5 Comforting Dramas That Feel Like Self-Care
Not every story needs to be about big twists or high drama. Those are lots of fun, but sometimes, slowing down and enjoying a low-stakes, mellow drama is exactly what you need.
If that sounds like you, this list has five dramas that are built around small comforts like warm meals, cozy bookshops, and gentle healing that make them feel like self-care in the form of a drama.
These shows let you slow down and decompress.
Warning: light spoilers ahead!
1. “Romantics Anonymous”
Just over a month old, “Romantics Anonymous” is a truly refreshing Japanese-Korean drama about slow healing with the help of unexpected friends and lots of sweets.
Lee Hana (Han Hyo Joo) is a shy, introverted chocolatier who can’t make eye contact with other people, which can cause her to have a panic attack. She therefore avoids people and lives in her own little world at home, where she crafts chocolates for a nearby chocolate shop. Her sweet creations are beloved by customers and all the chocolate shop staff, but she remains anonymous.
When the chocolate shop is suddenly taken over by company heir Fujiwara Sosuke (Oguri Shun), her routine of seclusion is compromised. Sosuke doesn’t support the idea of having an anonymous chocolatier, so he requests that she reveal herself.
In a silly twist of events, Hana inadvertently accepts a job at the chocolate shop as a server, so she must brave the world beyond her doorstep while keeping her secret condition and identity hidden. Not to mention, she has to somehow also not make eye contact with anyone.
As it so happens, Sosuke has his own debilitating problem: he can’t touch others. When the two find out about each other’s conditions, they also find out something surprising: Sosuke can touch Hana, and Hana can look Sosuke in the eyes.
Forming an unexpected bond, they strike a deal to help each other get better in secret.
Why it’s worth the watch:
Based on the 2010 French-Belgian film of the same name, this drama has the perfect balance of laughs and tears, and Han Hyo Joo’s character is so relatable and sympathetic. It’s the best way to spend a lazy weekend while snacking on your favorite sweets or baking.
2. “Love Me, Love My Voice”
Built for music and ASMR lovers, “Love Me, Love My Voice” is a comfort show for anyone who can appreciate a unique or calming voice.
In this Chinese drama, university student Gu Sheng (Zhou Ye) is a multi-talented musician and voice actor enthusiast. She’s popular for singing covers and composing historical music, though she’s quite timid in real life.
Her idol is a famous voice actor named Mo Qing Cheng (Tan Jian Ci), a man whose voice is instantly recognizable but whose identity is kept under wraps outside of work. Though she doesn’t know who he is or what he looks like, her dream is to collaborate with him. Well, dreams do come true!
When Gu Sheng’s friend sets her up with a project involving Qing Cheng, Gu Sheng and Qing Cheng start sharing voice messages. The chance to meet her idol becomes a real possibility as the project progresses, but she’s already really nervous when just talking to him over the phone.
The two fall in love first with each other’s voice, and their very first IRL meeting is so worth the buildup.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If Zhou Ye isn’t reason enough to start this drama, the uncomplicated romance and strong friendships make this a fun, laid-back watch that isn’t drama-filled. Getting a peek into voice acting is super interesting too.
Start watching “Love Me, Love My Voice” now:
3. “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice”
For a cozy winter show that feels like self-care, “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice” is hard to beat. The drama begins with Mok Hae Won (Park Min Young) leaving Seoul and returning to her hometown, a quiet village where life moves at a slower pace.
After being frequently mistreated at work, Hae Won feels lost and unsure of what life is meant to be. She decides to stay with her aunt until spring, hoping the countryside air and anti-city surroundings will help her reevaluate her life and find meaning.
In the village, she reunites with Im Eun Seob (Seo Kang Jun), a shy bookstore owner who thrives on simple, quiet days and a close-knit community. Though they’ve only shared brief interactions since meeting in high school, Eun Seob once confessed he liked Hae Won after being pressured by friends.
As the two continue to run into each other (it’s a small town, after all), slowly but surely, their relationship grows in a way it hasn’t been able to before. As Hae Won adjusts, she attempts to renovate her family’s home and joins a community book club at Eun Seob’s bookshop, meeting new and old faces.
Why it’s worth the watch:
Some are surprised by the slower pace of this K-drama, but that’s what makes it different. It truly feels like the equivalent of a blanket and hot chocolate on a cold day.
Start watching “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice”:
4. “Our Dining Table”
“Our Dining Table” is a story filled with warmth about found family and connecting over shared meals and honest conversations.
One day at the park, loner Hozumi Yutaka (Inukai Atsuhiro) is once again eating lunch alone at work. He takes out his everyday homemade rice ball, which is oddly large, and meets a young boy named Tane (Maeyama Kuuga) who is hungry and asks for a bite.
Not far behind Tane is his older brother, Ueda Minoru (Iijima Hiroki), who, with blonde hair and a trendy outfit, looks a bit intimidating to Yutaka. Minoru apologizes for his little brother’s pestering, and they leave.
It’s merely a chance encounter, until Minoru returns the next day and asks Yutaka to teach him how to make the rice ball that Tane loves. Yutaka, therefore, ends up at Minoru’s home for an impromptu cooking lesson.
What starts as a one-time visit becomes something routine: the group continues to meet up for cooking, meals, and tiny adventures.
Disconnected from his coworkers and his own family, Yutaka finds a new sense of place and begins to open up. His monotone, lonely life becomes filled with color and good food.
Why it’s worth the watch:
This show will make you feel nothing but joy and probably a little hungry. It’s about two people who feel stuck in life finding solace in each other’s company. The simple, slow-burning romance works perfectly alongside the main themes of found family and emotional healing.
For a similar vibe, check out “Old Fashioned Cupcake” too:
5. “Romance is a Bonus Book”
Set in the world of book publishing, the heartwarming rom-com “Romance is a Bonus Book” centers around Kang Dan Yi (Lee Na Young), a newly divorced and jobless mother whose life plan has gone awry.
She lands on the couch of her go-to emotional support, her younger childhood friend Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong Suk). Eun Ho is a successful chief editor at a publishing company and has been there for all of Dan Yi’s ups and downs.
Trying to move on, Dan Yi gets an entry-level job at Eun Ho’s publishing company, but she’s forced to lie about her prior experience and her lengthy break from work to get the position. Even if it means starting at the bottom, Dan Yi is determined to push the reset button on her life.
While she’s busy putting her life back together, she stays with Eun Ho, who has always secretly had a soft spot for her. She’s once again leaning on Eun Ho for help, but this time Eun Ho is different. The two find themselves navigating the messy, funny, and bittersweet realities of adulthood and romance.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If your favorite pastime is cozying up with a book, this drama might be your next muse. It shows the bumpy journey of restarting your life and that it’s never too late to find a new passion and love. The accidental bromance between Dan Yi’s two love interests is also very hilarious.
Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!”
Currently watching: “To My Shore,” “Your Divorce is Served!,” “Goddess Bless You From Death,” “Love Carved in the Moonlight,” “Me and Thee,” and “School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To.”
Looking forward to: “10Dance,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.”