Valentine's Day is as good as any day to stay home and binge-watch countless heart-racing and blush-worthy K-dramas. K-dramas have become well known for their romance storylines. Some of their most popular revolve around teen love and drama. While it's all fun watching adults fall in love but it's even cuter seeing teen love blossom from a simple crush.
With teen-based stories also comes a comical yet serious display of drama. Maybe the best friend also falls for the girl or the lead guy. In some cases, the lead girl might be bullied by others. What if their love was all a game? Seeing other relationships blossom amongst the turmoil and school drama is perfect for the annual day of love.
Updated on August 2nd, 2022 by Jom Elauria: Thanks to streaming websites, K-drama fans can easily quench their thirst for innocent puppy love. In recent years, more and more K-dramas have been accessible to global audiences as Netflix and Viki widen their K-drama library, which includes popular shows like Squid Game and Goblin. But, which of the k-dramas that feature high drama and romance are the most entertaining?
Ma Boy (2012)
Available to stream on YouTube.
Ma Boy is a short K-drama that only has about three episodes. In the show, a recovering cancer patient named Jan Geu-Rim (Kim So-Hyun) gets one step closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a singer when she gets accepted to an art school. As a bonus, her favorite K-pop idol also studies in the same school.
Her life at school starts to get complicated when she meets her roommate Irene (Kim Sun-Woong), who has a huge secret: she's actually a boy who is saving up for his debut as a dancer by taking modeling jobs as a girl. Ma Boy is a fun and lighthearted K-drama with adorable characters and an endearing romance.
Reply 1997 (2012)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Reply 1997 focuses on a group of friends and their life in the nineties. At the same time, the show also features scenes from their high school reunion in the present time. The main character in the show is Sung Shi-Won (Jung Eun-Ji), who is shown as an immature teenager obsessed with a boy band.
As one of the few K-drama shows that feature LGBTQ+ characters, Reply 1997 has been lauded for its diverse personalities, as well as its meaningful storylines. A lot of viewers found the show down to earth, too, and did a great job at capturing the nostalgia of the nineties.
Puberty Medley (2013)
Also known by its alternative title, Adolescence Medley, Puberty Medley is a K-drama show that primarily focuses on the life of high schoolers in the countryside. Puberty Medley follows Choi Jung-Woo (Kwak Dong-Yeon), who embarrasses himself after picking a fight with his senior and asking a girl out in his school, thinking that he'll soon transfer back to a school in the city. However, he learns that plans have changed and that he has to stick it out until his graduation day.
Puberty Medley has been received well by viewers thanks to its nostalgic coming-of-age plot and poignant narrative.
At Eighteen (2019)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Like most K-dramas set in a school, At Eighteen features a relatable coming-of-age story. There are three main characters in the show. A lonely student who's not good at expressing his emotions, a star student who wants to break free from her mother's grip, and a perfect student who tries to appear strong, but is actually shy.
The romance in the show is not at all cringeworthy and is reminiscent of the young love most people experience in high school. The show resonated with viewers thanks to its tasteful handling of issues like social classes and bullying.
Best Mistake (2019)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
The show Best Mistake has a comical premise that would intrigue any viewer. A high school student has a dilemma. Another boy won't leave her alone and she comes up with the idea to claim a random guy as her fake boyfriend. It seems like a good plan until it isn't. She unknowingly picks the bad boy of her school.
Feeling guilty over spreading rumors on social media, she spends time with him to apologize. As many of these stories go, she starts to realize he's much more than his wild façade. There's another problem in her midst. His best friend seems to have secret feelings for her, as well. Watching this K-drama will be the best mistake viewers will make.
Sassy Go Go (2015)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Sassy Go Go is also known as Cheer Up! The 2015 drama still gets viewers hooked for its teen-based romance. Amongst the romance is a story of friendship and misadventures. The story takes place at an elite high school in Seoul. Like many teen drams, there are the top academic 5% and the students who barely score by.
The female lead is part of an outcast street dance club made up of students who don't do so well in school. On the other end are the class president and the school's top students. In an interesting turn of events, these two groups are forced to join together as a cheerleading squad. Due to the variety of themes Sassy Go Go touches on, it's a good K-drama for those initiated with the genre.
Revenge Note (2017)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
High school can be incredibly tough between cute boys, friendships, and bullies. Revenge Note was a popular K-drama set in a high-school and centered around a 17-year-old girl. She's quiet, shy, and keeps to herself but is constantly bullied. The school's recluse popularly comes to her aid too many times for his liking.
