we all have a soft spot for the found family trope, here are some of my favorites. 
Netflix Dramas that have Found Family: Hospital Playlist (my #1), Romance is A Bonus Book, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Vincenzo

Found Family Trope

Bong Sang Pil (Lee Joon Gi), a former gangster turned lawyer, seeks revenge for his mother's tragic death by targeting powerful individuals who believe they are above the law. Using his street skills and legal expertise, he builds an impressive winning record. Ha Jae Yi (Seo Yea Ji), a principled lawyer whose license was suspended after hitting a judge during an unjust trial, joins Sang Pil's team to pay off her father's debts. Together, they take on a high-stakes case involving Cha Moon Sook (Lee Hye Young), a senior judge, and An Oh Ju (Choi Min Soo), a former gangster turned corporate CEO. As they challenge the most powerful figures in the city, Sang Pil and Jae Yi must navigate a dangerous legal and personal battle. This is a 2018 South Korean drama series directed by Kim Jin Min.

Lawless Lawyer

Oh Su Jae (Seo Hyun Jin) is on a journey to reach the pinnacle of South Korea's legal world. However, a key case takes an unexpected turn, leading to her abrupt demotion. Deflated, Su Jae takes on a job working at a law school, hoping to reclaim her reputation and standing in the law firm where she was once a partner. At the school, she meets Gong Chan (Hwang In Yeop), a student who has faced his own share of hardships. And as they begin to spend time together, a close bond forms. As Su Jae begins her journey back to the top, could love be on the cards? This 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Park Soo Jin.

Why Her?

Fallen ⭐️ Rising Team

Sohn & Co

Disaster strikes teenage violin prodigy Woo Seo Ri (Shin Hae Sun) when a traffic accident leaves her hospitalized before she's supposed to study abroad in Germany. Gong Woo Jin (Yang Se Jong), who blames himself for the accident, is traumatized and plagued by guilt. Thirteen years later, he works as a set designer but remains emotionally cut off from everyone around him. After over twelve years in a coma, Seo Ri miraculously recovers. Though now thirty years old, she is still mentally a teenager. She crosses paths with Woo Jin, and the two become close, unaware of their shared past. Can these emotionally scarred individuals rescue each other, or will their history get in the way? This 2018 South Korean drama series was directed by Jo Soo Won.

Thirty But Seventeen

South Korean special forces officer Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) falls for surgeon Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) but their ideological differences force them to split up. Now, war has broken out in a faraway nation, and Si Jin’s unit is deployed on the battleground. Coincidentally, an unpleasant workplace incident has forced Mo Yeon to join a group of medical volunteers in the same country. The former lovers reunite, but can they find love again – against the backdrop of a bloody war? This 2016 South Korean drama series was directed by Lee Eung Bok and Baek Sang Hoon.

Descendants of the Sun

The Sunshine Team

Troubled convict Yun Gyeo Re (Ji Chang Wook) is ordered to do community service at an end-of-life care facility for the terminally ill. He must work with the tireless Kang Tae Sik (Sung Dong Il), the leader of the facility’s volunteer team. Tae Sik has launched a unit called Team Genie, which seeks to make the final wishes of dying patients come true, no matter what they ask for. Gyeo Re also meets Seo Yeon Ju (Choi Sooyoung), a young nurse who tries to keep her patients physically active and full of cheer. Will working with Team Genie and Yeon Ju help turn Gyeo Re’s life around or is it already too late for him? This 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Kim Yong Wan.

If You Wish Upon Me

🦋 Free as a butterfly Team 🦋

While Eun Seon Woo (Jung Il Woo), the head of the lucrative Eunkang business group empire, appears to be just another silver-spoon family heir, he secretly moonlights as the head of a private detective office. A master of disguise with unparalleled athletic prowess, he also has keen powers of deduction. Meanwhile, Don Se Ra (Kwon Yuri) is a young woman with incredible vision. Like Seon Woo, she wants to keep her talent a secret, so she wears thick glasses to hide her skill. A lifelong altruist, she has dedicated her life to helping others. When she meets Seon Woo, they decide to put their skills together to solve crimes. But when they start to fall for each other, will their budding partnership deepen, or careen off the rails? This 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Ryu Seung Jin.

