3 K-Dramas With Fresh Vibes To Watch If You Loved "Last Summer"
There’s no better time to call for romance than summer. The warm breeze, bright scenery, and youthful feelings make the perfect recipe to see love bloom. Even Song Ha Gyeong (Choi Sung Eun) and Baek Do Ha (Lee Jae Wook) in “Last Summer” couldn’t resist the magic that this season brings. Going from eternal frenemies to roomies to lovers, this couple got the chance to explore a colorful story through ups and downs, discovering themselves and healing together. If you are looking for a show that will remind you of the fresh vibes of this K-drama, here are some recommendations!
1. “Our Beloved Summer”
A documentary, two polar opposite teenagers, and a bittersweet love story. Back in high school, Guk Yeon Soo (Kim Da Mi) and Choi Woong (Choi Woo Shik) featured in a filming project that would portray the lives of the best and the worst students at school. At first, their personalities seemed to clash in more than one way, but they would eventually fall in love. Years later, and despite their terrible breakup, they have to work together again in an updated version of their popular documentary, this time under the direction of Woong’s best friend, Kim Ji Woong (Kim Sung Cheol). Though everyone is determined to keep a professional attitude, as they spend more time together, the feelings and the wounds from the past start to shake their resolution.
This K-drama has everything a slice-of-life could ask for. The difficult jump from the naive and innocent teenage years to the stressful and lonely adulthood, the excitement and sweetness of the first love and the pain from the heartbreak. And the sensible, hard, yet rewarding journey of finding oneself. Every character has hidden layers that slowly show us their complexity, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster that makes you laugh, cry, and even get angry at times. Adding the calm and artistry setting, a beautiful OST, and a very happy ending, this drama gives you the perfect cinematic experience to transport you into their beloved summer.
2. “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”
Nothing says “summer” like first loves! Dreaming of becoming a national athlete, Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) has little to no time to meet boys. Even more so since being a weightlifting champion isn’t exactly the most girlfriend material. However, when she meets nutritionist Jung Jae Yi (Lee Jae Yoon) and falls irremediably in love with him, she is determined to do her best to win his heart. At the same time, she meets Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk), a professional swimmer who coincidentally is Jae Yi’s younger brother and Bok Joo’s old childhood friend. Their first encounter, though messy, turns into a fateful one pretty soon.
As both Joon Hyung and Bok Joo reconnect, and she learns to navigate the tricky and confusing paths of love, they develop one of the most charming love stories ever made in K-dramaland. It touches your heart not only for the incredible chemistry, whether it is as friends or lovers, but this show also speaks to you about the tenderness within discovering what is inside one’s heart and the honesty and courage that is needed to follow what it wants. The simple plot with some hints of emotional moments makes you easily fall in love with this story, which is already one of the all-time favorites among K-drama enthusiasts.
Watch “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” here:
3. “Summer Strike”
Everybody needs a break from life once in a while, and “Summer Strike” gives you just that. After a series of unfortunate situations, Lee Yeo Reum (Seolhyun) decides she is sick of her crappy job, her useless family, and living in the city. So she packs her bags and heads to a small village to start afresh. But once she gets there, she realizes that things aren’t as easy as she anticipated. Luckily, she meets Ahn Dae Bum (Im Siwan), a shy librarian who decides to become a sort of fairy godmother to Yeo Reum. As time passes by and she learns more about the people in town, she also earns a special place in the villagers’ hearts.
If there’s a word that could perfectly describe this drama, it is subtlety. This isn’t your typical happy-go-lucky sort of rom-com. It is a show that will make you forcibly slow down and enjoy every second with its calm pace and low-key romance. Neither Yeo Reum nor Dae Bum looks for a passionate and burning love, but they surely find reassurance, comfort, and tenderness in one another. The underlying tones of mystery and drama add a touch of action that compels you to keep on watching until the very last episode, so this is your cue to tune in now!
Watch “Summer Strike” here:
andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4. Find her on Instagram @wuaitboni.
Currently watching: “Dynamite Kiss” and “Moon River”