Looking for the next drama that’ll make you swoon, dream about your future fictional boyfriend and, occasionally, make you cry ? You’re in the perfect place ! Here are 3 Korean dramas where love gets past the toughest challenge (time) by getting stronger through a century (the 90s) to another (the 2000s year).
20th century girl – movie
When her father send her the picture of an old cassette, Na Bo Ra is suddenly driven to the story around the object and how it ended up in her possession. From that moment, we’re led to her teenage years, a journey in the 90s where love and friendship entangle.
The story starts with a big and funny confusion —and in 1996, if you want to situate yourself. But no spoilers, you’ll have to discover it by yourself through the movie.
When Na Bo-a’s best friend, Kim Yeon-du, go to the US for a heart operation, she leaves her with a high stake mission : find information on her crush, Baek Hyun-jin. Taking her role very seriously, Na Bo-ra will try to get closer to Poong Woon-ho, Baek Hyun-jin’s best friend, to complete her mission. But her misadventure leads her to discover her own heart as she catches feeling for Poong Woon-ho. And just when she thought that she got everything figured out, Yeon-du is back and the situation gets slightly complicated.
Tune in for love – Movie
Min-su and Hyeon-wu met in 1994, a time when both of them were figuring out life.
While Min Su’s head is full of dreams and plans for the future, Hyeon-wu’s doesn’t expect anything else than pain and regret from his new life. Indeed, after a grave incident for which he was sent to juvy, the young man drops out from school and is thrown into adulthood. Which leads him to Eun-ja’s little bakery and… to Min Su. And from the moment he crosses that door and Min-su met his gaze, their story begins.
Their relationship starts quite slowly and realistically. From strangers (Min-su’s even afraid of him in the beginning), they become colleagues before a friendship and a bond blossom. But life always plays tricks on them, whenever it throws them apart and bring them together again. As they finally get hold on each other, the biggest gate is yet to be crossed : Hyeon-wu’s past.
Watching Tune in for love was like deciding to go on a walk that was meant to be peaceful but was finally conducted on a thorny and tumultuous path. However, the end of the road is so bright that it’s worth any adversity and difficulty encounter. And the way to it is guided with a delicious and special soundtrack…
Twenty five Twenty one – tv show
The drama starts in 2020 when Kim Min-shae find her mother’s diary after an argument with the latter. It’s through her perspective that we are transported in the late 90s, to Na Hee-do’s youth.
In 1998, South Korea is disrupted by the Asian economic crisis.
At 18, Na Hee-do’s dream falls apart when her fencing club is suddenly shut down for financial restrictions. While many of her teammates resign, Na Hee-do is more than ever determined to achieve her goals. Soon, she finds out the solution : joining the school and team of her forever hero, Ko Yu-rim. You’ll soon learn that Na Hee-do is not only a fencer prodigy. She has as much the knack of finding herself in the most unfortunate and hilarious situations. It’s, in fact, during one of them that she’ll become acquainted, then friends with a disillusioned Baek Yi-jin, 22, whom it seems she can’t stop stumbling into.
If the beginning of their relationship is tumultuous, Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do’s will grow to become more than friends through the years. Despite the changes in each other lives.
While the romance is very present in the plot, themes like determination, family or friendship are deeply explored. You’ll love the group dynamic of Na Hee-do, Back Yi-jin and their friends !
K-drama beginner ? You can find here a small list of Korean dramas to begin your Hallyuwood experience !