20 Best Haters to Lovers K-dramas

A common theme in romance K-dramas involves the main protagonists going from adversaries to lovers. Romance K-dramas are becoming one of the most popular genres of television, in large part due to their ability to tell a sweet and engaging love story. Plenty of K-dramas contain swoonworthy kissing scenes and excellent chemistry between the two leads.

Although K-dramas like Answer 1988 And Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo Showcasing how precious a good friends-to-lovers plot can be, the gradual evolution of a relationship built on hate into a full-blown love story is still sought after for the drama and humor it can bring. This particular topic has become quite prevalent over the years. Watching the leads bicker and fight until they slowly realize they’re in love is a key part of the appeal.

20

My Love from the Stars (2013)

Main couple: Kim Soo-hyun As Do Min-Joon & Jun Ji-hyun As Cheon Song-yi

My love from the stars is a science fiction romance of a K-drama. Not only does it have an enemies-to-lovers story, but it also features the story of an alien discovering that there is some good in humanity after all.

The story plays with the idea of ​​soulmates as it takes over 400 years for the two to find one another, but their relationship is not easy.

In this series, an alien lands in Korea during the Joseon period – about 400 years before the modern storyline takes place. At that time, he tried to stay away from people, keep his distance from them and not trust them to his understanding or kindness. When he meets an actress who has a childish attitude, it seems that his idea about humanity has only been strengthened, but he slowly begins to see another side.

Although the two grow closer, this is at the end of the alien’s time on Earth. He is supposed to finally return to his home planet. The story plays with the idea of ​​soulmates as it takes over 400 years for the two to find each other, but their relationship is not easy.

19

Doctor Slump (2024)

Main couple: Park Hyung-sik As Yeo Jeong-woo & Park Shin-Hye As Nam Has-neul

Although Doctor Slump Is sometimes classified as a friends-to-lovers romance, it would more accurately be an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance. It is also similar in concept to a second chance romance, as the two main characters have a story, albeit not a romantic one.

The two main characters are enemies as teenagers. more precisely, They were rivals in their school days. 14 years later, they both pursued different careers in the medical field and experienced some serious setbacks in their personal and professional lives. As they cross paths, they find themselves remembering their rivalry and finding new ways to bond as adults. Eventually, they become friends, but they also fall in love along the way.

The series is full of romance tropes, like the two becoming roommates, but it also has some drama, like a murder mystery, for those who want more than a love story in their shows.

18

hyena (2020)

Main couple: Kim Hye-soo As Jung Geum-ja & Ju Ji-hoon As Yoon Hee-jae

The medical field isn’t the only place to find professional enemies who fall in love in K-dramas. Heena is a legal drama, but it also happens with a pair of lawyers who are like oil and water.

… The chemistry of the two leads and their need to one-up each other is what carries the show.

Both characters work in the world of commercial law, but they have very different techniques to help their clients and themselves. While Jung Geum-ja is willing to cross any line to win a case for her clients (and get a big payday) and is a more street-savvy lawyer, Yoon Hee-jae is the opposite.

The series has low-stakes plotlines compared to the legal dramas that focus on murder mysteries, but the chemistry of the two leads and their need to improve one another is what carries the show. The more interested in one another they become, the more innuendo is present in their exchanges without the show ever becoming huge.

17

The Innocent Man (2012)

Main couple: Song Joong-ki As Kang Ma-ru & Moon Chae-won As Seo Eun-gi

The innocent man (Also known as Nice guy) is a bit more complicated than a straightforward enemies-to-lovers story. That’s because it involves a story of greed and revenge.

Kang Ma-ru is, at one point, in love with the older woman who lives next to him. She, however, is more concerned about getting rich than being in love and betrays him, leaving him to take the fall for a crime she commits and marrying a rich man. When Ma-ru crosses paths with her stepdaughter, he decides to use a relationship with her stepdaughter to get back at her.

This eventually backfires when Eun-gi learns the truth about why he was interested in her to begin with. Even more complicated is that one of the characters ends up in an accident and suffers memory loss, causing their personality to shift and their perception of those around them to change.

