Being friends was a choice, but falling in love is way beyond their control.

Here is the selection of dramas: from friends to lovers.
Do you prefer love stories that friends become lovers steadily rather than falling in love at first sight?
Follow the collection and share your favorites and opinions for those who are looking for similar dramas!

Friends to Lovers

JTBC

This is a story of Kang Mi Rae (Im Soo Hyang), a girl once bullied for her looks. Mi Rae decides she wants a fresh start and gets plastic surgery to transform her face. When she becomes a college student, she meets Do Kyung Suk (Cha Eun Woo) from their middle school days, who sees people for what they are on the inside and not on the outside; he then becomes attracted to Kang Mi Rae. As Mi Rae begins to get teased once more and labeled as a "Gangnam Beauty" for getting plastic surgery, Kyung Suk becomes the one person that stands up for her. In the process, Mi Rae begins to recover her lost confidence and discovers that true beauty is not about what's on the outside.

My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

The Beauty Lovers

KBS02

This drama is about the youth who is not qualified for what the heartless society demands. Without backgrounds such as high education and certificates, the world tells them to focus on playing supporting roles in life. However, they all have their advantages and deserve to be the main character in their own lives. This is a story about four individuals, Dong Man, Ae Ra, Joo Man, and Sul Hee, and the dreams they are pursuing. Dong Man used to be a top athlete in taekwondo. However, his dreams of becoming a national athlete is shredded into pieces when he helplessly loses against authority and money. Choi Ae Ra has always dreamed of becoming an announcer. Although for now, she works at a department store, she continuously goes to job interviews and fights for her way. When the world turns its back on one of them, the other rushes to comfort them.

Fight For My Way

The Fighting Team

The handsome son of a wealthy family, Yeo Joon (Park Ji Hoon) had what most people could only dream of having. A first-year economics student at a prestigious university, Yeo Joon seems to be perfectly at ease, living up to everyone’s expectations of him. But what his charming exterior portrays is far different from what he keeps hidden on the inside. Hurting beyond belief, what Yeo Joon needed more than anything is a friend. Unfortunately, finding a true friend is a lot easier said than done.

Assigned to work together on a class project, Yeo Joon inexplicably finds himself drawn to his partner, Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk). A third-year student in the same program, Soo Hyun is a straight A student who has no time for spoiled little rich kids. Despite their rocky beginning, Yeo Joon and Soo Hyun eventually begin to accept each other for who they are, and very slowly, a bond of friendship begins to grow between them. Polar opposites in every way, Yeo Joon and Soo Hyun have little in common but their friendship is real, providing them each the strength they need to take on the challenges they both face in life.

But their friendship is put to the test when Kim So Bin (Kang Min Ah) enters the scene. Will Yeo Joo and Soo Hyun’s unlikely friendship crumble when love begins to bloom?

Adapted from the webtoon of the same name by Ji Nyoong, “At a Distance, Spring is Green” is a Viki Original 2021 slice of life drama directed by Kim Jung Hyun.

At a Distance, Spring is Green

🌿  Spring is Green Team 🍃

All who have ever felt self-conscious about their appearance will find a kindred soul in Im Joo Kyung (Moon Ga Young). Although cheery about most things, Joo Kyung is secretly leading a double life when it comes to her appearance.
&nbsp;
Thanks to the help of internet beauty tutorials, Joo Kyung has mastered the art of makeup and transforms into a beautiful goddess with the skillful application of cosmetics every day. She’s known as one of the most attractive girls in class. Despite this, she lives with the fear that her classmates will discover her true appearance behind makeup.
&nbsp;
The only person in school who knows her ugly secret is Lee Su Ho (Cha Eun Woo), an all-star student with natural good looks and a talent for basketball to boot. Dashingly handsome, Su Ho has captured the hearts of all the girls in the high school.
&nbsp;
However, Joo Kyung is not the only one with secrets. Su Ho has a few of his own from his past that are slowly but surely catching up to him.
&nbsp;
Drawn together, these two individuals not only begin to uncover each other’s secrets but also learn more about their true selves in the process.
&nbsp;
The True Beauty drama is based on a long-running Webtoon that goes by the name “The Secret of Angel (True Beauty)”, penned by Yaongyi. Now adapted into a full-fledged Korean Drama that stars a stellar cast that includes K-pop Idol Cha Eun Woo amongst other popular celebrities, fans of the Webtoon The Secret of Angel have something to look forward to.
&nbsp;
“True Beauty” is a 2020 South Korean romantic comedy-drama series that was directed by Kim Sang Hyub.

