5 K-Dramas That Taught Us It's Okay To Slow Down
There are often times in life when you want to hit the pause button. Self care is not about being selfish. It is about resting, healing, and recalibrating. As reel often imitates real, there have been several K-dramas that have dealt with themes of burnout, stress, mental exhaustion, and more. The lead characters’ stories resonate with our own lives, as if echoing our innermost thoughts. Here are five K-dramas that taught us that it’s okay to slow down, take a breath, and recharge.
“Love Scout”
Kang Ji Yun (Han Ji Min) is a workaholic. The CEO of a headhunting firm, Ji Yun is smart, sassy, and successful. However, self care has never been her priority nor on her agenda. A self-made and self-reliant woman, she is principled and self-righteous, so much so that she takes everything at work as her responsibility. In a perpetual flight and fight mode and sustaining herself on copious amounts of coffee, it is not surprising that Ji Yun is an insomniac and a highly-strung woman. But things change at work with the arrival of Yu Eun Ho (Lee Jun Hyuk), a former HR manager who is now an assistant to Ji Yun.
Eun Ho understands the importance of balance in life. He had taken a year off from work to tend to his little girl when she had started showing signs of depression. As a single parent, he has tried to strike a balance between his work and home life. Eun Ho is perceptive as much as he is compassionate, and he not only brings order in Ji Yun’s chaotic work schedule, but he also tries to bring some semblance of normalcy in her life. As a relationship blossoms between the two, Ji Yun understands that being strong does not mean being constantly hard on oneself.
“Love Scout” is a refreshingly heartwarming workplace romantic drama. From its welcoming portrayal of gender dynamics, it also gave us one of the most amazing onscreen characters, Yu Eun Ho. Han Ji Min and Lee Jun Hyuk made this one an unmissable watch.
Start watching “Love Scout”:
“My Mister”
Lee Ji An (IU) is a debt-ridden, woebegone young woman. She doesn’t have a permanent job and hustles between several part-time gigs, barely managing to earn her keep. She also is the sole caregiver to her ailing grandmother. Overwhelmed with her situation, Ji An is constantly ebbing in and out of a lingering wave of sadness and misery which threatens to envelop her.
This is when she meets Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sung Gyun), a compassionate office worker. Even though his life is not easy, he radiates an optimism and strength. Ji An not only finds a friend in him, someone who is willing to lend her an ear, but also a mentor. His empathy and wisdom give her the emotional strength she so seeks.
“My Mister” is an emotionally uplifting and heartwarming story of a friendship between a young woman and a man who understand and empower each other. It’s a soulful drama, which tends to linger with you. The drama is enhanced with the power of its storytelling as well as awesome performances by IU and Lee Sung Gyun.
Start watching “My Mister”:
“My Liberation Notes”
Everyone has that moment when you want to escape the humdrum of daily life – get rid of the inertia and the mundanity of everything around us. The Yeom siblings, Ki Jung (Lee El), Mi Jung (Kim Ji Won), and Chang Hee (Lee Min Ki), are frustrated with their meaningless lives in a remote town on the outskirts of Seoul.
Ki Jung is very picky and has been unable to find a suitable partner. She is constantly worried that once she is past the marriageable age, she may just end up being single. Mi Jung lacks confidence and has low self-esteem. She thinks she is not worthy of love and is extremely sensitive to people’s opinions. She is constantly seeking validation. Chang Hee, on the other hand, wants to get enough money so as to tide through his financial stalemate.
The arrival of the mysterious Mr. Gu (Son Suk Ku) shakes their world and also makes them understand what liberation actually means in the truest sense of the word. Is it our needs, desires, and expectations which define us?
“My Liberation Notes” is an ode to life. The narrative which is almost lyrical is enhanced by strong performances from the ensemble cast.
“I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice”
Mok Hae Won (Park Min Young) is a cellist. In her pursuit to excel, she is left emotionally spent and experiences burnout. The best antidote is to move back to her hometown. She reconnects with her former classmate and neighbor, Eun Seob (Seo Kang Jun). Eun Seob runs a bookstore and is popular amongst the townspeople for his compassionate and optimistic disposition. Little does Hae Won know that her onetime friend still has feelings for her, which he has been unable to confess.
The two reconnect and start off an easygoing friendship, which develops into something deeper and meaningful. Both realize in living life that what is expected of them has left them drained and spent.
“I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice” is sweet and tender. It has an unhurried pace, and the performances by the two leads make it a cathartic watch.
Start watching “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice”:
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”
Sometimes healing and care come from unexpected sources. Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah), an ambitious and headstrong dentist, is done with the petty politics at her clinic in Seoul. She decides to move to the seaside town of Gongjin, which holds a special memory from her past. She opens a clinic there, but her inflexible attitude doesn’t exactly make her a popular presence in a town where everyone is in and out of each other’s business.
The town’s most popular resident is Hong Doo Shik (Kim Seon Ho). He is the master of all trades – there is nothing that he can’t fix or resolve. He is amiable, while Hye Jin is not, and there is a clash in personality given their different temperaments. But it is Doo Shik who makes Hye Jin understand that life and its outcomes cannot be controlled. It is sometimes best to let go and take the risk.
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” is a comforter which embraces you in its warmth. Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho put their best foot forward and are joined by a wholesome ensemble cast which make this one a show for all seasons.
Hey Soompiers, which one of these is your favorite drama? Let us know in the comments below!
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
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