I consider myself to be somewhat of a K-Drama connoisseur having watched almost every popular drama out there since Boys Before Flowers (you can guess how old I am). But, let’s be brutally honest, K-dramas have built a reputation. You start one thinking that it’ll be super cute and happy… and then suddenly you’re wide awake at 2:00 am, with tissues in your hand and questioning humanity while whispering “Why do I do this to myself?”
Been there, done that multiple times. And you know, sometimes you don’t want a ‘beautiful masterpiece drama that’s devasting’.
You want joy.
You want romance without trauma.
You want characters who don’t suffer endlessly just to prove a point.
Well, I have some good news for you. Not all K-dramas are emotional roller coasters.
I have gone through all the dramas that I’ve personally watched and created this list which features 15 happy K-dramas that won’t make you cry. These stories are actually happy, light and certified emotionally-safe. No tragic illness, cruel love triangles or soul-crushing finales. I’ve tried to organize them by mood, but trust me you can’t go wrong with any of them.
💕 Rom-Com Comfort (Flirty, Fun, Zero Tears)
1. Business Proposal (2022)
Episodes: 12
Where to watch (US): Netflix
The Plot: A woman goes on a blind date pretending to be her rich bff. But imagine her surprise when she finds out that the man sitting across the table is her company’s CEO. What follows next is plenty of chaos, fake dating and lots and lots of sizzling chemistry.
Why should you check it out: This drama knows it’s a rom-com and sticks to the script. The conflicts resolve super quickly, the couples actually communicate with each other and the tone is always light and playful. And you can’t forget the friendship between the two female leads because honestly, I want a BFF like that who’ll wine and dine me.
Perfect for when: you want fast-paced romance and lots of giggles.
2. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017)
Episodes: 16+special
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki
The Plot: Please don’t confuse this one for its spiritual sequel Strong Girl Nam-soon which is good but it can’t hold a candle to this. A super petite woman who’s super into games wants to create a video game where she’s the main character. But she has a huge secret; the women in her family are blessed with super strength. She ends up becoming the body of the quirky CEO to a gaming company and learns how to use her strength for good along the way.
Why should you check it out: There are some action elements, but the main heart of the show is comedy. The male lead (ML) is super supportive and the female lead is confident. It’s a show made for laughs and fun and that shows in its vibe.
Perfect for when: you want to fix your heart after K-trauma.
3. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Hulu, Viki (occasionally)
The Plot: A super narcissistic CEO suddenly finds himself in a spiral when his ultra-competent secretary announces that she’s quitting. He’s then forced to confront his feelings (and himself) when he tries to get her to stay.
Why should you check it out: If I had to select my top 10 K-dramas, this would be one of them. There are some ‘serious’ moments but even those are handled super gently and the romance falls more on the cozy side rather than angsty. You could even say that it’s super cringe but in a way that’s fun. And those ‘aura’ moments will have you in a chuckle.
Perfect for when: you want relaxed evenings with flirty banter and no stress.
4. My Girl (2005)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Viki
The Plot: Joo Yoo-Rin is a super cheerful but super broke con artist (thanks to her gambling father). She ends up getting employed by a rich chaebol, Gong-Chan, to pretend to be as his grandfather’s long-lost granddaughter aka his cousin. Faith takes a spin when the dying granddad ends up so happy that he makes a total recovery, and Yoon-Rin is forced to live as Gong-Chan’s cousin while they develop feelings for each other.
Why should you check it out: Fetus Lee Dong-Wook and Lee Joon-Gi look so adorable in this classic early 2000s rom-com gold. Lee Da Hae’s performance as Joo Yoo is super bubbly and Lee Dong-Wook makes for the classic perfect tsundere. The show is so funny, fast-paced and so nostalgic. It’s one of those dramas that many fans credit for pulling them in the K-dramas wave.
Try this when: you’re in the mood for old-school rom-com chaos.