16

Her Private Life (2019)

Main couple: Park Min-young as Sang Deok-mi & Kim Jae-wook as Ryan Gold

While Her private life Often come up in discussions of K-dramas that have a workplace romance, sometimes, fans may forget that the coworkers here are essentially enemies at the beginning of the show. They very much get off on the wrong foot.

Sung Deok-mi is a curator at an art gallery who is very good at her job, but she is also very careful to keep her personal life private because she is a huge K-pop fan. And even runs a website for her favorite K-pop stars. When she gets a new boss at the gallery, they immediately clash, and he only has an even worse opinion of her when he finds out how she spends her time outside of work.

Of course, the chemistry between the two is fantastic, so even when it seems like they can’t stand each other, the audience knows there’s more to their relationship.

15

Shooting Star (2022)

Main Couple: Kim Jung-dae as Gong Tae-sung & Lee Sung-kyung as Oh Han-byul

The stories of celebrities being misjudged by those who work with them (or vice versa) seem to make for some great enemies-to-lovers stories. In truth, the main characters in these kinds of shows are not outright enemies because they often have to work together for a common goal, but they feel like enemies because of how much they initially despise one another, usually because of a miscommunication.

In this case, the Two characters are a member of a public relations firm and an actor who knew each other in high school as friends, but became enemies before their careers took off.. Although they don’t get along, there’s no denying that Oh Han-byul (the PR representative) is excellent at her job. She excels at crisis management and often clashes with Gong Tae-sung. He, of course, has a public persona that doesn’t quite match his past.

14

Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Main Couple: Choi Woo-shik As Choi Ung & Kim Da-mi As Kook Yeon-soo

Our beloved summer Is not the traditional storyline of enemies to lovers. While most storylines have two characters who have never been able to stand each other slowly fall in love, that is not the case here. instead, It’s more of a second-chance-romance storyline, but the former lovers are modern-day enemies.

Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-so knew each other as high school students and even had a romantic relationship while filming a documentary. When their documentary goes viral years later, the two are pressured by a producer to meet again, and things progress from there. The series deals with unresolved issues in a relationship, how passion can be displaced, and of course, how to find love again.

The series clearly knew its romance audience because some of the episode titles refer to some romance classics, such as 10 things I hate about you, Pride and PrejudiceAnd Love actually.

13

Boys Over Flowers (2009)

Main Couple: Koo Hye-Sun As Geum Jan-di & Lee Min-ho As Gu Jun-pyo

Boys over flowers Haters to Lovers is sometimes overlooked in modern discussions of K-dramas, perhaps because it aired in 2009. However, it is one of the K-dramas responsible for bringing the show to an international audience. Its popularity is what has brought K-dramas to streaming sites like Netflix all over the world, so it really shouldn’t be overlooked..

In the series, Jan-di transfers to a new school. Although she doesn’t come from money, the school is for the elite, and she ends up being bullied by some of the most popular kids in school, including Jun-pyo and his friends. Over time, both of these characters grow, learn more about each other, and even fall for each other, becoming not only better characters, but better people as the show progresses.

12

So I Married the Anti-Fan (2021)

Main Couple: Choi Tae-Joon as Hoo Joon & Sooyoung Choi as Lee Geun-young

After she believes that superstar Hoo Joon is ruining her life due to their paths crossing leading to her being fired, reporter Lee Geun-young becomes his biggest anti-fan. She even demonstrated against him outside his management office to emphasize that she believes he is a bad person. The enmity of the two comes to a head when they end up on a reality show where they have to live together.

Geun-young and Hoo Joon’s mutual dislike starts to evaporate as they learn more about each other, however, and they learn that their first impressions may not be accurate. Hoo Joon’s cold persona hides a broken heart and Geun-young is struggling financially. Although Parts of the romance are clichés, So I married an anti-fan Is still a fun watch Due to the chemistry between the leads.

11

I’m Not a Robot (2017)

Main Couple: Chae Sae-bin as Jo Ji-ah & Yoo Seung-ho as Kim Min-kyu

I’m not a robot is a quirky Korean drama that blends science fiction with romance. The series sees Jo Ji-ah, through a series of mishaps, agree to pretend to be an advanced humanoid robot during trials of the product. Kim Min-kyu, who has a deadly allergy to physical contact with humans, falls in love with Ji-ah while believing her to be a robot. The two don’t get along at first, but both slowly begin to soften as their feelings grow.

