Top 5
Friends to Lovers
Friends to lovers K-Dramas are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Not the whole first love concept- because that’s a totally different ball game, but the sort of romance where our leads spend the majority of the show being either completely in denial about their crush on their soooo-not-attractive-at-all friend or completely and utterly oblivious that their feelings have gone well outside the realm of friendship. There’s just something nice about having two characters who are so totally comfortable around each other start to fall in love with one another. New romances are nice and shiny and exciting, but there’s an added layer of interest in watching someone fall in love with someone they already know everything about. There’s bound to be a bunch of jealousy, a bunch of denial, and a whole bunch of cute.
5: Twenty Again
‘Twenty Again’ was actually one of my first ever friends to lovers dramas. And it was awesome. The drama as a whole is really good, but it was the adorable relationship between the two leads that made the show really addictive. The leads were high school friends who grew distant after the heroine falls pregnant and marries the baby-daddy. They reconnect after 20 years when the heroine decides to go to collage after her divorce. The hero is (of course) a professor at said collage, and the two grow close again. What makes their relationship so enjoyable (and so funny) is how completely unwilling the hero is to restart their friendship. He was hurt when the heroine got married (after realising that he loved her), but as he spends more time with her he falls for her all over again. He truly becomes her best friend- giving her a shoulder to lean on, advice when she needed it, and of course he brings out the silly, goofy teenagers in them both. The pettiness of the leads as they fight as friends is really almost better than their actual romance- though it is soooooo rewarding to see our hero win the fair lady’s heart.
4: Producers
There was lots to love about ‘Producers’ and a friends to lovers romance kind of came as a bit of a surprise because the man in this pairing…wasn’t the main male lead. Yep, you read that right. The main male lead doesn’t get the girl. Well, I suppose it was kind of hard to tell who the main lead was- but we all thought it was Kim Soo Hyun. Anyway. The friends to lovers romance in this drama certainly brought on the warm fuzzies, as for most of the show’s run we were as oblivious to Joon Mo’s feelings as our leading lady, Ye Jin, was. Which means as the show draws down to the final episodes we were suddenly seeing all these sneaky things Joon Mo did behind the scenes to protect Ye Jin and make her happy, and that of course opened our eyes to his true feelings. It was the snarkiness of the friendship that really won me over- if you didn’t know better you’d almost think the two didn’t like each other. They were constantly nagging and snapping at each other, but that just helped to show how completely comfortable they were together. They didn’t care about looking their best in front of each other, because they both already knew the less appealing traits about the other already. The two had a nice, breezy chemistry, and it was nice to see that not a whole lot changed once the friendship turned to romance, as they were still best friends even as they dated. There was just some added snogging.
Despite the drama not actually being all that fabulous (it was pretty long with not a lot happening), the friends to lovers romance was a definite perk. The leads were lifelong friends who’d grown up together and seen each other date numerous partners. They had the type of relationship where everyone knew they were perfect for each other- except themselves. They had the ultimate level of comfort around each other, to the point where they stopped viewing each other as male and female. You know, until they suddenly realised it again. After many failed relationships, and a complication (I really can’t remember what complication) causes the heroine to move into the hero’s house, the two start becoming a little more aware of each other. This drama has everything you want in a friends to lovers romance- comfortable skinship, unexplainable jealousy, awkward realisation, complete and utter denial, and of course the final acceptance. What ‘2 Outs’ did really well that not a lot of other friends to lovers dramas do it the it seriously looked at the consequences and risks of moving the friendship to a romance. Sure, there’s great perks to dating your best friend, but there’s a lot more to lose if the relationship doesn’t work out. The leads have differing opinions on if they could remain friends after a breakup or not, and that plays a large part in their willingness to move their relationship forward- because it sucks losing your partner and your best friend all at once.
2: Reply 1997
Probably one of the most widely recognised friends to lovers romances, ‘Reply 1997’ is well loved around the globe. The story it tells reaches far into friendship and family and it's a deeply moving drama to watch. One of its most addictive qualities of course, is the relationship between the two leads- best friends Shi Won and Yoon Jae. The story spans decades and goes into intricate detail on just how these two kids wind up together, and every single up and down along the way. The kids friendship is one everyone can relate to- simple and easy and so very teenager-y where everything is either the best or the worst. It’s fun to see our hero realise his feelings for Shi Won and try to desperately keep her from finding out (particularly when she has the hots for his brother), and the push and pull between them is so engaging. ‘Reply’ takes it a step further than ‘2 Outs’ with our couple actually becoming estranged for a good long while after Shi Won initially rejects Yoon Jae. And of course that time spent without him is exactly what Shi Won needs to realise that life is so much better with him around. The love story seems like a simple one, but it remains one of the most heartfelt friends to lovers stories around, as it not only shows the development of the relationship, but also how the two leads influenced each other as they grew up and transitioned into adulthood.
My ultimate friends to lovers drama. Not only is the story relatable, engaging and endearing, but so are the characters. Bok Joo and Joon Hyung are really the best example of friends to lovers. They start out with a begrudging friendship where they are positive that the other is the biggest pain in the ass that ever lived. Then as they grow closer as friends they find more and more qualities in each other that they like. Joon Hyung supports Bok Joo through her first ever heart break, and Bok Joo is a steady friend for him to rely on in return. The best friend skinship in this drama is extreme and adorable. The best part of this drama is how the two of them are basically already dating, and are yet still totally in denial about their feelings for each other. There’s jealousy on both sides, and of course the natural comfort that comes from being besties. The only thing better than watching these characters be best friends was watching them start dating.
 |
| What are your favourite friends to lovers K-Dramas? |
No comments:
Post a Comment