Not all Korean dramas are lovey-dovey. There are some that have complex and also extremely sad storylines, the ones that will make you cry like a baby. For this special edition we decided to list a few of the dramas that broke our hearts, made us cry, but nonetheless, we loved them.
Note: Some Spoilers Ahead.
1 – The Winter, The Wind Blows
Just by the name of the drama you know that sad times are coming. A con-man falling in love with his target. The target is a rich blind woman with a brain tumor whose life is controlled by others and she is highly dependent on those around her. ‘The Winter, The Wind Blows’ is a 2013 melodrama with stunning cinematography, a heartbreaking story and a beautiful OST.
Jo In-Sung and Song Hye-kyo delivered an incredible portrayal of these characters. Oh Soo (In-Sung) and Oh Young (Hye-kyo) have very complicated and sad stories from the very beginning, but they find comfort in each other. Oh Young finds the filial love she missed from her long-lost brother whereas Oh Soo falls in love with her.
2 – My Country: The New Age
This drama was a rollercoaster of emotions. The main characters are really well written, they are strong, complex and also complicated. Seo Hwi (Yang Se Jong)’s story is full of misfortunes, and he is the main reason why I cried so much with this drama. I just wanted him to be happy for at least an episode.
But no, injustice, power and corruption had a big role in this story and Seo Hwi was trying to survive in a world that had no place for a soul like his. Nam Sun Ho (Woo Do Hwan) is Seo Hwi’s best friend, and even though their friendship became complicated and also quite bloody, their bond was beyond that. It was heartbreaking seeing how this pair ended trying to defend their beliefs and loved ones.
3 – Uncontrollably Fond
In ‘Uncontrollably Fond’ you pretty much know from the get-go that it is going to leave you in tears. Shin Joon-Young has an incurable disease and is basically counting down the days. No Eul, once a childhood friend but then they lost touch, meets Joon-Young again and after finding out he is sick, she does what she can to fill his days with joy. Kim Woo-Bin and Suzy did an incredible job and good God, I get teary eyed just thinking about some scenes.
It wasn’t easy to watch sometimes, but sickness in real life isn’t either. If I’m in a particular sad or wistful mood, I find myself rewatching some episodes. The scene where he talks things out with his mother especially. That moment holds so much tenderness and fragility that when I watched it the first time I had to pause it for a bit. Our hearts can only take so much.
4 – Just Between Lovers (Rain or Shine)
‘Just Between Lovers’ was an incredibly well crafted K-drama. The two leads were both stuck in a collapsed shopping mall after an earthquake and as adults they’re still carrying the trauma. Lee Gang-Doo (Lee Joon-Ho) and Ha Moon-Soo (Won Jin-A) meet again as adults and they discover that they both haven’t been dealing with their trauma very well. There’s hurt, guilt and pain still lingering and they work through it together.
I have so much love for this K-drama. The cast is brilliant and the OST was well implemented to enhance our already explosive emotions. If you haven’t seen it yet, please do.
5 – Hi, Bye Mama
This drama was so well-executed. Cha Yu-Ri has been a ghost for five years, when she got hit by a car whilst pregnant with her daughter. They managed to save the girl but not Yu-Ri. She’s been following all of her friends and family around and has seen how they grieved for her for years. Due to some special circumstances, she gets 49 days as a human again to receive judgment on how she’ll be reborn, as a human or an animal.
Her family and her friends finally get to talk about their grief and their hurt. Things that were left unsaid can finally be spoken. Cha Yu-Ri can finally hug her daughter and spend some time with her. I love how they wrote the women in this drama. They’re multi-dimensional, good people. I pretty much cried multiple times in every episode because the hurt was so raw. The dialogue especially was well done. A big kudos to the writer Kwon Hye-Joo and the actors Kim Tae-Hee, Lee Kyu-Hyung and Shin Dong-Mi.
That was it for K-dramas where we bawled our eyes out. Someone get me a tissue because I need it. If you plan on watching any of these, please prepare with some tissues and comfort food. I find it pretty amazing how there’s beauty in all of the sadness. There’s life lessons to learn from some of the moments in the series, though that doesn’t mean it hurts any less.
Let us know which K-dramas had you in tears, we’re always looking for some new shows to watch.