🏡 Cozy Slice-Of-Life (Warm, Wholesome, Soul-Soothing)
5. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Netflix
The Plot: A big-city dentist moves to a seaside village and slowly becomes part of a close-knit community led by an endlessly kind handyman. This drama does such a good job at subverting all of those K-drama clichés that I’m shook.
Why should you check it out: Three words, Shin Min Ah. But apart from her, if your whole vibe is a drama where the leads get to know each other realistically and then fall in love, then this is it. The ML has deep trauma and it often affects the way he interacts with people, but he’s not afraid to accept that he loves the FL and does his best to fight for them. Each emotional moment is wrapped in healing and the way that the FL blends in with the people of the town feels like a soft seaside breeze.
Perfect for when: when you want comfort, community, and gentle romance.
6. Hospital Playlist (2020–2021)
Episodes: 24 (2 seasons)
Where to watch: Netflix
The Plot: Five friends who attended medical school together end up working at the same hospital. Hospital Playlist covers how they navigate through the demanding job of being a doctor while supporting each other. Also, they play music as a band (hence the name Hospital Playlist) which makes them so much more dimensional as characters.
Why should you check it out: You know hospital dramas often mean lots of shock value and angst right? Well, this one is different. It focuses more on the everyday, the meals that we eat together, the inside jokes and how it feels to have people who know you. I won’t lie; there are some emotional scenes but they’re done pretty well.
But a small warning that the first few episodes might be a little confusing because there are so many characters. However it truly begins to shine around the 5th episode mark and doesn’t slow down from there.
Try this when: you want the kind of show that feels like spending time with old friends.
7. Because This Is My First Life (2017)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki
The Plot: Nam Se-hee is a socially awkward IT worker whose life revolves around his house and his cat. Yoon Ji-ho is a struggling writer facing housing insecurity and emotional burnout. Circumstances happen and they end up in a marriage for convenience which slowly evolves into something far more human, as both characters confront love, expectations, gender roles, and the quiet fears that come with adulthood.
Why should you check it out: You get to explore topics like marriage, career anxiety and social pressure from a woman’s perspective. Some might call it sad, but I like to think that it’s super reflective.
Try this when: you want a drama that understands adulthood.
8. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Netflix
The Plot: Woo Young-woo is a rookie lawyer with a photographic memory and a brilliant legal mind; and she’s also on the autism spectrum. As she begins her career at a prestigious law firm, the drama follows her through complex legal cases, workplace challenges, and her first experiences with friendship and love.
As usually the case with legal dramas, each episode presents a standalone case with the underlying message about how to find your own place when the world makes you feel otherwise.
Why should you check it out: When it comes to representation, K-dramas wouldn’t be my choice. But this one is different. Woo Young isn’t a prop or something that needs fixing. She’s Woo Young with her agency and intelligence. Even the people around her aren’t perfect but they try and sometimes that means so much more.
Try this when: you want meaningful storytelling without tears.
✨ Light Fantasy (Magical, Not Melancholy)
9. My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Viki, iQIYI
The Plot: I originally watched this drama as a webtoon but the drama doesn’t disappoint either. You have a kumiho (male fox-spirit) who has lived for 999 years in the hopes of eventually becoming a human. His fox bead gets accidentally swallowed by a female college student, so they end up living together in his house to help him get back his bead.
Why should you check it out: There’s plenty of fantasy hijinks, playful romance and lots of humor. I personally find the chemistry between the second leads to be more enjoyable. But fair warning that some people might think that the drama drags on especially after the 12th episode mark.
Try this when: you want magic with plenty of laughs and Hyeri because she is always amazing.
10. My Love From the Star (2013-2014)
Episodes: 21
Where to watch: Viki
The Plot: A super mysterious and rich man lives lives next door to a top actress who turns his quiet life upside down when she uncovers his secret; that he’s actually an alien who has been living on Earth for 400 years. He’s just waiting for the right moment to leave but who knows if he’ll find a reason to stay back?
