and must now live a new life. However, she is caught up by not one but many princes as she attracts their romantic attention and interest. Sparks will fly and viewers might feel drawn to the potential of more than one leading male character.
However, the circumstances surrounding her behavior as she slowly begins to fit into this Joseon-era lifestyle. The drama has many dramatic build-ups and while it might not have been a strongly favorable title in South Korea, it was well received abroad. The drama stars IU, Lee Jung Gi, Kang Ha Neul, and Kim Ji Soo.
4. Hi Bye, Mama!
We have a loving mother figure who has not transitioned on but somehow gets a physical reappearance to once again connect with her young daughter and her husband who after some time remarried.
For 49 days, this opportunity will be given to her. Brought together again, the family has a chance to find peace and uncover the reason for this paranormal occurrence. But it's a drama that will tug at your heartstrings.
Our main character Mom goes to every length to protect her child and loved ones. The lovely and talented Kim Tae Hee is our female lead. Lee Kyu Hyung stars as our male lead and our child actor Seo Woo Jin performs in the role of a female character, solidifying his rising talent.
As a young star, this drama had many moments of mellow, and could be considered a healing drama that focuses on love, family, and then eventually saying goodbye.
3. Was It Love
This comedic romance with elements of dramatic action also infused sequences of hilarious imaginative moments which had some viewers laughing out loud.
Our female lead who is a single mother will find herself in a dilemma but she's also now involved with four guys. each with their own strong connection, reconnection, a past love, and a new acquaintance which will throw her life for a loop.
The amusing story infuses many likable characters, and choosing your favorite among the male characters could be hard. As the story progresses, we'll follow our strong-standing female lead despite all the obstacles thrown her way as they will all cross paths and intertwine.
The balance of dramatics, comedy, and character development is so well done here. Also with light-hearted mellow moments, this could make for a perfect binge-watch. The drama stars Song Ji Hyo, Son Ho Jun, Song Jong Ho, Koo Ja Sung, and Kim Min Joon as our leading characters.
2. Go Back Couple
This K-drama became a fan favorite and was strongly praised in the time-altering storyline which gave our lead couple a second chance at romance.
In the present setting, a couple who is exhausted in their day-to-day and reaches their breaking point will have it out. But when they awaken that they've gone back in time to their university days and it's at this moment they both realize that they get a second chance at life.
The adorable thing about Go Back Couple is that rather than just one lead going back in time, both our female and male leads experience it together. The nostalgic vibe resonated with viewers, and they felt inspired they continued to watch to see if our leads would make new choices or find their way back to one another.
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1. Queen Of Tears
This top-ranking drama, Queen of Tears broke records and maintained high viewership. The drama also brought in a famous cameo by Song Joong Ki as his character Vincenzo Cassano. But that celebrity mentions aside.
The A-list stars in this romantic melodrama include Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun a married couple in an awkward relationship where they now question their feelings and respect for one another.
However, it seems fate has these two connected, and our female lead, who is known as the queen of Queen's group, married a modest man who was raised in a countryside setting. These two couldn't be more different.
But those heavy melodramatic moments are often played up by their family members in comedic and also realistic ways as the rich and modest lifestyles are portrayed here. Our leads face many obstacles and while our female lead happens to face a dire health issue, the drama touches on the balance of family, a slice of life, comedy, and true love.
Wrapping Up
And that wraps up our 10 Best Korean Melodramas list. Let us know if your favorite was here. If not, let us know which one it is in the comment section below.
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