Test of Patience: Top 10 Slowest Burning K-Dramas, Ranked
K-Dramas are known for their melodramatic twists and turns, and we are here for it.
Having said that, sometimes you want that tension to last a while…
If you're in the mood for some drawn-out romance, here are the most popular slow burn k-dramas, ranked.
10. The Real Deal Has Come!
6.6 on IMDb
Let the debate begin… is The Real Has Come the slowest burning k-drama of all time, or just a show that took forever to get to the point? This one has to be on the list because it's the first one k-drama fans think of when they think of a slow burn (fifty episodes will do that to ya). But it's in last place because it's more 'slow' than 'burn'… this one is actually packed with melodrama. Still, if you're waiting for the main couple to realize their feelings for one another, be prepared to wait.
9. Our Beloved Summer
8.2 on IMDb
A free spirited artist and a down-to-earth PR expert have been broken up for some time. But when a documentary about their high school goes viral, they reluctantly agree to face the cameras together.
Over the course of sixteen episodes, Yeon-soo and Choi Ung are slowly drawn back together again in this sweetly slow-moving second-chance romance.
8. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
8.3 on IMDb
One of the lesser-known k-dramas on this list, 'Weightlifting Fairy' had a poor viewership when it first aired and has remained under the radar. However, this slow-burning and quirky show has since gained a cult following.
Kim Bok Joo dreams of being a weightlifter, and falls in with a ragtag group of college athletes. In the meantime, she is head-over-heels in love with the brother of her friend Joon-Hyung. At first Joon-Hyung helps Bok Joo with her crush, but slowly finds himself falling in love with her himself.
7. My Liberation DiaryDiar
8.3 on IMDb
Three siblings feel trapped in their mundane routines. But when a mysterious stranger shows up in town, he's about to change their lives forever.
Although there's plenty going on, 'My Liberation Notes' strikes a different chord from the average k-drama; its characters are struggling with the everyday problems of loneliness, fear, depression, and self-doubt.
6. When the Weather is Fine
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7.8 on IMDb
There's something about a slow-burn series that just pairs so perfectly with a friends-to-lovers romance. Mok Hae-won quits her job in the big city after a devastating series of events. She moves back to the village where she went to high school, reconnecting with her friend Im Eun-seob. The winter is long and cold, but as they keep each other company they find their hearts beginning to thaw.
5. Do You Like Brahms?
7.6 on IMDb
Come for the slow burn, stay for the slow Brahms. Even if you aren't a classical music fan, you'll be able to appreciate the way the soundtrack informs this 11-episode drama about a young woman who gives up her career in business to go back to school and study the violin. There, she makes friends with a small group of dedicated musicians and begins to fall in love.
4. Chocolate
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7.6 on IMDb
A neurosurgeon (who wishes he was a cook) and a cook (who found her path because of him) connect in a hospice ward. Over the course of many years, their connection grows stronger and they help each other to heal from their traumatic pasts.
This sometimes heavy romantic drama unfolds over 16 episodes for the viewers, but for the characters it takes decades.
3. My Mister
9.1 on IMDb
A desperately poor woman is burdened with looking after her sick grandmother. She makes an unlikely connection with her supervisor at work, who is dealing with constant abuse from his colleagues. The story is full of long silences and quiet tension, which may make some viewers impatient – but if you're here for the slow burn, you've come to the right place.
2. Call it Love
7.7 on IMDb
Woo-joo's life hits a major series of bumps. First, she finds out that her father has a mistress. Then, he dies. Then, the mistress kicks her out of the family home. Woo-joo plans to take revenge, and chooses to target the woman's son – but against her will, she finds herself falling for him. The premise sounds melodramatic, but the chemistry is intense and the burn is deliciously slooooow…
1. Hospital Playlist
8.8 on IMDb
Everything on this list is subjective, but when it takes a couple twenty years to get together… well, let's just say this one leaps to the top of the list and will probably stay there forever. Hospital Playlist follows the trials and tribulations of five doctors who met at medical school and now work in the same hospital. The real-life effects of the show have been anything but a slow burn; in Korea, a huge increase in organ donations in 2021 has been directly linked to the awareness spread through this popular drama.