Are you looking for kdramas that were as spectacular as Snowdrop? Don’t worry we have got your back! The much-hyped kdrama ‘Snowdrop’ has come to an end. Furthermore, the storyline of Snowdrop had been crafted to perfection for over twelve years by the highly praised Korean screenwriter, Yoo Hyun Mi. It also had one of the most star-studded casts in K-drama history, starring actors such as Jung Hae In ( Something In The Rain) , superstar Kim Ji Soo from Blackpink, Jang Seung Jo ( The Good Detective ), Yoo In Na ( Touch Your Heart ), Yoon Se Ah ( SKY Castle ), Kim Hye Yoon ( Extraordinary You ), and Jang Eugene ( Romance Is A Bonus Book ).
Moreover, Snowdrop consisted of just the right amount of sweet and action-packed moments to keep you hooked every single second. How the drama managed to even have light-hearted moments despite being set up during a time of heavy political imbalance in Korea is truly beyond us. Furthermore, this drama gave us one of the sweetest couples in K-drama history. How a tough North Korean spy who had only lived solely to serve his country finds the doctrine that he always held tight slipping away after meeting an innocent girl who has only love in her eyes. A romantic melodrama and political thriller at its best, here is a list of K-dramas that you can watch if you liked ‘Snowdrop’.
7. Doctor Stranger
Doctor Stranger
While attending a medical school in North Korea, he falls head over heels for a girl named Song Jae Hee. When Park Moon loses his father, he decides to go back to South Korea with Song Jae Hee. However, going from North Korea to South Korea is no funny business, and at the very last moment, he ends up losing contact with Song Jae Hee. After reaching South Korea, Park Hoon becomes the ace of Myungwoo Hospital. He works hard and does everything in his power to bring back the love of his life to his side. Doctor Stranger tells a gripping love story sprinkled with political drama and thrilling surgeries over the course of sixteen episodes. Those who enjoyed watching Snowdrop will definitely love watching the drama on Rakuten Viki .
6. Designated Survivor:60 Days
If you like the ticking bomb vibe that the hostage situation in Snowdrop had, then you will absolutely love this drama. Furthermore, one of the best political kdramas, Designated Survivor: 60 Days, is similar to Snowdrop in the thrilling political drama concept and does not have a romance storyline. However, the drama does dwell on finding oneself amidst all the terror attacks and political instability through its main character, Park Moo Jin, played by Ji Jin-Hee (Move to Heaven). Additionally, the other talented actors of the spectacular main cast of this kdrama include actors such as Son Seok Koo (Matrimonial Chaos), Kang Han Na (My Roommate Is A Gumiho), Heo Joon Ho (Missing: The Other Side), Lee Joon Hyuk (365: Repeat The Year).
Designated Survivor:60 Days
The plot of Designated Survivor:60 Days revolves around Park Moo Jin and the unexpected and tragic happenings that lead to him being appointed as the President for sixty days. Moreover, Park Moo Jin used to work as a Chemistry teacher and was then appointed as the Minister Of Environment. Unlike everyone in power, Park Moo Jin has no sense or beliefs regarding politics. However, when a bomb at the National Assemble ends up killing a huge number of government officials, Park Moo Jin is the highest position holding official that survives. Albeit unwillingly, Park Moo Jin gets appointed as the acting President of the nation for sixty days. His quest to find those who were responsible for the terror attacks while handling matters of national significance is what the series is all about. You can watch Designated Survivor: 60 Days on Netflix .
5. Crash Landing On You
It is very unlikely that a Kdrama fan would not have heard of Crash Landing On You. Moreover, Crash Landing On You is the forefront of the kdrama that attracted a global audience. Loveable characters, beautiful scenery, and a strong storyline that never gets boring are what the drama consists of. Additionally, this kdrama was also highly appreciated for showing the beauty and simplicity of the North Korean people. Not to mention, how the Kdrama world was blessed with another beautiful couple in the form of Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin after this drama. Along with being one of the most popular kdramas, Crash Landing You also has a lot of resemblances with Snowdrop!