The slow-burn nature of the romance, as well as the tensions surrounding Ji-ah’s lies, Power I’m not a robot An emotional K-drama with an ending that pays off. It’s a fascinating take on a K-drama, as the main character is confused by his own love for someone he doesn’t consider human, and he even “reboots” her memory to erase the evidence of being in love with a robot. Before he knows that she is human.

10

Crazy Love (2022)

Main Couple: Krystal Jung as Lee Shin-ah & Kim Jae-wok as Noh Go-jin

crazy love Is often described as wacky, as it has one of the wildest sites of its kind. After receiving a death threat, Noh Go-jin faces amnesia. His secretary, Lee Shin-ah uses this to pretend to be his fiancee as revenge for his poor treatment of her at the workplace. The plot only gets stranger, as scheming exes, attempted murder, and terminal illnesses are all tangled together throughout the drama.

It’s like a telenovela and all the most unusual plots of a modern Korean drama are thrown together to make one fun ride. Although The plot of crazy love Just like the title of the K-drama describes, the love story is still sweet nonetheless. Go-jin and Shin-ah grow to really care for each other during their charade and seeing them overcome their differences is heartwarming.

9

Behind Your Touch (2023)

Main Couple: Han Ji-min as Bong Ye-bun & Lee Min-ki as Moon Jang-yeol

Watching their relationship evolve is heartwarming

Although it is primarily a comedy thriller, Behind your touch Also has an adorable romance where The main characters get off to a terrible start in their relationship. Moon Jang-yeol is a callous detective and Bong Ye-bun is a veterinarian. Jang-yeol catches Ye-bun in the act of testing her newfound psychic abilities that only work when she touches someone’s butt and he blackmails her into helping him solve crimes so he can go back to Seoul.

He thinks he’s too good of a detective to be stuck in a small town job and is determined to return to his old life whether she wants to help him or not. Throughout the hilarity and tension that follows, Jang-yeol and Ye-ban slowly fall in love. Even though the two only get together at the end of the show, watching their relationship evolve is heartwarming.

8

Doom at Your Service (2021)

Main Couple: Park Bo-young as Tak Dong-kyung & Seo In-guk as Myeol-mang

Tak Dong-kyung is having a hard time when the series begins. She discovers that she has a terminal illness, that her boyfriend is not who she thinks he is, and gets into trouble at work. She just wants to let go of her worries for a bit. After a drunken wish for the world to end lands Myeol-mang, an immortal messenger, at Tak Dong-kyung’s door, she must think fast before her wish comes true.

Myeol-mang, who wants the world to end so he can escape his immortal life, makes a deal with her to try to get her to truly wish for the apocalypse. Although the love story of the duo begins as an attempt by both parties to get their way through the destruction of the other, real feelings emerge. Dum at your service Expertly blends humor and drama To make the romance pop as the leads slowly fall for each other.

7

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Rio (2016)

Main Couple: Lee Ji-eun as Han Go-jin / Hae Soo & Lee Joon-gi as Wang Soo

Han Go-jin finds himself transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty in this time-traveling Korean drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. She wakes up in Hae Soo’s body and has to adapt to this new life. Go-jin and 4th Prince Wang Su have a stormy relationship On the first meeting. Wang So is called “wolf-dog” by people due to his cold and standoffish nature. Go-jin manages to soften his heart and the two reach an understanding as they grow closer together. The love between Go-jin and Wang So transcends time and is heartbreakingly beautiful.

The series was incredibly popular upon its original release and was nominated for numerous awards in South Korea. It was seven of his 12 SBS Drama Award nominations, including the one for Best Couple.

6

Semantic error (2022)

Main Couple: Park Jae-chan as Choo Sang-woo & Park Seo-ham as Jang Jae-young

LGBTQ+ representation in K-dramas has been increasing over the years and Semantic error is among the best LGBTQ+ dramas with an enemies-to-lovers story. Choo Sang-woo is the reason Jang Jae-young can’t graduate. Jae-young decides to spend his last semester and Sang-woo regrets it, but ends up helping him with a project. The budding relationship between Sang-woo and Jae-young is very sweet Semantic error The perfect series for those looking to avoid the heartbreaking twists found in other shows in its genre.

