7 Netflix K-Dramas With Inspirational Female Leads Who Break The Mold

In K-dramas, especially romantic ones, the main characters sometimes lack relatability. Female leads are often portrayed as either overly naive damsels in distress or tough tomboys with almost superhuman abilities.

If you are tired of such stereotypical depictions and are looking for realistic and inspiring protagonists who have a range of traits and emotions instead of just one that dominates their entire character, here are seven fan-recommended K-dramas that feature just that type of heroine. All of them are available on Netflix.

See You in My 19th Life (2023)

IMDb rating: 7.7/10

Ban Ji-eum is a very mature and well-balanced woman. All because of her curious ability. She remembers all her past reincarnations. After her 18th life is cut short and the 19th begins, she decides to find the man who found a place in her heart.

One Spring Night (2019)

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Lee Jeong-in is an independent-minded woman who breaks social norms. When she meets a charming single father who seems like the perfect man for her, Jeong-in breaks off her long-term relationship with a respectable banker just for the hope of happiness.

The Rational Life (2021)

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

Shen Ruo-xin is a no-nonsense 30-something professional woman, and it is truly inspiring to watch her juggle tough office politics, family pressure to settle down, and potential love interests who all seem to have their own hidden agendas.

Be Melodramatic (2019)

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

This K-drama is about not one, but three amazing women. They are close friends and all work in television. When fate brings them all together to create the same K-drama, the fictional story becomes the perfect backdrop for their personal journeys.

Itaewon Class (2020)

IMDb rating: 8.2/10

The male lead of the drama is a modern day Count of Monte Cristo who has spent years in prison and is now trying to take revenge on the powerful family that wronged him. Along the way, he meets the brilliant woman who becomes his close associate and a truly inspiring character worth tuning in for.

Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022)

IMDb rating: 8.5/10

The sageuk revolves around Queen Im Hwa-ryeong, who strives to turn her troublemaking sons into true princes and future rulers of the country. The queen is the epitome of an inspiring mother figure, balancing tough love with unwavering concern for her children.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

IMDb rating: 8.6/10

The story follows Na Hee-do, a fencing prodigy, in two periods of her life. In the past, she is a teenager pursuing her dream of becoming a professional athlete. In the present, she is an adult who has fallen on hard times, but doesn't give up and uses the toughness she has developed through her sport to rise up and shine again.