Crash Landing On You cr: tvN
The beauty of this drama lies in the fact that despite having an out-of-the-world plot, it still manages to be relatable. It starts off when our fabulously powerful female lead Yoon Se Ri finds herself literally crash landing into North Korea in a paragliding experience gone wrong. Furthermore, she ends up being found by the handsome Captain Ri Jung Hyuk. Although she tries to escape at first, calling it destiny or bad luck, Yoon Se Ri finds herself at Ri Jung Hyuk’s residence. She cuts a deal with him to take her back to South Korea. Despite how unreal her situation felt, Yoon Se Ri manages to build relations that she will cherish for a lifetime. The cute banter between the village ajhummas, Captain Ri Jung Hyeok’s teammates, and Captain Ri Jung Hyeok and Yoon Se Ri themselves will keep you smiling from ear to ear.
Moreover, the second couple in this drama will leave you wanting more. Goo Seung Joon, a gangster finds himself hopelessly attracted to the beautiful Seo Dan. The only problem is that Seo Dan is North Korean, has a fiance, and also could not care less about him and his charades. Over the course of sixteen episodes, Crash Landing On You tells the tale of how love blooms even in the most unexpected circumstances. It is a must-watch for Kdrama fans who wanted more romance in Snowdrop. You can watch Crash Landing On You on Netflix .
4. The K2
Her chemistry with Ji Chang Wook ( Healer, Backstreet Rookie, Melt Your Heart ) in the drama still lives in our minds rent-free. Other members of the main cast include talented actors such as Song Yoo Ah ( Shadow Window: The Queen’s House, Graceful Friends ) and Jo Sung Ha ( Lovers Of The Red Sky ). The drama aired on tvN in the September of 2016.
The K2 cr:tvN
The K2 revolves around Kim Je Ha, who used to be a well-known mercenary by the name of K2. But after the sudden death of his girlfriend, Kim Je Ha gets framed for her murder. He is brought back to Korea and given a job as a bodyguard by Jang Je Ha, who is the wife of Jang Se Joon, a presidential candidate. Moreover, Kim Je Ha believes that Park Kwan Soo, the leader of the opposition party, was responsible for his girlfriend’s death. He uses his new job to get revenge. However, things get complicated when Je Ha is assigned to guard Go An Na, who is Jang Se Joon’s illegitimate daughter.
Furthermore, Kim Je Ha quickly finds out that the biggest threat to Go An Na is none other than his boss, Jang Je Ha. Over the course of sixteen episodes, The K2 takes us through Kim Je Ha’s struggle of fighting with his inner demons to choose his love over revenge. Audiences who liked Lim Soo Ho’s character in Snowdrop will deeply resonate with Kim Je Ha’s character in the drama. You can enjoy The K2 on Rakuten Viki.
2. Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine is one of the kdramas that will amaze you with its storyline while giving you a deja vu from Snowdrop. Both the series were set at a turning point in history. The male leads fell in love without knowing what was about to hit them; both of them were military and agency related. Mr. Sunshine even has a splendid cast consisting of Lee Byung Hun (Beautiful Days), Kim Tae Ri (Twenty-Five Twenty-One), Kim Min Jung (The Devil Judge), Yoo Yeon Seok ( Hospital Playlist), and Byun Yo Han (Misaeng: Incomplete Life). Take our advice and go ahead and watch Mr. Sunshine on Netflix .
Mr. Sunshine cr: Netflix
1. Youth Of May
Youth Of May may be one of the most beautiful kdramas gifted to kdrama fanatics. Moreover, the story of Youth Of May takes place around the same time as Snowdrop’s and even portrays the brutal pro-democratic movement. Not to mention the tragic love story of the main leads of both of these shows will make you bawl your eyes out! Although Snowdrop rarely talked about the pro-democratic movement, Youth Of May was based on the events that had taken place during the Gwangju uprising. This is the biggest difference between the two shows. Furthermore, Youth Of May follows the life of particularly the youth living in Gwangju in the May of the year 1980.
Most of the people going into the show knew how things would turn out but still knowingly plunged themselves to doom. Spoiler alert: the show left us with as big a scar as Snowdrop had! Hee Tae, who was the son of an anti-communist party leader, had helplessly fallen in love with Myung Hee. Their first meeting might be one-of-the best in the history of kdramas, plus, they had met about the same way as Soo Ho and Young Ro had in Snowdrop.
