A good show that makes you forget the world is always a treat. Unfortunately, those shows can be hard to come by. A couple of years ago, I watched Netflix’s Spinning Out and loved it. The season ended on a cliffhanger and I was anxiously waiting for another season.
Then the worst news was delivered: Netflix canceled it.
I was disappointed, and a little angry that my favourite shows keep getting cancelled. I spent hours scrolling through Netflix, finding nothing that caught my interest. The few that did catch my interest turned out to be cancelled after a season or two. What was supposed to be a fun, relaxing activity was starting to become frustrating.
Then, I found k-dramas.
Most run for one season with sixteen episodes each. There are (usually) no cliffhangers in the end, and everything wraps up nicely. Once I started watching k-dramas, my life changed. I never have to worry about cliffhangers or cancelled shows anymore because I know that when I start a drama, I will get the full story! Another bonus? Most episodes are longer than an hour. While that might be a lot for some people, I love it because there’s more screen time for all the characters in the show.
The one-season format of most dramas makes them easy to binge watch, with a guaranteed, non-cliffhanger ending. So, here are four dramas I recommend watching if you’re looking for easy, binge-worthy dramas to pass the time this summer!
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Yoon Hye-Jin (Shin Min-A), a dentist, moves to open her own practice in the seaside town of Gongjin. There, she meets Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-Ho), the town’s chief. He will do any task you ask of him for minimum wage. At first, the pair don’t get along; his small town personality clashes with her big city persona. Overtime, with many adventures throughout, Hye-Jin is accepted by the town’s people and fits in even better than she did in the big city.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is one of my favourite dramas. While I was watching it, I kept thinking “one more episode” until I had finished the whole thing. It’s an added bonus that Kim Seon-Ho, my favourite actor, is in this drama!
Start-Up
Seo Dal-Mi (Bae Suzy) wants to become an entrepreneur but she doesn’t have a fancy education. Nam Do-San (Nam Joo-Hyuk) and his friends in Samsan Tech are good at coding and building apps, but not very good at running a business. They join forces to build the company up with the help of Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-Ho), a venture capitalist. With the ups and downs that come with running a start-up, this show is filled with twists and turns, funny and heartfelt moments, and a little mystery.
Start-Up is another one of my favourites; the visuals in the show are phenomenal, and the storyline keeps you engaged. It’s perfect for binge-watching!
Hospital Playlist
One of the rare two-season dramas, Hospital Playlist follows a group of five doctors who met and befriended each other during medical school. It’s a little shorter, with only twelve episodes per season. But the two seasons and longer episodes give you plenty of content. Throughout the show, you’ll follow the shenanigans of the friend group and others in the hospital, as well as patients. There will be lots of comedic moments, but also prepare some tissues for the more heartfelt moments in the show. The best part? The second season wraps up the story nicely, and with both seasons out, you can binge watch it easily!
Navillera
This is a little different from what I usually watch, but this show was so sweet and it quickly became one of my favourites. Navillera follows Sim Deok-Chool (Park In-Hwan), a 70-year-old retiree who takes up ballet dancing, a life-long dream of his. His family is not happy about this, but he insists and joins a ballet company, where he’s taught by Lee Chae-Rok (Song Kang). Chae-Rok is a talented ballet dancer going through a rough time and starting to lose interest in ballet. The friendship between Deok-Chool and Chae-Rok is adorable, and there are definitely moments where a tissue box is needed. With only 12 episodes, Navillera is another quick and easy show to binge watch!
The next time you’re scrolling through Netflix, unsure of what to watch and frustrated by the cancellation of your favourite show, I hope you decide to give one of these dramas a chance. You never know, your next favourite show might be one “play” away!