When we talk about the “age gap” genre in K-dramas, it’s definitely like walking through a minefield, in other words risky, but so rewarding when it’s done with finesse and the right dose of cliche.
These dramas, often bypassed because of the pitfalls of clichés and missteps, can, when approached with creativity and sensitivity, become true gems in the hearts of viewers. Below is our list of K-dramas that not only dared to bridge the generation gap, but also became fan favorites.
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Backstreet Rookie
In this drama we find Jung Saet Byul (Kim You Jung), a 22-year-old young woman with unconventional charm, gifted in martial arts and deeply attached to retro fashion, her family and her friends. Despite her many suitors, her heart beats only for Choi Dae Hyun (Ji Chang Wook), an attractive convenience store owner in his thirties. The young woman has been clinging to him like a shopaholic on sales day, ever since their fateful meeting to buy cigarettes three years ago. Saet Byul now takes matters into her own hands to enter Choi Dae Hyun’s life by applying for a part-time job at his store.
What happens next becomes a hilarious love story as the two young people come to terms with their old heartaches, discover a new love and fall awkwardly into adulthood, all while dreaming of a future together.
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Encounter
Burdened by the expectations of her politician father, Cha Soo Hyun (Song Hye Kyo) finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage to a rich man. It is by divorcing that she escapes from this golden cage and that the course of her life is turned upside down.
Enter Kim Jin Hyuk (Park Bo Gum), a simple and optimistic young man in his twenties, happy with the simple pleasures of life and juggling part-time jobs while researching stability. Their paths cross unexpectedly during a fateful trip abroad, setting the stage for a love story that is far from simple. Can we expect their unlikely bond to defy all odds and rewrite the rules of romance?
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Something in the Rain
This series features Yoon Jin Ah (Son Ye Jin), a woman in her thirties who faces repeated heartbreaks due to her clumsiness and impulsiveness. After a groom-to-be compares her to devil’s tongue jelly, she questions her attractiveness as a woman.
It is then when she is at her lowest that Joon Hee (Jung Hai In) enters her life with a radiant smile, as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day. The young man thus moves from the status of a simple neighbor to that of a mature and charismatic man, which triggers unexpected feelings in Jin Ah. As she faces this new attraction to her childhood friend’s little brother, Jin Ah wonders if this isn’t finally the love she’s always been looking for.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon
Featuring a breathtaking age gap, this K-drama is getting a lot of attention and therefore naturally deserves to be on this list. We find Lee Joon Ho (Wi Ha Joon), who, after resigning from a large company, finds himself again at the academy where he studied but this time, as an instructor. He returns due to a lingering attachment to his first love, Seo Hye Jin (Jung Ryeo Won), a respected Korean teacher with fourteen years of experience. The latter became known thanks to “Miracle of Daechi”, which marked a turning point in her career.
It’s just when her life is settling into routine that Lee Joon Ho, a turbulent former student whom she once guided towards a prestigious university, reappears, turning her world upside down once again.
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Witch’s Romance
We meet Ban Ji Yeon (Uhm Jung Hwa), a dedicated 39-year-old journalist whose passion for her work earns her the nickname “witch” in the office. Upset by the fact that her fiancé disappeared before their wedding, she has resigned herself to believing that true love is only a myth. For his part, Yoon Dong Ha (Park Seo Joon), a cheerful 25-year-old who runs a small business, hides the painful loss of his girlfriend following a tragic accident.
When their paths cross, Ji Yeon and Dong Ha bond in the most unexpected way and despite their age difference, they discover they have much more in common than broken hearts.
So, which of these K-dramas captured your heart the most?