Coming of age Korean dramas have a certain appeal that attracts the audience. It could be the characters’ relatable experiences, the development shown in every episode, or the different perspectives in life.
It is a popular K-drama genre where we see characters struggle, experience love and friendship, enter the world of adults, succeed and even fail. All these relatable experiences, comfort, journey to adulthood, and comedic and sentimental moments made coming of age a rampant genre in the Kdrama scene this 2022.
And if you are looking for audience favorites, here are the best coming-of-age Kdramas you need to watch!
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” has topped Netflix’s global ranking, making it a must-watch coming-of-age drama. It tells the story of Nam Hee-do, a high school student in a fencing club, and Baek Yijin, a university student who is financially struggling. The characters try to follow their dreams and achieve a stable future despite living in the stagnant 90s.
The series shows character development, drama, and bittersweet romance.
Nevertheless
Nevertheless tackles young long, modern relationships and painful reality. The series tell us the story of Yoo Na-Bi and Park Jae-Eon, two art college students who enter a steamy and complicated relationship. Either they want to save their relationship or avoid commitment as they are still caught up in their pasts. The drama also has other inspirational characters with different stories.
What viewers love about Nevertheless is it breaks the usual and innocent take on college life.
The Reply Series
The Reply Series consists of Reply 1994, Reply 1997, and Reply 1988, and we can’t choose which of these is the best! All of these series tell the story of a group of best friends and how they develop in terms of family, friendship, romantic relationships, and careers.
Fight For My Way
Fight For My Way is an inspirational, comedic, and classic K-drama that everyone has loved since its release. It tells the story of Ko Dong-man and Choe Ae-ra, both high school graduates who just entered the workforce. They have great dreams of pursuing taekwondo and being an announcer. However, they ended up with unsatisfactory jobs. The drama has inspiring lead characters paired with funny friends-to-lovers dynamics.
Age of Youth
The Age of Youth tells the story of 5 college students who share a house. Despite being housemates, they all have different personalities, perspectives, and charming characteristics. One of the reasons why the drama is so well-loved is because of the 5 unique lives each character lives. You can see genuine friendship, character development, and relatable moments where these girls make mistakes, learn from them, fall in love, and see them live the best of their time as young women.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty
Self-love and self-worth play a major role in growing up, and “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” tackles realizing your self-worth and embracing yourself and your appearance. It tells the story of Kang Mi-rae, a college student who used to be bullied for her appearance. She gets plastic surgery, and while at first, she got a positive response, she was later on called “Gangnam Beauty,” a term that refers to an attractive face or body because of plastic surgery. Then she met Do Kyung-seok and Yeon Woo-young, two men who saw her more than just her face.
Start Up
Start Up had such a good run, and we have no questions about why. The drama is studded with an amazing lineup (talk about Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, and Kim Seon-ho) and an even more wonderful story. It talks about Seo Dal-mi, who dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, and a complicated love triangle between her first love and a man pretending to be her first love. Aside from romance, it also tells the story about the world of startup companies, passion, and determination.
