More often than not, we find ourselves on the lookout for heart eyes, butterflies, and romance in K-dramas, but what if today isn’t that kind of day? Sometimes, all we want is something to remind us that platonic relationships are just as important, too. Whether you’re in need of a different genre to explore, or you just so happen to miss your friends a little extra today, we’re way ahead of you.
Below, we list down 10 K-dramas that best tackle friendships. From resolving petty arguments to overcoming life’s greatest challenges, these shows will surely remind you of the bond between you and your own barkada.
1. Reply 1988
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
Growing up in the same neighborhood, childhood friends Sung Deok-sun, Sung Sun-woo, Ryu Dong-ryong, Kim Jung-hwan, and Choi Taek develop an unbreakable bond. The kids of Ssangmundong have been watching movies together since forever and are constantly crashing each other’s homes. While they’re no stranger to petty arguments, they’ve sworn to watch out for each other when caught up in moments of mischief and distress in their lives, set in the turbulent year of 1988.
Starring: Lee Hye Ri, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Dong Hwi, Ryu Joon Yeol, Park Bo Gum
2. Hospital Playlist
Watch on: Netflix
Catching each other sneak out of a student gathering back in their pre-med years, it’s no secret Yulje Medical Center’s top-tier doctors, Lee Ik-jun, Ahn Jeong-won, Chae Song-hwa, Kim Jun-wan, and Yang Seok-hyeong all met by accident in a small stock room. Twenty years down the line and their strong bond hasn't changed a bit. As they fight through busy hospital shifts and life-changing events as adults, they continue to stay present in each other’s lives by means of small gestures and setting their weekends for band sessions just like they did back in the day.
Starring: Cho Jung Seok, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jeon Mi Do, Jung Kyung Ho, Kim Dae Myeung
3. Welcome to Waikiki
Watch on: Netflix
Despite having varying skill sets, backgrounds, and personalities, aspiring film director Kang Dong-gu, eccentric actor Lee Joon-ki, and freelance writer Bong Doo-shik come together to open the Waikiki Guesthouse in hopes of paying off the production costs of their upcoming film. Seeing as this hilariously misfit bunch have no clue how to run their own business, their wacky antics and ridiculous shenanigans will definitely have you belly-laughing in no time.
Starring: Kim Jung Hyun, Lee Yi Kyung, Son Seung Won
4. Because This Is My First Life
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
Homeless Yoon Ji-ho just so happened to be looking for a new home when house poor Nam Se-hee began her search for a housemate. Connected by a mutual need, a close friendship grows between the two as soon as they start to live under the same roof. While the show is set up to develop them romantically, it also features the strong bond between Ji-ho and her two high school friends, Soo-ji and Ho-rang. The trio help each other navigate the adult world while managing to keep their unconditional love for each other intact.
Starring: Jung So Min, Lee Min Ki, Woo Soo Ji, Ma Sang Goo, Yang Ho Rang, Shim Won Seok
5. Sassy, Go Go (Cheer Up!)
Watch on: Viu
Cheer Up!, otherwise known as Sassy, Go Go, is set within the walls of a toxic and competitive high school environment that solely bases achievements on numbered ranks and scores. Luckily, thanks to the great friendship and camaraderie that eventually builds among its students, the kids of Sevit High School form a cheerleading squad and are able to weather through the absurdities of the institution together.
Starring: Jang Eun Ji, Chae Soo Bin, N, Lee Won Keun, Kim Ji Soo
6. Chicago Typewriter
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
Three resistance fighters from the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea reincarnate as depressed best-selling author Han Se-joo, talented ghostwriter Yu Jin-oh, and all-around expert Jeon Seol, in the 21st century. This fantasy romance drama follows the trio as they still somehow manage to find each other 80 years later, while in the midst of piecing together the truth behind their fragmented past.
Starring: Yoo Ah In, Im Soo Jung, Go Kyung Pyo
7. Dear My Friends
Watch on: Netflix
Dragged along for casual hangouts with her mother’s friends, Jo Hee-ja, Moon Jung-ah, Oh Choong-nam, and Lee Yeong-won, the young Park Wan unexpectedly develops a fascinating bond with her new elderly pals. As she hears about the eventful happenings that occurred during their twilight years, she’s soon inspired to write a novel about them.
Starring: Go Hyun Jung, Kim Hye Ja, Na Moon Hee
8. Boys Over Flowers
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
Remember Boys Over Flowers? The iconic K-drama adaptation of the original Japanese manga series just never gets old. The plot follows a sequence of unfortunate events that lead to athletic scholar Geum Jan-di finding herself acquainted with F4, the most powerful, influential, and notorious friend group of Shinhwa High school. Her social status already makes her feel out of place among her wealthy schoolmates, but her situation does not get any easier with the greater turmoil she’s put into once she finds herself caught between dramatic yet eventuful lives of Goo Joon-pyo, Yoon Ji-hoo, So Yi-jung, and Song Woo-bin.
Starring: Koo Hye Sun, Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Joon, Kim Bum
9. Fight for My Way
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
Ko Dong-man is a contract employee who aspires to become a renowned mixed martial artist. On the other hand, his childhood friend, Choi Ae-ra, wishes to trade her information desk job at the department store for that of a television announcer’s. The wholesome bond they share as friends becomes the source of their strength as they encourage each other to chase and achieve their own dream jobs, despite their seeimng “third-rate” qualifications.
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Kim Ji Won, Ahn Jae Hong, Song Ha Yoon
10. Hello, My Twenties (Age of Youth)
Watch on: Netflix
Living under the same roof of Belle Epoque, college students Yoon Jin-myung, Kang Yi-na, Song Ji-won, Jung Ye-eun, and Yoo Eun-jae undoubtedly make an amusing group thanks to their varying personalities and backgrounds. Rumor has it that there’s even a sixth presence living in their home. Thanks to the girls’ mutual sympathy for the wandering ghost, their bond grows stronger with time as they go through the woes of youth together, from dating, to part-time jobs, and everything else in between.
Starring: Han Ye Ri, Ryu Hwa Young, Ryu Hwa Young, Park Eun Bin, Han Seung Yeon
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