K-dramas give us the best romance, friendship, laughter and move us to tears too. Yes, you’ve read that right! Korean dramas aren’t always about cheesy love storylines, sometimes they make you cry harder. The story and the characters indulge us in a way that we don’t even realize that we’re crying. Anyways, let’s check this list of emotional Korean dramas on Netflix we’ve compiled for you.
1. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’ is too real. According to me, this is one of the most emotional Korean dramas on Netflix. The show revolves around various mentally challenged characters at the OK Psychiatric Hospital. Moon Gang Tae lives with his elder brother Moon Sang Tae ever since their mother died. Sang Tae is autistic since childhood. While working at the hospital, Gang Tae meets Ko Moon Young, a children’s book author, said to have an antisocial personality disorder. Butterflies symbolize ‘cure’, through which it emphasizes the journey of every patient, including Sang Tae and Moon Young.
2. Mr. Sunshine
‘Mr. Sunshine’ is a drama about friendship, love, and patriotism. Set in the late 19th century is the story of Eugene Choi. Born into slavery during the Joseon era, he escapes to the United States. Upon becoming a Marine Corps. Officer, he returns to Joseon. He falls in love with an aristocrat’s granddaughter. However, their friendship and love is challenged because of their class difference. Since the show is set pre-World War 2, it basically shows us the difference between the rich and strong countries like the U.S and the ones left weak and poor like Korea.
3. Goblin
Goblin, a brave military general from the Goryeo Dynasty, is cursed to stay immortal. He is agonized by witnessing the deaths of his loved ones as retribution for the warriors he sacrificed to save his nation. He transforms into an eternal goblin who, despite his painful history, is a nice man who uses his skills to serve others. The only person who can terminate his agonizing immortality is the Goblin’s bride, whose assistance in pulling out the sword will do so. Despite the cheesy romance between Goblin and his bride in a few episodes or the bickering between Goblin and the grim reaper, the show will give you a good cry.
4. Flower of Evil
‘Flower of Evil’ is the best when we talk about its mysterious and thriller story. However, the series of events that happens makes it overall emotional. Baek Hee Sung conceals his identity and past from his wife Cha Ji Won. They are what an ideal family looks like. A devoted couple with an adorable daughter. However, as soon as Baek Hee Sung’s past begins to unfold in front of his detective wife, leaves him as the main suspect in a series of murders that happened in his past.
5. Kill Me, Heal Me
A third-generation business heir Cha Do Hyun had various life-threatening traumatic events. This led him to develop dissociative identity disorder. With the aid of Oh Ri Jin, a stunning first-year psychiatric resident who assists him covertly, he strives to take control of his life. Oh Ri On, Ri Jin’s twin brother, is a writer. He is motivated to expose the shady lifestyles of the wealthy and begins stalking Do Hyun. Does Do Hyun have the ability to regulate his condition before one of his seven identities does?
6. The Empress Ki
The protagonist of the show is Ki Seungnyang, a Goryeo-born woman who rises to prominence against the limitations of the time’s class structure and later weds Toghon Temür (the emperor of the Yuan dynasty) rather than her first love, Wang Yu, to become a Yuan empress. The show was able to convey Lady Ki’s romantic interests and political aspirations while also highlighting the intense love the Emperor had for her.
7. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Go Ha-jin, a 25-year-old lady from the 21st century, is transferred to the Goryeo Dynasty during a complete solar eclipse. She awakens amid the several princes of the governing Wang family in the year 941, during King Taejo’s reign, in the body of Hae Soo. Initially, she falls in love with the kind and gentle 8th Prince Wang Wook, but she subsequently starts dating the terrifying 4th Prince Wang So, referred to as a “wolf-dog.” As the plot progresses, Hae Soo unknowingly becomes involved in the intrigues of the palace and the rivalry amongst the princes as they contend for the crown.
8. Uncontrollably Fond
Seperated during their teenage years, Shin Joon Young and Noh Eul reunite once again. Now Joo Young is a celebrity and Noh Eul is a producer. Years later they are reunited where Noh Eul is tasked to film Shin Joon Young for a documentary. ‘Uncontrollably Fond’ is an accurate representation of heartbreakingly emotional. It will leave you with a bittersweet yearning for the lives of these fictional individuals.
9. Youth of May
Hee-Tae and Myung-Hee encounter an unexpected turn of events in May 1980, amid the fervent fervor and calls for democracy that echo across Gwangju. ‘Youth of May’ centers on the romance between nurse Kim Myung-Hee and medical student Hwang Hee-Tae. The play is about the love and friendships of young people who would have otherwise led ordinary lives rather than the frontlines of the Gwangju Uprising.
10. Squid Game
‘Squid Game’ is an emotional survival story in my opinion. Seong Gi Hun lives in poverty with his mother, deeply in debt along with his gambling addiction. Upon entering into a mysterious game to win money, he soon realizes it’s not an ordinary game. Despite its violent scenes and fight for money, the show is a sad representation of our society. Based on the themes of ‘Wealth Gap’ and ‘Discrimination’ the games expose a negative aspect of society while also illuminating the genuine personalities of people.
Also check: 10 Best Romantic Comedy Korean Dramas Streaming on Netflix
These emotional Korean dramas on Netflix will definitely make you cry.