I finished them but nothing to write home about

Cover photo: Romance is a Bonus Book

Okay

In desperate need of money, tomboy Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) takes up an additional part-time job as a delivery worker to help make ends meet. Her job leads her to Choi Han Gyeol (Gong Yoo), a wealthy slacker who’s sick of his grandmother setting him up on blind dates. He’s been tasked to rebuild his family’s struggling coffee shop, and decides to hire attractive young men to boost sales. Mistaking Eun Chan for a boy, Han Gyeol decides to hire her as a cafe employee – and to pretend to be his gay lover to ward off unwanted blind dates. As Eun Chan juggles her secret identity and her new job, an undeniable connection blossoms between her and Han Gyeol, who struggles with his unexpected attraction to Eun Chan. Will love find a way to conquer all?

Coffee Prince

Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young), a timid assistant chef with a secret crush, gets entangled in a supernatural scheme when Shin Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi), a ghost with unfinished romantic business, uses Bong Sun’s body as a vessel to complete her final wish. As Soon Ae's bold attempts to experience love affect Bong Sun’s life, the once shy assistant begins to catch the eye of her star chef crush, Kang Sun Woo (Cho Jung Seok), who’s nursing a broken heart of his own. Both women strive to fulfill their desires – one for a love she never had, and the other for a chance at romance. Will their intertwined fates lead to unexpected romance and closure, or will their desires remain unfulfilled? This 2015 Korean drama series was directed by Yoo Je Won.

Oh My Ghost

The Ghostwriters@viki

Tired of being looked down on, civil servant Gong Ah Jung (Yoon Eun Hye) tells what she thinks is a small lie to an antagonistic acquaintance: she’s actually secretly married to wealthy hotel CEO Hyun Ki Joon (Kang Ji Hwan). To her dismay, the rumor spreads impossibly fast, eventually reaching Ki Joon himself. He threatens Ah Jung with a lawsuit, but a series of absurd events eventually forces Ki Joon to acknowledge that pretending to be married might actually prove mutually beneficial. As they navigate the absurdities of their fabricated relationship, dealing with nosy relatives, jealous ex-lovers, and the ever-present threat of exposure, genuine feelings begin to blossom amidst the lies. Will their pretend marriage evolve into a real one, or will the truth ultimately tear them apart?

Lie to Me

As a child, Ki Ha Myung’s (Lee Jong Suk) life was torn apart by the media: his firefighter father was accused of killing his team members, and his devastated mother jumped off a cliff, trying to take Ha Myung with her. However, Ha Myung survived, rescued by an old man with memory loss who renamed him after his own deceased son. Now named Choi Dal Po, he grew up with his “niece” Choi In Ha (Park Shin Hye), a girl the same age as him who suffers from "Pinocchio Syndrome," which causes her to hiccup uncontrollably whenever she tells a lie. As adults, they end up hired as reporters for rival news stations, navigating the cutthroat world of broadcast news, and encountering ethical dilemmas and the tragic consequences of biased reporting while also working through their burgeoning feelings for each other and the dark secrets of their pasts.

Pinocchio

The Can't Lie Team

In an alternate 21st-century Korea where a constitutional monarchy still exists, ordinary art student Shin Chae Gyeong (Yoon Eun Hye) is thrust into the opulent, restrictive world of royalty. Due to an old agreement between their grandfathers, she is betrothed to the aloof and seemingly cold Crown Prince Lee Shin (Ju Ji Hoon). Their forced marriage is a constant battle of wills, as Chae Gyeong struggles to adapt to palace etiquette and Shin chafes under the weight of his duties. The arrival of Lee Shin’s charming cousin Prince Lee Yul (Kim Jeong Hoon), another potential heir to the throne, further complicates matters, stirring up old resentments and creating a love triangle. Can Chae Gyeong navigate court politics and jealous rivals, all while figuring out where her own heart lies? This drama was based on the manhwa “Gung” by Park So Hui.