Why should you check it out: Okay, okay hear me out. Your opinion of Kim Soo-Hyun might have aged like milk but this drama is a certified classic for a reason. It’s got fantasy, comedy and plenty of romance and it does it in a way that’s so effortless. The emotional moments never overpower the fun and the fashion is honestly iconic.
Try this when: you want iconic and entertaining K-drama energy with romance.
😂 Famous Laugh-Out-Loud Comfort
11. Touch Your Heart (2019)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Viki
The Plot: A famous actress (sounds familiar I know), begins to work as a secretary at a law firm because she’s preparing for a comeback role. There she slowly begins to develop a relationship with a reserved lawyer.
Why should you check it out: If you’ve watched Goblin and shed endless tears for the pairing of the Grim Reaper and Sunny, then please check this drama out. I imagine that this is them in a parallel universe where the stakes are low, the angst is low but the charm is high. Think of this drama as romance comfort food, nothing more and nothing less, which is also why it works out so well.
Try this when: you want stress-free watching.
12. Welcome to Waikiki (2018)
Episodes: 20
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki, Prime Video
The Plot: The premise is fairly simple. Three struggling men try to run a guesthouse in Itaewon which is constantly on the verge of bankruptcy. Their lives are suddenly turned upside down when a single mother and her baby join the household. What comes next is a series of misunderstandings and extremely questionable decision-making with constant laughs.
Why should you check it out: If you’re looking for something subtle and thought-provoking, sorry this is not it. This drama fully commits to becoming a sitcom-style comedy and it doesn’t look back. The characters fail very spectacularly, the humor is loud, physical and relentless. But the thing that I adore the most is that friendship takes the center stage. People mess up, and they move on without any angst
Try this when: you don’t want to think, and just need to laugh.
🏃 Coming-of-Age / Sports / Feel-Good
13. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016)
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Netflix, Viki
The Plot: Kim Bok Joo is a college weightlifter who is navigating through the pressures of being an athlete, her body image issues (because she’s competing in what’s traditionally considered to be a masculine sport), friendship, and of course, first love. She’s in for a whirlwind of experiences when she meets Jung Joon Hyung who’s a swimmer. He’s so playful but has his own emotional baggage.
Why it works: This drama has given us one of the greenest flags in K-drama male lead history. The romance is slow, sweet and starts from a place of genuine friendship. Also the supporting cast (especially her friends and her dad) make the setting feel so alive.
Try this when: you want youthful romance.
14. Reply 1988
Episodes: 20
Where to watch: Netflix
The Plot: This one is a difficult one to write about. It doesn’t have a central storyline like most dramas. Instead it feels more akin to a memory. We find ourselves drifting between five families who live on the same street back in the 1980s. The parents argue about money, the teens obsess over grades and what’s cool, the siblings fight. You have entire households spilling into one another’s rooms but it’s honestly one of the best dramas ever created.
Why should you check it out: Remember the title and introduction where I promised that you wouldn’t cry with these recommendations? Okay, maybe I lied a little. This is my mom’s favorite drama, and it isn’t your angsty ‘cry every episode’ drama but it does hit you in different ways. You’ll find yourself crying, laughing and even being nostalgic because of how accurately it captures family dynamics.
Try this when: you’re in the mood for a show that feels like life is unfolding before your eyes.
15. She Was Pretty
Episodes: 16
Where to watch: Viki
The Plot: We’ve all heard this plot before. Slightly overweight yet adorable boy falls in love with the class beauty, they met years later when he’s had a glow-up and they fall in love. Well, what if the girl is no longer the class beauty but instead loses all of her perfect features and now seems normal? Well, the answer to that is that in a moment of insecurity, she asks her effortlessly glamorous best friend to take her place, which sets off a chain of workplace misunderstandings.
Why should you check it out: Everything seems designed for comedy and chaos, but underneath the surface it teaches you an important lesson. Sometimes looks aren’t everything and the feeling of discomfort that rises up in your chest of becoming someone different from you thought you’d turn out to be is all too relatable.
Try this when: you want a reminder that looks aren’t really everything in life.