5 Fantasy Romance K-Dramas To Watch If You Can't Get Over "Lovely Runner"
It’s been barely a week since “Lovely Runner” ended with one of the most romantic and perfect finales ever seen in the history of K-dramas. It’s no wonder why many are still lingering over the fact that it’s over. This hit K-drama took the world by storm, depicting the awe-inspiring story of love and redemption of Im Sol (majestically portrayed by Kim Hye Yoon) and Ryu Sun Jae (wonderfully played by Byeon Woo Seok). Though we might have to wait another decade to find an equally enthralling story with a match-made-in-heaven like this one, here are some very good choices that can help to cope with the absence of the “SolSeon Couple.”
1. “Extraordinary You”
If you are looking for a fresh, exciting, and fully original story, then this is the one for you. Also starring the marvelous Kim Hye Yoon, “Extraordinary You” tells the story of Eun Dan Oh, a character who suddenly realizes she is living in a world of cartoons. But to her greatest surprise, she isn’t actually the female lead, but just an extra. Even worse, she is destined to die due to a heart condition. However, she is determined to change her ill-fate and find her own happiness. To make it possible, she has to fight the omnipresent force of the writer, her set up as the pathetic girlfriend of aloof Baek Kyung (Lee Jae Wook), and even her imminent death. But as a mere extra, there’s little she can actually do to change things, or so she thinks until she meets a nameless character who continuously appears in her moments of need.
The moment she meets this mysterious character and decides to name him Haru (Rowoon) is when their fates start to entangle more and more, until they actually change the setting of the story little by little. What they don’t know is that their existence is even more connected than they actually believed at first. As they fight Dan Oh’s terrible fate together, they not only discover the complex thread that intertwines their lives, but they also find purpose and love on the way. With bright yet endearing storytelling, “Extraordinary You” gives a new light into metafiction and K-dramas for all of those who love romance, web comics, and fantasy.
Start watching “Extraordinary You” below:
2. “Doom at Your Service”
While Im Sol had to fight against time and fate in “Lovely Runner,” in “Doom at Your Service” the female lead Tak Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young) has to fight against another force of nature: misfortune itself. After being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, she asks the heavens for the total destruction of the world, seeing as her own life is ending in the most terrible way. What she never expected was to receive the doom in the flesh at her front door. Myul Mang (Seo In Guk) knocks at her door, offering a deal hard to resist: he will take away her pain and death only if she agrees to wish for the end of everything.
Seeing the moral conflict and hesitation in Dong Kyung, Myul Mang decides to make her fall in love with him in order to accomplish his most inner desire: to end his own life. But the more he tries to coerce her into yielding to his wishes, the more he is drawn to her peculiar personality, until one day he realizes that the one who really fell in love was him. They turn into a pair of star-crossed lovers who will have to face the death of the other or the inevitably doom of the world. Though this might seem like a too sad to bear sort of story, the incredible chemistry and great acting of the main cast will carry you through every episode like you’re taking a Sunday morning walk.
Start watching “Doom at Your Service” below:
3. “While You Were Sleeping”
Though this is not a time-slip drama per se, the story of Nam Hong Joo (Suzy) and Jung Jae Chan (Lee Jung Suk) does revolve around struggles with time. Hong Joo has always had premonitory dreams, an ability that has been both a curse and a gift to her. She knows that whatever she does, she cannot change the future, as it’s bound to happen in one way or another. But the day she dreams of a terrible accident that ends up in the death of her mother, she decides that she will change that tragic future no matter what. That’s when Jae Chan, a lousy prosecutor, and Han Woo Tak (Jung Hae In), a diligent and friendly police officer, come into her life, proving to be the key to change their fate.
Along the way of figuring out the circumstances that bring them together, Hong Joo and Jae Chan team up as reporter and prosecutor in order to bring to light the truth in several legal cases that involve them somehow. Though there’s plenty of angst and frustrating situations in this K-drama, the fantasy element gives it a good resource to lighten up the mood. It also gives it the perfect opening for an endearing love story. The main cast not only shows good chemistry together, but they also make a full display of their acting skills. Whether it is a heavy legal confrontation or a silly and embarrassing situation, this drama will keep you at the edge of your seat.
Start watching “While You Were Sleeping” below:
4. “The Atypical Family”
Another drama airing this year that has piqued everyone’s interest is the “The Atypical Family.” Starring Jang Ki Yong and Chun Woo Hee, it tells the story of Do Da Hae, a con-artist who, with the help of her “family,” cheats men into marriage in order to reap them of their fortunes. When she first meets Bok Gwi Joo and his family, she doesn’t find anything different from any other rich people, except that they aren’t exactly normal either. Every one of them has a supernatural ability like flying, going back in time, or having visions from the future; however, they currently can’t use them due to special circumstances. Convinced that Do Da Hae is the key to recover their abilities, Gwi Joo’s mother plans to arrange their marriage, despite her son’s objections.
Bok Gwi Joo, who has the ability to go back in time to any happy moment of his life, has been suffering from depression ever since the loss of his wife and a dear colleague, which has prevented him from using his ability. But everything changes the moment Da Hae enters his life. Not only can he can go back in time, but he can actually touch and change things with her help, something he had never been able to do before. Forced to be entangled with one another, they slowly realize how difficult and lonely each other’s lives have been. They fall in love, without knowing that a great misfortune might be waiting ahead for them. This innovative and fantastical story portrays superpowers and superheroes in the most humane way, showing that far from a supernatural ability, what can change a person’s life will always be love and their will to live.
5. “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract”
If after “Lovely Runner” you’re craving a time-travel drama where the main couple’s worlds collide and they have a long-lasting and intricate relationship crafted by fate, then this story is the one for you. Set in South Korea during the Joseon Era, Park Yeon Woo (Lee Se Young), a young noble lady who lives surrounded by love and comfort, is forced to marry against her will after getting in trouble for confectioning clothes. She clearly doesn’t want to enter an arranged marriage, but to her great surprise, she gets married to Kang Tae Ha (Bae In Hyuk), a sweet and handsome man who has been secretly in love with her since their childhood. Unfortunately, he dies on their wedding night, while she is kidnapped and thrown into a well in order to appear as having died by suicide. But instead of dying, she is sent to South Korea in the present time where she meets a man who looks exactly like her late husband.
But this Kang Tae Ha isn’t sweet nor is he in love with her, so they have a rocky start until he asks her to enter into a contractual marriage, only for the sake of his grandfather. But strange things keep happening to her, like finding a person who looks exactly like her mother or the sudden appearance of a mystical person leading her to uncover the truth behind her apparent death. This fantasy K-drama slowly shows us how intertwined the fates of Tae Ha and Yeon Woo are, bringing her to discover the untold truth behind the schemes that twisted her life and took away her lover. Though this K-drama might have a lot of heavy moments, with plenty of angst and frustrations, it also has a beautiful story that transcends the barriers of time and eras, making it endearing and very worth the watch.
Start watching “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract” below:
Hey Soompiers! Have you watched any of these K-dramas? How are you coping with the end of “Lovely Runner”? Let us know all about it in the comments below!
Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. She is a declared “Subeom” and “Hyeppyending.” Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Lovely Runner,” “Extraordinary You”
Plans to watch: “My Sweet Mobster“
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