5 K-Dramas to Watch If You Miss Love Next Door

Some travel far and wide to meet the love of their life, and there are those who find it right next door. K-dramas have given us timeless stories about childhood best friends who evolved into more than just friends. But there are also cool, confident male leads who hold back when it comes to confessing their feelings to the girl next door. Not only did Jung Hae In’s Seung Hyo have to wait, but he also needed every ounce of courage to confess his feelings to Jung So Min’s Seok Ryu in “Love Next Door.” The dynamic between the two, be it their constant bickering, their teasing banter or the chemistry between them, gave us some truly endearing moments on screen.

In case you missed Love Next Door, here are five such couples who also found love next door, but it came with a fair amount of longing, waiting and, in some cases, a little time travel.

“Answer 1988”

Choi Taek (Park Bo Gum) and Duk Sun (Hyeri) have been friends forever. Taek had moved to Ssangmun at a young age and was immediately embraced by Duk Sun and her friends, which include Sun Woo (Go Kyung Pyo), Jung Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) and Dong Ryong (Lee Dong Hwi). . The quintet is inseparable and literally lives in each other’s houses. Duk Sun is a lazy student and a die-hard romantic considering how much time and energy she devotes to reading romantic novels. There is a time when she is fascinated by Sun Woo and also confused about her feelings towards Jung Hwan. However, there is also the reserved and stoic Taek, a baduk Champion, who was always in love with her but never had the courage to confess his feelings. Duk Sun, not knowing how Taek feels about her, considers him her best buddy. Unintentionally, a love triangle of its own arises in Ssangmun between Taek, Jung Hwan and Duk Sun. It’s so much that Team Taek vs Team Jung Hwan viewers also took sides and created fan theories to support each other.

“Reply 1988” remains an all-time classic and a fan favorite. The coming-of-age story of five friends dealing with love, heartbreak and growing pains was well received by audiences. Park Bo Gum as the shy and independent Taek, Ryu Jun Yeol as the brooding Jung Hwan and Hyeri as the tomboyish Duk Sun with their antics became household names.

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“She was pretty”

Ji Sung Joon (Park Seo Joon) returns to Seoul after years in the USA. The only person he wants to contact is his childhood friend and crush, Kim Hye Jin, who was also his neighbor. Hye Jin, then a pretty and popular girl in the neighborhood, had always been protective and caring toward Sung Joon, a chubby and insecure boy. Although they managed to keep in touch, the two have not met since Sung Joon moved. However, the twist is that the adult Hye Jin (Hwang Jung Eun) is very careful about her appearance as she is no longer as pretty as she used to be. She shuttles between part-time jobs while Sung Joon is an acclaimed magazine editor.

Hye Jin asks her friend Hye Ri to take her place to meet Sung Joon instead. However, when Hye Jin joins Sung Joon’s office as an intern, things get interesting. Sung Joon, who is beyond annoyed with intern Hye Jin, wonders why she looks so familiar. He also wonders why he should be jealous of a colleague, Shin Hyuk (Choi Siwon), who is attentive towards her. Meanwhile, Hye Ri has fallen in love with Sung Joon, who thinks she is Hye Jin but can’t stop thinking about the absent-minded intern at work.

A sweet romantic comedy, “She Was Pretty” conveys the eternal message that beauty lies more on the inside than on the outside. Aside from Park Seo Joon and Hwang Jung Eun’s adorable moments, it’s Choi Siwan’s cocky charm that will win you over.

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“Welcome to Samdalri”

Jo Yong Pil (Ji Chang Wook) and Jo Sam Dal (Shin Hye Sun) have been together since the day they were born. Since their mothers are best friends, the two have been close for as long as they can remember. So it’s no wonder that the two fall in love as young adults, because who knows you better than your best friend? But that was years ago, and when Sam Dal broke Yong Pil’s heart, she stayed in Seoul.

Sam Dal, now a famous fashion photographer, is back home in Samdalri. Her career is ruined after a scandal and the last person she wants to meet is her former boyfriend Yong Pil. Yong Pil is a weather forecaster and the pride of Samdalri due to his caring personality. When the two confront each other, there doesn’t seem to be any resentment, except that Sam Dal doesn’t want to go back with Yong Pil.

“Welcome to Samdalri” is a heartwarming drama that goes beyond pure romance. The drama severs the unbreakable bonds of friendships and family and highlights themes of unresolved grief, trauma, guilt and regret. Ji Chang Wook is perfect as Yong Pil and has an innate talent for comedy. And Shin Hye Sun gives a nuanced portrayal of the impulsive but vulnerable Sam Dal.

“Nice runner”

Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) is bedridden after a near-fatal accident. An aspiring singer, Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), tries to instill hope in her on a radio show even as she yells at him. Years later, Im Sol is a die-hard fan of the same Ryu Sun Jae and his band Eclipse. But when it becomes known that Sun Jae has fallen to his death, tragedy strikes. Feeling devastated, Im Sol, wanting to confirm the news herself, is transported back to when she was in high school, only to find out that Sun Jae was actually her neighbor. Can Im Sol change the course of Sun Jae’s future? As she travels through time, Im Sol makes startling discoveries. One of them is that she will play a big role in Sun Jae’s future, but it will come at a high price.

“Lovely Runner” has gained a cult following among K-drama fans. Sun Jae and Im Sol’s love story is one for the ages, and both Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon made their characters feel alive and became an iconic on-screen couple in drama land. “Lovely Runner” is also charming and has a great soundtrack.

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“Fight my way”

Dong Man (Park Seo Joon) and Choi Ae Ra (Kim Ji Won) were childhood friends who now share the same apartment complex in busy Seoul with one of their friends.

Dong Man is a taekwondo and martial arts expert who is in a career crisis and his girlfriend also left him for a rich man. Ae Ra aspires to become a television presenter but fails to break into the broadcasting world. They are both protective and supportive of each other, recognizing that their feelings run deeper and go beyond mere friends. When Dong Man decides to return to the fighting arena, Ae Ra isn’t particularly thrilled, but she stands by him. He, on the other hand, instills in her the confidence that she has what it takes to become a presenter and announcer.

“Fight My Way” impressed with its realistic depiction of young adults struggling to realize their dreams and aspirations. Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won won hearts with their wonderful chemistry. The actors are perfectly coordinated and impress with their comedic timing.

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Hey Soompiers, which of these is your favorite drama? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

Puja Talwar is a Soompi author with a strong fondness for Yang Yang and Lee Junho. As a long-time K-drama fan, she loves coming up with alternative scenarios to the stories. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook, to name a few. You can follow her on Instagram at @puja_talwar7.

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