There’s nothing I despise more than people romanticising this hot and humid weather. But even with all these drawbacks, there’s a different charm to summers. Look at nature (sans the pollution); flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and everyone is enjoying their favourite iced drink, having mangoes while watching their comfort shows or reading a book. Talking about comfort shows in the summer, nothing feels better than a K-drama.
There are numerous K-dramas where the story takes place in the summer and will transport us to those carefree summertime memories. Summers can also be a great time to re-watch your favourite K-dramas. So, here is a mix of some classics and new K-dramas to add to your summer watch list:
Coffee Prince
Coffee Prince’s plot revolves around the love life and dreams of four young people who meet together at a cafe. Han-gyeol is a smart young man who hates to be tied down to one career in his life. Abhorring the idea of joining the family business, he is ordered by his grandmother to manage a cafe. Unable to disobey his grandmother, he reluctantly takes over the responsibility of running a cafe and begins to immerse himself in the gourmet coffee business. One day, he meets Eun-chan, a cheerful girl who has an unpredictable personality, and learns the meaning of true love.
Stream on: Netflix
Our Beloved Summer
This one takes you back to your teenage years. Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-Su broke up 5 years ago. But a documentary they filmed during their high school starts becoming viral. Choi Ung seems naive and a free spirited man, but now he wants to have something for the the first time in his life. For that, he shows what he holds in his mind. Kook Yeon-Su aimed to become the top student at her school, but she is now an adult who lives fiercely, adapting to her reality.
Stream on: Netflix
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
After a conflict with her boss, dentist Yoon Hye Jin escapes the city to a seaside village where she’d vacationed as a little girl. When she learns the village is without a dentist, she decides to set up her practice there permanently. As the former city dweller’s stiff and guarded demeanour almost immediately rubs the locals the wrong way, the free-spirited jack of all trades, Hong Do Shik, steps in. There to help her learn to navigate life in a small village, although they don’t hit it off well at first, they slowly start living in their love story on the Jeju island.
Stream On: Netflix
Lovely Runner
A time-travelling K-drama with lots of summer vibes. In the glitzy realm of stardom, Ryu Seon Jae shines as a top-tier celebrity, captivating the spotlight since his debut. Despite the facade of a perfect life, the demanding nature of the entertainment industry has left him utterly exhausted. Im Sol, the female lead, an ardent admirer, holds an affectionate love for Ryu Seon Jae. A childhood accident derailed her dreams, yet the solace found in Ryu Seon Jae’s music on the radio transformed her into an unwavering fan. The narrative takes a poignant turn when Im Sol, reeling from the breaking news of Ryu Seon Jae’s tragic demise, experiences a miraculous twist of fate.
Transported back 15 years into the past, she confronts Ryu Seon Jae, his 19-year-old high school self. Im Sol grapples with the formidable challenge of altering the trajectory of his future, driven by an unyielding determination to avert the impending tragedy. The show is still ongoing, but it has become a fan favourite at the moment.
Stream On: Viki
The Legend of the Blue Sea
A Lee Min-Ho hit. Sometime in August 1598, the newly appointed governor stays for a night at an inn run by Mr. Yang. During that evening, Mr. Yang shows Dam Ryung a captured mermaid named Sim Chung. Later that night, Dam Ryung releases her into the ocean, and, before she swims away, Sim Chung reaches out her hand to Dam Ryung, which he briefly holds.
In the present day, Joon-Jae is a smooth-talking conman with magician-like abilities. He works with his friends Nam-Doo and Tae-O. He impersonates a prosecutor and swindles a large amount of money from a wealthy suspect’s mother. Joon-Jae then travels abroad and stays at an oceanside resort. Meanwhile, the mermaid Sim Chung is swept up in a tidal wave and washed ashore near the oceanside resort, meeting Joon-Jae once again.
Stream On: Netflix
When the Camellia Blooms
This K-drama is a thriller-comedy with its central character, Dong-baek, a single mother who resides in the little hamlet of Ongsan. She looks after her son, Pil-gu (Kim Kang-hoon), and manages a pub restaurant called Camellia to make ends meet. However, there are social stigmas associated with being a single mother, and as many men frequent the pub, the villagers often engage in gossip about Dong-baek. She nevertheless continues to act casually and gives her son her utmost attention. Later she also gives love a second chance in her life.
Stream on: Netflix
Twinkling Watermelon
This K-drama will tell the story of a boy living a double life between a model student and a band member who gets to time slip and meets his 18-year-old father. Hih school student Eun Gyeol has hearing-impaired parents, but he has a gift for music. He is a model student by day and plays the guitar in a band at night. One day, he visits a mysterious musical instrument store and travels to a strange place. There, Eun Gyeol meets Ha Yi-Chan, Choi Se-Kyung, and Yoon Chung-A. They form a band called Watermelon Sugar. Meanwhile, Ha Yi-Chann has a crush on Choi Se-Kyung, who is known as the Cello Goddess of Seowon Arts High School, and tries to win her heart.
Stream on: Viki