True Beauty

True Beauty Team

Could it be possible for two people from entirely different worlds to be destined for each other? It’s not easy being a college student but nothing has ever been easy for Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun). Born into poverty, Hong Sol is a hardworking student and part-time worker determined to overcome her station in life. Existing worlds apart is Yoo Jung&nbsp;(Park Hae Jin), the rich heir to a multinational corporation who is known for being broody and manipulative towards those he dislikes.
&nbsp;
Worlds collide when Hong Sol is given a scholarship meant for Yoo Jung. Suddenly, her financial woes are significantly alleviated by receiving one year’s worth of free tuition. Additionally, Yoo Jung appears to have changed for the better and has become kinder and friendlier to her although the actions of his past are not so easily forgotten. His behavior is confusing, and the plot thickens when Hong Seol finds herself caught between the reformed bad-boy Yoo Jung and his estranged childhood friend, Baek In Ho (Seo Kang Joon). Is Yoo Jung genuine in his attentions? What will Hong Seol choose to do when caught in the cross-fire of old grudges between In Ho and Yoo Jung?

“Cheese in the Trap” is a 2016 South Korean drama series directed by Lee Yoon Jung. It is based on a webtoon written by Soon Ggi. This series marks the television debut for film actress Kim Go Eun.

Cheese In The Trap

I'm trapped

Dan Oh, a high school girl who is the only child from a wealthy family, has congenital heart disease. One day, she wonders why her memory keeps disappearing. She finally realizes that she is a character in the cartoon and decides to find her real life and love. Meanwhile, a character that doesn't even have its name, Seuli High School's Student Number 13, lives like a background of the other characters, but his life slowly changes after meeting Dan Oh. They begin their mysterious adventure to find out the secret of the romance cartoon world, and they try to get their independent lives back.

Extra-ordinary You

📖 Extra-ordinary Team 📖

Once a medal-winning athlete at the National Athletics Competition, Gong Ki Joon (Kim Yo Han) gave up on taekwondo after suffering a serious ankle injury. With his dreams of becoming a professional athlete now in tatters, Ki Joon wonders if his life can get any worse. Unfortunately for him, it can. With his father’s business facing imminent bankruptcy, Ki Joon has no idea where to go, what to do, or what his future holds. Unable to follow the path of his college-bound peers, Ki Joon enrolls in a vocational high school, completely unaware that this decision will change his life forever.
&nbsp;
A dedicated vocational student struggling to balance both work and school, Jung Young Joo (Chu Young Woo) has big dreams for his life and he’s not afraid to work hard to make them come true. Though he has very little in common with Ki Joon, the two find themselves forming an unlikely friendship. Joining their group is Jin Ji Won (Cho Yi Hyun), a second-year student studying hard in order to make her own dreams come true, despite the constant conflict she has with her mother. Though all three friends come from very different walks of life and have very different dreams, they share an unbreakable bond of friendship.
&nbsp;
Helping each other overcome the difficulties inherent with taking the road less traveled, the three friends learn invaluable lessons about life, love, and friendship. But will these lessons actually help them make their dreams come true?

School 2021

🎶Sing for a dream 🎤

Kakao TV, SERIES ON

Gong Ju Young (Park Ji Hoon) is a 17-year-old high school student who thinks he has found love at school when he falls in for Wang Ja Rim (Lee Ruby) at first sight.

But winning her heart won’t be easy. Wang Ja Rim has earned a reputation for being cold and aloof – and, at first, seems totally unimpressed by Gong Ju Young’s garish displays of affection.

But Gong Ju Young won’t be deterred so easily. Persistence is the key, he thinks – and, over time, Wang Ja Rim starts to open up to her classmate.

Gong Ju Young’s best buddy since elementary school is Lee Kyung Woo (Young Hoon of The Boyz). Will he prove to be a help to Gong Ju Young in his quest for Wang Ja Rim’s heart – or a hindrance?

