Best Healing KDramas Perfect for a Summer Pick Me Up

Hey Daebak Fam! Now that it’s summer and the weather is blazing, you may be experiencing a case of the summer blues. That’s why here at The Daebak Company, we’ve compiled a list of the 6 best healing Kdramas that will help heal and inspire you on summer vacation! You’re sure to find one that will cure that summer boredom, from tried and true classics to more recent titles. 

Starting off our list is the Kdrama of 2020, "It's Okay to Not Be Okay." The storyline follows Moon Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-Hyun), the older brother and caretaker of his autistic brother, Sang-tae (played by Moon Woo-jin). The two often move, with Gang-tae working at a psychiatric ward every time after their mother's death. 

While working one day, Gang-tae meets Ko Moon-young (played by Seo Yea-ji), a distinguished children's book author known to have an antisocial personality disorder. Through the series, viewers see their relationship deepen and develop further as secrets, and their true identities continue to unravel.

"It's Okay to Not Be Okay" is probably the darkest melodrama on this list, but it does the best at touching on the more sensitive topics of mental health and trauma, a more taboo subject in South Korea.  

Overall, a very poignant, well-done melodrama with impeccable Kdrama OST albums to accompany. The "It's Okay To Not Be Okay" book set shown in the show is also available as a hard copy. The It's Okay To Not Be Okay book offers a collection of fairytales for children that provides lessons for adults to learn too! 

This next Kdrama follows the life of Kang Dan-i (played by Lee Na-young), a housewife who struggles to acquire a marketing job within the fierce job market due to her inactivity in the field for several years, despite being one of the best marketers of her time. 

We see her personal hardships, from the loss of her house to a messy divorce with her ex-husband, while secretly getting financial support from childhood best friend Cha Eun-ho (played by Lee Jong-suk) without his knowledge. 

She finally lands a job as a task support member at Eun-ho’s book publishing company and strives to discover her professional roots once again. Despite these hardships, viewers continue to see her growth throughout the series, both financially and emotionally, with a sweet romance blossoming along the way. 

Her unwavering persistence and positive outlook in life are sure to inspire you. We could all a little use Kang Dan-i positivity in our lives!

A breakthrough Kdrama this past year, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" has already captivated the eyes and hearts of millions around the world. 

Following the story of Yoon Hye-jin (played by Shin Min-a), this savvy city dentist leaves her past job after disagreeing with the practices of her last employer. After arriving in Gongjin and meeting the town chief and handyman, Hong Du-sik (played by Kim Seon-ho). 

Hye-jin receives help from the jack-of-all-trades Hong Du-sik numerous times, deepening her relationship with him and the rest of the townsfolks as the series progresses. 

This show is sure to hit you in the feels as you engross in the past of each of the characters, with the right amount of comedic relief and romance mixed in. Trust me, this is a Kdrama you don't want to miss.

You can also read the whole story through the Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha book set or listen to your favorite songs throughout the series from the Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Kdrama OST albums like your favorite Kpop goods! The Kdrama was a hit that you can find more of the Kdrama's adorable merch below. 

Another popular Netflix series, “Hospital Playlist,” brings viewers into the lives of 5 long-time best friends, watching their journey as doctors. Each episode features new medical cases, drama, and musical fun as they are also bandmates! 

If you’re a fan of medical dramas or love watching budding friendships in and out of the professional setting, this is the show for you! And with two seasons, you’ll definitely have plenty of episodes to binge. 

Get in touch with your musical skills while being a professional in another field of work like these cool doctors and friends! With the Hospital Playlist OST albums and Piano Score items, you can play the songs from the series with your own musical instruments!

Looking for a more family-oriented type of Kdrama? This coming-of-age drama takes you back to life in South Korea in 1988, the year of the Olympics being held in Seoul. Viewers follow the lives of 5 families within a small, rural South Korean neighborhood and their upbringings within each other’s lives. 

The main storyline follows the life of Deok-sun (played by Lee Hye-ri), an eccentric yet slightly clumsy high schooler, and the growing relationships between her closest neighborhood friends: Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum), Kim Jung-hwan (Ryu Jun-yeol), Sung Sun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo), and Ryu Dong-ryong (Lee Dong-hwi).

While there may be many characters, I promise you will quickly learn and develop a soft spot for all of them. From familial issues and economic strains to childhood experiences, “Reply 1988” touches on many emotive topics that all of us can relate to, making it a touching K-drama to comfort you through the hard times. A must-watch in millions of viewers’ hearts!

Last, but certainly not least, we have the romantic comedy series “Her Private Life” starring Park Min-young as Sung Deok-mi and Kim Jae-wook as Ryan Gold. 

Deok-mi is an art curator who lives a double life of being the biggest fansite of sensational, fictional music artist Cha Sian (played by Jung Jae-won) of the band White Ocean. She encounters Ryan through the art world when he becomes the new art director of her museum, and has to become a fake couple after getting entangled in Cha Sian dating rumors. 

This K-drama will surely hit home on viewers who are big fans of their favorite Kpop artists and provide that slice-of-life feeling following Duk-mi’s professional aspirations. It’s a great K-drama overall for when you need that cute romance pick me up!

Hopefully, these 6 kdramas can lift your spirits this summer. Think we missed any healing Kdramas? Let us know by telling us your favorite healing Kdrama in the comments. For more kpop goods and Kdrama ost albums, visit us at The Daebak Company!