Summer is here, and what’s better than spending this hot, sunny season with some heart-touching, romantic K-dramas? Summer always brings that soft, emotional vibe that matches perfectly with all the love stories, warm friendships, and healing moments in K-dramas. If you’re confused about what to watch this season, don’t worry—I got you! Below are some of the best summer K-dramas you should definitely add to your watchlist (no spoilers, don’t worry!)
1. Our Beloved Summer
Our Choi Woo-sik and Kim Da-mi lead Our Beloved Summer. Here you’re going to see how a careless, non-dreamer artist boy falls in love with a strict, top-of-the-class, full-of-dreams girl. In school, a TV production company wants to show how the best student and a backbencher live their lives. They get Choi Woo-sik and Kim Da-mi together and shoot a documentary. While filming it, Woo-sik falls for Da-mi after seeing her kindness, which no one else sees. They eventually get into a relationship, but Da-mi suddenly breaks up with him.
Many years pass. Now the former non-dreamer has become a successful artist, but our dreamer girl is still struggling, even though she had great results. Five years after their breakup, they have to meet again to film the same documentary because the audience loved the teenage version so much, and now they want to see how they’re leading their adult lives. Will Choi Woo-sik and Da-mi patch up again? And what was the reason for Da-mi’s breakup? To know that, don’t forget to watch Our Beloved Summer.
2. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2521)
A fencing athlete school student, Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri), meets recently bankrupt Baek Yi-jin(Nam Ju-hyuk), who moved to live in her area. Baek Yi-jin’s family was once very rich, but they went bankrupt due to the IMF crisis. Na Hee-do, a girl full of joy, happiness, and life, teaches Baek Yi-jin how to live through hard times with strength and hope. She always helps him laugh, enjoy the moment, and stay motivated. Now working as a news reporter, Baek Yi-jin stays by Hee-do’s side, supporting her fencing dreams, even though she struggles to succeed. During this, they fall for each other’s pure hearts. Will Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do end up in a relationship? Can they stay by each other’s side and become each other’s support?
One thing I want to mention—not a spoiler—this drama might break your heart. But you will love how they grow from teenagers to adults, and how their relationship evolves. I highly recommend you watch it because it is one of my favorite K-dramas.
3. Summer Strike
Summer Strike is one of my most favorite dramas. In it, Lee Yeo-reum (Seolhyun) gets exhausted from her work life, where she always works hard but is given little priority. She recently lost her mother and got dumped by her boyfriend at the same time. She doesn’t even notice how the seasons change—when the cherry blossoms come and go because of her busy work. Frustrated with everything, she decides to sell everything she has in Seoul and move to a quiet countryside village where she can finally breathe. There, she meets our male lead, Ahn Dae-beom (Im Si-wan). Dae-beom is so shy and introverted that at first, you’ll think he’s deaf. But no—he only talks to people he’s comfortable with.
Yeo-reum now spends her days at a library where Dae-beom worked. And from there, their chemistry slowly grows. You’re going to see how an extremely introverted person falls in love with a girl who doesn’t even believe in love anymore. To see this, don’t forget to check out Summer Strike.
4. Twinkling Watermelon
As watermelon is a summer fruit, the drama is also based around summer. We see a boy, Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun), a high school student who wants to become a guitarist—but his father doesn’t allow it. His parents are both deaf and hearing-impaired.
After an argument where his father sees him playing the guitar, Eun-gyeol leaves the house because he truly wants to be a guitarist. After the argument, he travels back in time to 1995 and meets his young father, I-chan (Choi Hyun-wook).
To make things right and return to the present, he joins a band led by his father, hoping to reunite his future parents. This drama gives off energetic comedy vibes, and if you love time travel dramas, it’ll be perfect for you. Let us know in the comments if you want to watch this drama or not.
5. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 will definitely give you nostalgia. You’ll see five friends who grow up together in an urban area of Seoul. Coming into 1988, they become lifelong best friends. Their parents are also very close friends. You’ll get to relive the past—how we lived with friends and family, tried to impress our crushes, and grew into adulthood. You’ll see how these five friends support each other emotionally, offer advice, and always stay by each other’s side. When one parent faces trouble, one of the kids steps forward to help.
Through this journey, you’ll also see how two lovebirds—Choi Taek and Deok-sun—grow their feelings for each other. The emotional relationships between the parents and children are touching. As this group of friends gets into and out of mischief around the neighborhood, what memories will they carry with them into their future lives? I highly recommend you watch Reply 1988—it will definitely bring back your nostalgia and give you 30 hours of pure joy.
6. Our Beautiful Summer
Our Beautiful Summer tells the story of A-reum, Da-un, Yu-ri, and Na-ra—four hearts, one bond. But when they lost Na-ra, everything changed. The three were left with a silence that summer couldn’t fill. Time felt frozen, their world dimmer without her. But somehow, in the middle of that loneliness, they found love again—not to replace what was lost, but to remind them that joy was still possible. Little by little, they smiled again—three hearts carrying the fourth, always. You can add it to your watchlist.
So these are some of my favorite K-dramas that just hit differently in the summer season. Whether you want something romantic, healing, nostalgic, or even a little heartbreaking, there’s something in here for every mood. Let me know in the comments which one you’re planning to watch or if I missed out your favorite summer K-drama—I’d love to hear your thoughts! Till then, enjoy your summer with the best stories, and don’t forget to take a break and live your own K-drama moments too wavies!!!!!
