If you just finished When Life Gives You Tangerines and are looking for more slice-of-life, heartwarming, cozy kdramas to fill the tangerine-shaped hole in your heart, this list is for you!
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I will get a commission if you purchase anything through my links, at no extra cost to you. I choose products and services for these links that I believe in.
1. Reply 1988
More Park Bo Gum? Yes please!
Reply 1988 is going to be the perfect drama to start after When Life Gives You Tangerines. Bo Gum is so good at warm and comforting characters and as one of his first roles in this genre, he nailed it in Reply 1988.
A group of friends grow up in the same Seoul neighborhood. We follow them through their growing pains, relationships, successes, and failures. The complex string of relationships throughout the neighborhood is delightful to watch as the theme of community and “it takes a village” mentality warms your heart.
2. Hometown Cha Cha Cha
Hometown Cha is such a cozy watch! The ultimate escapism drama series.
An emotionally burnt out dentist (Shin Min A) moves from Seoul to a small seaside village where she open her own practice. Soon, she meets the village handyman (Kim Seon Ho) who seems to be everywhere she turns.
It is a story of healing, living, and falling in love – not just the romantic leads but you’ll fall in love with the whole town.
3. When The Camellia Blooms
Written by the same team of writers as When Life Gives You Tangerines, this drama shows the messiness of life and the radical notion of enjoying life despite it all.
A single mother runs a small bar in a conservative, tight-knit neighborhood. Faced with judgment and prejudice, she quietly pushes forward until she meets the kind-hearted and determined police officer who falls for her at first sight.
As their relationship blossoms, a lingering serial killer case adds suspense to this otherwise cozy, life-affirming drama about love, resilience, and community.
4. Little Forest
This is technically not a kdrama, but a kmovie! This is my go-to comfort film whenever I am feeling down, burnt out, or missing home.
This Ghibli-like movie follows a young woman who comes back to her hometown after severe burnout trying to live on her own in Seoul.
She comes home to an empty and cold house but quickly fills it with warmth and the smell of homemade food. We see her come to terms with her past and sort out her future.
This movie is a remake of a Japanese film of the same name. Both are based on the manga series written by Daisuke Igarashi.
5. When The Weather is Fine
For the girlies who dream about their fictional bookshop/flower shop/cafe/indoor plant shop – this one’s for you.
When the Weather Is Fine is one of those dramas that will make your heart melt. We follow a talented cellist who leaves Seoul and returns to her quiet hometown in the countryside after facing hardships in both her personal and professional life. There, she reconnects with a gentle and reserved bookstore owner who has quietly harbored feelings for her for years. As they spend the winter together surrounded by books, snow, and old memories, their relationship slowly blossoms.
This drama explores healing, forgiveness, and the quiet beauty of love found in the most peaceful moments.
Leave a Reply