Youth Of May cr: Rakuten Viki
Not only was the story of this show spectacular, but the cast was amazing as well. The actors who had played the role of the main leads, Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun, had reunited once again for a drama after playing the role of siblings in Netflix’s hit Sweet Home. Other than Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun, the cast also consists of Lee Sang Yi (the second lead in Hometown Cha Cha Cha) and Geum Sae Ryeok (The Fiery Priest). You will be making a very bad decision if you do not watch Youth Of May. Go ahead and ready your tissues and watch the excellent kdrama on Rakuten Viki. Besides, all of the episodes are totally free on the streaming site!
If you are an avid Chinese drama addict, you might already know that the Chinese entertainment industry never gets tired of making series with a fake relationship or contract marriage plotline. That indeed makes sense considering how much people consider this genre of C-dramas as their guilty pleasure! While we hardly encounter such a situation in our daily lives, it’s different for the fictional world. The main characters tend to sign a contract with each other to be in a relationship of name-only during exclusive situations of parental pressure, saving their face, or fighting for the inheritance. However, the undeniable chemistry that we get to witness during their cohabitation period never fails to give us butterflies in our stomachs!
The cohabiting hi-jinks, accidental skin ships, and the inevitable falling in love might be old-fashioned, but who cares about that as long as it still works! Here are our top six best Chinese dramas with some of the most interesting contract marriage relationships! So let’s get started!
6. Once We Get Married (2021)
Director: Li Yao Bo Starring: Wang Yu Wen, Wang Zi Qi, Ian Yi, Mo Zi Xin, Zhong Li Li, Yang Yue, Li Jun Chen Total Number of Episodes: 24 Where to Watch: We TV, MGTV
Another web novel adaptation, ‘Once We Get Married,’ might not be the best contact marriage C-drama to watch because of the same cliché romance and comic stuff. However, the chemistry between the leads as well as the sweet moments between them saves the show by a big margin! While Gu Xi Xi, a fashion shopper, runs a new online store with her best friend, she dreams of establishing her own brand one day. She gets an order to purchase Alex’s couture wedding dress from her client, for which she decides to attend a private reception hosted by the designer himself.
Once We Get Married
She comes across Yin Si Chen, the young, handsome, and narcissistic president of a shopping mall at the party, and an unexpected incident bounds them to pretend to be a couple in front of Alex. However, one thing leads to another, and the two end up in a cooperative contract marriage. Despite not being able to endure each others’ guts, Xi Xi and Si Chen end up falling for each other harder than they had imagined!
5. Well Intended Love 2 (2019)
Director: Qiang Wu Screenwriter: He Dun, Yang Huai Starring: Xu Kai Cheng, Simona Wang, Ian Yi, Huang Qian Shuo, Liu Jia Xi, He Qian Ying Total Number of Episodes: 16 Where to Watch: YouTube, Viki, We TV, Netflix
The second season of the C-drama, ‘Well Intended Love’, has been based in an alternate universe following the stories of the same characters from season one, without having any connection with the original story. The story revolves around a C-list actress, Xia Lin, who works hard to fulfill her dream of becoming a famous film star one day. She accidentally runs into one of the most-known businessmen of the country, Lin Yi Zhou, at a networking event, and circumstances force people to believe that the two of them have something going on with each other.
Well Intended Love 2
To fix her reputation and calm down the public, Lin Yi Zhou offers Xia Lin to pretend to be engaged to him over a relationship contract. However, Lin Yi Zhou might not just want to ‘save’ Xia Lin from public opinion. Over time, their affections for each other become transparent. The main couple has a lot of skinship, so if you are a fan of such dramas, you might end up enjoying it a lot!
