Three Melodramas to Quench Your Thirst for Romance
These three dramas from 2019 will give you that required dose of romance for drama lovers who want to see a fun and heartwarming story.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a JTBC drama starring Ha Jiwon, Yoon Kyesang, and Jang Seungjo. It is a story about a typical family fighting over succession of the family business. This coupled with an exciting love story makes for a heartwarming drama that quells the need for a good romance melodrama.
Lee Kang (Yoon Kyesang) and Moon Chayeong (Ha Jiwon) meet as young kids in a small fishing town. Kang feeds a starving Chayeong at his mother’s restaurant and the two grow fond of each other. They are separated when Chayeong leaves for Seoul with her family while Kang is taken in by his paternal grandmother as one of the heirs to the Lee fortune. Kang’s mother dies soon after and Kang is left to fight against his cousin Lee Joon (Jang Seungjo) over the succession of their family’s hospital corporation. Kang, who once dreamt of being a chef, becomes a neurosurgeon. Meanwhile Chayeong takes up Kang’s dream of healing people with food and becomes a chef. The rivalry between Kang and Joon creates conflict as they compete to outperform each other.
Through various circumstances, Kang, Joon, and Chayeong find themselves working at a struggling hospice that provides homage for terminally ill patients. The patients, who are fighting for their lives every day, provide an enlightening space for them to work through their issues and find a solution to their problems. Through them, Kang is able to know the kind of person Chayeong is and ends up falling for her kind nature. He is also able to build a close bond with his cousin, something they both always wanted but had to hold back because of their warring family. The show provides insightful lessons into living a fulfilling life by giving priority to things that truly matters.
When the Camellia Blooms
This KBS2 drama stars Gong Hyojin, Kang Haneul, and Kim Jiseok. The drama follows the story of Oh Dongbaek (Gong Hyojin), a single mother living in the town of Ongsan. She opens a bar named Camellia in order to raise her son. During her stay, a mysterious murder occurs with Dongbaek as the only witness, but the culprit, known by the alias “Joker”, escapes without being caught.
Six years later, police officer Hwang Yongsik (Kang Haneul) returns to his hometown in Ongsan. He is a carefree, playful, and courageous young man. Yongsik instantly falls for Dongbaek and makes it his mission to protect her by catching the elusive Joker, who suddenly reappears in Ongsan. Their situation is complicated by the fact that Dongbaek is a single mother, and more so when her son’s father Kang Jongryul (Kim Jiseok) returns in her life.
Yongsik’s playful and innocent side is a delight to watch, making him the highlight of the drama. He appears to be someone we can dismiss at first, but as the drama progresses, we realize there is much more to him than meets the eye. The drama has more worthy lessons for viewers as we get to admire the solidarity of the Ongsam citizens in the wake of a crisis. Dongbaek’s relationships with her mother, her son, Jongryul, and especially Yongsik make for an endearing story that everyone will enjoy watching.
Melt Me Softly
Melt Me Softly is a TVN drama starring Ji Changwook, Woo Jinah, and Yoon Seah. The drama is about an acrylic experiment gone wrong.
Ma Dongchan (Ji Changwook) is a famous variety show director in the 1990s. In 1999, he participates in a daring cryogenic experiment to have his body frozen for 24 hours. He commissions a variety show regular, Go Miran (Won Jinah), to take the experiment with him and she agrees to do it after setting some conditions. Something goes wrong and the two end up frozen for 20 years instead of 24 hours. When they wake up in the year 2019, they find that they now have to adjust to an advanced world. Added to this, their normal body temperature is at 31.5 degrees (maximum 33 degrees), which they have to maintain in order to survive. Dongchan feels accountable for what happened to him and Miran, and takes it upon himself to take care of her. It is through his intention to protect her that the two end end up falling for each other.
The threshold temperature makes it difficult for Dongchan and Miran to live life normally, and herein lies their biggest predicament. Dongchan’s ex-girlfriend Na Hayeon (Yoon Seah) adds a little chaos to the romance as she struggles to accept that their romance is now over. The drama has numerous light moments owing to the 20-year detachment from the world and is a true delight to watch.
With these dramas, you will be able to enjoy fun stories with the right dose of romance that we all need.