The 12 Best K-Drama Womances That Will Give You The Fuzzies
We always hear, read, and write about bromance in entertainment, especially in regards to friendships in K-dramas. There is something undeniably magnetic about a strong bond of friendship between men. But that does not mean we can forget about onscreen sisterhood that blooms between members of the fairer sex. These women forge the strong ties that pull at heartstrings, provoke laughter, and remind us of the wonderful times that we’ve spent with the special women in our lives.
Sure, the women in our lives may not be ghosts, mermaids, or whatever fantastical, wonderful creatures that appear in K-dramas, but they are as real and powerful as these onscreen portrayals. And that’s what makes these drama womances so amazing. Without further ado, let’s check out 12 of the best K-drama womances!
1-2. “Oh My Ghostess”
At first glance, “Oh My Ghostess,” a drama about a sassy virgin ghost, a withdrawn kitchen assistant, and an alpha male chef, doesn’t seem like a drama that will give you the warm fuzzies of womance. But it does more than that. It creates two incredible womances; one between the ghostess Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi) and Bong Sun (Park Bo Young), and one between Soon Ae and the shaman Seobinggo (Lee Jung Eun).
For a long spell, Soon Ae and Bong Sun have no communication and are complete strangers. But once they formally meet, their relationship catapults into a twisted partnership that slowly works its way into a friendship – one that promotes growth in both women. It’s amazing to see Bong Sun grow more confident and Soon Ae become less selfish. By the time they part, both women have created indelible imprints on each other.
Another amazing womance is the one between Soon Ae and Seobinggo. The shaman is only after the resurrection of her powers, which have been stifled because of Soon Ae’s disobedience to the powers that be. As the two fuss and fight, they eventually come to understand each other, depend on each other, and act thick as thieves. Their relationship shows that true friendship transcends age.
Catch the first episode of “Oh My Ghostess” below:
3. “Reply 1997”
We make friends all throughout our lives. Some of those friends have been with us since we were in diapers while we meet others in high school, in middle age, and in our twilight years. Each stage of life brings something sweet to friendship, but nothing quite mirrors the bonds forged during the teenage years.
That’s what we find in Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) and Yoo Jung (Shin So Yul)’s relationship in “Reply 1997.” Both women are typically volatile teenagers who are obsessed about their idols and are trying to figure out what growing up is all about. Shi Won is diehard in her devotion to H.O.T. while Yoo Jung capriciously flits from love to love, throwing herself into each with remarkable passion.
These two weather the good and the bad together, even surviving dangerous fangirl wars, which is the true test of sisterhood. During one particularly vicious fanwar that found them on opposing sides, the truce was called when Yoo Jung cut her hair in solidarity with her best friend. A girl’s hair is her pride, and it was a huge olive branch that Shi Won immediately accepted. It was a sweet moment, one that many of us can recall in our own friendships.
Catch the first episode of “Reply 1997” below:
4. “Drinking Solo”
Ha Na (Park Ha Sun) and Jin Yi (Hwang Woo Seul Hye) in “Drinking Solo” are so delightful together. While their relationship is at times more reminiscent of high school girls (especially when Jin Yi’s sensitive ego rears her head), these two can also delve into the dark and dirty of adult life: work, men, sex, and yes, even Jin Yi’s sensitive ego. When heartbroken, Jin Yi and Ha Na both turn to each other for a drink (or 20) and companionship. When struggling at work, they go through it together as colleagues and as girlfriends. When they cry over boys and mean bosses, we’re crying with them. Ain’t no tear a good womance can’t dry.
Catch the first episode of “Drinking Solo” below:
5. “Heartless City”
While most of our friends are probably not madams at high-end brothels, the bond between Madam Jin Sook (Kim Yu Mi) and undercover cop Soo Min (Nam Gyu Ri) in “Heartless City” is undeniable. It is a womance for the books. Both women grew up deprived of security and affection – both of which they find in each other. Trust blossoms between women walking on the darker side of life; with tough-as-nails Jin Sook guiding Soo Min, and Soo Min providing some levity in Jin Sook’s otherwise incredibly heavy life. There is freedom found in such solid friendship.
Catch the first episode of “Heartless City” below:
6. “Protect the Boss”
Among women, even the grossest of enemies can become not only an ally, but a friend. Such is the case in “Protect the Boss,” when whimpering Na Yoon (Wang Ji Hye) thrusts herself into the lives of friends and roommates Eun Seol (Choi Kang Hee) and Myung Ran (Ha Jae Sook), and an awkwardly adorable trio is born. Na Yoon learns to let her hair down, so to speak, with the lively Eun Seol/Myung Ran pair. Having friends who can make you feel comfortable enough to be completely silly is one of life’s treasures.