4. Begin Again (2020)
Director: Xu Chi Starring: Zhou Yu Tong, Gong Jun, Garvey Jin, Wu Man Si, Li Si Qi, Liu Wei Long Total Number of Episodes: 35 Where to Watch: YouTube
C-drama makers should learn how to make a typical contract marriage relationship story fun and exciting with this 2020 series, ‘Begin Again’. Instead of a domineering male lead who is rich, arrogant, and ambitious heir to a big company and a warm-hearted female lead, ‘Begin Again’ has had the roles swapped! While Lu Fangning is a beautiful and talented general manager of a large corporation, she has only one thing on her bucket list pending— getting married and being a mother.
Begin Again
However, she has no real feelings associated with establishing a family of her own other than making her an experienced businesswoman. That’s when she stumbles upon a kind-hearted surgeon, Ling Rui, who unintentionally wins her over with his angel-like personality! She goes to extreme lengths in order to convince him to marry her over an agreement to part away after getting her a child. However, Ling Rui ends up being the only person who makes Fangning’s monotonous life colorful and full of love.
3. I Hear You (2019)
Starring: Riley Wang, Zhao Lu Si, Yuan Hao, Gratitude Dai, Zhang Jiong Min, Mandy Qu Total Number of Episodes: 24 Where to Watch: Netflix
‘I Hear You’ has a love story that might check a lot of cliche boxes, but unlike its peers, it ends up shining on its own with a grounded, relatable and sensible storyline. It follows a girl named Bei Er Duo, an aspiring voice actress who wants to give a kick to her career by studying overseas. However, the constant pressure from her family to marry while she is young bounds her to join a couple of reality television program that pairs her up with Ye Shu Wei, a top violin maker. He comes from an artistic background with a mysterious and low-key personality.
I Hear You
A real ace when it comes to composing and the violin industry, Shu Wei joins the show in order to keep his promise made to his nephew while also looking for the contestant who had provided his audition question with a right answer. This pair of fake couple are made to live together by the team but a wonderful romance blooms between them, taking their pretentious relationship to a new level!
2. Unforgettable Love (2021)
Director: Li Yu Lei Starring: Hu Yi Xuan, Miles Wei, Lennon Sun, Jerry Yu, Wu Cheng Xu, Sheng Hui Zi Total Number of Episodes: 24 Where to Stream: YouTube
An adorable web novel converted into a series, ‘Unforgettable Love’ follows a contract marriage relationship sweetened with the presence of a young character. Xiao Bao is the six-year-old genius child of He Qiao Yan, the president of a renowned company, who has been suffering from PTSD after losing his mother in an accident years ago. Although He Qiao Yan cherishes and looks after him, he has been struggling to make him communicate with strangers. However, when Xiao Bao comes across a meticulous and warm child psychologist named Yi Yue, he gets very comfortable around her, and finally, after years, he is able to communicate with someone with words.
Unforgettable Love
When Qiao Yan discovers the sudden improvement in his son, he decides to pursue Qin Yi Yue to take care of him. However, things go out of hand when the little kid asks his dad to marry Yi Yue, resulting in them signing a contractual agreement! The slow-burn romance, along with the chemistry of the three of them, makes the show a worth-watching one.
1. Perfect and Casual (2020)
Director: Li Shuang Starring: Miles Wei, Xu Ruo Han, Marguax, Zhao Luo Ran, Sheng Gang Shuai, Dai Yun Fan Total Number of Episodes: 24 Where to Stream: YouTube, We TV
One of the best contract marriage Chinese dramas, ‘Perfect and Casual’ has a sweet and cozy romance perfect for a light watch. It revolves around a cheerful and sweet university girl named Yun Shu who has been longing for a house of her own. She finals the deal of buying an apartment with a brochure on the day of her graduation presentation. Unfortunately, the handsome, cold, and icy professor, Zhang Si Nian, doesn’t let her give her presentation when she arrives there a few minutes later, resulting in her failing the year.
Perfect and Casual
As ill-luck would have it, Yun Shu comes to know that the brochure which had sold the apartment to her was actually a fraud and the house belongs to no other than her university lecturer Zhang Si Nian! One event leads to another, and they decide to enter a contract marriage relationship for one year. Despite being polar apart from each other, Mr. Perfect and Miss Casual end up falling for real in this fake relationship. The story is well-executed, and the mesmerizing performance of Xu Ruo Han, who has played the character of Yun Shu, has helped the show reach new heights!
