K-drama fans will never admit it, but sometimes these dramas are too long. So, imagine loving one enough to watch it more than once, just because it makes you feel good? We spoke to six Nigerian K-drama fans about their comfort K-dramas and here’s what they had to say.
Jazz (21) — Reply 1988
Reply 1988 is a really beautiful show about five different families living on the same street, that mainly focuses on the relationship between the children from each of the families.
As someone who’s always found solace in friendship more than family, It’s so comforting watching their friendship blossom from childhood to adulthood. It reassures me that friendship can be enough. It touches on so much: loneliness, love, friends from different social classes and how they support each other. Also, the OST is so good, I listen to it all the time. Everyone needs to watch it. Even though the episodes are long AF — each episode is about 90mins — they’re totally worth it.
I’ve watched it about four =times and I can’t count how many times I’ve rewatched some of the episodes. It’s soft and emotional, so keep your tissue nearby ‘cause you’ll definitely cry a lot.
RELATED: The Ultimate Nigerian K-drama Fan Starter Pack
Moyomade (21) — Jang Bo Ri, Dali and Cocky prince
I have different comfort Kdramas for different phases of my life. My comfort K-drama as a teen was Jang Bo Ri. I must have watched it like 400 times.
Currently, it’s Dali and Cocky prince. It’s my comfort K-drama because it has all the elements I love. It’s romantic with a strong female lead who stands up for herself and everything she loves. Also, it’s a love story between an artsy girl and an abrasive guy from the food industry beating their enemies together. It was just very refreshing, had a lot of surprises, and had a cuteness overload.
I fall in love with Dali every time I see her cute face and those two curly strands she always leaves out when she styles her hair. Not to mention, it’s also funny. It’s one of the most enjoyable K-drama series I’ve seen in a while and this is me picking it over Alchemy of Souls and Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Milola (25) — Goblin and Tale of the Nine Tailed
Goblin is a tragic story, but there’s something very warm and comforting about it.
Tale of the Nine-Tailed, on the other hand, is hilarious and has two of my favourite Korean actors. I’m guaranteed a laugh every time I rewatch it.
If I had to recommend them to someone, I’d describe Goblin as one of the most satisfying takes on a story that has been told over and over again. It’s an emotional rollercoaster everyone should experience at least twice in their lives.
Seki (20) — The Heirs
The Heirs is from a simpler time when popular K-dramas were all about rich guy-poor girl relationships. Except it’s different because both main characters had really complex feelings. And even though both characters were young they articulated them well. All the side characters were also well developed. I’ve seen this series about five times now. Who wouldn’t enjoy a romantic drama about a boy finding himself and trying to fix and maintain relationships with everyone around him?
Nnenna (22) — Search WWW, Be Melodramatic, Age of Youth and Thirty Nine
All four of them are girls’ type of K-drama. The genre is female relationships and figuring out life, both personal and professional, with other women. I like it because it shows how very different women can love each other through everything. They also show how all women don’t have to be friends without villainising the characters.
In these series, there’s no “evil woman out for your life” trope, just women with other interests figuring themselves out. Sometimes you don’t click but you can still respect each other. They also show women navigating misogyny and rape culture. But even beyond that, they show joy and strong friendships because sometimes you just need your babes in your corner.
I’ve seen all four shows multiple times. And if I had to describe them to someone, I would say, imagine a video edit of Jonathan and David from the bible with Best Friend by Saweetie and Doja Cat as the background music.
Vicky (53) — Vincenzo
I’ve seen a lot of K-dramas because of my kids, so picking one is difficult. I used to love The King’s Heart but that’s old now. The most comforting drama I’ve seen in a while is Vincenzo. The situations these characters found themselves in felt real. The show was equal parts hilarious and intense when necessary. I loved that it emphasized the need for community with how all the tenants bonded and fought for what they believed in. Vincenzo is also a handsome guy, he looked harmless but could be capable of great evil, but that’s what makes him who he is.
He never pretended to be anything other than he was. I loved all the twists and was happy to see the good people win in the end. I usually prefer romantic K-dramas but I’m going to be watching Vincenzo for a long time.
ALSO READ: QUIZ: Can You Guess the K-drama From Its Iconic Line?
