7 Push-And-Pull Romantic K-Dramas With All The Angst & Toxicity

written by Monica Morrison

March 28, 2024 11:00 am

7 Push-And-Pull Romantic K-Dramas With All The Angst & Toxicity — Image credit: MBC, KBS2

Let yourself give in to your craving for a destructive relationship. At least on screen.

We all know that romantic relationships must be healthy and red flags-free, but every once in a while we still get that craving for stories with unrequited love, extreme yearning, painful pining, toxic codependency, and other emotional struggles in this vein.

If you are in the mood for such stories today, here are seven K-dramas that will give you exactly what you need, a wave of angst and red-flag situations.

Nevertheless (2021)

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IMDb rating: 7.1/10

Where to stream: Netflix

This love-hate romance between two classmates is hard to call wholesome, even if you really tried. The male lead is toxic and constantly puts his love interest on edge. But that's why we're here, right? Plus, it's one of the steamiest K-dramas around.

Lovestruck in the City (2020)

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IMDb rating: 7.6/10

Where to stream: Netflix

Ji Chang-Wook is the master of angst, and Lovestruck in the City is his masterpiece. The actor plays an obsessive architect in search of a girl he had a brief affair with and fell deeply in love with. The drama is made in a unique docu-series format.

Call It Love (2023)

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IMDb rating: 7.7/10

Where to stream: Disney+, Hulu

The drama is a struggle to watch because its leads are struggling so much. They get close for all the wrong reasons, and the angst is palpable. The female lead wants revenge on her late father's mistress. She targets the mistress's son, but he turns out not to be who she thought he was.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)

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IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Where to stream: Viki, iQIYI

The show's main couple wants to be together, but can't because of their twisted past. The male lead, Kim Moo-young, is the prime suspect in a suicide-turned-murder case being investigated by Yoo Jin-gook. When the detective's younger sister falls in love with Moo-young, he does his best to keep them apart.

I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004)

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IMDb rating: 8.3/10

Where to stream: Prime Video, Viki, Kocowa, KBS World

Angst goes hand in hand with pain, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a K-drama more traumatizing than I'm Sorry, I Love You. The main character was abandoned as a baby, adopted by an Australian family and abused. He lives on the streets and, after learning that he has only a few months to live, goes to Korea to try to find his biological parents. All while falling in love with a girl.

Mr. Sunshine (2018)

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IMDb Rating: 8.7/10

Where to stream: Prime Video, Netflix

Prepare to be hit hard by this story of a 19th-century slave-turned-officer and the noble woman he's not allowed to love. Their star-crossed romance, set amidst political intrigue, is so good it hurts.

My Dearest (2023)

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IMDb rating: 8.9/10

Where to stream: Prime Video, Viki, Apple TV, Kocowa

My Dearest is a sageuk with so much romantic longing that you'll need to pause it from time to time. The drama is set in the 17th century during the Qing-Joseon War and relies heavily on the political gamesmanship surrounding it. The romance involves four young people from noble families.