Viewers will be surprised to learn that one of the show's main characters, Cha Eun-woo plays himself as a popular K-Pop idol. His character is a close friend to the female lead. One day, the lead stumbles upon a phone app called 'Revenge Note.' When typing in the name of her bullies, bad things start happening to them.
A Love So Beautiful (2020)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Those googling this K-drama might discover that there's a Chinese version from 2017. The Korean version of the story was released on Netflix in 2020. Audiences will focus on the palpable love triangle. Cha Heon (Kim Yo-Han) is the type of student any girl would fall for in high school. He's got the looks and brains but can be seen as cold.
Shin Sol-yi (So Ju-Yeon) is bubbly, outgoing, and has a major crush on Cha Heon. Fans admire her guts to confess her feeling many times and even after many rejections still go after him. On the other end is a talented swimmer and new student. He secretly has feelings for the female lead but keeps it all to himself.
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018)
Available to stream on Netflix.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty had a valuable yet tough life lesson about the pressure of being socially accepted for looks. In the webtoon-based drama, Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-Hyang) was bullied all her childhood for her looks. Tired of feeling bad about herself and hated by others, she goes under the knife and becomes a rebirthed beauty.
No one recognizes who she is and starts her new life at college. At first, she's thrilled to be noticed but it all crumbles. The pressure of upholding her new looks and status takes a toll. Especially when everyone discovers that she had plastic surgery. She goes through a journey of sadness, rediscovery, self-esteem, and love with a former classmate.
True Beauty (2020)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
The 2020 K-drama has viewers on the edge of their seats with every episode. True Beauty follows a fun Cinderella-type story amongst the drama of high school teens, friendship, love, and troubled pasts. The show also features some jealous characters that add more drama to the narrative. In the show, Im Ju-Kyung (Moon Ga-Young) has been bullied all her life for not being pretty.
Getting the opportunity to transfer schools, she binge-watches makeup tutorials and transforms into a goddess. Her biggest fear is that everyone will discover her true face. Her classmate Lee Su-Ho (Cha Eun-Woo) starts to recognize her without makeup outside of school. Romantic feelings develop between both of them. At the same time, Su-ho's former friend and school bad boy gets close to Ju-Kyung and starts to fall for her as well.
Reply 1988 (2015)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Reply 1988 was a highly acclaimed drama from 2015 that's still ranked as one of the best. It might also be because the stories of the main characters continue in the sequel Reply 1997. But the characters are now full-fledged adults. The first installment focuses on five families living in the same neighborhood.
The coming-of-age story involves the teen friendships of the five families. This is a K-drama that had fans feeling serious 'second-lead syndrome' as one character is hopelessly in love with his best friend but can't seem to confess. But another friend in the group has feelings for her as well. Mixed in are the life and social circumstances of each family.
Love Alarm (2019)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Along with Crash Landing on You, Love Alarm has become one of the best K-dramas on Netflix. It was a commercial success that ranked as being the top release of 2019. The webtoon-based teen romance became well known for its love story revolving around an app and love triangle.
The creation of an app called 'Love Alarm' allows users to discover if someone within a ten-mile radius loves them. This leads to a romantic relationship between Kim Jo-Jo (Kim So-Hyun) and a wealthy student, Hwang Sun-Oh (Song Kang). But the app creates chaos amongst friends and for Jo-Jo while she deals with her personal life.
Extraordinary You (2019)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Analyzing this drama, many can tag it as being a breaking of the fourth wall, but not really. A teen girl starts to realize that there's something wrong with her high school life. She wakes up having already gone through days or even weeks. She comes to learn that she's a character in a fantasy comic.
She feels distraught over having no control over her life. Like being hopelessly in love with a bad boy who wants nothing to do with her. She becomes determined to write her own story. Her hope becomes stronger with the introduction of a new character and love interest. But her actions come with consequences as the story starts to merge with other works by the writer.
Tempted (2018)
Available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Tempted or The Great Seducer was K-drama that had fans reeling in angst and biting their nails until the end. It starred Woo Do-Hwan in one of his popular roles as Kwon Shi-Hyun. He and his two best friends are wealthy and play dangerous games for amusement.
One day his female best friend wants revenge on another student. Shi-Hyun makes a bet that he can seduce Eun Tae-hee (Park Soo-Young). To a point where he can make her fall in love and then break her heart. Neither of them expected their feelings to become genuine and fall in love. But Shi-Hyun's dark secret could ruin them.