10 Hopeful K-Dramas to Inspire You to Get a Fresh Start
It's never too late to take back your life.
When you're an adult, constantly facing one problem after another that life throws at you, it's not so strange to look for a way out. Of course, making a change in the familiar order of things can be scary, but sometimes without change you risk being stuck in a place you hate forever. Mentally or physically, it doesn't matter.
Fortunately, the fictional stories of people who have managed to turn their lives around are a great source of inspiration, and there are enough of them to spend months watching. Just pick one of the K-dramas below and take note of how much happier the main characters become once they get rid of what they hate.
Summer Strike (2022)
Lee Yeo Reum's seemingly perfect life in the big city is ruined in one day by the sudden death of her mother and the breakup with her boyfriend. She drops everything and flees to a small seaside town to catch her breath and do absolutely nothing. There she meets librarian An Dae Beom, who also has a few skeletons in his closet.
Call It Love (2023)
Blamed on her father's mistress, Sim Woo Joo is left homeless after his death. She puts her life back together piece by piece and makes sure to take revenge on a bitter woman. The plan almost fails when she falls in love with the son of her father's mistress and is forced to choose between her plan and her newfound happiness.
Hometown Cha-cha-cha (2021)
While Yoon Hye Jin has a lot going on in the big city, she decides to change her life and moves away. There she opens her own practice and meets Hong Do Shik, a careless and unemployed handyman who gets by without thinking too much about his existence. Together they can help each other to see life in a different light.
Because This Is My First Life (2017)
There is nothing that screams 'rock bottom' like ending up homeless. After spending years pursuing a career as a screenwriter, Yoon Ji Ho is now facing a crisis in both her finances and her personal life. An arranged marriage may not sound like the perfect solution to all her problems, but with a roof over her head and a man by her side, life might just get easier.
Welcome to Samdalri (2023)
When your whole life has been built around the dream of getting out of your small town and having all the opportunities you could only imagine growing up, it can be hard to give it up and face disappointment. Returning to Samdalri after a few years in Seoul, Cho Sam Dal must learn to see the good in her surroundings and reinvent herself.
When the Weather is Good (2020)
Coming back to a hometown full of memories, both good and bad, can be difficult at times. But back in her village, Hae Won meets Eun Seob, a bookstore owner whose life is nothing but reading and writing. As they share their passions, they learn to see the world around them from different perspectives.
When the Camellia Blooms (2019)
Dong Baek didn't have it easy growing up. She was an orphan and then became a single mother by accident. As the owner of the bar, where many single men frequent, she has to face all kinds of rumors, but she remains strong against them all. She has people who love and protect her, even if she doesn't realize it yet.
My Liberation Notes (2022)
What can unite three young and ambitious Yeom siblings, Chang Hee, Mi Jung and Ki Jung, all waiting for their chance to escape their small village in search of a better life, and a mysterious drunkard who is the subject of much gossip? My Liberation Notes pits the hopeless against the hopeful and creates a beautiful dramatic story.
Once Upon a Small Town (2022)
When Han Ji Yool is forced to leave Seoul and his prestigious job as a veterinarian at a city clinic to come to his grandfather's village, he's not happy about the change. When he realizes that he has to stay and take over his grandfather's veterinary clinic, he's completely terrified. With the help of local official Ahn Ja Young, he embarks on a new journey.
Castaway Diva (2023)
If there is a survival story more impressive that the one that Mok Ha lived through, it’s yet to be told. After being trapped on a deserted island for more than 15 years, she comes back to modern society with one dream: to become a singer. However, her expectations may be shattered by how much life has changed in her absence.