Princess Hours

 🐻 Royal Teddy Bears 🐻

While visiting a Buddhist temple, college student and unsuccessful aspiring actor Cha Dae Woong (Lee Seung Gi) accidentally unleashes a legendary nine-tailed fox, Mi Ho (Shin Min Ah), from her 500-year prison. Initially terrified, Dae Woong discovers Mi Ho's true desire: to become human. He reluctantly agrees to help her, but that’s easier said than done. As Mi Ho navigates the modern world with innocent curiosity, their odd relationship blossoms into an unlikely romance. However, a mysterious, ancient being with his own agenda is keeping a secret from Mi Ho and Dae Woong that could tear them apart for good. Will Dae Woong help Mi Ho succeed in becoming a human, even if it means giving up everything?

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho

Team Gumiho

Yoon So Ah (Shin Se Kyung), a pragmatic neuropsychiatrist, struggles with her family’s ancient duty to serve Ha Baek (Nam Joo Hyuk), a reincarnated water god. As So Ah navigates her demanding medical practice and the burden of this strange legacy, Ha Baek begins to develop feelings for her. However, their relationship faces complications from Hoo Ye (Im Joo Hwan), a CEO who clashes with So Ah over land but falls for her, and Moo Ra (Krystal Jung), a goddess from the Water Kingdom who resents So Ah for capturing Ha Baek's affection. Meanwhile, Bi Ryeom (Gong Myung), a wind god with unspoken feelings for Moo Ra, adds to the tension. Can So Ah and Ha Baek's unusual relationship withstand these celestial rivalries and find a future together? This 2017 South Korean drama was based on the webcomic by Yoon Mi Kyung.

The Bride of Habaek

Is it raining yet?

Jiangsu TV

During the Ming Dynasty, Yu Qi Ling (Tiffany Tang) arrives in the capital city searching for her adopted mother's biological son. She encounters Jin Yuan Bao (Wallace Huo), a skilled sleuth in the Detective Bureau, and discovers their paths intersect through a kidnapping investigation. When the Empress Dowager arranges Yuan Bao's marriage to Jiang Xiao Xuan (Gong Mi), who flees to be with her true love, Qi Ling assumes Xiao Xuan's identity and marries Yuan Bao. Despite their constant arguments, the unlikely couple must work together to find Qi Ling's missing brother and protect the throne. This is a 2014 Chinese historical drama series directed by Huang Zu Quan.

Perfect Couple

MEI DAXIA

TTV, SETTV

Wu Ping An (Mini Tsai), the ruthless leader of the Yi Qing Group mob organization, falls into a coma after an unexpected accident. Her mother demands that her gentle twin sister, Wu Ping Fan (Mini Tsai), return to Taiwan and secretly take her place to maintain the organization's stability. Thrust into a dangerous criminal world completely foreign to her, Ping Fan finds unexpected protection and support from Gu Le Jun (Weber Yang), with whom she gradually develops romantic feelings. As Ping Fan navigates the treacherous underworld and struggles to maintain her sister's identity, she must confront the complexities of her new life and the potential consequences of her growing relationship with Le Jun. This is a 2017 Taiwanese crime drama series exploring themes of identity, family, and survival.

The Masked Lover

The Dark Secret Team

Sohu TV

Lin Xin Chen (Zhang Yu Xi), an heiress with an illegitimate status, is pressured to marry well and sets her sights on the wealthy Zheng Chu Yao (Chen Bo Rong) at Four Leaf College. Initially mistaking the brooding Jiang Yu Nian (Mike D. Angelo) for Chu Yao, she seeks his help to learn tango in order to win Chu Yao's attention. Comically, Xin Chen keeps encountering Nian Yu in compromising situations while trying to impress Chu Yao, who seems more interested in Yu Yang Yang (Du Yan), a poor student admitted through her father's connections. As Nian Yu teaches her tango, Xin Chen begins to question her original romantic pursuit and wonder if her true destiny might lie closer than she expected. This is a 2016 Chinese drama series produced by Qi Wei.

My Little Princess

The Little Princesses

Mango TV

Popular actress Tian Jing Zhi (Esther Yu) and mutant Xue Ling Qiao (Mike D'Angelo) end their tumultuous relationship, with Jing Zhi seeking a normal life. However, she soon discovers she's pregnant, prompting Ling Qiao to secretly move next door to protect her and their unborn child. When a mysterious organization learns of the half-mutant baby, the couple faces potential danger. A follow-up to the 2016 series "My Amazing Boyfriend," this 2019 Chinese drama series was directed by Ding Zi Guang.

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