And could Wang Ja Rim’s closest friends, including the popular Oh Ah Ram (Dayoung of WJSN), also play a role in bringing the duo together?

This drama series was based on a long-running web-hosted cartoon (webtoon) series written by Lee Yong Ka. The webtoon began its run in 2013.

“Love Revolution” is a 2020 South Korean Viki Original drama series.

Love Revolution

Teenage Love Team

At eighteen, Choi Jun Woo (Ong Seong Wu) has solidified his position as a perpetual loner. Unable to adequately express his emotions, he often comes across as unsympathetic or aloof, when in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Underneath his lonely exterior lies a cute, goofy young man who just needs the right people around to bring this side out more often.

When Jun Woo transfers schools, he meets Yoo Soo Bin (Kim Hyang Gi), a top student who has spent her entire life being controlled by her overbearing mother. Suffocated under her mother’s care, Soo Bin spends most of her life dreaming of the day she becomes an independent woman. 

Meanwhile, Ma Hwi Young (Shin Seung Ho), seems like the perfect gentleman. Strong and confident on the outside, Hwi Young seems like he has it all, but on the inside, he’s just a timid eighteen-year-old boy trying to find his place in the world.

Each student has their own set of struggles but when they come together, they find their lives slowly begin to change.

“Moment of Eighteen” is a 2019 Viki Original drama directed by Sim Na Yeon.

Moment of Eighteen

Eighteen Staff

Hong Seol (Oh Yeon Seo) never thought of herself as anything special. A young university student, she never stood out as exceptional or even extraordinary. She went to class, worked part-time to pay her tuition fees and living expenses, and spent time with her friends. As average as average could be, Hong Seol never thought she’d catch the eye of someone as out of the ordinary as Yoo Jung (Park Hae Jin).&nbsp;

A senior at the same university, Yoo Jung has never been one to blend in. The handsome son of a wealthy family, he’s never had to work his way through school, but that hasn’t kept him from thinking himself above his peers. On the contrary, he’s always been kind towards others, helping out where he can. With so much going for him, he’s always been one to attract the attention of others, but very few have been able to catch his eye. Until now.

Intrigued by Hong Seol, Yoo Jung begins to take an interest in his underclassman. When he finally decides to ask her out, the two begin an unexpected and awkward relationship that will cause more than a few heads to turn.

Based on the popular webtoon of the same name by Soonkki, “Cheese in the Trap” is a 2018 romance film directed by Kim Jae Young.

Cheese in the Trap (Movie)

Captured Team 

Lee Shi Kyung (Kai) is a computer whizz who enjoys slacking off school to play video games at his local big-city PC gaming room. Life in the big city agrees with him. But some unforeseen family circumstances force him and his rebellious sister Lee Shi Young (Lee Ye Hyun) to move to a far more rural part of South Korea, his life is flipped upside down.

In their new settings, the brother and sister feel like fish out of water, and find that settling down at a rural school to be a tall order. However, two new friendships set Lee Shi Kyung on a new path. He strikes up an unexpected bromance with Park Ga Ram (Baek Chul Min), the most popular boy in the school and a wannabe doctor. He and his sister also get to know Kim Bom (Kim Jin Kyung), a girl who takes a particular shine to Lee Shi Kyung. But just as things start to look up for the siblings, a health-related issue threatens to spoil the fun…

“Andante” is a 2017 South Korean drama series that was directed by Park Gi Ho.

Andante

👨‍💻Today's Youth😉 Team

V LIVE, Naver TV, YouTube, Facebook

Kim Yeon Do (Lee Eun Jae) is a high schooler who is trying to get rid of a boy from her past who just won’t leave her alone.

In desperation, she takes to social media to post a picture of another boy, hoping that this will be enough to deter her annoyingly persistent admirer.

Little does she know, however, that the boy in this picture is none other than Ji Hyun Ho (Kang Yul), a somewhat wild but extremely popular schoolmate.

News of her posting quickly spreads around the school, and little by little she ends up getting to know Ji Hyun Ho – despite the fact that her best friend also appears to have a major crush on him…

This drama was based on a 2016 mobile story game, also called “Best Mistake.”

“Best Mistake” is a 2019 South Korean drama series.

Shows

Comments