8 Unlikely K-Drama Romances That Captured Our Hearts
Unconventional but excellent matches!
Love can be unpredictable and sometimes drama characters fall in love with someone they never imagined in their wildest dreams. Unconventional romances are that much more special and alluring as characters overcome barriers and find true love despite their differences. Check out some unlikely love stories cherished by many below!
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
A testy children’s book author with an anti-social disposition plus a kind but weary caregiver doesn’t necessarily sound like a match made in heaven. One character is egotistical and selfish while the other character is solemn and caring. Although Ko Mun-yeong (Seo Yea-ji) and Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) are opposites, they share an understanding of each other through their traumatic childhood experiences. The way they help one another cope with their wounds in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is deeply heartwarming.
The King: Eternal Monarch
The King: Eternal Monarch features a romance that is out of this world, literally! Detective Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) ends up meeting Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) from a parallel universe for a love story that defies reality. Despite living in different worlds, the pair don’t give up on finding each other even with the difficulties accompanying parallel universe travel. Beyond the separate world issue, the couple are also quite different in personalities with Jeong Tae-eul being more of a literary thinker while Lee Gon has a scientific mind. Nevertheless, they never give up on each other.
Extracurricular
At first glance, Extracurricular characters Jisoo (Kim Dong-hee) and Gyuri (Park Ju-hyun) don’t have much in common except for being model students. Jisoo is a poor outsider whereas Gyuri is rich and popular. Their classmates are shocked when Gyuri claims they’re dating. However, their homeroom teacher sees that they have something in common, they both endure burdens without asking for help. They’re both very lonely and struggling with parents who inflict harm instead of nurture. While working on criminal activities together, Jisoo and Gyuri develop a special relationship and come to rely on each other.
Itaewon Class
Growing up, Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) was very competitive and showed sociopathic tendencies. She’s an interesting character from Itaewon Class who wishes for the end of the world. While Jo Yi-seo thinks of bad and good as morally gray, underdog Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-jun) has a more black-and-white sense of morality. Park Sae-ro-yi is also considerably warmer and more mature than Jo Yi-seo. The unlikely duo are very different, but ultimately learn from each other and develop feelings in the process. With her high IQ, Yi-seo is able to help Sae-ro-yi turn his business around. In turn, Sae-ro-yi teaches Yi-seo to appreciate people and overcome prejudice.
Crash Landing On You
A South Korean heiress (Son Ye-jin) and a North Korean soldier (Hyun Bin) just meeting, not to mention falling in love, sounds highly implausible. Lucky for us, that’s exactly what happens in Crash Landing on You! Their love story involves both fate and chance as they crash into each other’s lives. The highly popular drama also features a second unlikely pairing between North Korean department store heiress/aspiring cellist Seo Dan (Seo Ji-hye) and South Korean conman Gu Seung-joon (Kim Jung-hyun). Both relationships are pretty high-stakes with life and death hanging in the balance. You can’t help but get emotionally invested!
My Holo Love
Most people love technology, but to fall in love with an artificially intelligent hologram? Definitely not an everyday occurrence! In My Holo Love, Han So-yeon (Ko Sung-hee) falls in love with AI hologram Holo (Yoon Hyun-min) and Holo falls in love with her as well. Interestingly enough, Holo is modelled after and created by Go Nan-do who also falls in love with Han So-yeon. The drama features what might be the most unconventional love triangle in the history of K-dramas, but somehow it works as we see the once lonely characters experience love.
Beauty Inside
Kang Sa-ra (Lee Da-hee) is a cold, sophisticated airline executive and Ryu Eun-ho (Ahn Jae-hyun) is preparing to become a priest in Beauty Inside. You wouldn’t expect their paths to cross, but they do! Both have to deal with their previous plans as they grapple with their sudden attraction to one another. Sa-ra needs to reconsider her engagement and Eun-ho has to think about his planned priesthood.
My Love From The Star
Could there be a more unlikely romance than one between an alien and a top actress? My Love From the Star is a classic drama that captures the exciting and heart-wrenching aspects of a very unconventional pairing. Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) is a hilariously blunt diva while Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) is a stoic professor. Furthermore, Do Min-joon is trying to figure out how he can return to his home planet. All of the differences and obstacles make for a truly epic love story.
Having somewhat unrealistic pairings definitely brings up the romance factor a notch. There’s more suspense and intrigue which gets you rooting for the unlikely couples to beat the odds. These unconventional romances prove that what matters most is the ability to connect and love each other despite any differences or barriers. As cliché as it sounds, love truly does conquer all!