It is also one of the many K-dramas based on a webtoon and was edited into a theatrical version for release as a movie. The series was nominated for several awards and snagged Best Couple at the APAN Star Awards in 2022.

5

Crazy for Each Other (2021)

Main Couple: Oh Yeon-soo as Lee Min-kyung & Jung Woo as No Hwi-oh

Lee Min-kyung and Noh Hwi-oh meet when they both end up going to the same psychiatrist. Min-kyung struggles with trust issues due to an incident in her personal life and Hwi-oh’s work as a detective causes him to develop anger problems. Once the two meet they can’t seem to stay out of each other’s way and even find out they have been living next door to each other. Crazy for each other Balanced humor with more serious themes Well, the chemistry between Min-kyung and Hwi-oh is undeniable.

It’s almost like the opposite Serendipity How the two characters want to stay away, but the circumstances and their attraction to one another only keep them together. While it was nominated for Best Web Drama at the APAN Star Awards, it lost Be my boyfriend.

4

Suspicious Partner (2017)

Main couple: Eun Bong-hee & Noh Ji-wook

Suspicious partner is a mystery Korean drama With a sweet enemies to lovers story line. Eun Bong-hee is a new trainee at the same law office as Noh Ji-wook when she becomes a murder suspect. Even though he is the prosecutor, Ji-wook defends Bong-hee. The two were not together from the beginning, as their first meeting did not go well. The back-and-forth between them is fun to watch, especially as it’s juxtaposed with a murder case. Suspicious partner Also uses another popular K-drama trope of falling in love with the host.

The series was popular with audiences during its initial run, but didn’t do so well on the award show circuit. Out of several SBS Drama Award nominations, the show received only one, for the Excellence Award for an Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama for Nam Ji-hyun.

3

Love to Hate You (2023)

Main Couple: Kim Ok-vin As Yeo Mi-ran & Teo Yoo As Nam Kang-ho

Love to hate you is a romantic comedy, but it certainly sets up the two main characters to hate an entire gender based on their own experiences with love. Yeo Mi-ran, for example, is an outspoken woman who is not afraid of recreational sex but has a low opinion of people as a whole because of her experiences. Nam Kang-ho hates dating and sees most women as superficial because of his own past. So, of course, they get off on the wrong foot when they meet.

Their circumstances, Yeo Mi-running as a lawyer for a celebrity company, and Nam Kang-ho as a rising superstar using their services, means they collide immediately. Mi-ran believes that Kang-ho is a misogynist and up to no good, so she naturally sets out to prove it. The series is very much a comedy of errors led by Kim Ok-vin’s performance as Mi-ran.

2

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

Main couple: Yoon Hye-jin & Hong Du-sik

Hometown cha-cha-cha Has one of the most prominent enemy-to-lover story lines in Korean dramas. When Yoon Hye-jin moves to the village of Gongjin to open her own dentistry clinic, she constantly finds herself at odds with local handyman Hong Du-sik. Du-sik is everywhere she goes and the two get on their nerves after their first meeting. As expected, their chemistry wins out and the two eventually fall in love. Both Hye-jin and Du-sik have tragedies in their pasts and help each other overcome them.

Hometown cha-cha-cha is a sweet K-drama With a winning romance. It was also a win for South Korea because it was primarily shot on location and visitors to the country often visit spots where it was filmed. During award season, the series was nominated for nine awards around the South Korean award circuit, picking up six of them.

1

Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Main couple: Nam Haeng-seon & Choi Chi-yeol

Crash course in romance was one of the most popular romance K-dramas of 2023. Nam Haeng-seong is a former handball player who gave up her career to raise her niece, Nam Hae-yi. Hae-yi tries to join the private academy where Choi Chi-yeol teaches math during college exam season and Haeng-seong is forced to fight with Chi-yeol. The K-drama deals with many serious topicsBut the romance between Haeng-seong and Chi-yeol shines brightly. Watching Haeng-seong find love is heartwarming, as she had so much in her youth.

During its run, the show became one of the highest rated in Korean cable history with nearly a quarter of the country’s households tuning in to watch the finale. Time Even labeled as one of the best K-dramas from 2023.