K-dramas are filled with families of all kinds. There are happy families, sad families and sometimes quite dysfunctional families. However, one of the most heart-warming family tropes in K-dramas has to be found families. It is a family which isn’t related by blood. Instead, they are unrelated and have come together to form a family.
Mad Dog
Mad Dog stars Yoo Ji-tae, Woo Do-hwan, and Ryu Hwa-young as a group of investigators trying to find out the truth behind a mysterious plane crash. Yoo Ji-tae lost his family in the crash and Woo Do-Hwan lost his brother. Even though there are a lot of misunderstandings at first, the pair along with the rest of the team come together to support and help each other. In the case of one of the characters, Kim Hye-sung as On Nu-ri/Pentium, his bond with the found family is even stronger than that of his real family. His real family abandons on many occasions but the Mad Dog team is always there for him.
It’s Okay to not be Okay
This show starring Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Yea-ji and Oh Jung-se is focused quite strongly on mental health. All of the characters are struggling with their past or their mental health. It’s set at a mental health institution. However, whether it’s the main trio, the other patients at the institution or even the hospital staff, there is the element of a found family. Some of the people are related by blood but even if they aren’t, they are always there for each other, helping each other to heal and move forward. Again this drama shows how sometimes found family can be there for you when even your real family might not understand you.
Hospital Playlist
Hospital Playlist has to be one of the strongest found family dramas. It centers around five friends ( Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung and Jeon Mi-do) who are all surgeons at the hospital. All of the five main characters have their own families and we meet those families throughout the show. The characters are also very close to their families. However, they have a friendship of more than twenty years which has made them almost like family. They know each other’s likes, dislikes, moods and emotional states. Every moment and scene where the five are on screen is just so heartwarming and comforting.
Still 17
This drama starring Shin Hye-sun, Yang Se-jong and Ahn Hyo-seop is about being mentally and slightly physically stuck in the past. Shin Hy-sun was in a coma for 13 years and woke up when she is 30-year-old. Yang Se-jong experienced a trauma 13 years ago. They are both stuck at the age of 17. However, along with Ahn Hyo-seop and his friends (one of whom is Lee Dohyun) and Jennifer, a housekeeper with a secret, they learn to create new memories and form new relations. The drama is also such a comforting watch.
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
Flower Crew is a historical drama starring Kim Minjae and Gong Seung-yeon. Kim Minjae is a matchmaker along with Park Ji-hoon and Byeon Woo-seok. They find eligible partners for the people of Joseon. After a series of misunderstandings and confusions, Gong Seung-yeon ends up living and working with the trio at the agency. Due to the politics and drama around them, the agency is constantly tested and finds themselves in various different crises. However, they are always there for each other, and saving each other.
Shy Boss
Shy Boss stars Yeon Woo-jin and Park Hye-soon. Yeon Woo-jin is a CEO of a public relations company, but he is extremely shy. Due to his shy personality, his employees do not know him well. Park Hye-soo is an extroverted person who joins the company. The pair are joined by other employees to form a special project for the company. Even though Yeon Woo-jin’s character is very introverted and shy, after a while he learns to open up and work well with the rest of the team. He also does special things for each of the team. In turn, the team helps to open up.
Which of these K-dramas is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
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