Catch the first episode of “Protect the Boss” below:
7. “Still, Marry Me”
“Still, Marry Me” (starring Park Jin Hee, Wang Bit Na, and Uhm Ji Won) is one of my absolute favorite dramas centered on womance as it features three women whose focuses vary from careers to desiring marriage and family. When two friends welcome a third, they become a powerhouse trio and go through adulting and allowing moments of craziness to overtake them. It’s the friendship that helps keep them sane by giving them a release from the work grind and the pressures of society and family. What’s so cool is how their friendship remains a constant as marriage, children, career changes, and family dynamics in their lives shift drastically. A womance that carries women through the years is a womance to stay.
Catch the first episode of “Still, Marry Me” below:
8. “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”
“SWAAAAAAG!” If you’ve seen “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” (starring Lee Sung Kyung, Nam Joo Hyuk, and Jo Hye Jung), you know this trio of weightlifting ladies rocks this phrase as well as walking the unbeaten path. Unlike many of the womances on this list, this trio has a lot in common because they’re all in the same program at school and have been friends for a long time. Food is a hot topic for them, as well as love and sacrifices for the sport that they love. There is an inexplicable closeness between the three that might make us think of late night sleepovers with buddies in high school and college. Silliness abounds and a feeling of safety and comfort radiates from them as they share their daily lives. There’s nothing dramatic or epic about this womance, but it gives us the warm fuzzies for sure.
Catch the first episode of “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” below!
9. “Goblin”
This game-changer drama has an epic older sister/younger sister kind of womance between Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) and Sunny (Yoo In Na). “Goblin” explores themes that every person can relate to even though the premise is fantastical. Sunny and Eun Tak suffer from loving immortal beings and they commiserate and support each other in quirky, fun ways. While they aren’t the closest of womances on this list, these two fantastic women are unique in their ability to support each other while keeping the audience laughing with their unusual humor. Thrown together by fate and friends by necessity, their relationship is a wonderful thing in both of their lives.
Catch the first episode of “Goblin” below:
10. “I Need Romance 3”
“I Need Romance 3” is the third installment of a series that’s all about the girl power that is found in womances. The third installment tells the story of a woman named Joo Yeon (Kim So Yeon), who is very much about taking care of herself and not relying on others. Throughout her dating experiences and her career, she meets other high-powered women and makes friends and enemies who eventually become people who truly understand her. After they crack open her tough exterior, her female friends are ones she can talk to about her overwhelming involvement with work. Although she has delightful male friends, these women are the ones who allow her a few late-night giggles and in-depth chats about dating men.
Catch the first episode of “I Need Romance 3” below!
11. “One More Happy Ending”
Like the “I Need Romance” franchise and “Still, Marry Me,” “One More Happy Ending” (starring Jang Nara, Yoo In Na, and Seo In Young) is based on a group of women going through different obstacles in their love and professional lives. Despite their differences, they stick together, helping each other through their respective issues and having a lot of flippin’ fun while doing it! What makes these women and their stories so beautiful is the bond of their friendship, despite the disparities between them.
Catch the first episode of “One More Happy Ending” below:
12. “Reply 1988”
Most of the womances on this list have been about younger women, but don’t think for a moment that the older women among us don’t have wonderful, rich friendships that allow them to be the badass mothers, professionals, wives, and daughters that they are; or act 30, 40, or 50 years younger than they actually are. That’s the beauty of friendship. With true friends, you can tap into all of the years that you’ve lived and act whatever age you feel.
That kind of friendship is the one that bonds the trio of older ladies in “Reply 1988” (starring Lee Il Hwa, Ra Mi Ran, and Kim Sung Young). These ladies gossip like high schoolers, long for love like twenty-somethings, worry about bills like mothers, and hope for a little nighttime fun like long-time wives. Together they run through the daily grind, taking moments here and there to sing karaoke, try foreign food, share tender moments with their husbands, bond with their kids, and give us the warm, gooey feeling of contentment whenever they’re on screen.
Catch the first episode of “Reply 1988” below!
Hey Soompiers, what are your favorite K-drama womances? Let us know about them in the comments below!
Raine0211 is a lover of all things Korean, especially K-pop, K-drama, and Korean food. When she’s not writing for Soompi, she’s playing the cello and singing. She happily indulges in all kinds of K-pop, but her biases are SHINee, Infinite, and VIXX. She lives with her sister and her two cats, Timmy and Momo, all of whom also love K-pop and K-drama.
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