Good Job

🎭 Masters of Disguise 🕵🏻‍♀️

Yeo Joon (Park Ji Hoon), the privileged son of a wealthy family, is a first-year economics student who has everything he could want – except a true friend. When he is assigned to work on a class project with Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk), a no-nonsense, straight-A senior, Joon sees an opportunity to change that. Despite Soo Hyun's initial skepticism, Joon's persistent efforts eventually pay off. However, their fledgling friendship is tested when a girl, Kim So Bin (Kang Min Ah), comes between them. This 2021 South Korean drama series was based on a webtoon by Ji Nyoong and was directed by Kim Jung Hyun.

At a Distance, Spring is Green

🌿  Spring is Green Team 🍃

In the late 1980s Seoul, five childhood friends from the Ssangmundong neighborhood navigate their challenging teen years together. Seong Deok Seon (Lee Hye Ri) struggles with her low school ranking, Kim Jeong Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) is soccer-obsessed, Seong Seon Woo (Ko Gyung Pyo) is the perfect student, Ryoo Dong Ryong (Lee Dong Hwi) is a knowledgeable geek, and Choi Taek (Park Bo Gum) is a genius baduk player who dropped out of school. As they support each other through various misadventures, they form unbreakable bonds that will shape their future lives. Their shared experiences and friendship become a testament to the power of youth and community during a transformative era in South Korean history. This is a 2015 South Korean nostalgic drama series directed by Shin Won Ho, the third installment in the "Reply" drama series.

Reply 1988

The Lucky Eights Team

Scholars Kang San (Ryeoun), Kim Shi Yeol (Kang Hoon), and Jeong Yoo Ha (Jung Gun Joo) have all come to the capital to take the civil service entrance exam – in the hope of one day becoming top-ranking public officials. But together with the innkeeper Yoon Dan Oh (Shin Ye Eun), they stumble upon clues about a bizarre disappearance that took place over a decade ago. Do they have what it takes to solve the puzzling mystery – and possibly find love on the way? This 2023 South Korean drama series was directed by Kim Jung Min.

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse

JTBC

After several unhappy events at work, Seoul-based cellist Mok Hae Won (Park Min Young) has grown tired of big-city life. She decides to take a break from the hustle and bustle and returns to the small village of Bukhyeon, where she lived for a short time during her high school years, hoping to take some time and unwind. However, she didn’t bank on reuniting with her former classmate and neighbor Im Eun Seop (Seo Kang Joon), who now owns a small, unassuming independent bookstore. Hae Won is drawn to Eun Seop, who lives his life at a slower pace than the people she used to hang out with in the capital. Over time, they begin to feel the pull of attraction. But Eun Seop, too, has deep secret scars. Can they overcome the obstacles they find in their way – and begin a lasting romance? This 2020 South Korean drama, based on the novel of the same name by Lee Do Woo, was directed by Han Ji Seung.

I'll Go to You When the Weather is Nice

The warm-hearted team

Ra Yi Eon (Taecyeon), a food-loving young man in the Joseon Dynasty, unexpectedly becomes a secret royal inspector after excelling in the civil service exam. Despite his peers' potential envy, Yi Eon is more interested in his next meal. Kim Joy (Kim Hye Yoon), a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage with a gambler, seeks to break free from societal constraints. When their paths cross, they form an uneasy alliance that hints at potential deeper connections. Together, they navigate the challenges of corruption and social expectations in ultra-conservative Joseon society. This is a 2024 South Korean historical comedy-drama that explores personal freedom and unexpected partnerships.

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