In order to see if your idea of “best” is similar to mine, let’s take a brief look at my personal criteria for a stand-out romantic movies, films and mini-series:
The main characters are not cardboard cutouts, they have personalities.
Any sexy scenes are well earned (I have a preference for slow burn romance over the hot n’ fast kind).
Similar to above, I don’t have an issue with some steaminess, but I love it when I find romances that show the friendship and the sacrificial sides of romantic love in a way that seems like it will be a positive picture for, say, my 14 year old niece who may be forming ideas of what healthy relationships look like.
The plot has more going on than just the leads’ romance. Give me some mystery, suspense, travel, or even education on the side!
OK, now you’ve decided how much salt to take with my suggestion. Let’s move on.
Ready?
Perhaps you’ve already discovered them but if not, I recommend trying one (will you be able to stop?!) Kdrama on Netflix.
I’d overheard other authors confessing to Kdrama binges (the “K” stands for Korean), but I didn’t realize how to my taste they would be until I watched one. Not only that, my cool kids (including my 20 year old son) and my husband sit and watch them. It’s not like we just sit around watching the telly, but an episode a night gives me/us something to look forward to. It’s like the old radio shows if you want to put an old-fashioned spin on it.
Historical Romances
I’m still a newbie on Kdramas, but my favorite so far (have watched 3x as I spread the addiction to my husband and mother-in-law) has been Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung.
image from Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung
I don’t want to spoil it, so I will only say that while it may begin like a purely fluffy, even silly romcom, there are Shakespearean elements and loveable secondary characters in it that slowly move forward.
Currently, I’m enjoying Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.
A highly-rated historical is Mr. Queen. It’s on my must-watch rom-com historical list but I haven’t gotten to it yet.
Contemporary Romances
If you look up “best Kdramas” you’re sure to find Crash Landing on You (or CLOY, as those in the know call it because they talk about it so much that they don’t have time to say the full name in every sentence) in the top 5.
Here’s a link to the trailer for CLOY on YouTube and here’s an article from 2020 The Guardian (UK).
One of my wonderful aunts insisted that I try CLOY and yes, it’s fantastic! It’s a romantic suspense and action story. It can be scary at times, but it’s rated (like most or all I’ve watched) at PG-14.
I’d say they generally they all have some violence, but not as much as most American-made shows. There is very little, if any, foul language, and the romances are quite tame by our standards at the PG14 level.
You’ll learn about culture, history, and some of the communication and societal nuances as you watch. It may be difficult to discern truth from fiction, but there are always ways to cross-reference details you’re learning about to fact check.
I’ve watched:
Behind Your Touch (funny, suspenseful, serial killer trigger warning, romantic)
Rookie Historian (3 times and counting)
Crash Landing on You
Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (suspenseful, fun characters, romantic but the female lead I found a bit annoying)
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
Now for a some silly tips!
You’ll start noticing all the Korean grocery items at Aldi.
You’ll learn to watch for signs of love everywhere… Oh, the Crash Landing on You couple are a family now in real life much to fans’ delight!
