I have been watching dramas for long enough to understand that they are nowhere near reality. Dramas are meant to be that little distraction from reality, providing those imaginative ideal situations, dreams and endings we all want but only some are likely to achieve.
So whenever I watch a drama that is way too relatable, I feel scared. Why? Because we are either watching a situation we have been through or one we are likely to be in the future, making it slightly scary to watch sometimes.
I have come across a few dramas that fit the description above, and even though I loved them, they also gave me the creeps. Here are my top dramas that are too relatable to be fiction.
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Number 1: Fight for my way
Life didn’t turn out the way you wanted to. You are stuck in a regular job that is nowhere near what you wanted to achieve. Yes, many of us have been in the same situation and so are Ko Dong-Man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-Ra (Kim Ji-won).
Throughout the drama they are trying to achieve their dreams, figuring out life at the same time as finding budding romantic feelings for each other after years of being friends (last part, not so relatable). But overall this drama shows how hard it is to try and achieve your dreams when many think you might be a bit too late for that. Though there is no yardstick to measure success and even if it comes at the age of 50 or 60, it still counts as success. Here is the trailer.
Number 2: One Spring Night
You have a regular life, a good job, loving parents and a long term relationship that might not make you super happy but you feel at ease and comfortable.
Out of nowhere you meet someone that makes you feel uneasy, you develop a massive crush on that person and for once in your life you want to leave that comfort zone you have been in for years and go all-in. Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-min) goes through this situation and everything gets even more complicated when she learns that her crush Yu Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in) is a single parent.
I chose this drama because of Yu Ji-ho. Being a single parent is frowned upon in many cultures but I personally believe that even if you have a child you also deserve to be loved and have a romantic life regardless.
Life is complicated on its own. But it gets even more complicated when your value as a person is lowered just for being a single parent. I have sadly seen this in real life and it made me feel so much empathy for Jung Hae-in character. Here is the trailer.
Number 3: Because This Is My First Life
‘Because This Is My First Life’ has one of the best female friendships I have ever seen, they have each other’s back and they also accept each other’s faults and flaws. I particularly found So Ji (Lee So-Young) and Ji Ho (Jung So-min) extremely relatable.
From one side, So Ji showed the empowered and strong woman she is in many situations, however, she was also vulnerable and just a normal person trying to get through hard times.
Ji Ho’s positivism when something bad happened seriously made my day. She saw the bright side of many situations, and in fairness many of us try to do the same, even though we might not have the same happy outcome.
These two characters were human and very well written. They’re so real they could be our best friend, sister or even ourselves. Here is the trailer of this drama.
Number 4: Romance is a Bonus Book
Trying to make ends meet, struggling to get back into the workforce after having a child or just a long break. This series is relatable to all of those who struggle to find a job and find it hard to get back on track.
Dan Yi (Lee Na Young) is a single mom who is desperately trying to find a job as a marketer but finds it extremely hard as technology and the internet changed the way things used to work in marketing. In a desperate move she decided to re-do her curriculum and make it look as if she didn’t have any educational background or experience just to be able to get the position.
Having a hard financial situation and trying to survive everyday is something that many out there go through, making this drama very familiar. Here is the trailer.
Number 5: Itaewon Class
‘Itaewon Class’ was amazing in so many different ways. Though what struck me the most was the diversity in the characters and to see some of the struggles they have to go through. With Toni it was discrimination and the struggle of bureaucracy. Having lived in multiple countries, I know what dealing with the mountains of paperwork is like. I can tell you, it’s not the most fun.
Then there’s also the character of Hyun Yi, a trans woman who was forced to acknowledge that on live TV. Maybe the last part isn’t that relatable, but imagine the struggle amongst friends and acquaintances. The fact that you have to defend your own existence is a struggle that most LGBTQ+ people still have to deal with.
That’s it for this list of relatable dramas, let us know if you have identified yourself with any of these or which one you would add.
